CFI Alternative: 365 Financial Analyst vs Corporate Finance Institute

365 Financial Analyst provides comprehensive and practical financial education. The platform's curriculum equips learners with the skills and knowledge to excel in various roles, such as financial analyst, investment banker, or investment analyst. The 365 Financial Analyst courses are structured, easy to understand, and highly beginner-friendly.

The learning platform includes gamified features that encourage and motivate students—making the learning experience more enjoyable and engaging. Students can earn XPs and collect cards featuring portraits of notable figures in finance. They can also set goals, track their progress on a dashboard, compete with other students to reach the top of the leaderboard, communicate via a newsfeed, and receive rewards and benefits.

CFI provides learners with practical skills and knowledge through its comprehensive curriculum and helpful resources to excel in various financial industry roles. But it doesn’t have 365 Financial Analyst's gamification elements and engaged student community, which creates a sense of responsibility and competition that motivates learners to continue their education without giving up.

365 Financial Analyst's courses include engaging video lessons with supplementary downloadable study materials, exercises, and case studies with real-life applications. In addition, the platform offers the following free downloadable resources you can store on your computer and access offline.

• Finance data: free Excel files with historical price information related to S&P 500, commodities, and cryptocurrencies.
• Templates and models: ready-made and easy-to-use financial Excel templates, models, and formula sheets.
• Infographics: eye-catching graphics that make newcomers’ learning experience and professional development journey more straightforward and enjoyable.
• Practice exams: free exams to practice and test your skills.
• Free guides and tutorials: downloadable PDF documents and step-by-step guides on various finance topics.

CFI provides learners with downloadable study material—including PDFs with course notes, Excel files with financial models and templates, PowerPoint presentations, case studies, and quizzes. These resources may vary depending on the course or program and can be accessed from the learner's account and downloaded for offline use.

365 Financial Analyst allows learners to practice with real-world case studies and examples. Students are presented with real financial scenarios and must use the knowledge and skills gained in the lessons. They can also build their own financial models based on actual financial statements. This approach provides students with practical experience and helps them develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills in a safe and controlled environment.

CFI offers a Practice Lab that allows learners to practice their skills and knowledge. The lab provides access to actual financial models used by analysts and investment bankers, and learners can build their own models and work with different financial statements. It also features a range of resources, including video tutorials, sample models, and case studies to help learners develop their skills. The lab is accessible 24/7 and allows learners to track their progress and performance.

Both platforms provide learners an effective and engaging way to develop the skills needed to succeed in finance.

Exams are a valuable tool for students to evaluate their comprehension and application of theoretical concepts in a particular section or course. Passing these assessments shows prospective employers that you have the required knowledge and skills to excel in your role.

365 Financial Analyst offers the following three types of exams.

• Practice exams: These non-mandatory exams allow learners to assess their comprehension of a specific section or topic covered in the course. They enable students to identify areas needing improvement and are helpful tools for exam preparation.
• Course assessments: aThese (timed) exams comprehensively test your knowledge and understanding of each course topic.
• Career track exams: These are available only upon completing all course exams within the professional track and after your knowledge has been evaluated from all courses within the career track.

The CFI training includes several exams to evaluate and test learners' understanding of the course material—including optional practice exams, course assessments, certification exams, and learning path exams. The optional practice exams are designed to evaluate a student’s understanding of a particular area or chapter of the course. In contrast, the course assessments are thorough, timed exams that gauge how much knowledge students have acquired on each course topic. Certificate assessments are also the final exams for each course and must be passed to earn a CFI certification.

Both platforms have practice exams to test students’ understanding of the course material and learning path/career track exams to earn certificates. But CFI provides more extensive and challenging exams for its certification programs, which require a passing grade of 80% or higher.

Earning a certificate from an online learning platform after completing a course or career track is valuable for finance professionals. Certification affirms that a professional has the required skills and knowledge to perform their job at a high level. It’s a means of proving their expertise and capabilities to employers, clients, and colleagues.

365 Financial Analyst offers certificates recognized by the industry, and acquiring these certificates can increase the likelihood of finding a job in finance. Students can receive course certificates and career track certificates by passing exams with a minimum score of 60%.

CFI offers course certificates, program certificates, and professional designations upon completing specific certification exams. The course certificates are issued upon completing individual courses, while the program certificates are awarded upon completing all courses within a particular program. On the other hand, professional designations require the completion of multiple career tracks and passing the corresponding exams.

365 Financial Analyst and CFI offer certificates of achievement that demonstrate learners’ knowledge and skills to potential employers.

An official accrediting body does not accredit the CFI certification. But CFI has a strong reputation in the finance industry, and many employers and professionals recognize and respect its certificates.

365 Financial Analyst offers exceptional customer service personalized to individual needs. The platform instructors promptly answer questions in the Q&A section, which is helpful for beginners and those seeking professional guidance. CFI provides a help center with FAQs, a chat support feature for real-time assistance, and email support. Additionally, learners can schedule one-on-one sessions with an expert tutor for personalized help.

365 Financial Analyst and Corporate Finance Institute are well-regarded by students and have positive reviews on Trustpilot. CFI has an overall rating of 4.9/5 stars based on over 600 reviews on the Trustpilot platform, while 365 Financial Analyst has 4.5/5 from 15 reviews.

365 is an established provider of courses in several niches with over 3 million students and a stellar reputation for content satisfaction and learning style.

• Extensive course catalog covering various topics in finance and accounting
• Real-world case studies and examples of applying theoretical knowledge to practical situations
• Recognized certification

• No free plan
• Expensive

• Structured, engaging, and beginner-friendly training on various finance topics
• Real-world examples and exercises to apply learned concepts
• Gamified features to increase engagement
• Affordable price

• No dedicated mobile app
• No one-on-one mentorship

365 Financial Analyst provides free access to a portion of its course content—allowing students to experience the teaching approach before committing to a paid plan. Students have access to the first lessons of every course and their related resources, including practice exams. This approach allows students to decide about upgrading to a paid plan.

CFI does not offer a free plan but provides some free resources, such as free courses, guides, and articles on its website. They also offer a free trial for their paid courses, allowing users to access limited course materials for a fixed time.

• Self-study: $497/year
• Full-Immersion: $847/year

• Free subscription: access to the first few lessons of all courses
• Premium: $36/month or $29/month billed annually