Updated September 30, 2026 · AcademyCue Editorial Team
Decatur Professional Development vs Reed Courses
Reed Courses
Higher score in this comparison
Decatur Professional Development
What sets them apart
| Compare | Decatur Professional DevelopmentReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives | Reed CoursesReviewVisitVisit |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $30 to $500 | £15 |
| Free tier | No | YesHas it |
| Money-back period | 30 daysHigher | 14 days |
| Platform type | Curated | Marketplace |
| Number of courses | Not confirmed | 30,759 |
| Access period | 12 months | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Graded assessments (Yes), Team plan (Yes).
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Key differences
- Reed Courses scores higher overall: 9.3 vs 9.2.
- Free tier: only Reed Courses.
- Money-back period is higher at Decatur Professional Development: 30 days vs 14 days.
- Support channels: only Decatur Professional Development offers Email, Chat, Phone.
- Founded is lower at Reed Courses: 1995 vs 2003.
- Subjects: only Reed Courses offers Data, It, Creative.
Our verdict on each
Decatur Professional Development
Decatur Professional Development suits professionals who want a paid course with a clear refund window and a fixed access period, not a free library to browse. Fees run $30 to $500, and a 30 day money back period covers the risk of paying up front.
Reed Courses
Reed Courses rewards buyers who know their subject and want options: a marketplace of 30,759 courses from £15, backed by a 14 day refund window. It suits self-directed learners who want coding, data and business side by side, and a completion certificate recognised for cpd credit.
Score breakdown
| Area | Decatur Professional Development | Reed Courses |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.2Fees run $30 to $500, above the $19.99 entry price at DRCertifications and the free start at Hotmart. | 9.5HigherEntry at £15, a free tier and a 14 day refund window keep the outlay small and reversible. |
| Offer | 9.2HigherAccess runs 12 months with assessments included, but the free tier is no and the only certificate type is completion. | 9.1A catalogue of 30,759 courses across many subjects, with completion certificates, assessments and a team plan included. |
| Trust | 9.4HigherA 30 day money back period, support on email, chat and phone, and an operator in US founded 2003. | 9.2Reed Online Ltd in GB, founded 1995, issues completion certificates carrying cpd credit. |
Which one suits you
Pick Decatur Professional Development if money-back period matter most.
Pick Reed Courses if cost and free tier matter most.
Also worth a look
Fiszki has money-back period at 60 days, against 30 days for Decatur Professional Development and 14 days for Reed Courses.
Fiszki reviewWhere these facts come from
Decatur Professional Development
- pdhengineer.com: 13 facts, checked September 30, 2026
Reed Courses
- reed.co.uk: 14 facts, checked September 30, 2026
How they place
| Ranking | Decatur Professional Development | Reed Courses |
|---|---|---|
| Online course platforms | 185 of 349 | 28 of 349 |
| Coding and data courses | 53 of 117 | 10 of 117 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Decatur Professional Development | Reed Courses |
|---|---|---|
| Subjects | Business, Coding, Design, Science | Coding, Data, It, Business, Design, Creative, Languages, Humanities, ScienceCovers more |
| Certificate types | Completion | Completion |
| Credit recognition | Not confirmed | Cpd |
| Legal entity | Decatur Professional Development, LLC | Reed Online Ltd |
| Headquarters | United States | United Kingdom |
| Founded | 2003 | 1995Lower |
| Support channels | Email, Chat, Phone, Help centreCovers more | Help centre |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Decatur Professional Development | Reed Courses | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Money-back period | 30 daysabove the median | 14 daysat the median | 14 days |
| Number of courses | Not confirmed | 30,759highest quarter | 250 |
| Access period | 12 monthsat the median | Not confirmed | 12 months |
Median across 172 listed providers.
Pros and cons
Decatur Professional Development
Pros
- A 30 day money back period on every purchase, ahead of the 14 day median for this group of platforms.
- Access is fixed at 12 months, which puts a visible finish line on a course from the day you pay.
- Assessments are part of the standard course, so progress is checked rather than left entirely to self discipline.
Cons
- The free tier is no, so there is no way to sample a course before paying, unlike Hotmart at $0.
- The only certificate type is completion, so nothing here is a professional accreditation for a regulated role.
- Subjects are limited to business, coding and design, a broad spread that favours general development over a deep coding or data path.
Reed Courses
Pros
- Entry at £15 sits below DRCertifications at $19.99 and Academy for Health and Fitness at £25, so a single course is cheap to test.
- A catalogue of 30,759 courses covers coding, data, IT, business, design, creative, languages, humanities and science, so one purchase rarely forces a compromise on subject.
- Every certificate is a completion certificate and carries cpd credit, which is the credential training budgets and employers usually ask to see.
Cons
- Support runs on help centre only, so a course question is answered in writing rather than by a person on the phone.
- The certificate is a completion certificate (completion), a weaker credential than a professional accreditation or a regulated licence.
- As a marketplace (marketplace), the platform sets no single standard across 30,759 courses, so quality depends on the provider behind each listing.
Who each suits
Decatur Professional Development
Who it suits
- Professionals buying a single course who want a refund window, since 30 days of cover is longer than the group median.
- Learners who want a deadline rather than an open bill, because 12 months of access makes the cost predictable.
- Organisations covering several learners at once, since a team plan is available and support runs on email, chat and phone.
Who should look elsewhere
- Buyers who want to start at no cost: Hotmart lists $0 and the free tier here is no.
- Learners after a named professional certification: DRCertifications sells those from $19.99, while the only certificate type here is completion.
- Anyone focused on a single specialist field: Academy for Health and Fitness prices in the UK from £25 and stays in that area.
Reed Courses
Who it suits
- Learners buying a single course in coding, data or IT rather than committing to a subscription.
- Employers and training managers who need several seats covered under a team plan.
- Anyone who wants a completion certificate carrying cpd credit alongside a short course.
Who should look elsewhere
- Learners chasing a professional or regulated certificate: DRCertifications starts at $19.99 in a specialist catalogue rather than a general one.
- Buyers who want a free entry point: Hotmart lists its entry price at $0, which undercuts Reed Courses on price alone.
- People who want one provider's standard across a catalogue: Academy for Health and Fitness starts at £25 and stays inside health and fitness.
Questions about each
Decatur Professional Development
What do the courses cost?+
Fees run $30 to $500 across the catalogue, so entry is affordable but the upper end is worth budgeting for. For comparison, DRCertifications lists $19.99 and Hotmart lists $0. Prices are set per course rather than as a single platform subscription, and the spread reflects how much each course carries.
Is there a free tier or a free trial?+
No. The free tier is no, which means there is no free course and no free trial for sampling the platform. The refund window is the only low risk entry: a 30 day money back period after purchase. Buyers who insist on starting at no cost should compare a platform listing $0.
Reed Courses
What does a course cost on Reed Courses?+
Reed Courses is a marketplace, so the price sits with each course provider rather than a single platform rate. Courses start at £15, and the catalogue holds 30,759 of them, so the same subject can carry a wide spread. Read the listing for the specific course before paying.
Is there a free tier on Reed Courses?+
There is, which lets you browse the catalogue and try free material before committing to a paid course. Paid purchases are then covered by a 14 day refund window, so a first paid course is not a blind bet.
Other options to compare
Other matchups
Reed Courses
Decatur Professional Development