How to Cancel Coursera Plus in 2026 (Save $384/Year + Get Certificates Free)

Updated 2026-02-21 · 6 min read

What Coursera Costs

• Audit (free): Full course access — videos, readings, ungraded quizzes. No certificate
• Individual course: $49-99 per course (includes certificate)
• Coursera Plus Monthly: $59/month ($708/year)
• Coursera Plus Annual: $384/year ($32/month equivalent)
• Financial aid: $0 — available on most courses, approved within 15 days, includes certificate

How to Cancel Coursera Plus

1. Go to coursera.org/my-purchases
2. Find your Coursera Plus subscription
3. Click Cancel subscription
4. Coursera will offer a discount or show what you'll lose — decline if you want to cancel
5. Confirm cancellation — access continues until end of billing period

Coursera Plus Refund Policy

• Monthly plan: 14-day refund window on first subscription
• Annual plan: 14-day refund window from purchase date
• After 14 days: No refund — access continues until expiration
• How: Submit a refund request through the help center

Download Your Certificates First

• Go to Accomplishments → download all certificates as PDFs
• Add certificates to your LinkedIn profile before canceling
• Certificates remain valid and verifiable even after canceling — they're tied to your Coursera account, not your subscription

The Free Coursera Strategy

Here's how to get 90% of Coursera's value without paying $384/year:

1. Audit courses for free: When enrolling, look for the "Audit" link (often hidden — it's a small text link, not a button)
2. Apply for financial aid: Click "Financial aid available" on the course page. Write a brief explanation of why you need aid. Approval takes ~15 days and gives you the certificate for free
3. Use edX/MIT OpenCourseWare: Many identical courses are available completely free on competing platforms
4. Check your employer/library: Many employers and public libraries have institutional Coursera access

When Coursera Plus Makes Sense

To be fair, Coursera Plus is worth it in one specific scenario:

• You're completing 4+ courses in a month (Coursera Plus at $59/mo vs $49-99 per course)
• You're sprinting through a Professional Certificate (Google Data Analytics = 8 courses. At $49 each = $392. Annual Plus = $384 — slight savings)
• Key condition: You must actually complete the courses. Most Coursera learners finish <15% of courses they start. If you're paying $384/year and completing 2 courses, you're paying $192/certificate — financial aid gives the same certificate for $0