Is Skillshare worth it? This has been a question on many learners’ lips in recent times. But maybe, you are not an exemption. However, in this blog post, you will have a full and clearer verdict on Skillshare and whether the question about if Skillshare is actually worth the money.
This Skillshare review will give you the total breakdown of this MOOC platform and the courses they offer if they are worth anything after all.
In this Skillshare review, I will also share my experience with Skillshare. From the platform itself to the courses, instructors, price, video quality, and certification valuation.
Also, comparing it with its competitors to see how they keep their heads high with high competition in the MOOC industry.
Skillshare Review: What You Need To Know First
Skillshare is an amazing online learning platform in which you can improve yourself with the needed skills.
Though they might not have a course to make you laugh and be ecstatic, the choice to start your online learning is one to be happy about because it’s going to be fun along the line.
Michael Karnjanaprakorn and Malcolm Ong are the pioneers of Skillshare who created the platform in November 2010 in New York City. The platform has evolved into what we see today: a thriving market for students and teachers.
However, since its inception almost 10 years ago, it has made a name for itself as a digital platform for online elective learning. As well as competing closely with the big guys in the business over the years.
Now, having understood who founded Skillshare and when. We will then go have a look at what Skillshare stands for or offers!
What is Skillshare?
Skillshare is a digital online learning platform that allows students to connect to online courses offered by real-world experts, developers, entrepreneurs, and professionals. In addition, It is designed to teach everyone something to improve individual skillfully and educationally.
Notwithstanding, course topics are somehow general, but generally, it revolves around sharing the creative and entrepreneurial skills you want.
You can learn virtually anything on Skillshare, all you need to do is to search for your preferred topic and you are on for a great process of learning experience.
However, if you’re not exactly sure where your curiosities are taking you, maybe you can just browse courses via the following predetermined categories on the site:
- Create: Animation, Creative Writing, Film & Video, Fine Art, Graphic Design, Illustration, Music, Photography, UI / UX Design, Web Development
- Build: Business Analytics, Freelance & Entrepreneurship, Leadership & Management, Marketing
- Thrive: Lifestyle, Productivity
Though with thousands of courses on the Skillshare, platform to select from. There are high chances that you will certainly find a course suitable for your level and expectations.
Is Skillshare accredited?
It is not a new thing that many users and students wonder if Skillshare is accredited. Certainly, the answer is NO.
Since Skillshare is not a school or university, you will not receive “certificates” in any of its courses in the same way that other learning institutions can sign your achievements.
For those who are really looking for accredited online courses, consider other e-learning platforms like Coursera, edX, or even New Skills Academy instead of Skillshare.
How Does Skillshare Work?
Self-Paced Courses
Skillshare registered members get instant access to the platform’s course catalog. The classes available to you, however, depend on your membership level (free or paid).
All you need to do is conduct a search for your target skill to find dozens, sometimes hundreds or thousands, of related courses to choose from.
For example, a quick search for “Personal Development” produces 1245 results. You can easily refine your search using the built-in platform filters based on the following factors:
- View “Free,” “Premium,” or “All” courses
- Course length (How in-depth do you want your training to be? Do you prefer courses that are less than 15 minutes in length or more than 60 minutes long?)
- How old is the course? Was it recently published? Are the tips still relevant today?
Once you’ve found a course that sparks your interest. You can assess the quality of the course by reading both the About page and reviews from previous students. By clicking on the Discussions or Projects and Resources tabs, you will get a clearer picture of the course content and expectations.
If it fits well, you can get started right away by simply starting to play the course videos.
Most importantly, access to courses is extremely convenient. You can keep your courses in your pocket via your phone. Or launch them from your laptop in your workspace.
Since Skillshare courses are prerecorded, you can study on your own time and at your own pace. No more class interruptions from Timmy full of questions or Tommy constantly joking.
Also, thanks to the “Discover” feature on the mobile app. You can get personalized recommendations based on your course participation and search history.
This is a great feature if you’re hungry to learn, but you’re not quite sure what you want to learn just yet.
Utilizing the ideas in the Project Gallery
Visual learners may consider exploring the course options by viewing the project gallery in their Skillshare account.
You can see recent examples of work done by other Skillshare members here. This project gallery quickly shows the “bottom line” of class selection and the personal learning of others.
If you are not satisfied at first glance, you can filter the gallery by popular, latest, and highest-rated projects. Not to mention similar categories from the site’s “Browse Course” feature.
Also, when you find an image that captures the ideal result of your project, click on the image for more details.
Though, not only about the creator but also about the actual course he took to create such a masterpiece.
Workshops
If you prefer more responsibility and structure to your virtual learning, Skillshare workshops are a great way to explore them.
Interestingly, Workshops are a way of taking 2-3 supplemental shared skills classes one after another according to a schedule set by a teacher.
They usually last four weeks and are carried out simultaneously with other students. Moreover, this is great for learning not only from your teacher but from your peers as well.
So, you may be looking for more of a “classroom feel” and like the idea of having a Community Manager helping you keep track of deadlines. Certainly, this more intensive learning experience could be a good fit for you.
Groups
The groups were a late addition to the Skillshare platform in response to the growth of its massive community. After all, browsing millions of other platform users to find your coworkers is not an easy task.
Now you can instantly connect with like-minded people to learn more, stay up-to-date on the latest industry trends, and build general connections and networks.
Skillshare Groups can be a great tool to further challenge the development and growth of your own skills with the added benefit of peer review.
Current Skillshare groups (and approximate size) at the time of writing include:
Creative:
- Animators ~5000
- Writers ~7000
- Creative Business Owners ~11,200
- Digital Marketers ~9100
- Filmmakers ~4400
- Procreate ~2000
- Musicians ~3000
- Illustrators ~12,400
- UX/UX Designers ~3500
- Graphic Designers ~10,000
- Photographers ~8000
- Painters & Sketch Artists ~5000
- Watercolor Enthusiasts ~5500
Technology:
- UI/UX Designers ~3500
- Developers ~4600
- Creative Coding Community (New)
Business:
- Skillshare Teachers ~4000
- Entrepreneurs & Small Business Owners ~7700
- Creative Business Owners ~11,200
- Digital Marketers ~9100
- Freelancers ~6400
- Productivity Tips ~9600
Lifestyle:
- Crafters ~3300
- Calligraphers ~6000
Professionals & Aspiring Teachers on Skillshare
However, if you consider yourself an expert in a topic area, you can add new courses to the platform.
So long as you follow the Teacher Handbook and create project-based, actionable lessons. It is free for teachers to add content to the site, but they earn income for their courses via a built-in affiliate program and royalties.
Skillshare Review: Pricing & Costs, is Skillshare worth it?
For sure, no Skillshare review is complete without discussing the pricing or costs. So let’s get to that. The costs of Skillshare vary depending on the membership level: free (no cost) or premium (costs vary depending on the billing cycle).
Skillshare’s free courses can only be accessed with an email address and an internet connection. While you won’t have access to all of the 23,000+ Skillshare courses.
However, there are still plenty of free courses on the site to cover your favorite creativity, technology, lifestyle, and business topics.
To access the full catalog of courses, you need to sign up for a Skillshare Premium membership. Not only does this membership level give you a wide variety of classes to choose from, but it can also make your learning easier, which is perfect for long flights or road trips.
It also gives you the ability to watch classes without the annoying interruptions of ads.
Is Skillshare Worth It? The Skillshare Review of Courses
Skillshare is a nice MOOC platform for learning no doubt, inasmuch as it does not provide college-like courses. Obviously, if you have taken a course on Skillshare you will also notice the great learning experience.
First, the courses are easy to find and easy to adapt to my goals. The course descriptions, reviews, and project descriptions provided helped me to quickly understand whether the course meets my needs or not.
The courses are divided into “chapters” as short videos so that you can easily play back parts of the course where you feel like learning more. This ease of jumping from one content to another will help get the most out of the course.
Also, the Skillshare dashboard offers a wealth of inspiration. The ability to quickly navigate to my saved class lists, view courses offered by my favorite teachers, and even view trends on the platform quench the thirst for knowledge from the moment I sign up.
The drawbacks of Skillshare are essential to consider.
The platform also fails to quality control for instructors, putting the responsibility on us, as members, to assess our options more thoroughly.
However, this is added work that the platform could alleviate with only a few changes. The ads of the free membership tier are downright annoying. So one downside of Skillshare is the need to pay for a truly better overall experience.
This why most people as you are asking is Skillshare worth it. That is what we’ll know after this full Skillshare review.
Now, let us consider the pros and cons of taking courses on Skillshare. (Is Skillshare worth it?)
The Advantages Or Pros of Skillshare
We’ll be seeing the pros of banking with Skillshare using these key benefits below:
- New and varied content
- Communities of like-minded learners
- Easy to use all around
- Free trials available
- Skillshare mobile app available
New and varied content
The pretty amount of new content added to the platform weekly is enough to keep even the busiest of minds busy and engaged. Whether you want to learn a new skill to make your resume great or master a hobby you can easily find dozens of ways to expand your repertoire.
Although, thanks to Skillshare’s generous teacher payment plans. It ensures that there is no shortage of great teachers who regularly create new, high-quality content.
Communities of like-minded learners
Here, you are getting on a platform where you can meet people that have the same enthusiasm as you.
However, between the groups, workshops, and various Skillshare instructors, you are discovering a treasure trove of opportunities for connection and community building.
Interestingly, this is a huge advantage for us geeks that we feel part of something bigger than our own individual endeavors.
And that we can learn not only from experts but also from each other in the community.
All-around user experience
It may take you less than 5 minutes to create your account, register, and search for content that interests you.
Many thanks to Skillshare for creating an easily navigable desktop and mobile platform and for providing a start/stop feature that syncs between devices.
Also, you will have the ability to mark your favorite instructors. As well as saving Skillshare classes to personalized lists, not to mention the Discovery section of the Skillshare app.
Free trials available
Skillshare offers free Premium trials, giving new students a chance to “try before they buy”. You can always access a Skillshare free trial from their website.
Skillshare mobile app available
You can access Skillshare from your computer/laptop through the website or from your tablet/phone through the Skillshare app. The best part? You can synchronize your progress in your selected Skillshare courses on all devices, be it on your computer, phone, or tablet…
The Disadvantages or Cons of Skillshare
Like anything that has an advantage, also has a disadvantage. So is Skillshare. Let us take a look at what to consider before purchasing a course from Skillshare.
However, these are the primary disadvantages of Skillshare:
- Not fully accessible
- Not every teacher ROCKS
- Annoying ad popups
- Not good enough video quality
Courses not fully accessible
There is a huge lack of closed captioning available on the videos as you may expect for easy grasping and comprehension.
In addition, this makes it essentially impossible to use the platform for hearing-impaired people who cannot lip read.
Not every instructor is a genius
The varying quality of instructors can be a constant challenge on your journey to knowledge acquisition. Since being able to teach effectively is a hard-earned skill, it would be naive to believe that all instructors on the platform excel at the basics of teaching.
For instance, an indicator of good quality is the number of students who have taken a course. As higher numbers tend to correlate with higher-quality teachers.
However, this is not always the case: some courses are specialized enough not to attract the “masses” anyway.
Annoying ad popups
When you’re focused, I mean really focused, the interruptions get even more disturbing. The ads that appear when you use Skillshare’s free access not only take you out of deep thought. But also makes it difficult to get back into the flow.
This constant juggling of on, off, and on has a detrimental effect on the preservation of knowledge. Therefore, we recommend that you go for the premium package if you don’t want to be annoyed alongside learning.
Not good enough video quality
Skillshare tends to have issues with some of its courses when it comes to HD video quality. As I was going through some reviews on Skillshare video quality, I found this from someone on Reddit.
“Hello guys, I have an issue with Skillshare. For some reason, all of the classes refused to load in HD quality, it keeps playing it in a quality worse than 360p no matter what I tried to do to resolve this issue.
My current internet speed has no issue streaming 4k videos on YouTube and Netflix so it is definitely not my internet speed.
Is there any way to resolve this issue before I cancel the subscription?”
However, the issue doesn’t occur in all courses. But it’s one thing Skillshare needs to fix for a better learning experience. Knowing their top competitors have great video quality, it advised that they should also improve in this area.
In continuation, let’s see the top Skillshare competitors and how Skillshare is really competing with them in all areas.
Sites like Skillshare or Skillshare alternative – Skillshare competitors
Obviously, you may have some ideas about some of the MOOC platforms I will be listing here. In this Skillshare review, I will extensively give you the strength and weaknesses of Skillshare compared to its top competitors.
However, there are many sites like Skillshare online. But for the sake of not jampacking the list, we’ll be concentrating on the top skillshare competitors who are also making waves online.
So, from there, you will know the best Skillshare alternative online. These are the list of the best 7 Skillshare competitors or alternatives:
- Udemy
- Coursera
- Lynda
- MasterClass
- Pluralsight
- Brilliant
- YouTube
#1. Skillshare vs Udemy
Skillshare vs Udemy is number one on everyone’s list when it comes to skillshare alternatives or comparisons. In addition, these platforms are two of the most popular in the MOOC business.
So, with that being said, I will be unveiling lots of differences in this Skillshare vs Udemy comparison.
Just a quick one before we delve deep.
Both Skillshare and Udemy offer thousands of courses online. The main difference between the two online learning platforms is their cost structure.
On Udemy, you pay for each course. While at Skillshare, you pay a monthly or yearly subscription to unlock full access to all courses on the platform.
Skillshare vs Udemy – The Overview
Both Udemy and Skillshare are online course websites. They bring together students and educators and focus on transferring practical skills rather than more academic knowledge.
Regardless of what topic you want to learn about, there are likely courses on both platforms that you can connect with an expert to learn from.
For instance, both platforms offer thousands of courses on topics like business, photography, music, cooking, writing, technology, and more.
As college and university courses become more expensive, platforms like Udemy and Skillshare offer cheaper alternatives to traditional education.
Instead of paying thousands of dollars and spending years of your time studying a topic, online course platforms like Udemy and Skillshare allow you to get the knowledge you need in a fraction of the time and cost.
Especially for entrepreneurs who only need to learn certain skills to be successful in business. And don’t necessarily have to worry about a diploma or degree to build their resume.
Both Udemy and Skillshare allow students to edit course content at their own pace and select individual courses that interest them.
Certainly, both platforms allow you, as a student, to make your own decisions. Also, know your passion, and possibly enhance your career opportunities.
Moreover, one great Skillshare feature that Udemy lacks is offline access to classes. So if you’re often on the go and don’t have access to WiFi or cellular signal, you can still access course material.
Skillshare vs Udemy – The costs
One of the main differences between Udemy and Skillshare is the cost structure.
If you want to take a course through Udemy, you will need to pay for each individual course. Once you have purchased a course, you will have lifetime access to it. Courses on Udemy range from $10 to $200.
However, the courses are often offered for sale. So if you want a week or two, you can probably get a big discount on any course you want to buy.
While Skillshare is a bit different. You pay a fixed monthly subscription fee to be able to access all the courses available on your platform. A subscription costs $15 per month or $8.25 per month if you pay for a whole year at once.
If you are someone who constantly wants to learn new things, Skillshare offers exceptional value.
Also, with Skillshare, you don’t have to think if you want to spend money on a course or not, because you have already paid for your subscription.
If you pay a yearly subscription to Skillshare, you can also unlock discounts for other services like Squarespace, Shutterstock, or Adobe Premiere Pro.
Lastly, if you are in for a course or two, then Udemy would be a better option. But if you want continuous learning, Skillshare will serve you better than the two.
Subjects/Topics Taught
Udemy has more than 30,000 courses taught by 18,000 instructors. Courses cover a variety of topics including web development, health and fitness, photography, office productivity, marketing, personal development, and more.
On the other hand, Skillshare has an equally impressive catalog of courses, of which more than 23,000 are currently offered. The courses also cover a variety of categories including creativity, business, lifestyle, and technology.
If there is a skill you would like to learn or a topic you would like to know more about, each platform probably has the course you are looking for.
In general, the biggest difference between the courses offered on the two platforms is the duration. Skillshare courses can be limited to 10 minutes, while Udemy has 30 minutes as a minimum course duration.
However, both platforms also offer multi-hour courses. But Udemy digs a little deeper into the course materials, while Skillshare offers shorter, more direct courses.
The Instructors quality
Anyone can register and create their own courses. The respective experts in their field bring their experiences to each platform to offer lessons to others.
While most Udemy and Skillshare instructors don’t necessarily have credentials like a Ph.D, most of them have valuable practical experience with the subjects they teach.
The downside to platforms where anyone can become a course instructor is that the quality of the course can vary drastically.
With Skillshare, this is less of an issue due to the subscription model. If you don’t like a particular course or find it valuable, just keep going.
If you buy a course that you are not satisfied with on Udemy, you paid for it individually.
Fortunately, Udemy offers 30-day refunds for all courses if you are not satisfied. However, if you continue to request refunds, your account may be suspended or canceled.
Whether you want to take a course through Udemy or Skillshare, I would recommend that you take a look at the course reviews, ratings, and the number of students who have already purchased the course.
By taking this extra step, you can avoid wasting your time and money on low-quality courses.
How valuable are their certifications
Neither Udemy nor Skillshare are academically accredited institutions.
Udemy offers certificates of completion for all courses taken on its platform.
Though, most companies value the skills you learned through the platform, not as much as they would with a college degree. So their value is questionable.
On the other hand, Skillshare does not offer any certificate. The only proof that you have completed a course on their platform is all the projects you completed in the process. In addition, the skills you acquired along the way.
To me, Udemy has more advantages when it comes to this aspect because of its popularity and in-depth courses.
Conclusion
So with Udemy as a Skillshare alternative, you are sure to make a great choice if you choose Udemy for learning. Also, see this if you want to download free Udemy courses
Also read: 40+ Udemy best cheap short courses on web development in 2023
#2. Skillshare vs Coursera
The two platforms do offer their whole courses online. However, they are quite all different platforms based on the user experience and the overall experience.
One of the differences between these two is that Coursera offers college-like courses while Skillshare offers courses only on skills.
So we’ll look into some of the big differences between these two MOOC platforms.
Overview Skillshare vs Coursera
On the Coursera platform, there are many college-level courses online from reputed universities like Stanford, John Hopkins, and Duke. Each course you take gives you the opportunity to network with other like-minded professionals.
However, you can also follow the course at your own pace and develop further in your area of interest. Course topics include:
- Arts and Humanities
- Business
- Sciences
- Math
- IT
- Health
- Languages
- And more
While Skillshare is a platform that has been running for 10 years now. Equipping students with needed skills can help them in their respective workplaces. Moreover, it is obviously different from what you get from Coursera.
Both the course model and the certification.
Skillshare offers courses in these categories:
- Creativity
- Business
- Lifestyle
- Technology
- And more
Cost
The Skillshare payment model is just different from some platforms. They have a subscription model that runs monthly. But you can make your purchase yearly if you have a lot of things to learn.
You pay $15 per month or a subsidized $8.25 per month if you pay for a whole year at once.
The subscription model gave you access to all courses on the Skillshare catalog. Though, they also have a free months trial before subscribing.
While on Coursera, they operate on a one-off and a subscription model. Meaning that you can buy a particular course you like as well as subscribe.
But they also have specialization packages that help you get courses in the same niche for a certain amount.
As courses may be available either on a subscription basis or for individual purchase. Many Specializations run on a subscription basis costing between $39-79 per month. Most offer a 7-day free trial, after which you will be billed.
You pay from $29 to $100 for an individual course on Coursera. Also, there is Coursera Plus which you pay $399 yearly which gives you access to thousands of courses.
If you want to know more about the Coursera payment model before enrolling, see this my well-detailed review on Coursera.
Skillshare vs Coursera – Instructors
When it comes to persons that handle the courses on each platform, Coursera instructors come out on top. This is because Coursera has some professors who are Ph.D. holders as instructors on their platform.
Also, big tech companies host their courses on Coursera making it great for the students to learn from a genius.
While on Skillshare, anyone can become a teacher on the platform which can limit the quality of the content. But the instructors are those in areas of expertise.
So you can become an instructor so easily on Skillshare by teaching and focusing on what you know.
Overall, Coursera instructors are better than the instructors Skillshare has because of the educational qualifications at their disposal.
Course and video quality
Skillshare has about 23,000 courses in its locker on various categories. Their courses have been great but to an extent. This so as a result of the instructors who teach their courses.
Some of them may not be well detailed as ought to be. From seeing courses with 10 minutes to seeing a course that never addressed the topic.
However, on video quality, they have some HD-quality videos but not all are what they said it was. So you can see low video quality courses as well on Skillshare.
While on Coursera, most of their courses are top-notch compared to the ones at Skillshare. This is also a result of the instructors who host these courses on Coursera.
Imagine Google presenting their courses in a low mp4 quality, that would be awful you know.
Also, their courses are like college kind courses. This is also a result of the top universities on their platform hosting courses.
On certification
Obviously, Coursera has a better value on certification than Skillshare which doesn’t offer any certificate upon completion of any course. That is a downside to Skillshare’s value obviously.
#3. Skillshare vs Lynda
Both online learning platforms offer a wealth of content for the motivated learner.
Skillshare courses are more focused on creative and hobby topics, and anyone can create courses for them.
Lynda includes creative courses but also focuses on business and career-oriented topics and sets standards for who can create and teach the courses.
Below, I’ll dive 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.
Costs
Lynda offers an initial free 30-day trial with a later option to choose between a basic or premium membership.
The basic membership price starts at $19.99 per month and 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.
Though Lynda offers fewer courses but offers a more diverse and professional material catalog.
It also offers certifications that can be viewed for review by the employer on LinkedIn.
On the other hand, Skillshare also offers a 30-day free trial for new users with a monthly subscription starting at $15 per month. And an annual subscription starting at $8.25 per month with annual savings of $80.
However, there are on-demand scholarships for students and small businesses are also available on this platform. Also, it is easily accessible regardless of the student’s budget.
Subjects and topics
Both online learning platforms offer creative subjects such as photography, graphic design, etc.
Lynda offers access to a wider range of quality courses with standardized content.
At Skillshare, learning is limited to creative topics and the content is not standardized.
Since anyone on Skillshare can become an instructor, the quality of the course is usually variable and less reliable.
For most of her courses on creative subjects, Lynda offers her students certificates. This function is not available with Skillshare.
There is no doubt that Lynda offers much higher-quality video content. The length of the courses as well as the standardization of video classes allow users to plan their study hours accordingly.
Instructors – Skillshare vs Lynda
On the Lynda platform, courses are created and managed by experts in the field, so you can be pretty sure that you are learning relevant information for professional development.
Lynda has a strict instructor application process in place so that the website can guarantee the quality of lesson plans and teachers.
While Skillshare gives every user the opportunity to be a teacher too, which means that there are differences in the quality of the teaching and the content.
There are exceptional trainers on Skillshare too. You may need to spend more time choosing courses that are reputable and offer the best return on your investment.
To properly select the instructors, find the instructor, and make sure you are learning skills from a knowledgeable source.
Also, if the instructor has a thriving business or a LinkedIn profile showing their credentials, this is an excellent way to be confident in course selection.
In contrast, Lynda works closely with universities and government organizations. The courses on this platform are taught by experienced scientists.
These are also directly connected to LinkedIn, as Lynda has been taken over by LinkedIn Learning.
Accreditation & Certificates
If getting certificates is the main reason for enrolling in online learning, 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.
Although Lynda courses provide certification for completing a course, there is no guarantee that employers will accept or support those courses or certifications when making a hiring decision.
Lynda’s programs are more structured and graded and provide access to credible trainers.
As a result, a certificate from Lynda will look a lot better on your CV or résumé than when listing your coursework from Skillshare.
#4. Skillshare vs brilliant
Brilliant and Skillshare are two of those top course platforms that have received a lot of attention lately.
While you might think the two are very similar, they are in fact very different and try to serve different demographics.
However, we’ll go through the details of Skillshare vs Brilliant to find out which platform best suits your needs.
Skillshare has been around for over 10 years and that has grown in popularity quite a bit recently.
It has long been the top course platform as it is one of the oldest popular platforms. This means that an impressive collection of over 23,000 classes has grown on the platform. Skillshare offers courses almost on everything while seeming to focus more on creative topics.
This is because the platform was originally only started as a course platform for creative courses. Today it has also offered a ton of courses on topics such as business, entrepreneurship, and technology.
On the other hand, Brilliant is also a course platform, but it differs significantly from Skillshare. First, Brilliant focuses more on science and technology topics than creative topics.
Brilliant treats courses differently too. Brilliant courses don’t just use videos like Skillshare but are mostly text-based. They also evaluate users who are taking the courses using quick tests between courses in the course.
Although Brilliant offers far fewer courses than Skillshare (over 60 versus over 23,000), their courses appear to be of a slightly higher quality. The tests between Brilliant classes are also a better way to make sure you understand what you were taught in the course.
Skillshare vs Brilliant – pros and cons
In terms of the number of courses on the platforms, Skillshare is a clear winner with over 28,000 courses. However, you should know that the courses are set up differently on both platforms.
With Brilliant, you seem to get courses of slightly higher quality than the average Skillshare course, as all Brilliant courses are created by experts in-house.
Brilliant has also added various tests and quizzes to courses to help ensure your progress, which Skillshare doesn’t.
While Brilliant’s courses appear to be of higher quality, if you want to learn more about all of the topics they have, you’ll run out of exciting new courses quickly.
Brilliant’s annual subscription is only worthwhile if you add further courses to your course library.
Brilliant is also a great choice for students who are lagging behind in math or science, as Brilliant provides another way to learn more about those subjects that may be beneficial to them.
#4. Skillshare vs YouTube
On YouTube, you get paid per click, on Skillshare you get paid per minute viewed. What was the biggest financial benefit?
You can see that you can earn almost exactly 100 times more per minute on Skillshare than on YouTube.
Skillshare vs YouTube – Differences
Skillshare is a course platform while YouTube is a platform where you can upload your personal videos.
You can create a channel and make some cool cash off the ads which will be placed on your video. But that depends on the number of views you generate which can help fetch you good pay.
Also, It is easier to get followers on YouTube, as well as minutes than on Skillshare
While YouTube is a free platform for users, skillshare is paid.
Meanwhile, the profits from Skillshare are much higher, but without proper advertising, it will also be very difficult to make real money here.
Also, if you don’t have followers or are willing to invest in online marketing you would find it difficult to sell your course.
#6. Skillshare vs MasterClass
MasterClass and Skillshare are two of the few best online learning websites you can find today and for good reason. Online programs like this have given creatives and other professionals the opportunity to improve their skills from the comfort of their desks.
MasterClass was founded in 2015 by Aaron Rasmussen and David Rogier. It is based in San Francisco, California.
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.
While 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.
For instance, 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 and fun with incredible production quality.
Skillshare vs MasterClass – Instructors
One of 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.
Skillshare doesn’t offer high-quality tutoring like MasterClass. Their professors have extensive hands-on experience in their field, but they may or may not be famous or have impressive college degrees.
However, on Skillshare, anyone can become an instructor on this platform, which can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. So the quality of the course can vary dramatically.
Skillshare vs MasterClass – Topics are Covered
MasterClass started with subjects related to the creative arts such as writing and acting. They have since expanded their repertoire.
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.
Skillshare’s 23,000+ courses cover a few topics that are categorized:
- Business, Politics & Society
- Design, Photography & Fashion
- Writing
- Film & TV
- Music & Entertainment
- Sports & Games
- Culinary Arts
- Science & Technology
- Lifestyle
- Animation, design, illustration
- Lifestyle
- Business
- Photo & Film
- Writing
- Social Media, Instagram, Facebook
Also read: 18 Best Free Excel Courses & Classes Online With Printable Certificates [2023]
Best Skillshare classes
Is Skillshare worth it? I believe this question has been answered to an extent.
My verdict on Skillshare review – Is Skillshare worth it?
In this Skillshare review, we have known or answered the question, is Skillshare worth it?
You got to know about Skillshare, the founder(s), and the date it was founded. But the most important fact in this Skillshare review is the total breakdown of how they operate. In addition, the course quality coupled with the know-how of the instructors.
But my pick for this Skillshare review is the price model and how to get the most out of the Skillshare payment pattern. As you saw, it is quite different from what others do have online.
Also, I gave a deep breakdown of the top Skillshare competitors online with an unbiased comparison.
As you have read this far, I trust you really want to make a purchase on Skillshare. Just go ahead because you are getting a great offer for more as you will have access to all courses on the platform.
For new users, you will be getting a free 1-month trial offer when you sign up. You can also share your concerns with us. Happy learning.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do Skillshare offer free courses?
Yes, but it is just for a limited duration which is given to new students on the Skillshare platform after which a deduction will be made. But you can choose to cancel it if you wish.
What are the areas that Skillshare does better?
Skillshare is very good at creative and art courses. They also have strength in personal development courses.
What are the benefits of Skillshare's premium?
In the premium version, you will have access to all 23,000+ courses with high quality. Also, when you pay for the annual package, you can also unlock discounts for other services like Squarespace, Shutterstock, or Adobe Premiere Pro.
What is the subscribtion model of Skillshare?
On Skillshare, you subscribe monthly for $15, but you can get a discounted price of $8.5 if you purchase the yearly subscription plan.
Is Skillshare really worth it?
YES, I would say because of the knowledge you will be getting which will improve your area of expertise. But for the certification value, NO.
What are the best Skillshare alternatives?
These are the best skillshare competitors and alternatives:
1. Udemy
2. Coursera
3. Lynda
4. MasterClass
5. Pluralsight
6. Udacity
7. EdX
Are Skillshare instructors good enough?
No really, to an extent though. The system that allows anybody to create and sells courses on Skillshare makes it vulnerable to low-quality content.
Does Skillshare issue certificate upon completion of courses?
No, Skillshare does not issue a certificate upon completion of any course taken on its platform. Rather the course project you complete is what they access you with.
Skillshare vs YouTube: which platform will pay more?
On YouTube you get paid per click, on Skillshare you get paid per minute viewed. The difference is that Skillshare is an online course platform while YouTube is a platform where you can upload your personal videos.
Meanwhile, the profits from Skillshare are much higher than YouTube, but without proper advertising, it will also be very difficult to make real money here.
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