Skillshare Pros and Cons - The Best Online Learning Platform? (2024)

Are you wondering whether Skillshare is worth paying for? This article is going to cut straight to the chase and weigh up the pros and cons of having a Skillshare subscription.

Skillshare is well established as one of the leading online learning platforms in the world, having been around for more than 10 years.

Their video classes – which are taught by experienced Skillshare teachers who are experts in their fields – can help you to quickly learn new practical skills in a range of categories.

However, the price of a monthly or annual membership plan means that it’s worth taking the time to weigh up with Skillshare is the right platform for online courses for you.

In this article, I’m going to discuss the main pros and cons of Skillshare, from my personal experience of having used the platform over the last year or so.

Skillshare Pros and Cons

Let’s dive right in and discuss some of the main pros and cons of Skillshare.

Pros:

•Immediate access to thousands of online courses – Unlike other learning platforms, a Skillshare membership gives you instant access to the whole library of classes on offer.

This means that you can take as many courses as you like without paying any more than your membership fee. In other words, you don’t need to purchase individual courses.

•Lots of courses to choose from – At the time of writing, Skillshare’s library contains more than 10,000 online courses.

This means that Skillshare offers a huge number of courses to choose from and you’re likely to be able to find inspiration from lots of them.

•Great for creative courses – Although Skillshare classes can technically be about a wide range of topics, the majority of the courses on the platform are based on teaching new skills in the creative world.

These creative classes include categories such as creative writing, art, graphic design, web development, and even things like cooking and baking.

•Well-known creators – Although any skilled professional can teach on Skillshare, there are some of celebrity instructors on the platform. Examples include productivity expert Ali Abdaal and Canadian YouTuber Lilly Singh.

•Take your class videos with you using the Skillshare mobile app – You can use the Skillshare mobile app to watch classes and keep up to date with your student projects on the go.

•Transcripts and other helpful features – Skillshare courses come with a transcript, meaning that you can choose to read along as well as watch the video classes as they take place.

There is also a discussion and community engagement section, where you’ll be able to connect with other Skillshare members to provide feedback on each others’ student projects.

Cons:

•No official certifications or qualifications – If you’re looking to take an online course and receive an official qualification when you complete it, then Skillshare is probably not for you. You won’t get any official certifications or diplomas when you complete Skillshare courses.

•Quality of the classes can vary – Although Skillshare offers plenty of incredible courses, the quality of the video classes on the platform can vary a bit depending on the Skillshare instructor.

Before beginning a new course, it’s a good idea to check what other Skillshare users are saying about the class on the course page (I discuss this in more detail in my short Skillshare review below).

•Not all topics covered – The large majority of Skillshare online learning classes are rooted in the world of creativity. This includes topics such as advertising, fashion, business, design, film and video, music, photography and more.

While there are classes on other topics, if you’re not looking for creative courses, then Skillshare might not be the best option for you.

What Is Skillshare?

Skillshare is one of the top e-learning platforms in the world. It’s a really great resource if you’re looking to take creative courses to help improve your skills in a wide range of areas.

Founded more than a decade ago, Skillshare provides thousands of online video courses on a variety of topics, with a special focus on creativity. Some of the popular online class categories on Skillshare include art and design, music, cooking, productivity and business.

The video classes on the platform are taught by Skillshare teachers who are experienced experts in their fields. Becoming a Skillshare member gives you immediate access to thousands of courses in multiple categories.

As well as gaining access to thousands of courses, by signing up you’ll also be able to network with other Skillshare users and become part of the supportive Skillshare community. When you take Skillshare courses, you’ll be able to post project updates and get feedback from other Skillshare members.

My Personal Experience – A Brief, Honest Skillshare Review

I think it’s always good to hear directly from someone with experience of using the platform, so here’s my brief Skillshare review!

I decided to sign up to Skillshare because I was looking to learn how to create better YouTube videos and get tips for growing my channel. There are lots of Skillshare courses that focus on YouTube and video editing (I wanted to get better at using Adobe Premiere Pro).

The sheer number of courses on offer can sometimes be a big overwhelming, but when you use the search tool on the Skillshare website, you can see how many other users have taken the course – and this is a really useful metric when it comes to picking the right Skillshare class.

You can also check out reviews left by other members when researching Skillshare courses, with user comments and feedback helping to make it easier to pick between classes.

I was able to quickly find a handful of courses focused on how to grow a YouTube channel and improve my video editing skills.

One major plus point of Skillshare is that signing up for a membership can work out to be significantly cheaper than paying outright for a course sold by a creator.

Once you’ve signed up for a Skillshare account, you’ll have access to thousands of classes, not just one – and with new online courses regularly being added to the platform, it makes it easy to continue your creative journey.

I used Skillshare through both the website on my laptop and through the Skillshare app on my phone, which allowed me to continue my online classes on the go.

For me, joining Skillshare was definitely worth it. For the price of an annual subscription, I was able to take a handful of different courses to help me improve my video editing skills and also learn more about growing a YouTube channel.

And knowing that there are thousands of other video classes available to me means that I can follow a number of different learning paths.

Is The Skillshare Cost Worth It?

As you probably already know, Skillshare is not free. To get access to the Skillshare platform, you’ll need to sign up for a Skillshare premium membership, which can be paid either monthly or on an annual basis.

However, if you’re new to Skillshare, you can sign up for a free trial, which allows you to check out the online learning platform before making your first payment.

So, is the Skillshare cost worth it? There are a few things to consider before deciding whether to sign up for Skillshare or not.

Firstly, you’ll need to decide whether you want to sign up for an annual membership or pay for a monthly subscription instead.

The annual membership works out as the cheaper option over a 12-month period. You can also get 30% off an annual Skillshare premium membership when you sign up through this link and use the code ANNUAL30AFF.

However, if you think you may only use Skillshare for a few months, then the monthly subscription option may be a better choice.

Businesses wanting to provide access to the platform for their employees can do so via a Skillshare teams subscription.

It’s also important to check through the types of classes on offer on Skillshare so you’ll know whether the categories cover what you want to learn about.

Generally speaking, if you’re wanting improve your creative skills, Skillshare classes are a really great option.

The fact that you get instant unlimited access to tens of thousands of courses when you sign up to become part of the Skillshare community is also a major positive.

Unlike with some other learning platforms, you don’t pay on a per-class basis – all courses are included for your single monthly or annual payment.

Is There Anything Else To Consider?

Here are some answers to questions you may have about Skillshare.

•Are there any free courses on Skillshare?

One think you may be wondering is whether there are any free courses on Skillshare. The answer is no, because you have to have an active Skillshare membership to access the platform.

However, as I mentioned earlier, if you’re new to Skillshare, you can sign up for a free trial to test out the platform before deciding if it’s the right option for you or not.

•How much does Skillshare cost?

At the time of writing, Skillshare costs $29 per month or $165 per year.

If you’re planning on using Skillshare for at least a year, then the annual subscription plan works out as the cheaper option (it’s the equivalent of $13.75 per month).

You can save 30% on an annual membership by using the code ANNUAL30OFF when you sign up through this link.

Wrapping Things Up – Final Thoughts

That brings me to the end of my look at the main pros and cons of Skillshare.

I’ve covered what I think are the main plus points and drawbacks of Skillshare, and have also provided my thoughts on the online learning platform as part of my Skillshare review.

All in all, Skillshare is one of the most popular online learning platforms around, and I think it offers great value for money considering that a membership gives you access to thousands of different classes.

However, the quality of the courses can vary based on the Skillshare course you’re taking and you won’t get any official certifications or qualifications when you complete individual courses.

That all being said, if you’re looking to learn new skills in a wide range of creative-focused courses, then it’s definitely worth giving Skillshare a go.