Updated October 1, 2026 · AcademyCue Editorial Team
Centre of Excellence vs IFAA
Where Centre of Excellence and IFAA differ
| Compare |  Centre of Excellence |  IFAA |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | £0 | €59 |
| Price per month | £16 | €14.90 |
| Price per year | £192 | €149 |
| Platform type | Subscription | Curated |
| Certificate fee | £25 | Not confirmed |
| Free tier | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Number of courses | from 1,000 | Not confirmed |
| Offline downloads | Yes | Not confirmed |
| 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: Money-back period (14 days), Graded assessments (Yes), Team plan (Yes).
We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings.
Key differences
- Support channels: only Centre of Excellence offers Community.
- Support channels: only IFAA offers Phone.
- Certificate types: only IFAA 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.
IFAA
IFAA suits trainers who want a fitness licence with the exam fee already included and support over email, chat and phone. Entry sits at €59, and the IFAA Prime plan runs at €149 a year, with a 14 days money back window on the way out.
Score breakdown
| Area | Centre of Excellence | IFAA |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.1Entry sits at £16 a month, with £192 taken at the start of the year. | 9.1Entry at €59 and IFAA Prime at €14.90 monthly or €149 yearly sit near the site medians. |
| Offer | 9.1HigherMore than at least 1,000 courses, a team plan and downloadable audio give breadth and flexibility. | 9.0Exam fee included, plus assessments, practicum and tutor support, with professional certificates in fitness. |
| Trust | 8.9Founded 2012, sold by CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE ONLINE LIMITED in the United Kingdom, with refunds allowed within 14 days. | Not confirmed |
How they place
| Ranking | Centre of Excellence | IFAA |
|---|---|---|
| Online course platforms | 82 of 269 | 68 of 269 |
| Fitness, IT and coaching certifications | 11 of 48 | 8 of 48 |
Where each is licensed and available
| Country | Centre of Excellence | IFAA |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | Germany |
Sources behind this comparison
Centre of Excellence
- centreofexcellence.com: 19 facts, checked October 1, 2026
IFAA
- ifaa.de: 11 facts, checked September 30, 2026
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Centre of Excellence | IFAA |
|---|---|---|
| Subjects | Business, Creative, Humanities, Languages, Science | Not confirmed |
| Certificate types | Completion | Completion, ProfessionalCovers more |
| Credit recognition | Cpd | Not confirmed |
| Legal entity | CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE ONLINE LIMITED | IFAA GmbH |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | Germany |
| Founded | 2012 | Not confirmed |
| Support channels | Chat, Email, Community | Email, Chat, Phone |
Certifications
| Fact | Centre of Excellence | IFAA |
|---|---|---|
| Certification type | Coaching | Fitness |
| Course hours | 150 hours | Not confirmed |
| Teaching practicum | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Exam fee included | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Tutor support | Yes | Yes |
| Recertification period | Not confirmed | 2 years |
| Delivery | Online | Online, In personCovers more |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Centre of Excellence | IFAA | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate fee | £25highest quarter | Not confirmed | £0 |
| Money-back period | 14 daysat the median | 14 daysat the median | 14 days |
| Number of courses | from 1,000above the median | Not confirmed | 240 |
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.
IFAA
Pros
- The exam fee is included, so the licence price covers the assessment as well as the course.
- Assessments and a practicum are part of the route, so the certificate follows marked work instead of attendance alone.
- IFAA Prime costs €14.90 a month and €149 a year, near the yearly median of €145.48 for the brands we track.
Cons
- The catalogue sits in a single subject, fitness, so a learner looking for coding or business certificates will not find them here.
- A licence renewal lands every 2 years, so a qualification is a recurring cost rather than a purchase you make once.
- The money back window of 14 days ranks 68 of 159 brands, so buyers who want longer cover should look further.
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.
IFAA
Who it suits
- Trainers in Germany who want a fitness licence with the exam fee already inside the price.
- Coaches who need tutor support and can study through online and in person.
- Gyms and studios buying for a group, since a team plan is available.
Who should look elsewhere
- Hotmart, where entry is $0, if you would rather pick individual courses than take a fitness licence.
- DRCertifications, which starts at $19.99 for nursing certificates, if health care is your subject.
- Academy for Health and Fitness, whose qualifications start at £25, if you want a catalogue beyond a single subject.
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.
IFAA
What does it cost to start with IFAA?+
Single IFAA courses and licences start at €59. The IFAA Prime plan is listed separately at €14.90 a month and €149 a year, so the entry figure and the membership figure are different commitments. Every purchase sits inside a money back window of 14 days, which gives buyers time to decide.
Does the IFAA fitness licence include the exam fee?+
It does. The exam fee is included in the price, and assessments are part of the route rather than a separate booking. The certificate type is fitness, and IFAA lists both completion and professional certificates through completion and professional. Tutor support comes with the route as well.
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