Skillshare Review

What Is SkillShare?

Started in 2010, Skillshare is an online learning platform headquartered in New York with over 8 million learners all across the globe.

It offers well structured, on-demand, and personalized video classes curated by the best instructors in the field. The Skillshare courses offer something for everyone. 

And the best thing is that there are more than 2000 free classes available!

Some of the big names that trust Skillshare includes Vice, Amazon Web Services, GM Financial, Lululemon, etc. Let’s see why:

How Does Skillshare Work?

Skillshare is an online learning platform, which gives learners the opportunity to develop old or gain new skills. This platform really stands out with its content, which isn't limited to a few prerecorded online classes. You get live workshops, projects, and to interact with like-minded people. 

Each Skillshare course contains a series of 2-5 minutes long pre-recorded classes. Combined together they form a 20-60 minute long course. 

Each Skillshare class teaches you about a single concept or skill. You can clear doubts and get feedback on your projects with the help of the mentors in the community space and during workshops.

What Classes Does Skillshare Offer?

Skillshare offers an impressive catalog of around 16 categories of courses, mainly in three key sections: Create, Build, and Thrive.

Create

The Create section includes courses for creative professionals to improve their skills. Each of these Skillshare courses is led by top professionals who are the best in their field.

If you want to learn from the best creative minds in your area of interest, choose Skillshare.

Build

As the name suggests, this category is for teams or individuals who want to build a business or start/improve their careers.

The courses cover topics like Business Analytics, Freelance & Entrepreneurship, Leadership & Management, and Marketing. 

Thrive

If you want to change your lifestyle to a healthier one or become more productive in various aspects of life, these courses are for you.

Best Skillshare Classes

Honestly, finding the best classes on Skillshare is a difficult job, considering there are more than 26,000 options.

So, for this Skillshare review,  we narrowed down the top ones in each category based on the number of students enrolled, reviews posted on the community, content quality, and our personal experience with the platform.

Create: 

• Animation

Simple Character Animation: Create a Walk Cycle with Duik

• Creative Writing

Storytelling 101: Character, Conflict, Context & Craft

• Film & Video 

DIY Cinematography: Make Your Video Look Like a Movie

• Fine Art

Ink Drawing Techniques: Brush, Nib, and Pen Style

• Graphic Design

Logotype Masterclass with Jessica Hische

• Illustration

Illustrated Lettering: Drawing Intricate Floral Forms

• Music

Learn How to Mix Music with Young Guru

• Photography

iPhone Filmmaking: Create Cinematic Video With Your Phone

• UI / UX Design

Intro to UX: Fundamentals of Usability

• Web Development 

Understanding Web Development: A Beginners Guide to the Web

Build: 

• Business Analytics

Visual Thinking: Drawing Data to Communicate Ideas

• Freelance & Entrepreneurship

Going Freelance: Building and Branding Your Own Success

• Leadership & Management

Presentation Essentials: How to Share Ideas That Inspire Action

• Marketing 

Storytelling for Leaders: How to Craft Stories That Matter

Thrive: 

• Lifestyle

Interior Design Basics: Simple Steps to Your Perfect Space

• Productivity

Productivity Masterclass: Create a Custom System that Works

What Are the Skillshare Courses Like?

Just like any other online classes offered by similar learning platforms, the standard of Skillshare online classes can vary depending on the creator and content. 

Quality

Publishing a course on Skillshare is not easy as it should meet the quality standards and criteria set by the team behind the platform. This doesn’t mean that all Skillshare courses are of high quality. There’s room for improvement.

Mentors

Each course is done by skilled mentors/teachers, experienced in their specific subject areas. Want to learn from your favorite instructor? Just follow them, list the courses of interest and you will be notified every time they upload new material.

Engaged Community

There is an active community, so classes are interactive and fun. You can engage in conversations with fellow students and teachers. Most of the Skillshare reviews say that this is one of the best online learning communities on the internet.

Projects and Workshops

After completing a particular course you have to work on a related project. That helps you understand how things work in the real world, not just theoretical learning.

Easy Navigation

Another feature I like about Skillshare is the ease to find courses of interest, thanks to its user-friendly dashboard interface. Want to find a Skillshare coding class? Simply search it on the dashboard.

Course Structure

Skillshare courses are available in 16 main categories. There are groups of short lessons, each on a specific topic. One lesson can take from 5 to 15 minutes in total. 

Free Classes

Around 10% of Skillshare classes are available for free. If you are not a premium member, other than the free courses,  you will be able to access the first class of a paid course, which is usually just an introduction. We definitely recommend getting a paid Skillshare premium account, if you’re serious about learning.

Languages 

You can learn numerous languages on Skillshare, including but not limited to:

• Spanish
• Italian
• French
• Korean
• Chinese
• Japanese

There are other great options, as well. You can even learn American Sign Language! However, the courses will be led in English.

What Are Skillshare Workshops?

Workshops are conducted by teachers or the Skillshare team to help you to keep up with your online learning activities. The majority of learners highlight this as one of their favorite features in Skillshare reviews.

These are conducted on a pre-fixed time schedule, typically lasting up to 4 weeks. This is a convenient way of learning together as a group in real-time, to help you explore different subjects deeper. 

The workshops offer individual attention from the Skillshare teacher and a community manager. Plus it also assists you with required updates and meeting the deadlines.

Also, you can access the video classes you have attended on the workshop's page if you want to go through the classes in the middle of the workshop. 

Just keep in mind you need a Skillshare premium membership to attend these workshops. 

Is Skillshare Accredited and Does It Give Certificates? 

Skillshare classes are not accredited and you won’t get any certification on completion. Most people point out this as a drawback in their Skillshare reviews. 

So, if you are looking for an accredited certification, Skillshare is not for you. 

Skillshare Cost

There is a 7-day free premium trial, which you can cancel anytime. The Skillshare pricing packages are:

• Annual: $ 2/month, billed $24 annually 
• Monthly: $ 8/month, billed monthly 
• For Teams: Contact SkillShare, billed per user / billed annually

Also, you can often see exclusive limited-time price deals and Skillshare student discounts. Keep an eye out for those!

Who Is Skillshare for? 

Skillshare is an online leaving platform for personal or professional growth, for learners who want to upgrade their skill set. Businesspersons, entrepreneurs, freelancers, creative artists, or even complete beginners will all find suitable classes.

Skillshare vs MasterClass

Skillshare and MasterClass are two of the best e-learning platforms. Let’s compare them based on content, mentors, pricing, and diversity of the courses offered. 

Mentors/Instructors

Here the point goes to the MasterClass. Mentors in this platform are 90 of the world’s best in their domain. From prize-winner Margaret Atwood and Michelin star chef Gordon Ramsay to Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman, they have the crème de la crème. 

That doesn't mean Skillshare teachers aren’t good. However, anyone can teach courses on this exact platform. So, the level of expertise is a bit lower.

Content Quality

MasterClass maintains its content, audio, and video quality throughout the entire courses they offer. Skillshare, on the other hand, is not that consistent with the quality. Also, the Skillshare courses are very short and comprehensive, focusing on a single topic at a time. While some find this useful, there are people that want more in-depth explanations, as we can see from Skillshare reviews.

Diversity in Courses

MasterClass offers courses in only 9 categories. On the other hand, Skillshare courses are available in 20+ categories. Skillshare is a definitive winner in terms of course diversity.

Pricing

In MasterClass, there is only one pricing plan, $180 for a year. With it, you can access all their classes all year long. Skillshare prices are more affordable since you can get all their courses for around $24 per year.

Therefore, it is clear that both online platforms are great, with MasterClass one step ahead of the other. But in the end, it's all about what you are looking for.

What Are the Advantages of Online Learning?

Nowadays such sites have become the new normal. Here are some of the advantages of learning online:

A vast amount of courses 

Those platforms offer you unlimited subject or topic options to learn. From conventional college degrees and art classes to specific professional skill development one, you can choose from thousands of classes.

Flexible- Learn at home

Online courses allow you to learn from anywhere, at any time. The only thing required is a good internet connection. Even if you have a nine-to-five job, most platforms allow you to watch recordings of the classes.

Information Retention

With interactive one to one sessions, colorful illustrations, images, and real-life examples, such courses help you develop skills in the long run. Moreover, you can revisit the classes, stored materials, or references whenever you can. 

Online Support

Online classes offer 24/7 assistance by those, monitoring the classes, fellow students, or even the mentor themselves. 

Affordable

Usually, almost all professional courses demand a really high price for tuition and certification. But, online courses are affordable, and some platforms offer plenty of free courses too. For example, you can access the entire Skillshare classes for just $2 per month.

Certifications

There are platforms that offer certifications, which you can either print or share online. 

Engaged Community

Most of the online learning platforms have an active online community. In such communities, you can share opinions about classes and communicate with the mentors or other students. The Skillshare online class community is a great example of this.

Verdict - Is Skillshare Worth It? 

Skillshare is a brilliant learning platform if you want to learn new skills or develop existing ones. 

There are over 26,000 courses available in  20+ categories. Some are even available for free! After thorough testing for this Skillshare review, we can confirm that most of the mentors are experts in their chosen professions. We also can’t complain about the audio and video quality.

So, is Skillshare legit? Definitely so. Granted, it does not give accreditation or certifications, but that doesn’t mean it’s not useful. The fact that you’ve taken the courses will look good on your CV nonetheless.

If you’re still unsure, we recommend giving the 7-day premium free trial a chance. We promise you’ll love it!