A BrainStation alternative with clear pricing and a stackable career path.
BrainStation runs solid live UX courses with London and global campuses. But it does not publish its price, class size is not listed, and there is no clear path to real work experience. UX Academy is live too - fully online, capped at 15 students, openly priced from GBP 1,500, with a stackable 8-week foundation that leads to a full ~20-week programme including real work experience at a start-up. Here is an honest comparison.
UX Academy vs BrainStation.
| UX Academy | BrainStation | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | GBP 1,500, published, price-match guarantee, GBP 99 deposit | Not published (request a course package) |
| Format | Live online classes, small groups, real-time tutors | Live, in-person London campus or online |
| Schedule | Part-time evenings (weekly, 6:00 to 8:30pm UK) | Part-time, 8 weeks, 3 hours per week, evenings |
| Length | 8-wk foundation, stackable to ~20-wk full career programme | 8 weeks (UX / product design certificate) |
| Class size | Max 15 students | Not published |
| Certificate | UX Academy certificate | BrainStation certificate |
| Based | London, UK (online) | London campus + New York, Toronto, online |
BrainStation details from brainstation.io (London UX / product design course page), captured June 2026. Their tuition was not published on the page at capture and is requested via a course package; we do not state a figure we cannot verify.
What you get with us.
Pricing you can see
We publish our price: GBP 1,500 for the 8-week foundation, with a price-match guarantee and a GBP 99 deposit. BrainStation does not list a price on its London course page, so you have to request a package to find out. No surprises with us.
Small groups, real tutors, every week
Every UX Academy cohort is capped at 15 students with a named instructor who knows your work from week one. You get live critique, not recorded videos and a forum.
A stackable path to real work experience
Complete the 8-week foundation (GBP 1,500) then stack the 12-week UX Career Track (GBP 1,500) for a full ~20-week programme - capped at GBP 3,000 total. The Career Track includes real work experience embedded with a start-up, not just a portfolio project. That is a genuine moat that campus-based programmes rarely offer.
Before you decide.
How much does BrainStation cost vs UX Academy?
BrainStation does not publish a price on its London UX course page; you request a course package to see tuition. UX Academy is GBP 1,500, openly listed, with a price-match guarantee, a GBP 99 deposit, and interest-free payment plans available on request.
Is UX Academy live like BrainStation?
Yes. Both schools teach live with industry instructors. The difference is that UX Academy is fully online in small groups capped at 15, while BrainStation runs campus-based and online options.
Does UX Academy have a campus?
We teach 100% live online, so you can join from anywhere. That keeps costs down and removes the commute, while still giving you real-time classes and feedback.
What do I get with UX Academy?
The 8-week UX/UI Design Course (GBP 1,500) gives you live small-group classes capped at 15, a real client project, free weekly mentorship, and a completion certificate. You can then stack the 12-week UX Career Track (a further GBP 1,500) which adds real work experience embedded at a start-up - making the full programme roughly GBP 3,000 over ~20 weeks.