FutureLearn was the first MOOC provider to add a time-based paywall in 2017, limiting access after a course ends for free learners. Class Central has discovered that now, this paywall has been expanded further.

Basic Access vs Limited Access

Previously, the free tier was called “Basic access” but now it’s called “Limited Access”. The key difference lies in the additional “Learn at your own pace” row in the pricing chart shown above.

I enrolled in a FutureLearn course with free limited access and discovered that the second and subsequent weeks of the course were locked and would only become unlocked on a weekly basis.

When I tried to access the second week, an invitation popped up inviting me to pay for the course or join FutureLearn Unlimited (which is currently discounted until the end of February 2023).

So, if I want to binge the course (as I often do), I’ll have to pay for the privilege. Otherwise, I will need to take it week by week.

This is one of the first visible changes we have seen from FutureLearn’s new management. Last year, after facing a cash crunch, followed by layoffs, the company was acquired by Netherlands-based Global University Systems (GUS).