Updated October 17, 2026 · AcademyCue Editorial Team

Future Skills Academy vs ISSA

Future Skills Academy scores 8.8 and ISSA 8.9 out of 10. Compare their differences and shared features below.
Future Skills Academy

Future Skills Academy

8.8/10
ISSA

ISSA

Higher score in this comparison

8.9/10

Where Future Skills Academy and ISSA differ

Future Skills Academy vs ISSA
CompareFuture Skills AcademyFuture Skills AcademyReviewVisitVisitISSAISSAReviewVisitVisit
Price from$25Lower$868
Price per month$25 to $75Lower$89
Free tierYesHas itNo
Number of courses2025Higher
Access period12 monthsHigher6 to 8 months
Certificate fee$299Not confirmed
Course languagesNot confirmedEnglish, Spanish
Offline downloadsYesNot confirmed

Same on both: Money-back period (7 days), Platform type (Curated), Graded assessments (Yes), Team plan (Yes).

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Key differences

  • ISSA scores higher overall: 8.9 vs 8.8.
  • Price from is lower at Future Skills Academy: $25 vs $868.
  • Price per month is lower at Future Skills Academy: $25 to $75 vs $89.
  • Free tier: only Future Skills Academy.
  • Number of courses is higher at ISSA: 25 vs 20.
  • Access period is higher at Future Skills Academy: 12 months vs 6 to 8 months.
  • Support channels: only ISSA offers Phone, Help centre, Community.
  • Subjects: only Future Skills Academy offers Coding, Data, It.
  • Certificate types: only ISSA offers Completion.

Our verdict on each

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.

Read the full Future Skills Academy review

ISSA

ISSA suits adults who want a fitness certification they can finish at their own pace, with accreditation from ncca plus tutor support and job support in the fee. The Certified Personal Trainer plan starts at $868, and that entry price is what to weigh before you enrol.

Read the full ISSA review

Score breakdown

Future Skills Academy vs ISSA
AreaFuture Skills AcademyISSA
Cost8.9HigherEntry plan at $25, monthly plan at $25 to $75, and a separate certificate at $299 keep the opening outlay low but the award costly.8.5Entry at $868 ranks 69 of 87 by price from, with $89 monthly terms available.
Offer8.8Free tier, offline download, assessments, job support and tutor support sit alongside 20 courses inside 12 months of access.9.1HigherFor a fitness certificate, tutor support, job support, assessments and the exam fee are included, though the practicum is not.
Trust8.8CPD credit recognition, assessments and a professional certificate support the claim, while the refund window of 7 days is the weak point.9.4HigherAccreditation from ncca, founded 1988 in US, with a 7 days money-back period.

By the numbers

Future Skills Academy vs ISSA
FactFuture Skills AcademyISSA
Price from$25$868
Price per month$25 to $75$89
Money-back period7 days7 days
Number of courses2025
Access period12 months6 to 8 months

Positions in our rankings

Future Skills Academy vs ISSA
RankingFuture Skills AcademyISSA
Online course platforms2 of 34957 of 349
Online professional certificates2 of 9521 of 95
Fitness, IT and coaching certifications1 of 5410 of 54

Licences and countries

Future Skills Academy vs ISSA
CountryFuture Skills AcademyISSA
HeadquartersNot confirmedUnited States

What we checked

Future Skills Academy

  • futureskillsacademy.com: 15 facts, checked September 30, 2026

ISSA

  • issaonline.com: 16 facts, checked September 30, 2026

Every fact side by side

Future Skills Academy vs ISSA
FactFuture Skills AcademyISSA
SubjectsCoding, Data, It, BusinessCovers moreBusiness
Certificate typesProfessionalCompletion, ProfessionalCovers more
Credit recognitionCpdNot confirmed
Legal entityNot confirmedISSA, LLC
HeadquartersNot confirmedUnited States
FoundedNot confirmed1988
Support channelsEmailEmail, Phone, Help centre, CommunityCovers more

Certifications

Future Skills Academy vs ISSA
FactFuture Skills AcademyISSA
Certification typeItFitness
Course hours10 hoursNot confirmed
Teaching practicumYesHas itNo
AccreditationNot confirmedNcca
Exam fee includedYesYes
Tutor supportYesYes
Job supportYesYes
Typical completion time (weeks)412
Recertification periodNot confirmed2 years
DeliveryOnlineOnline

Where each stands against the rest

Future Skills Academy vs ISSA
FactFuture Skills AcademyISSAMedian
Price from$25below the median$868highest quarter$50.00
Price per month$25 to $75below the median$89highest quarter$35
Certificate fee$299highest quarterNot confirmed$0
Money-back period7 dayslowest quarter7 dayslowest quarter14 days
Number of courses20lowest quarter25lowest quarter250
Access period12 monthsat the median6 to 8 monthslowest quarter12 months

Median across 172 listed providers.

Pros and cons

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.

ISSA

Pros

  • The Certified Personal Trainer plan folds tutor support, job support and the exam fee into one payment, so the headline price covers the test and the help around it.
  • Assessments are part of the program and the certificate comes as completion and professional, so a completion route and a professional route sit side by side.
  • Support runs on email, phone and help centre, so help is available by phone and email as well as through the help centre and the community.

Cons

  • There is no free tier, so the only way to see the material is to pay $868 for the Certified Personal Trainer plan up front.
  • The practicum is not part of the program, so anyone needing supervised placement hours has to source that elsewhere.
  • The entry fee ranks 69 of 87 brands by price from, and the money-back period of 7 days is shorter than the 14-day median across the site.

Who each suits

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.

ISSA

Who it suits

  • Adults fitting study around work, since delivery is online and access to the material runs 6 to 8 months.
  • Learners who want the test cost handled up front, because the exam fee is included in the Certified Personal Trainer plan.
  • Spanish speaking candidates, since course material runs in English and Spanish and the company is ISSA, LLC in the United States.

Who should look elsewhere

  • IT candidates: CrackCerts and Testprep Training cover it and it certifications, while ISSA is fitness.
  • Coaching candidates: Marisa Peer awards coaching qualifications, a different track from the ISSA Certified Personal Trainer plan.
  • Learners who need supervised placement hours, because the practicum is not part of the ISSA program.

Questions about each

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.

ISSA

How much does the ISSA Certified Personal Trainer plan cost to start?+

Entry is $868 for the Certified Personal Trainer plan, which places it at 69 of 87 brands by starting price, so this is a premium tier fee rather than a budget one. The monthly option is $89, and access to the material runs 6 to 8 months.

Do I have to pay again later to keep the certificate?+

The exam fee is included in the Certified Personal Trainer plan, so the assessment stage carries no separate charge. The credential itself is renewed every 2 years, which is the point to plan for later in a career. Buying the plan does not lock in a lifelong certificate.

Future Skills Academy

ISSA