You have probably abandoned a self-paced course that you were genuinely excited about. It was not the content, it was the loneliness of learning alone.
Cohort courses fix this by putting you on a schedule with other people. Deadlines, live sessions, and a group chat create the accountability that self-paced courses simply cannot provide.
The cost is higher, and the trade-off is real. You pay for structure and community more than for information. For a skill you must finish, that structure is often worth it.
If you have a history of starting courses and drifting away, a cohort is the stronger choice. If you finish everything you start, save the money. Match the format to your weakness, not to your intention.