Maybe you have been left with the puzzle of choosing between Skillshare and Lynda. However, with this Skillshare vs Lynda blog post comparison and review, you’ll be able to make the right decision.
Though you may have seen one Skillshare vs Lynda comparison elsewhere, this will be like a new thing in your view. Just read through…
The reason is that I will be making an honest comparison and review of these two great MOOC platforms.
You may know some of the differences between these two e-learning gurus.
However, you will be glad you got here by the time you’re done reading this Skillshare vs Lynda comparison.
If I may ask, what is the main difference between Skillshare vs Lynda?
The main difference between Skillshare and Lynda is Lynda’s commitment to a broader and more standardized range of courses.
There is also a difference in instructor requirements on both platforms, as the Skillshare courses can be taught by anyone.
While the courses on Lynda are been taught by experts in their field.
So, with that taken, I will also give you a quick summary or overview of both e-learning platforms.
In addition to the overview, I will be reviewing their cost. Also, what type of courses each offers, their advantages and disadvantages, and much more. Let’s go!
Overview – Skillshare vs Lynda
Skillshare and Lynda are obviously popular websites for online educational courses.
However, they offer very different e-learning options on each platform.
This overview is intended to help you, the student, decide which option is best for your personal and professional goals.
As a result, it can be tailored to your specific desired outcome or benefit.
Skillshare
Skillshare offers more than 29,000 creative skills-focused courses that anyone with or without a professional or educational background can upload and teach.
They offer courses from just ten minutes to several hours and are presented in video format.
As a bonus, Skillshare is an ad-free platform so your learning is not interrupted by any form of advertisement.
Also, Skillshare users can download lessons to their mobile device or tablet for offline study.
You may also ask, who is expected to take courses on Skillshare? Below is your answer!
Lynda (LinkedIn Learning)
Lynda, on the other hand, covers more areas as the courses cover broader topics like technology and web development.
While still offering a creative aspect.
The 10,000+ courses on Lynda’s platform are taught by experts in their field and the content is standardized.
Active members are government agencies, academic institutions, and individuals.
As you may know, Lynda was recently acquired by LinkedIn. Gradually, they are beginning to change the platform’s name to LinkedIn Learning.
For the purposes of this article, I will continue to refer to it as Lynda. Knowing that it is still the most popular name for the platform just yet.
Lynda gives users the ability to display courses completed to potential employers directly on their LinkedIn profiles.
As well as receive suggestions for courses where their profile may be of interest to them.
This video below from Lynda(LinkedIn Learning) will give you a reason to take a course with them.
Overview Summary
In a quick summary, both online learning platforms offer a wealth of content for the motivated learner.
However, Skillshare courses are more focused on creative and hobby topics. And anyone can create courses for them as well.
Lynda includes creative courses, but also focuses on business and career-oriented topics. However they set standards for who can create and teach the coursestheir its platform.
Below, I’ll go into the key features to consider. By the end of this comparison, you should have enough information to decide which one is best for you. Just keep reading!
#1. Skillshare vs Lynda Costs
Skillshare Costs
For the cost, Skillshare offers new users a 30-day free trial with a monthly subscription starting at $15 per month.
While an annual subscription starts at $8.25 per month, offering annual savings of $80. Mouthwatering right?
This will give you access to all courses on Skillshare’s archive. So, you are unlimited in courses to take. Just search for your choice of course.
There are on-demand, small-business, and student scholarships available on this platform. Making it easily accessible regardless of the student’s budget.
The benefits of the Skillshare subscription model
As I said earlier, you will have unlimited access to the entire course catalog and offline access to course material.
Available learning tools include projects and videos for interactive learning.
There’s also an added benefit for annual subscribers: discounts on creative services like Squarespace, Adobe Premiere Pro CC, and Shutterstock.
You wouldn’t want to miss those added subscription bonuses I guess.
Lynda Costs
Similarly, Lynda offers a free 30-day initial trial with the option to choose between a basic or premium membership.
The basic membership price starts at $19.99 per month while the premium membership price starts at $29.99 per month.
With both memberships, users get unrestricted access to all course content.
This content is available in a variety of formats: videos, lectures, notes, ratings, and playlists. Premium members can also access content offline.
Benefits of Lynda’s subscription model
While there are fewer courses available on Lynda, it offers a more diverse and professional-based catalog of material.
The added benefit of the Lynda Premium Membership is the inclusion of exercise files as extra study material.
It also offers certifications that can be displayed on LinkedIn for employer consideration.
Also read: 40+ Udemy best cheap short courses on web development in 2023
Skillshare vs Lynda – Which has a better ROI?
Return on Investment (ROI), it depends on the type of skills you want to acquire or improve. As well as how much you want to influence your resume or CV.
Lynda is a better option for those looking to improve their technical skills and target traditional employers with certifications earned by learning from experts in a specific topic.
Though, it costs a lot more but offers higher-quality video content. As well as alternative tools and reviews to deepen your knowledge.
On the contrary, Skillshare is ideal for students with a limited budget looking to improve their creative skills.
And possibly for people with entrepreneurial activities in the creative field such as writing or photography.
#2. Course Subjects and Topics Taught
Both online learning platforms offer creative subjects like photography and graphic design etc.
Lynda offers access to a broader range of quality courses with standardized content.
At Skillshare, learning is limited to creative topics and content is not standardized.
Since anyone on Skillshare can become an instructor, the quality of the course is often variable and less reliable.
For most courses on creative topics, Lynda offers certificates to her students. While this feature is not available with Skillshare.
Skillshare vs Lynda – Who has the best video quality?
There is no doubt that Lynda offers much higher-quality video content.
The duration of the courses, as well as the standardized video classes, allow users to plan their study hours accordingly.
On the contrary, you cannot always access fixed-duration courses on the Skillshare platform.
The duration of the video classes on Skillshare varies between 10 minutes and a few hours.
The quality of the lectures on Skillshare doesn’t guarantee consistency, but you can still find many great instructors on this platform.
Students are allowed to choose their course before starting a course on the Skillshare platform.
For instance, Lynda has courses ranging from creative skills to web and technology development.
Examples include:
- Development
- IT
- Business
- Web development
- 3D
- Animation
- CAD
- Design
- Marketing
- Photography
- Music
- Video
- Education
While Skillshare course categories are more focused on creativity and entrepreneurship.
Examples include:
- Design
- Illustration
- Business
- Technology
- Photo
- Film
- Entrepreneurship
- Writing
#3. Skillshare vs Lynda – Who has the better instructors?
On the Lynda platform, courses are created and managed by experts in the field so you can be fairly confident that you are learning relevant information for your professional development.
There is a strict application process for instructors at Lynda, so the website can guarantee the quality of the lesson plans and teachers.
Skillshare gives each user the opportunity to be an instructor as well, which means that the quality of teaching and content here is different.
There are also exceptional coaches here. You may need to spend more time choosing courses that are reputable and offer the best return on your investment.
To properly select instructors, check the instructor, and make sure you are learning your skills from a knowledgeable source.
If the instructor has a thriving business or a LinkedIn profile that shows their credentials, this is a great way to be sure of your course options.
Rather, Lynda works closely with universities and government organizations. The courses on this platform are taught by experienced scientists.
These are also associated directly with LinkedIn as Lynda has been acquired by LinkedIn Learning.
You know as you sign up for a course that certification can then be added to your LinkedIn profile.
However, if your goals are more entrepreneurial, you can learn more on a platform like Skillshare.
This is because there are so many creative and entrepreneurial trainers there who offer insights from personal experiences.
#4. Accreditation & Certificates (Which is more valuable?)
If getting certificates is the main reason for taking online courses, Lynda is the clear winner over Skillshare.
While Lynda offers courses on more professional and business-related topics, they may not be as appealing to people with more creative and entrepreneurial goals.
Despite Lynda’s courses offering certification for completing a course, it is never a guarantee that employers will accept or note those courses or certifications when making a decision to hire.
However, you can use your creative skills to build a portfolio with what you learn from one of the online learning platforms.
Lynda’s programs are more structured and evaluated and provide access to teachers with proven credibility.
As a result, a certificate from Lynda will look much better on your resume or CV than listing your coursework with Skillshare.
The fact that Lynda is connected to your LinkedIn profile makes it a digitally shareable format.
Not only can you print copies to include in your portfolio, but you can paste them right into your LinkedIn profiles for convenience and efficiency.
If you are planning on improving your CV or résumé, Lynda is probably your best option, especially given her direct connection to LinkedIn.
#5. Quality and time duration of courses – Skillshare vs Lynda
You can spend as little as ten minutes on a course on Skillshare or up to several hours on one of the platforms.
This gives the student some flexibility in terms of learning and time spent.
Most Lynda courses are more detailed and offer multiple learning modes for multiple courses. Moreover, not just videos, including projects, notes, and ratings.
Some courses only have a few hours’ worth of video lectures and written content to read and can be completed in a single afternoon if you are eager to learn.
Lynda can be compared to what you would expect from an online course that you would take from a formal university or institution.
The more course content is available, the more likely it is that projects related to completing the study are.
Depending on your self-paced time management, this can be further expanded or done much faster.
So, when it comes to the duration of the courses being offered on both platforms, Skillshare needs to improve on that.
Because, the longer the course, the more in-depth and informative it will be. That’s my view though.
#6. Summary – Advantages and Disadvantages
When you are making a comparison of Skillshare vs Lynda, you must consider the pros and cons.
Below will show you the advantages and disadvantages of both Lynda and Skillshare.
Skillshare Pros
#1. The huge number of courses
Since Skillshare is open to anyone to create courses, a large number of classes are available.
There are currently more than 29,000 different courses available on Skillshare now.
Whether you want to learn about graphic design, music, writing, or your secondary activity, you can be sure that you will find courses on Skillshare.
#2. Offline Access with Premium Membership
You can have learning on the go on your mobile device or tablet, whether you are on or off the grid. Premium membership is also not a major cost difference for the benefit.
#3. No ads while watching lessons
This offers uninterrupted learning with video content, whether they are short or lengthy.
Ads are very annoying to some people, so with that, you won’t have a reason to be angry while on a course.
Skillshare Cons
#1. No certifications
These courses cannot offer you certificates of completion. Skillshare courses are best for learning a specific skill for yourself or building a portfolio without adding to your professional resume.
For those looking for technical or business skills, Skillshare is not the best option.
#2. Quality varies
Since Skillshare has instructors from different backgrounds, the quality of the courses can vary greatly.
Some are not very in-depth and thorough when looking for deeper insights.
Because of this, it is important that you do a little research on the instructor and check out the reviews.
#3. Limited access
Remember I said earlier that you have unlimited access to the courses on its platform. But what this means is that you may not be able to have access to the course for a lifetime.
Courses may not be available for the long term; no lifetime access.
Lynda Pros
#1. Video quality is high and consistently updated
Lynda’s video content is professional and well-produced. The quality alone is a good investment as the content is updated frequently and is accessible for the duration of your subscription.
Almost all, if not all the video content quality is in HD.
#2. Looks better on your resume
Certificates earned through Lynda will look very impressive on your résumé when you’re going for an interview. This is in contrast to taking a course through other platforms like Skillshare.
Moreover, Lynda’s courses are more academic in nature than many other online course platforms.
Overall, Lynda’s certification is valuable and can help get you a new job or get you a pay raise. In the meantime, your CV is good with the new and improved look.
#3. More structured learning
If you need reviews or assessments to make progress, Lynda is for you.
Being part of an online course with Checks and Balances gives you greater accountability and allows you to evaluate the effectiveness of the course.
#4. Well-designed iOS and Android apps
The quality of the apps allows for learning on the go and is available to iPhone and Android users. You also have access to content offline with either membership option.
Lynda Cons
#1. More costly
The financial investment is much higher. About twice as expensive as Skillshare, depending on whether you pay monthly or annually.
For those on a budget looking to acquire skills, this may not be the smartest option.
#2. Not best for entrepreneurs or creatives
This platform is best for those with careers in technology, business, or programming.
However, some creativity courses focus on skills that can be used by employers and government agencies.
So, if you are in for creative courses for building your personal portfolio, Skillshare should be your option. You have lots of creative good courses there.
#7. Lynda vs Skillshare Alternatives
Certainly, there are platforms like Lynda and Skillshare. Some of them offer better value for money while some offer better certification value.
In this Skillshare vs Lynda Comparison, I will list some of the alternatives to the aforementioned platforms.
It will help you just in case neither Lynda nor Skillshare meets your taste for online learning.
Udemy
Udemy is also an e-learning platform that houses lots of courses for students to improve themselves.
Or, Udemy is an online learning and teaching marketplace with over 130,000 courses and 35 million students. With new courses being added monthly. That’s amazing, right?
They are recognized by some as the best online learning platform. However, that is their view though.
The big and great advantage of Udemy is that has courses on almost any topic you think of. This obviously makes them outstanding compared to Lynda and Skillshare.
With the category of courses from web development, personal development, design, business, finance & accounting, IT & software, office productivity, marketing, lifestyle, photography/video, health & fitness, music, and teaching/academic.
As in the case of Skillshare and Lynda, Udemy doesn’t operate on a subscription model. With Udemy, you can choose any course of your choice and make a one-off payment.
Another great thing about Udemy is the pricing and cost of courses. You can get a high-quality course on Udemy for just $11.
Also, they have thousands of free courses that will not give you certification at the end of each course.
But two of the biggest downside of Udemy is that anyone can host a course there, which will give room for low-quality courses.
Lastly, Udemy certification is not accredited. So, when you are interested in a valuable certification platform, Udemy should not be your option.
Instead, go for Lynda, it will give you a better option.
Check out my review on Udemy certification and how valuable it can be. Also, job outlook.
Coursera
Coursera is also an online learning platform but focused more on higher education courses. Certainly, Coursera is completely online and covers a wide range of topics just like Udemy, to an extent though.
One of the things that makes Coursera unique is that it offers college-level classes taught by professors from accredited institutions.
This is quite the difference when compared to Lynda and Skillshare. But Lynda has similar instructors of high quality in their respective fields.
You may have wondered what it would be like to reflect on ancient philosophy with a specialist in the field, Coursera is your chance.
However, for a reasonable fee, you can also purchase a certificate stating that you have completed a course.
As you would guess, Coursera certification is accredited as they are affiliated with some prestigious universities in the world.
As I said earlier, Coursera has partnered with universities such as:
- Yale University
- Johns Hopkins
- Rice University
- Princeton
- The University of Michigan, and many more.
The education you receive here will be excellent. With over 4,000 courses available, you’re sure to find something that sparks your interest.
What does Coursera offer?
However, Coursera can help you attain a variety of goals, including:
- Gain additional skills to keep up with your work or find a new one.
- Improve your critical thinking, analysis, and reasoning skills.
- You have always been interested in Egyptology, modern art or zoology, or any other topic covered by Coursera (there are many).
- Or maybe you just want to learn something new while at home for fun
You may see the well-written review on Coursera to learn more about the platform and the courses it offers.
You can purchase courses one-off on Coursera. As well as subscribe to a monthly package where you have access to courses on Coursera with its Coursera Plus package.
Try Coursera now!
MasterClass
MasterClass was founded in 2015 by Aaron Rasmussen and David Rogier. It is based in San Francisco, California.
The masterClass is currently one of the most popular online learning platforms.
It brings you superb video production and inspiring courses with high-quality instruction from world-renowned teachers, including Oscar winners and directors, Michelin-star chefs, and Olympic athletes.
Skillshare offers thousands of courses that in some cases focus on practical skills with hands-on learning projects.
This can be as simple as a basic drawing lesson for a much more complex 3D modeling course.
Moreover, MasterClass offers some high-quality courses for creatives such as writers, photographers, artists, painters, and musicians.
You can also find great courses on personal development, cooking, scientific thinking, business, and many other cool topics.
MasterClass courses are very interesting with incredible production quality just like what Lynda has at their disposal.
One of the MasterClass’ best selling points is its instructors who teach on their platform.
On MasterClass, Neil Gaiman and Gordon Ramsay share their best practices, secrets, and experiences which makes it interesting.
MasterClass has an edge over Skillshare in this regard, as its tutors are the ones who are at the forefront of their game.
Though MasterClass started with subjects related to the creative arts such as writing and acting just like Skillshare. But they have since expanded their collection.
To date, MasterClass has added subjects like:
- Culinary Arts
- Photography & Fashion
- Business
- Science & Technology
- Sports & Games
- And more
However, this is where Skillshare beats MasterClass.
Pluralsight
Pluralsight is a course platform with a wide range of different course topics. You can choose to study things like coding or business, or more creative subjects like graphic design.
Overall, the website seems more geared towards tech-related topics. A total of more than 6,000 different courses are available on Pluralsight.
You can view Pluralsight courses on your desktop, iPhone, Android, tablet, or even on your TV. This really offers a lot of flexibility when it comes to where and when to study.
Pluralsight operates on a subscription model like Lynda and Skillshare. Pluralsight costs $35 per month or $299 per year if you pay the full annual amount in advance.
Alternatively, you can pay $449 per year for the premium subscription.
With a regular subscription, you get access to the entire library of courses, recommended learning paths, or channels.
Additionally, Skill IQ and Role IQ assessments to help you determine your current skill level.
You’ll also receive exercise files, course learning reviews, and course discussions to share with your colleagues and teachers.
But the Premium plan is required to unlock three additional features:
- Certification practice exams, which help you prepare for professional certifications.
- Interactive courses, provide guided feedback and allow you to practice while you learn with hands-on challenges.
- And projects, where you can put your skills to the test in real-world scenarios.
How good are the instructors on Pluralsight?
Pluralsight has quality instructors just like Lynda.
Pluralsight recruits instructors to work for them and does not hire anyone who is not qualified to teach on a specific topic.
This helps to keep the quality of the course content much higher than on other online course platforms.
For instance, Pluralsight has more than 1,500 instructors (whom they refer to as authors).
They have also partnered with companies such as Microsoft, Oracle, and Adobe on specific courses to bring you quality content directly from the companies themselves.
Pluralsight also offers one-on-one mentoring to help support your education.
While Pluralsight is not accredited, it has a pretty good reputation with many large companies that continue to grow.
A university may not accept a certificate from a course you have completed on Pluralsight for credit.
However, many of your potential employers will likely see the value in a Pluralsight course. Especially in the tech industry.
Even though Pluralsight is not an accredited platform, its certificate is a bit more valuable than Lynda’s.
Like I said before, Pluralsight courses are taken by experts. Additionally, the company has in-house editorial staff who review each course video before it is released to the public.
This means that standards for video, audio, and general content are consistently held at a higher level than you might expect on other course platforms.
Some course platforms are more geared towards beginners. However, Pluralsight offers many intermediate and advanced courses.
Whether you’re new to a topic or already experienced, Pluralsight’s courses will likely give you a lot more depth than some of its competitors.
Conclusion on Skillshare vs Lynda
Seeing how this Skillshare vs Lynda comparison has turned out, you will be convinced that Lynda offers more consistently high-quality content.
However, you should consider how this is reflected in the price range when looking for the cheapest option.
Certainly, it is possible to improve professional skills and knowledge on either platform. But the outcome will depend entirely on your purpose for this additional learning, as well as your budget.
Most noteworthy, both platforms also offer a 30-day free trial for new users.
So, I would suggest you sign up for the free trial first. Spend some time understudying both platforms and some courses that pique your interest.
Obviously, this will give you an opportunity to move through chosen coursework on both platforms. Additionally, it gives you a scale of how much it will benefit you.
Overall, you can also learn skills on both platforms that can benefit your personal and entrepreneurial skills.
Maybe as an individual, you have the passion to teach what you have learned over the years, Skillshare is an obvious platform.
On the other hand, if you are more interested in acquiring professional skills to enhance your resume, Lynda could be a better investment.
Finally, with this in-depth Skillshare vs Lynda comparison, I believe you now have a better view of these great MOOC platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Which MOOC platform is better between Skillshare and Lynda?
Overall should be Lynda, because of the quality of the instructors and the courses they produce. Also, Lynda has more valuable certifications than Skillshare.
What is the big or main difference between Lynda and Skillshare?
The main difference between Skillshare and Lynda is Lynda’s commitment to a broader and more standardized range of courses.
There is also a difference in instructor requirements on both platforms, as the Skillshare courses can be taught by anyone. While the courses on Lynda are been taught by experts in their field.
What is the big advantage of Skillshare
Skillshare’s biggest advantage is the large course collection and being so good on creative courses.
Is Lynda's certification accredited?
No, they are not. But they are of high value due to the erudite instructors that teach their courses and how in-depth they go on them with high-quality video content.
Which better MOOC platforms can I get a certification that is accreidited?
If your sole interest is in accredited certification platforms, then visit Coursera, EdX, or New Skills Academy
