AKAD Bildungsgesellschaft review
Updated September 30, 2026 · AcademyCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 30, 2026
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Our verdict
AKAD Bildungsgesellschaft is a German university provider built for adults who want a German language certificate carrying ECTS or zfu recognition rather than a quick completion badge. Plan around the monthly figure, €219 to €389, not the entry price, and check the access window of 36 to 72 months before enrolling.
Key facts
- Best for
- Adults in German speaking markets who want a certificate with ECTS or zfu recognition.
- Price from
- €116 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Price per month
- €219 to €389 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Free tier
- No (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Free trial length
- 28 days (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Money-back period
- 28 days (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Platform type
- University (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- ZFU number
- 1109520c (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Number of courses
- 65 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Course languages
- German (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Access period
- 36 to 72 months (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Graded assessments
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Team plan
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Legal entity
- AKAD Bildungsgesellschaft mbH (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Headquarters
- Germany (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Support channels
- Email, Phone, Help-centre (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Subjects
- Coding, Data, It, Business, Design, Languages, Humanities, Science
- Certificate types
- Completion, Professional, University credit, Degree
- Credit recognition
- Ects, Zfu
- Official website
- akad.de
Pros and cons
Pros
- Assessments are part of the model, and certificate types cover completion, professional and university credit rather than a completion badge alone.
- Credit is recognised through ECTS and zfu, with the zfu number recorded as 1109520c.
- Support runs on email, phone and help centre, so a phone call sits inside the standard offer.
- A team plan is available, and access windows run 36 to 72 months for learners who spread a course over a working year.
- Courses are listed in German across coding, data and it.
Cons
- Monthly fees of €219 to €389 sit at the expensive end, and entry price ranks 150 of 220.
- There is no free tier, so the free trial of 28 days is the only no cost taste of the material.
- The money back period of 28 days ranks 59 of 159, an ordinary showing.
- Courses run in German alone, which rules out anyone who studies in English.
Who it suits
- Adults in German speaking markets who need credits an employer or a university already recognises.
- Learners taking a longer programme, since access windows run 36 to 72 months.
- Employers booking seats for a group, since a team plan is available.
Who should look elsewhere
- Hotmart, for a reader who wants a free look before paying: its entry price is $0 against AKAD's €116.
- DRCertifications, for a cheap certificate rather than a credited course: its entry price is $19.99.
- Academy for Health and Fitness, for health and fitness qualifications, priced from £25 against AKAD's €116.
How it compares on our data
AKAD sits high on price in this comparison. Entry price ranks 150 of 220, and monthly price ranks 77 of 78, close to the top of that list. Free trial length is the strong spot, ranking 12 of 63. The money back period lands mid table at 59 of 159.
Plans and prices
The entry figure is the introductory one at €116, which covers getting into a course. The figure that keeps applying is the monthly one, and the AKAD plan runs €219 to €389 a month. The spread between the two is wide, so anyone budgeting a whole programme should plan around the monthly number and treat €116 as a doorway rather than a total.
Core features
The catalogue holds 65 courses, and access windows run 36 to 72 months, long enough to pace a programme around working life. Assessments are part of the model, so a certificate rests on assessed work rather than attendance alone. A team plan is available for organisations buying several seats. On commitment, the free trial lasts 28 days, the money back period is 28 days, and there is no free tier, so a trial or a refund is the entry route rather than free content.
What you get free
There is no free tier, so nothing on AKAD can be studied at no cost. What a reader can test is the free trial, which lasts 28 days, and the money back window of 28 days, which matches the trial length. Together they cover an opening stretch of a course, and then the fees begin.
The company behind it
AKAD Bildungsgesellschaft mbH is the legal entity, based in Germany. Support runs on email, phone and help centre, so help comes by phone, by email and through a help centre rather than chat alone. For a fee based course, the named company matters, because the contract has a real counterparty on the other side of it.
How AKAD Bildungsgesellschaft compares
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Frequently asked questions
How much does AKAD Bildungsgesellschaft cost at the start?+
The published entry point is €116, which is the introductory figure. The plan learners keep runs €219 to €389 a month, and that is the number that keeps applying afterwards. Weigh the monthly figure before you commit and treat the entry price as a starting point rather than a total.
How long do I have to finish, and how long do I keep access?+
Access windows run 36 to 72 months, long enough to study part time around a full time job. The catalogue holds 65 courses, so the window matters more than the size of the library. Plan your module order before you pay.
Is an AKAD certificate recognised by employers and universities?+
Credit is recognised through ECTS and zfu, and the zfu number is 1109520c, so a certificate can be checked. Certificate types cover completion, professional and university credit, so some programmes carry degree level weight while others sit at completion level. Ask which type applies before enrolling.
Is there a free trial or a free tier?+
There is no free tier, so nothing on AKAD is free to study. The free trial lasts 28 days and the money back period is 28 days. The two match, so the trial reads as a refundable opening block rather than a free course.
What happens if I want my money back?+
The money back period is 28 days, a real commitment window rather than a token one. It sits mid table in this comparison at 59 of 159, so read the terms rather than assuming a blanket refund.
How do I get help if something goes wrong?+
Support runs on email, phone and help centre, so email, phone and a help centre are all part of the offer. Phone is the standout, since many platforms stick to email and a self service centre. The counterparty is AKAD Bildungsgesellschaft mbH, based in Germany.
Can my employer pay for several learners?+
A team plan is available, which covers the common company case of buying seats for a group. Beyond that, AKAD runs as a university type provider with 65 courses, so a large bespoke rollout is worth discussing with them first.
What language are the courses taught in?+
Courses are listed in German, so a learner who needs English materials should look elsewhere. Subjects cover coding, data and it, spanning coding and data through business, design, languages and science, but the teaching language is the deciding factor for many.
Sources
- akad.de checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Subjects, Team plan
- akad.de/abschluss/weiterbildung/informatik-nanodegree checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Certificate types, Free trial length, Price from, ZFU number
“4 Wochen unverbindlich testen - 28-taegige kostenlose Testphase”
- akad.de/allgemeine-studienbedingungen-und-widerrufsbelehrung checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Graded assessments, Money-back period
- akad.de/faq checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Course languages, Credit recognition, Support channels
“All our Bachelor's and Master's degree programs are taught exclusively in German”
- akad.de/impressum checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Headquarters, Legal entity
“Heilbronner Strasse 86 70191 Stuttgart”
- akad.de/kostenmodell checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Access period, Free tier, Price per month
“Stretch 72 Monate / 72 Raten - Sprint 36 Monate / 36 Raten”
- akad.de/uber-uns checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Number of courses, Platform type
Compiled from 7 source pages, checked September 30, 2026. We did not open an account.
Related by the facts
AKAD Bildungsgesellschaft
Adults in German speaking markets who want a certificate with ECTS or zfu recognition.