Head-to-head · Educational Video Libraries
Academic Video Online vs Open Yale Courses
Academic Video Online leads on 0 checks, Open Yale Courses on 1, and 2 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 3 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.
Our verdict
- Highest scoreAcademic Video Online · 9.4/10
- Free planonly Open Yale Courses
- Most featuresOpen Yale Courses · 2 of 4
Academic Video Online scores higher on our rubric for educational video libraries: 9.4 against 8.6 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #7.
Open Yale Courses offers free plan; Academic Video Online doesn't. On primary audience, Open Yale Courses gives you General where Academic Video Online offers Higher_ed.
Academic Video Online is the better fit for academic libraries needing a very large catalogue. Open Yale Courses is the better fit for free university-style lecture courses.
- Academic Video Online fits best
Academic libraries needing a very large catalogue
- Open Yale Courses fits best
Free university-style lecture courses
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
Side by side
| Feature | Academic Video Online 9.4/10 Visit ↗ | Open Yale Courses 8.6/10 Visit ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Editor score | 9.4 | 8.6 |
| Ranking | #1 in Educational Video Libraries | #7 in Educational Video Libraries |
| Best for | Academic libraries needing a very large catalogue | Free university-style lecture courses |
| Pricing model | Paid | Free |
| Starting price | Pricing on request | Free plan |
| Free plan | — | ✓ (best) |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud |
| Platforms | Web | Web |
| Features Academic Video Online 1/4 · Open Yale Courses 2/4 | ||
| Video downloads | Not checked yet | ✓ (best) |
| Classroom tools | ✓ | ✓ |
| Admin analytics | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Mobile access | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Specs | ||
| Primary audience | Higher_ed | General |
| Video library size | 85000 | Not checked yet |
| Our review | ||
| Pros |
|
|
| Cons |
|
|
| Our verdict | Academic Video Online is a subscription streaming-video database for academic libraries, with content for students, faculty and researchers across disciplines. Its catalogue spans documentaries, feature films, news, interviews, lectures,… Read the review → |
Open Yale Courses is a free educational video library from Yale University offering selected introductory Yale College courses to self-directed learners, educators, and high school and college students. Its subjects span the humanities,… Read the review → |
Strengths and trade-offs
Academic Video Online — where it wins
- Streams more than 85,000 academic video titles across disciplines.
- Supports playlists, clipping, LMS embedding and interactive assessments.
- Includes searchable transcripts, captions and selected audio-described video.
Where it doesn't
- Requires a subscription; prospective customers must contact sales.
- Build by Choice perpetual rights are an option rather than the standard subscription.
- Audio description is available only for selected content.
Open Yale Courses — where it wins
- Video, audio, transcripts, captions, and downloadable lectures
- Course syllabi, readings, exams, problem sets, and quizzes
- Creative Commons licensing for most Yale-authored content
Where it doesn't
- Available through the web only
- No integrations or analytics
- The library is no longer adding new courses
- Academic Video Online9.4/10 · Pricing on request
A deep academic video library with tools for course integration and teaching.
Contact ProQuestFull verdict → - Open Yale Courses8.6/10 · Free plan
A free, self-directed library of Yale lectures with unusually complete course materials.
Visit Open YaleFull verdict →
More comparisons
- Academic Video Online vs BrainPOP
- Academic Video Online vs JoVE Education
- Academic Video Online vs TED-Ed
- Academic Video Online vs NFB Education
- Academic Video Online vs Sage Video
- Academic Video Online vs NFSA Digital Resource Finder
- BrainPOP vs Open Yale Courses
- JoVE Education vs Open Yale Courses
All educational video libraries comparisons → · Full ranking →
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update