Selecting the right training platform is a key step for any team aiming to build job-ready skills in information technology (IT) and cloud computing. Among the most frequently considered options are A Cloud Guru and Pluralsight. 

Although once separate platforms, A Cloud Guru is now part of Pluralsight, operating under the same parent company. This integration brings together two distinct learning approaches: Pluralsight delivers a broad curriculum that spans software development, DevOps, IT operations, and cybersecurity, while A Cloud Guru continues to specialize in hands-on, cloud-focused training for AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, now offered through Pluralsight’s ‘Cloud+’ plan. 

Your decision between the two depends on what your team needs most: specialized cloud certification prep or a wider range of technical skills across multiple roles. 

This comparison of A Cloud Guru vs Pluralsight breaks down the key features, learning formats, and pricing of both options. It helps you to confidently choose the solution that aligns best with your team’s learning strategy. 

At A Glance: A Cloud Guru Vs Pluralsight

Feature 

A Cloud Guru 

Pluralsight 

Learning Paths 

Cloud-focused paths based on skill or role assessments 

Structured paths with courses, labs, and assessments across multiple tech domains 

Skills Assessment 

Scenario-based cloud assessments with personalized recommendations 

Adaptive Skill IQ and Role IQ measure both tech and role proficiency 

Hands-On Labs 

Temporary, in-browser cloud labs tied to course objectives 

3,000+ labs across various technologies with guided, secure environments 

 

Certification Prep 

Centralized prep center with labs, exams, trackers, and visual roadmaps 

Unlimited practice exams and labs with in-moment feedback 

Video Courses 

Short, modular lessons with learning checks, most labs are separate 

Integrated video lessons with built-in labs, quizzes, and exams 

Price  

Flat monthly pricing starting at $15/month, with tiered plans and a 10-day free trial* 

Subscription plans begin at $15/month, featuring multiple tiers and a 10-day free trial* 

*Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change. 

What Is A Cloud Guru?

A Cloud Guru is a cloud skills development platform designed for certification-focused, hands-on training across major cloud platforms. It offers interactive, browser-based cloud sandboxes and real-world labs that let learners practice in live environments without the need for personal cloud accounts. The platform includes structured learning paths, certification prep courses, practice exams, and progress dashboards to support consistent skill-building across experience levels. 

Moreover, A Cloud Guru supports organizational training needs through features like learning path assignments, usage analytics, and team-level performance tracking. With integration into Pluralsight, users also gain access to a wider catalog of technical content, including DevOps and security. 

Unique Features Of A Cloud Guru 

  • Cloud Engineer: Trains professionals to design, manage, and secure cloud infrastructure for reliable data storage, transformation, and analysis 
  • Hands-On Labs: Enable users to gain practical experience and build real-world confidence through guided, interactive labs 
  • Cloud Sandboxes: Offer live environments in AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud to safely practice skills, explore ideas, and prepare for certifications 

A Cloud Guru Pros And Cons 

Pros: 

  • Offers users cloud computing courses to help them upskill and pass certification exams 
  • Courses are divided into short videos, making learning more engaging and easier to complete without feeling overwhelmed 
  • Helps user to achieve their goals with a wide range of resources, from user awareness to technical training, along with labs and focused plans 

Cons: 

  • The quizzes at the end of sections and courses don’t align well with actual vendor certification exams 
  • Requires re-login every four hours, and any created resources or services are lost, so users need to remember their progress while practicing 

What Is Pluralsight?

Pluralsight is a cloud-based learning platform built to help tech teams and individuals upskill through curated content, assessments, and hands-on practice. It features structured learning paths, unlimited practice exams, and interactive labs. They are all designed to simulate real-world environments and reinforce knowledge through instant feedback. 

The platform also includes instructor-led training and scenario-based labs, allowing learners to apply concepts in realistic environments and monitor their progress over time. 

Pluralsight offers Pluralsight Flow, an engineering analytics tool that connects with Git and Jira to help leaders track team performance, workflow efficiency, and delivery trends. Flow connects with tools like Git and Jira to provide data-driven clarity on team operations and support continuous improvement. 

Unique Features Of Pluralsight 

  • Skill IQ Assessment: Measures current skill level of learners and maps out a clear path to mastery, helping them track progress and grow with purpose 
  • Stack Up Game: Makes learning fun by letting users test their tech skills through interactive quizzes on popular languages and frameworks. Compete with others in-app and climb the leaderboard by answering as many questions correctly as possible 
  • Hands-On Learning: Builds real-world confidence through practical experiences like labs, sandboxes, and projects that help turn knowledge into applied skills 

Pros And Cons Of Pluralsight 

Pros: 

  • There is a wide variety of courses, with exceptional trainers and easy-to-understand slides and animations 
  • Allows users easy searching for various topics, from soft skills to technical skills, with basic training available to understand new technologies and concept 
  • Provide a great benefit to users with content library, feature list, and certification-aligned courses 

Cons: 

  • While studying, learners cannot easily find answer to their questions due to lack of FAQ section in each course 
  • Some courses can become outdated, especially in fast-evolving areas like Microsoft 365 or cloud platforms 

A Cloud Guru Vs Pluralsight: Head-On Features Comparison

Learning Paths

A Cloud Guru offers curated learning paths tailored to cloud-specific roles and skills. Learners begin with a role or skill assessment, which pinpoints strengths and weaknesses. Based on the results, the platform recommends targeted content to close knowledge gaps, preparing learners for cloud certifications and real-world job performance.

Pluralsight provides role- and skill-based learning paths that combine courses, hands-on labs, and assessments to help users develop specific expertise. These paths are curated by subject-matter experts and guides learners step-by-step through technologies or certifications. Built-in skill assessments help identify gaps, while interactive labs and sandboxes enable learners to apply knowledge in real-world scenarios.

Winner: Pluralsight takes the lead in offering structured learning paths with expert-led courses, hands-on labs, and assessments—ideal for teams needing broader tech skill development.

Skills Assessment

A Cloud Guru offers cloud skills assessments to evaluate knowledge in AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. These timed quizzes use real-world scenarios to test cloud competencies and help learners pinpoint what to study next. Based on results, users can follow curated content to address gaps and enhance their readiness for certification or daily tasks.

Pluralsight offers adaptive Skill IQ assessments that measure a learner’s current level in specific technologies through short, 10-minute tests. These assessments adjust in difficulty based on responses and deliver a Skill IQ score that highlights strengths, gaps, and where the learner stands on a defined learning path. In addition, Role IQ evaluates proficiency across multiple related skills to determine readiness for a specific job role. It identifies the skills learners have mastered and highlights areas that need further development.

Winner: Pluralsight wins for combining Skill IQ and Role IQ, offering both tech-specific and role-based assessments for targeted skill development.

Hands-On Labs

A Cloud Guru provides hands-on labs in temporary, pre-configured cloud environments allowing direct practice with real cloud services. Labs are tied to learning objectives and can be completed independently or within a course. Learners get in-browser access to cloud tools, allowing them to safely apply cloud knowledge without risking live infrastructure.

Pluralsight provides over 3,000 hands-on labs designed to help learners develop skills through real-world tasks and secure environments. Labs include step-by-step instructions, guided projects, and curated exercises tailored to specific roles and goals. Learners can practice configuring environments like Azure or mastering cybersecurity skills, all within a browser-based setup that doesn’t require downloads or access to production systems.

Winner: Pluralsight wins for offering a broader range of over 3,000 labs across multiple domains, with structured guidance, secure environments, and deeper role-specific practice.

Certification Preparation

A Cloud Guru focuses on cloud-specific certification prep with unlimited practice exams and hands-on labs. The platform offers real-time feedback during labs and assessments, helping learners identify and correct mistakes quickly. Its certification paths are curated to match current job roles and reduce exam-day anxiety through repeated practice.

Pluralsight provides a centralized ‘Certification Prep Center’ where learners can manage their entire certification journey in one place. It includes hands-on labs, interactive sandboxes, unlimited practice exams, peer certification trackers, and visual certification maps. Learners can track their progress, correct mistakes through task validation, and prepare with confidence using structured tools and resources aligned with real certification paths.

Winner: It’s a Tie! A Cloud Guru excels in cloud-specific certification prep, while Pluralsight provides a more centralized and broader certification support system. Each serves different learner needs effectively.

Video Courses

A Cloud Guru offers video courses organized into chapters, each containing lessons, quizzes, labs, and practice exams. Courses vary in length—longer courses (50+ hours) focus on certification prep, while shorter ones (around two hours) target specific cloud topics. Learners can search for and access course elements individually or follow the full course path for a structured experience.

Pluralsight provides modular video courses that range from a few minutes to several hours, with content divided into short, focused clips. Each module includes learning checks to reinforce understanding. While most video courses don’t include labs or exams directly, users can combine them through channels to build a custom learning journey. Some migrated ACG courses do offer integrated labs and practice exams.

Winner: A Cloud Guru edges ahead for integrating video lessons with labs, quizzes, and practice exams inside the course experience—especially for cloud certification learners seeking an all-in-one format.

Pricing Overview Of A Cloud Guru And Pluralsight

Since A Cloud Guru is now a part of Pluralsight, the two platforms now provide a unified pricing structure, offering access to a wide range of courses, hands-on labs, and certification paths. Below is a breakdown of the combined plan: 

Individual Plans 

Individual Plans Unlock new career opportunities and boost your confidence by gaining valuable tech skills. All plans come with a 10-day free trial to explore courses and features before committing to a subscription. 

Given below is an overview of the available pricing plans: 

  • Core Tech – $15/month: Access to 3,900+ courses in software development, IT ops, UX, and business. Includes assessments, learning paths, hands-on labs, and certification preparation 
  • Complete – $28/month: Unlocks 6,500+ courses across all domains, including AI, data, cloud, and security 
  • AI+ – $18/month: AI-focused learning with hands-on AI sandboxes, expert-led content, plus all Core Tech features 
  • Cloud+ – $18/month: Covers AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud with A Cloud Guru’s full cloud training library 
  • Data+ – $18/month: Includes 1,400+ data science courses, covering SQL, Python, and core analytics skills 
  • Security+ – $18/month: Cybersecurity-focused plan with hands-on labs and sandbox-based practical training 

Team Plans 

Team Plans empower organizations to develop critical tech skills and real-world experience with access to thousands of courses, hands-on labs, and certifications. It also comes with a 10-day free trial. 

  • AI + Data – $399/year/user: Access to 5,000+ courses in AI, data, development, IT ops, UX, and business. Includes AI sandboxes, hands-on labs, certification prep, assessments, and analytics 
  • Security + Cloud – $499/year/user: Includes 5,500+ courses covering cloud, security, development, and more. Features cloud sandboxes, hands-on labs, certification prep, analytics, and leader tools 
  • Everything – $565/year/user: Full access to 6,500+ courses across all domains. Offers all labs, custom sandboxes, certification prep, advanced analytics, and complete leadership support 

A Cloud Guru Vs Pluralsight – Which Software Should You Choose?

To choose the right tech training path for your team, start by identifying your core skill needs, content priorities, and the type of hands-on experience that fits your goals. 

If your team is focused specifically on deep, practical cloud training, Pluralsight’s A Cloud Guru content, available under Cloud+ plan, is a strong fit. It offers immersive labs, live sandboxes, and real-world cloud scenarios designed for professionals seeking in-depth cloud expertise. 

For teams requiring a broader spectrum of technical skills, Pluralsight’s full course library is more suitable. It covers software development, cybersecurity, AI, data science, and IT operations, combining diverse course content with assessments and hands-on labs, ideal for multi-role training. 

In short, your choice depends on whether you need specialized cloud training or comprehensive tech skill development across various domains. Still unsure? Reach out to our team for tailored guidance aligned with your learning objectives.