Skillshare is one of the most popular online learning platforms but is it any good?
I’ve taken many great courses on Skillshare and even published a few of my own so I really got to know the best features, flaws, and behind-the-scenes of the platform.
That’s why I wanted to make a Skillshare review and help you decide if it’s the right course platform for you.
Here are the best features and worst drawbacks of Skillshare:
Who is Skillshare suited for?
Skillshare is best suited for people looking to learn creative skills on their own.
Compared to other popular learning alternatives like YouTube, Skillshare has a better interface for sorting through courses & finding the right level for your skillset.
The downside of Skillshare, compared to YouTube is that you have to pay for a subscription after the first free month.
Skillshare is best suited for people trying to learn:
- Animation
- Creative Writing
- Film & Video
- Fine Art
- Graphic Design
- Illustration
- Music
- Photography
- UI/UX Design
- Web Development
- Business Analytics
- Freelance & Entrepreneurship
- Leadership & Management
- Marketing
- Lifestyle
- Productivity
How much does Skillshare cost?
In most countries, Skillshare membership costs $13.75/month which is billed annually for $165.00.
Skillshare pricing is different in different regions of the world.
For example, in some countries in Europe, the price of Skillshare membership is only €3/month (€36/year).
The highest possible subscription price is $13.75/month.
To find out the pricing in your country create a free Skillshare account and you will be able to see the price after selecting “Sign up to start learning”.
Is Youtube better than Skillshare?
You can learn almost anything on YouTube that you can on Skillshare but the information is scattered and hard to find.
Most YouTube videos often repeat the same thing which ends up wasting a lot of time if you’re trying to master a new skill efficiently.
Skillshare has easy filtering options and a review system that makes sure that only the highest quality courses rise to the top.
YouTube
✅ Free
✅ Has a lot of educational content across any topic
✅ Best for small pieces of information
✅ Great search functionality
❌ Information scattered
❌ Most videos repeat the same thing
❌ Videos have long intros, outros & unnecessary elements
❌ Videos are hard to filter out
❌ No review system
Skillshare
✅ Great review system that helps sort out the best courses
✅ Has a course rating system that shows you if the course is for a beginner, intermediate, or expert level
✅ Courses are well structured, without unnecessary “fluff’
✅ Ability to see & skip individual lessons
✅ Great search functionality
❌ Not free
❌ Most courses are aimed at beginners
❌ Buggy media player
Skillshare FAQ:
Here are the answers to most frequently asked questions about Skillshare:
What Classes are on Skillshare?
Skillshare has over 40,000 online courses mostly aimed at learning creative skills.
Most courses fall into these categories: Animation, Creative Writing, Film & Video, Fine Art, Graphic Design, Illustration, Music, Photography, UI/UX Design, Web Development, Business Analytics, Freelance & Entrepreneurship, Leadership & Management, Marketing, Lifestyle, and Productivity.
How long are courses on Skillshare?
Courses on Skillshare have a minimum required length of 10 minutes but are usually a lot longer.
Most courses on the platform are under 3 hours but the ones that go more in-depth & have more lessons can last up to 8-9 hours in length.
Is Skillshare really free?
Skillshare is only free for the first month.
After your free trial ends the subscription to Skillshare will cost you anywhere from $3/month to $13.75/month depending on the country that you’re from.
Does Skillshare come with a free trial?
Yes, Skillshare comes with a free trial.
The free trial is usually 7 days but if you find a promotional link you can get up to 30 days free of Skillshare membership.
Is Skillshare cheaper than udemy?
Udemy offers a pay-per-course model whereas Skillshare provides membership access to all of their library of courses.
Skillshare is cheaper than Udemy if you want to take multiple courses.
If you want to take only 1 course on 1 subject then in most cases it’s going to be cheaper to buy the course on Udemy.
Courses on Udemy often go on sale and can be bought for $10 or less.
What is the weakness of Skillshare?
The biggest weakness of Skillshare is that most courses are aimed at complete beginners.
Skillshare pays its teachers based on watch time which encourages course creators to teach subjects that appeal to the widest audiences which are often beginners.
Is Skillshare or masterclass better?
Skillshare is better for creatives and Masterclass is better to learn a wider range of topics.
Masterclass has higher production quality courses mostly from celebrities that cover a large range of topics.
Skillshare courses are mostly aimed at creative types.
Skillshare’s subscription is cheaper than Masterclass.
Can you cancel Skillshare after free trial?
Yes, you can cancel the Skillshare membership after the free trial.
Once you cancel your membership at any time and you will lose access to Skillshare at the beginning of next month.
Which e-learning platform is best?
The best e-learning platforms are Coursera, Udemy, Skillshare, and YouTube.
YouTube is best for small snippets of information.
Udemy is best for learning one skill in depth.
Coursera is best for getting a certificate for taking your courses and Skillshare is best for learning a wide variety of creative skills.
Can Skillshare get you a job?
Skillshare does not give you a certificate after completing a course.
However, the skills that you learn on Skillshare can be listed on your resume and help you get a job.
How do I get 1 month free on Skillshare?
How to Get a 1-Month Skillshare Free Trial?
You can get 1-month free trial on Skillshare by clicking here.
How long is the average Skillshare course?
According to Skillshare most of their courses on average are 20-60 minutes long.
They are made up of a series of short 2 to 8-minute lessons.
What are the best courses on Skillshare?
Can anyone teach on Skillshare?
Yes, anyone can become a teacher on Skillshare.
Before starting to teach on Skillshare make sure to read their class quality guidelines because each course goes through a strict review process before it can be published on the platform.
Was this Skillshare review useful?
There you have it – my Skillshare review.
Ultimately the course platform that you pick depends on what you need.
When making your choice, first dig deep into the platform’s features and your own needs.
You should be able to learn as much as you need without having to compromise too much money.
My recommendation for the best e-learning platform, especially for learning creative skills, like video editing, freelancing, or starting a YouTube channel is Skillshare.
Pick the best option tailored just for you and happy learning!
I’ll leave you with a few useful resources if you want to become an online teacher and create your own online course: