Blockchain technology is rapidly gaining traction in various industries, from finance to healthcare to supply chain management. As a result, there is a growing demand for skilled blockchain professionals.
Two of the most popular online blockchain training providers are 101 Blockchains and Blockchain Council. Both offer a variety of courses and certifications, but they have different strengths and weaknesses.
In this review, I will compare and contrast 101 Blockchains and Blockchain Council to help you decide which one is right for you.
This in-depth review of both blockchain courses will dive into the following factors in a quest to single out the best-performing academy.
- Learning Experience
- Networking
- Certification
- Live Training
- Pricing
- Advantages of One Platform Over The Other
The review will wrap up with a summary that gives the verdict of the contest, along with my recommendation.
So, whether you are a beginner or an experienced blockchain professional, read on to learn more about 101 Blockchains and Blockchain Council and find the best fit for you.
Let’s set the ball rolling.
101 Blockchain vs. Blockchain Council—Overview
To clear any confusion between the two platforms, 101 Blockchains is a different online coaching platform than Blockchain Council. Neither blockchain coaching platform is a subsidiary of or an affiliate of the other one. Either one is an alternative to the other.
That said, 101 Blockchains and Blockchain Council share similar objectives: both are in the race to become the leading pioneer of blockchain technology and its advancement.
To that end, 101 Blockchains has created dozens of blockchain training courses and certification programs for major blockchain application domains.
All that, in addition to the ever-expanding network of industry experts, blockchain professionals, and researchers, the platform has come to be recognized for.
Blockchain Council has also done something similar, and even though the implementation is slightly different, it is not inherently inferior in any way.
But whichever way they go, the ideology driving both platforms is to spread awareness of blockchain technology by sensitizing individuals and companies to the potential blockchain has as an effective replacement for the traditional, centralized working systems currently in place.
Between 101 Blockchain and Blockchain Council, we get several robust packages that target individuals and corporate audiences. Some of these packages include self-paced video courses, members clubs, personal study coaches, and resources such as e-books, blogs, webinars, et cetera.
Business leaders, governments, and developers are just some of the categories of people that can benefit from either 101 Blockchains or Blockchain Council.
The audience categories I mentioned have their peculiar reasons for being interested in blockchain and can play their unique roles in bringing the benefits of blockchain technology closer to everyone.
That’s to say that both 101 Blockchains and Blockchain Council are diverse in their coverage and can cater to the needs of anyone interested in blockchain.
Let’s now move on to their core differences.
101 Blockchain vs. Blockchain Council—Differences
Learning Experience
101 Blockchain makes do with pre-recorded videos for all its self-paced courses and certification programs. Blockchain Council, on the other hand, goes a step further by offering both self-paced courses and interactive live training.
The conclusion here is simple: Blockchain Council invests more effort and money into its training programs while 101 Blockchains puts more emphasis on studying at your convenience, hmm, because it’s more convenient for them?
From that, it’s obvious which blockchain course will suit you if you like to go by your own study schedule or prefer to have more assistance through interactive sessions.
That aside, how does the course quality vary across the two platforms?
Firstly, the self-paced lessons on both platforms come with plenty of visual aids like infographics and slides, although I’d say 101 Blockchains does better on that count.
One common complaint with 101 Blockchain courses, aside from the general lack of interactivity, has to do with the depth of the courses.
While the courses are perfect for absolute newbies to blockchain, they might not satisfy someone already versed in blockchain. A few courses lack technical depth, and specific examples of real-life applications of some digital tech are missing.
For instance, the courses on Web 3 could use more information on how tech divisions could join the Web 3 bandwagon. And there is no course yet at the time of writing this on the technical aspect of a blockchain analyst career.
Blockchain Council courses usually go into more depth in their courses. However, even here, it’s a speckled affair. Some courses on blockchain application in a sector like law or finance are too shallow or outdated.
I’m inclined to conclude that the Blockchain Council has even more issues than 101 Blockchains regarding course quality.
For instance, many courses in the Blockchain Council platform are riddled with grammar errors, spelling mistakes, and other typos. Worse still, all Blockchain Council’s courses use an AI voice instead of a human presenter. The effect is, at best, sleep-inducing.
So in this aspect, I would give the nudge to 101 Blockchains. The courses may be lacking in depth, but the alternative simply has too many errors with its course content.
Networking
In this aspect, both Blockchain Council and 101 Blockchains show a lot of potential. The two online academies are essentially a large community of blockchain gurus actively discussing the future of blockchain applications and sharing updates on the latest trends in the industry.
Through the member network, you can have your own public, professional profile and interact with other professionals.
Blockchain Council allows you to get your writings published when you join their council. You will also get the chance to be featured on their website when you post something interesting.
Regarding which platform has more networking opportunities, it’s hard to declare a winner. 101 Blockchains doesn’t host interactive live training sessions like in Blockchain Council, but the former makes up for that seeming deficiency with virtual conferences and other live events.
It’s a draw here. Whichever platform you choose, networking will not be a problem for you.
Certification
Blockchain Council provides certifications that go a long way in showcasing your expertise and enhancing your resume.
While the certification exams are not child’s play, you are allowed up to three attempts if you don’t scale the exams in one go.
However, Blockchain Council’s certification might be nothing more than a piece of evidence that you actually took blockchain courses. No regulatory body or organization accredits them.
In contrast, 101 Blockchains’ certificates are CPD accredited. The CPD Certification Service is a UK-based body that provides the standards for vetting professional credentials across all industry sectors, blockchain included.
That means your 101 Blockchains certificate has a stronger chance of impressing your future employer than one from Blockchain Council.
Undoubtedly, you won’t want to go through the stress of acquiring a skill only to get a certificate that won’t take you far. 101 Blockchain wins this round.
Live Training
All 101 Blockchains courses are self-paced, although you can subscribe to a plan to pair you with an instructor as a study counselor.
Blockchain Council is where the real live training takes place. They are usually certification programs hosted by experts and streamed live to registered people.
I guess many people will prefer the personalized plan on 101 Blockchains that gives you a dedicated study counselor to the more general instructor-led training on Blockchain Council. The level of attention you get with the former is just on a higher level.
I consider the live training factor to favor Blockchain Council slightly. There are no interactive courses on 101 Blockchains.
101 Blockchain vs. Blockchain Council—Pricing
Blockchain Council has three tiers of application on the platform. There is a free plan which, as expected, offers a limited feature set.
The individual membership plan costs $249 yearly and unlocks a course bundle normally priced at around $399. You can buy the course bundle separately if you just want to learn without being a member of the Blockchain Council.
The corporate membership plan is for business leaders who want to enroll their teams. It comes with extra perks, such as getting the opportunity to be a speaker at meetup events and annual ones. This plan costs $1999 yearly plus an additional $119 per extra employee that you enroll.
101 Blockchains follows a different pricing scheme. The plans are as follows: basic, standard, premium, and teams. All programs are billed yearly as the lump sum of their monthly cost. See the breakdown below.
- Basic plan: $108 yearly ($9×12 months)
- Standard plan: $600 yearly ($50×12 months)
- Premium plan: $1800 yearly ($150 × 12 months)
- Teams plan: $600 for a minimum of two team members and $300 per extra team member
At the time of compiling this review, 101 Blockchains has a 50% discount running for the standard and premium plans.
101 Blockchains vs. Blockchains Council—Pros and Cons
While I would definitely not recommend using both course platforms for your blockchain studies, sticking with either course platform means you will have to cope with some trade-offs.
At the same time, if you carefully weigh the benefits of one academy over the other, you will pick one that checks most, if not all, the right boxes for you.
This section is meant to spell out each blockchain course’s advantages over the other and remind you of some of their key differences.
101 Blockchains Advantages Over Blockchain Council
Here are some benefits of 101 Blockchains over Blockchain Council.
- 101 Blockchain Certificates Are Accredited
Accredited certification is the major selling point of 101 Blockchains. As we’ve seen earlier, Blockchain Council doesn’t hold a candle to its counterpart and competitor regarding certificates.
If you are just a blockchain enthusiast and don’t plan to get a job in that industry, Blockchain Council might be all you need.
If, however, you are serious about landing a job with your blockchain skills, you will need something on your resume to speak for you, and a 101 Blockchains certification will help a lot.
- 101 Blockchain Courses Have Better Quality Overall
Certification aside, Blockchain Council courses lack the polish you find in 101 Blockchains. From the machine voice used in teaching to the plethora of grammar flaws, you might quickly stretch your patience thin if you decide to go with one of Blockchain Council’s courses.
Not all its courses are bad, though. But that’s part of the problem leading to the inconsistent learning experience.
- All Courses Are Beginner-Friendly
There is a reason why 101 Blockchain has the “101” prefix to it. The courses start from the fundamentals. That means you won’t struggle with understanding unfamiliar concepts as everything is presented from a newbie’s perspective.
Blockchain Council Advantages Over 101 Blockchains
Blockchain Council has its own pros over 101 Blockchain, and those are what we want to look into now.
- Interactive Training Programs
101 Blockchains may have the certifications, but Blockchain Council has live training programs. That is absent in 101 Blockchains, as everything is delivered through pre-recorded videos.
If you don’t mind the lower-ranked certificates of Blockchain Council, you may prefer to pick their live training programs instead of the rather boring pre-recorded courses that are not on par with those of 101 Blockchains.
- Cheaper Billing
For about $250, you get all the benefits of Blockchain Council and access to the membership council, which is basically their community. You will save considerably more compared to 101 Blockchains despite their 50% discount currently running at the time of writing this review.
101 Blockchain also has more paid subscription tiers which cost considerably more the higher you climb. Blockchain Council has just two paid subscription tiers; individual and corporate (for teams). The personal plan is the equivalent of 101 Blockchains’ highest plan for individual membership but at a much lesser cost.
- Courses Contain More Technical Detail
I have complemented 101 Blockchains for their beginner-friendly courses which don’t overwhelm their students with details. The side effect is that the courses don’t delve deep into the technical aspects of their subject.
Blockchain Council courses are not more comprehensive by a wide margin, but they contain more technical detail than 101 Blockchains.
The downside is that a complete beginner to blockchain might get lost trying to connect the dots as Blockchain Council courses are not famous for being down to earth.
Verdict: Which Blockchain Course Provides Better Value?
If you have an interest in learning a blockchain skill, chances are that you want to start a career with your skillset, and for you, that might start with getting a job in a big establishment. You may need a certificate showcasing your talents to give your interviewer more reasons to consider you.
In that case, 101 Blockchains is your best bet. Its CPD-accredited certificates will have much impact wherever certification is demanded.
However, if you are not a job-seeker, a certificate might not be of much use to you, and you will be fine with either 101 Blockchains or Blockchain Council.
Nevertheless, I would pick 101 Blockchains over the alternative any time of the day, even if certifications are not an issue, and my reason boils down to the superior quality of the pre-recorded self-paced courses.
If you don’t want to confine yourself to the scheduling live training will force on you, 101 Blockchains courses are better in almost every aspect.
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