Free Arabic course platforms: what is the difference?

An honest comparison of ARPS with free Arabic course platforms (Rwaq, Edraak, Doroob and Coursera) on criteria you can check on each platform's own site: whether it is free, language and certificate type.

Information about the other platforms was read from their own sites on 25 October 2026 and may have changed since.

ARPS: Arab Platform for Professional Studies

Study is completely free across the whole catalog (250 programs), and the first subject of every program is readable without an account.
Every program is in Arabic and English, as short diplomas and professional preparation programs.
The certificate is optional and paid; it is a verifiable electronic training course completion certificate, not a degree, licence or accreditation, and its fee is shown before you register.
Every important claim in the programs is traced to its references, and the cited bodies are listed on the references page.

Browse all programs Certificates

Other platforms

For each platform we state only what its page says; what it does not say is written as "not stated" or "unverified". We do not compare quality or judge content.

Rwaq

Free or not: The home page labels featured courses "free" and links a free-courses section; it does not say every course is free.
Language: The site and most listed courses are in Arabic; a few titles are in English.
Certificate: Attendance and completion certificates issued by Rwaq and its partners, verifiable online and downloadable as PDF; no price is shown on the home page.
Source of the information: Read from the site home page.

Edraak

Free or not: The home page has a "Register free" button; it does not state course or certificate prices.
Language: Online courses in Arabic, with an English version of the site.
Certificate: Not stated on the home page (unverified).
Source of the information: Read from the site home page.

Coursera

Free or not: The courses page FAQ says you can preview the first module of many courses at no cost, plus a 7-day free trial for Specializations and Coursera Plus.
Language: Not stated on the page read (unverified).
Certificate: The page indicates that continuing or earning a certificate after the preview or trial needs an upgrade or a financial-aid application.
Source of the information: Read from the site course-listing page.

Doroob

Free or not: We could not read the site text automatically; search results about its public pages say registration is free (unverified).
Language: Unverified.
Certificate: Search results mention course-completion and track-completion certificates (unverified).
Source of the information: Not read directly; the information is unconfirmed.

Maaref: we could not identify a platform by that name precisely enough to verify it on its own site, so we left it out rather than write what we do not know.

Other platforms' names belong to their owners and are mentioned for informational comparison only, with no partnership or endorsement.

Common questions

What is the difference between ARPS and other free course platforms?

ARPS is an Arab platform for professional studies offering 250 professional programs that are free to study in Arabic and English, opens the first subject of every program without an account, and issues an optional paid electronic training course completion certificate.

Is the ARPS certificate accredited?

The ARPS certificate is a completion certificate issued in the platform's own name and verifiable online. It is not a degree, a professional licence or an accreditation from an official body; checking that a given body accepts it is the beneficiary's responsibility.

Is everything on ARPS free?

Studying is completely free. Only the electronic certificate is optional and paid, and its fee is shown before you register.