Updated October 1, 2026 · AcademyCue Editorial Team
Centre of Excellence vs Future Skills Academy
What sets them apart
| Compare |  Centre of Excellence |  Future Skills Academy |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | £0 | $25 |
| Price per month | £16 | $25 to $75 |
| Certificate fee | £25 | $299 |
| Money-back period | 14 daysHigher | 7 days |
| Platform type | Subscription | Curated |
| Number of courses | from 1,000 | 20 |
| Price per year | £192 | Not confirmed |
| Access period | Not confirmed | 12 months |
| Markets | GB, IM, JE, GG, IE, AT, BE, BG, HR, CZ, DK, EE, FI, FR, DE, GR, HU, IT, LV, LT, LU, NL, PL, PT, RO, SK, SI, ES, SE, NO, CH, IS, GI, CA, US, HK, AU, AL, JP, NZ, AE | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Free tier (Yes), Graded assessments (Yes), Offline downloads (Yes), Team plan (Yes).
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Key differences
- Centre of Excellence scores higher overall: 9.1 vs 8.8.
- Money-back period is higher at Centre of Excellence: 14 days vs 7 days.
- Support channels: only Centre of Excellence offers Chat, Community.
- Subjects: only Centre of Excellence offers Creative, Humanities, Languages.
- Subjects: only Future Skills Academy offers Coding, Data, It.
- Certificate types: only Centre of Excellence offers Completion.
- Certificate types: only Future Skills Academy offers Professional.
Our verdict on each
Centre of Excellence
Centre of Excellence suits readers who want a broad catalogue of CPD accredited courses at a modest monthly figure. Grow Access All costs £16 a month on annual billing, so the year works out at £192 and the printed certificate is a separate extra.
Future Skills Academy
Future Skills Academy suits IT learners who want a professional certificate fast and a plan that already carries the exam. Entry costs $25, monthly pricing runs $25 to $75 and the certificate adds $299, the figure to weigh against Hotmart at $0 and a refund window of 7 days.
Score breakdown
| Area | Centre of Excellence | Future Skills Academy |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.1HigherEntry sits at £16 a month, with £192 taken at the start of the year. | 8.9Entry plan at $25, monthly plan at $25 to $75, and a separate certificate at $299 keep the opening outlay low but the award costly. |
| Offer | 9.1HigherMore than at least 1,000 courses, a team plan and downloadable audio give breadth and flexibility. | 8.8Free tier, offline download, assessments, job support and tutor support sit alongside 20 courses inside 12 months of access. |
| Trust | 8.9HigherFounded 2012, sold by CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE ONLINE LIMITED in the United Kingdom, with refunds allowed within 14 days. | 8.8CPD credit recognition, assessments and a professional certificate support the claim, while the refund window of 7 days is the weak point. |
Where they rank in our lists
| Ranking | Centre of Excellence | Future Skills Academy |
|---|---|---|
| Online course platforms | 82 of 269 | 2 of 269 |
| Fitness, IT and coaching certifications | 11 of 48 | 1 of 48 |
Where each is licensed and available
| Country | Centre of Excellence | Future Skills Academy |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | Not confirmed |
The numbers side by side
| Fact | Centre of Excellence | Future Skills Academy |
|---|---|---|
| Money-back period | 14 days | 7 days |
| Number of courses | from 1,000 | 20 |
Also worth a look
Fiszki has money-back period at 60 days, against 14 days for Centre of Excellence and 7 days for Future Skills Academy.
Fiszki reviewWhere these facts come from
Centre of Excellence
- centreofexcellence.com: 19 facts, checked October 1, 2026
Future Skills Academy
- futureskillsacademy.com: 15 facts, checked September 30, 2026
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Centre of Excellence | Future Skills Academy |
|---|---|---|
| Subjects | Business, Creative, Humanities, Languages, Science | Coding, Data, It, Business |
| Certificate types | Completion | Professional |
| Credit recognition | Cpd | Cpd |
| Legal entity | CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE ONLINE LIMITED | Not confirmed |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | Not confirmed |
| Founded | 2012 | Not confirmed |
| Support channels | Chat, Email, CommunityCovers more |
Certifications
| Fact | Centre of Excellence | Future Skills Academy |
|---|---|---|
| Certification type | Coaching | It |
| Course hours | 150 hoursHigher | 10 hours |
| Teaching practicum | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Exam fee included | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Tutor support | Yes | Yes |
| Job support | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Typical completion time (weeks) | Not confirmed | 4 |
| Delivery | Online | Online |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Centre of Excellence | Future Skills Academy | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price per year | £192highest quarter | Not confirmed | £59.99 |
| Money-back period | 14 daysat the median | 7 dayslowest quarter | 14 days |
| Number of courses | from 1,000above the median | 20lowest quarter | 240 |
| Access period | Not confirmed | 12 monthsat the median | 12 months |
Median across 169 listed providers.
Pros and cons
Centre of Excellence
Pros
- Grow Access All membership costs £16 a month, billed as £192 for the year.
- Tutor support runs in real time, and audio courses can be downloaded for listening away from a connection.
- A free course comes with sign-up, and a team plan is available for organisations buying for staff.
Cons
- Grow Access All is billed as £192 for the year, so joining means committing to the full year rather than a rolling month.
- A professionally printed certificate costs £25 plus postage, which is extra on top of the membership.
- Refunds on digital and audio courses are limited to 14 days, so browse before you buy.
Future Skills Academy
Pros
- The entry plan at $25 sits above Hotmart at $0 and level with Academy for Health and Fitness at £25.
- The exam fee is included, so $299 is the full cost of the professional certificate rather than the start of it.
- A free tier, offline download and job support all sit inside the plan, so a learner can sample the material and keep studying away from a connection.
Cons
- The refund window of 7 days ranks 120 of 159, the weakest of the measures tracked here.
- The certificate fee of $299 sits at 47 of 47 among the brands compared.
- Support runs on email alone, so questions to the platform travel in writing.
Who each suits
Centre of Excellence
Who it suits
- Readers who want flexible study across a desktop, tablet or mobile.
- Learners who want a membership covering many subjects in one payment.
- Organisations that want a team plan for staff learning.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone who wants to pay month to month and stop whenever, since Grow Access All bills £192 for the year.
- Buyers who expect a printed certificate in the course price, since printing one costs £25 plus postage.
- People who want long essay writing, since assessment uses short answers, long answers and multiple choice.
Future Skills Academy
Who it suits
- Learners in IT who want a professional certificate with the exam fee already inside the price.
- Self-paced learners who want delivery fully online, with a free tier and offline download for study on the move.
- Teams covering several learners, since a team plan is available.
Who should look elsewhere
- Buyers who need a free start, since Hotmart lists $0 as its entry plan price.
- Learners who want a wider catalogue than 20 courses and can accept another subject, where DRCertifications starts at $19.99.
- Anyone who needs a refund window longer than 7 days, since the field reaches 360 days at its most generous.
Current offers
Centre of Excellence
Current offer
Bonus
27 free Random Act of Kindness courses: 27 courses listed at £0.00
Pay it forward: share a Random Act of Kindness course with three or more people and wait until three of them sign up to unlock the course for yourself
Source, checked October 1, 2026
Questions about each
Centre of Excellence
How much does a Centre of Excellence course cost?+
The paid route in is the Grow Access All membership, shown at £16 a month with £192 for the year. That monthly figure is a way of presenting the annual sum, so the charge is the full £192 when you join rather than a smaller sum at the start.
Is there a free option before paying?+
Yes. Signing up brings a free diploma course, which is a quick way to see how the material is written before you commit to the £192 annual membership. The paid membership adds the wider course list and the audio library.
Future Skills Academy
What does it cost to join Future Skills Academy?+
The entry plan is priced at $25 and the monthly plan runs $25 to $75. A free tier is offered as well, so a learner can look at the material before paying anything. The professional certificate is not folded into either figure and is charged on its own.
How much is the certificate, and is the exam included?+
The professional certificate costs $299. The exam fee is included in the plan, which means $299 is the whole award cost rather than a starting point with an exam charge on top. Course fees and the certificate sit on separate lines in the budget.
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