Looking for a public speaking course online that will actually get you comfortable in front of a room? Here is the honest answer: the University of Washington’s Dynamic Public Speaking Specialization on Coursera is the best all-round pick, because it makes you write, record and get feedback on real speeches, and it comes with a certificate. If you only want one course for one payment, Chris Haroun’s Udemy course was $17.99 on sale (list price $109.99) with a 30-day money-back guarantee when I checked on 21 Oct 2026.
Below you get a side-by-side table of all five courses with their real prices, what each one teaches, who it suits, and answers to the questions people ask before they sign up.
The cheapest way into our top pick is Coursera Plus on annual billing. It costs $399 a year instead of $59 a month, covers this specialization and thousands of other programs, and Coursera gives annual subscribers 14 days to ask for a refund.
Coursera Plus annual: $399/year with 14-day money-back
Unlocks the Dynamic Public Speaking Specialization and thousands of other courses for a year, billed upfront; the monthly plan is $59 and starts with a 7-day free trial.
Best Public Speaking Courses Online 2026 at a Glance
If you only have a minute, these four cover most reasons people want a public speaking course: a structured program with a certificate, one low-cost course you own, a daily habit that builds confidence, or better storytelling.
Coursera: Dynamic Public Speaking
- University of Washington, 4 courses
- Record speeches and get peer feedback
- Shareable certificate
Udemy: Complete Presentation Course
- 16 hours of video, 207 lectures
- 4.5 stars from 20,413 ratings
- Lifetime access, 30-day refund
Mindvalley: Speak and Inspire
- Lisa Nichols, 30-day program
- About 10 minutes a day
- Part of 100+ Mindvalley programs
MasterClass: LeVar Burton
- 13 lessons, 2 hr 30 min
- Storytelling for any audience
- 200+ other classes included
Here is how all five compare on length, format and what you really pay:
| Course | Platform | Length | Rating or reach | Price | Refund or free trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dynamic Public Speaking Specialization | Coursera (University of Washington) | 4 courses, about 59 hours; 4 weeks at 10 hours a week | 4.7 from 2,947 reviews; 119,409 enrolled | Coursera Plus $59/mo or $399/year | 7-day free trial (monthly); 14-day refund (annual) |
| Speak and Inspire | Mindvalley (Lisa Nichols) | 5.9 hours over 30 days | 262,054 students | Mindvalley Membership $399/year ($33.25/mo) | 15-day money-back guarantee |
| LeVar Burton Teaches the Power of Storytelling | MasterClass | 13 lessons, 2 hr 30 min | Emmy winner, Reading Rainbow host | From $10/mo billed annually | 30-day money-back guarantee |
| The Complete Presentation and Public Speaking/Speech Course | Udemy (Chris Haroun) | 16 hours, 207 lectures | 4.5 from 20,413 ratings; 242,233 learners | $17.99 on sale (list $109.99), or Personal Plan from $13/mo | 30-day money-back guarantee |
| Intro to Public Speaking: Give a 5-Minute Talk Without Dying | Skillshare (Nick Armstrong) | 9 lessons, 47 minutes | 9,765 students | Skillshare $167.88/year ($13.99/mo) | 7-day free trial |
1. Dynamic Public Speaking Specialization (Coursera): Best Overall
This Coursera specialization comes from the University of Washington and is taught by Dr. Matt McGarrity, who has 9 courses and more than 900,000 learners on Coursera. It is four courses in a row: Introduction to Public Speaking (12 hours), Speaking to Inform (14 hours), Speaking to Persuade (17 hours) and Speaking to Inspire (16 hours). Coursera rates it Beginner level and estimates 4 weeks at 10 hours a week.
What sets it apart is practice. You design, rehearse and record speeches you can reuse at work, such as an elevator pitch, an informative slide-deck talk, a persuasive policy recommendation and an inspirational story, and you give and receive peer feedback on each. The first course also includes a VR practice room with a virtual audience. McGarrity writes that the program is built for nervous beginners, so it works even if your hands shake at the thought of a presentation.
Pricing: the specialization is included with Coursera Plus, which costs $59 a month with a 7-day free trial, or $399 a year with a 14-day money-back guarantee. You finish with a shareable certificate from the University of Washington. Weighing Coursera against a project-based platform? Our Coursera vs Udacity comparison covers the difference.
2. Speak and Inspire with Lisa Nichols (Mindvalley): Best for Confidence
Speak and Inspire is a 30-day Mindvalley program from speaking coach Lisa Nichols. It runs on Mindvalley’s Quest format: about 10 minutes of training a day, 5.9 hours in total, split into four parts that move from finding your voice to engaging an audience and speaking to one person or a hundred. Daily lessons include managing fear and anxiety, the pregnant pause, building a story and asking for feedback on your style.
It suits people who freeze because of nerves more than technique, and people who want to speak in an inspiring, personal style. It is lighter on slide design and structured feedback than the Coursera specialization, and Mindvalley says more than 262,000 students have enrolled.
Pricing: the course is not sold on its own. You get it with a Mindvalley Membership, which the Speak and Inspire page listed at $399 a year (shown as $33.25 a month, billed annually) with a 15-day money-back guarantee on 21 Oct 2026. The membership also unlocks Mindvalley’s 100+ other programs; our Mindvalley courses review shows which ones are worth your time.
3. LeVar Burton Teaches the Power of Storytelling (MasterClass): Best for Storytelling
Emmy winner and Reading Rainbow host LeVar Burton teaches the storytelling side of speaking in this MasterClass class: finding your purpose, developing your voice and turning your own experiences into stories that hold an audience. It is 13 lessons and 2 hours 30 minutes long, so you can finish it in an evening.
This is not a step-by-step speaking course. There are no recorded practice speeches or feedback, and it is best taken next to a practical course like Coursera’s or Udemy’s. Where it shines is the part most speakers get wrong: making a talk memorable instead of just correct.
Pricing: MasterClass sells annual memberships only. On 21 Oct 2026 its plans page listed Standard at $10 a month, Plus at $15 and Pro at $70, all billed annually, with a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. Every plan includes this class and 200+ more. Check our MasterClass coupon code guide before you pay.
4. The Complete Presentation and Public Speaking/Speech Course (Udemy): Best One-Time Purchase
Chris Haroun’s Udemy course is the most complete single course here: 16 hours of video across 207 lectures, 31 articles and 307 downloadable resources, last updated in September 2026. Haroun draws on 25 years of keynotes, a TEDx talk, investor pitches and guest lectures at Stanford and McGill, and walks you through a speech from first outline to delivery and Q&A, with three practice intermissions where you record your own presentation.
It has 4.5 stars from 20,413 ratings and 242,233 learners. The trade-off is length: if you want one quick win before a meeting next week, the Skillshare class below is faster.
Pricing: the list price is $109.99, but Udemy discounts it often; on 21 Oct 2026 it was $17.99 with a 30-day money-back guarantee and full lifetime access. You can also get it through Udemy’s Personal Plan, which starts at $13 a month and includes 28,000+ courses.
5. Intro to Public Speaking: Give a 5-Minute Talk Without Dying (Skillshare): Best Quick Start
Nick Armstrong, a TEDx, Ignite and PechaKucha speaker and founder of WTF Marketing, built this Skillshare class around one goal: your first five-minute talk. In 9 lessons and 47 minutes you pick a topic, outline it, build a 20-slide deck, work on stage presence, cut verbal and physical tics, and find a stage to speak on. The class project leaves you with a finished outline and slide deck.
It is the shortest course on this list and the easiest to finish this week, but it will not take you as far as the Coursera or Udemy courses. Skillshare costs $167.88 a year ($13.99 a month) after a 7-day free trial, so you can take the whole class inside the trial.
If you enjoy performance skills, our guide to the best online acting classes covers the next step up from public speaking.
How to Choose the Right Public Speaking Course
- For a certificate and real feedback: pick the Coursera specialization.
- For one course you own for life: buy the Udemy course on sale.
- For nerves and confidence: pick Mindvalley’s Speak and Inspire.
- For memorable stories: take LeVar Burton’s MasterClass.
- For a talk you have to give soon: take the 47-minute Skillshare class during the free trial.
Whichever you choose, record yourself early. Every course here that improves delivery does it the same way: you watch yourself speak, fix one habit, and record again.
Public Speaking Courses FAQs
The University of Washington’s Dynamic Public Speaking Specialization on Coursera is rated Beginner level, and its instructor says it was built for nervous novice speakers, with skills practiced step by step before a longer speech. If you need a talk ready this week, Skillshare’s 47-minute Intro to Public Speaking is the faster start.
Yes. Coursera’s Dynamic Public Speaking Specialization ends with a shareable certificate from the University of Washington that you can add to LinkedIn, and Chris Haroun’s Udemy course includes a certificate of completion. Mindvalley, MasterClass and Skillshare are better for skills than credentials.
Buy it during a Udemy sale. On 21 Oct 2026 it was $17.99 instead of its $109.99 list price, with lifetime access and a 30-day money-back guarantee. The Udemy Personal Plan, from $13 a month, also includes it.
Only if you will use more than one program. Speak and Inspire is not sold separately; it comes with a Mindvalley Membership listed at $399 a year on 21 Oct 2026, which also unlocks 100+ other programs, and there is a 15-day money-back guarantee if it is not for you.
It teaches storytelling, which is the part of public speaking that makes talks memorable. The class is 13 lessons and 2 hours 30 minutes, comes with every MasterClass annual plan from $10 a month billed annually, and is covered by a 30-day satisfaction guarantee.
Skillshare’s class takes 47 minutes, LeVar Burton’s MasterClass 2 hours 30 minutes, Mindvalley’s Speak and Inspire 30 days at about 10 minutes a day, Chris Haroun’s Udemy course 16 hours, and Coursera’s specialization about 4 weeks at 10 hours a week.
My Pick Among the Public Speaking Courses
The Dynamic Public Speaking Specialization is still my top pick because it makes you practice: you write, record and get feedback on four kinds of speech, and you finish with a University of Washington certificate. If you would rather pay once, the Udemy course on sale is the best value, and LeVar Burton’s MasterClass is the add-on that makes your stories land.
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