Online learning is one of the best ways to gain new skills and knowledge from the comfort of your own home. And Skillshare is one of the best online learning platforms out there! I use it, and many people I know use it, but is Skillshare worth it for you?
That’s what we’re going to find out today!
In this Skillshare review, I’m going to tell you how the platform works, my personal experience with it, and the pros and cons I’ve found.
What I can tell you right here in the intro is that Skillshare has a megaton of classes! So, whether you want to learn about the stock market, how to be more productive, or learn how to make a better cup of coffee, Skillshare has got you covered!
If you just want my quick opinion without all the details, here it is. I give Skillshare two thumbs way up!
In my book, the sheer number of classes available makes their free trial worth checking out even if you don’t become a permanent subscriber!
But hey, if you want to know the nitty-gritty details behind this online learning platform, let’s dive into it and see exactly what Skillshare’s all about!
Normally, Skillshare offers a 1 week free trial. But when you sign up through our link, you’ll get 2 whole months free! Don’t miss out!
Contents
- 1 What is Skillshare?
- 2 Is Skillshare Legit?
- 3 How Does Skillshare Work?
- 4 What Kind of Classes Will You Find in Skillshare?
- 5 Most Popular Skillshare Classes
- 6 Who is Skillshare Good For?
- 7 Are Skillshare’s Courses High Quality?
- 8 How Can I Access Skillshare?
- 9 Skillshare Free Trial
- 10 How Much Does Skillshare Cost?
- 11 Skillshare’s 40% Discount
- 12 Is Skillshare Right For You?
- 13 Is Skillshare Worth it?
- 14 Can You Make Money From Skillshare?
- 15 Things I Don’t Like About Skillshare
- 16 Is Skillshare Worth It: Final Thoughts
Skillshare is a subscriptions based online platform that gives its members access to thousands of online courses.
In a nutshell, Skillshare is the YouTube of online learning.
And the way it works, it’s simple!
Certain members (a.k.a teachers) create and upload classes to the platform (kind of like what you would do when you upload a YouTube video).
Other members (a.k.a students) search for classes and watch them at their own pace.
But there’s more to Skillshare than that! With Skillshare, you can also create projects (which are like the hands-on portion of a course),
You can also take part in workshops. Workshops give you a set of courses to complete and allow you to engage with other students and get feedback to improve your learning.
And when you consider that Skillshare offers over 27,000 different courses, you’ll have no shortage of things to learn about.
Yeah… all in all, Skillshare has a lot going for it.
Yes! Skillshare is totally legit!
It was founded way back in 2010 and over the years it’s been growing consistently in memberships and reputation. This history should provide some compelling evidence about Skillshare’s legitimacy.
But if you want even more evidence that Skillshare is legit, here it is in one word: Taxes.
Skillshare prepares the tax forms for anyone who earns money on the platform (teachers earn money for their views).
And if they send those forms to the teachers, they probably report your earnings to the IRS as well.
If Skillshare wasn’t on the up-and-up, they wouldn’t be sending out tax forms, and they for sure wouldn’t go anywhere near the IRS.
Related Post: Ebates vs Ibotta- Best Way to Earn Money Shopping.
We briefly mentioned it before, but Skillshare works like YouTube. The only difference is that you must have an account before you can enjoy Skillshare.
Skillshare doesn’t charge you for each course. Instead, you’re charged with a flat monthly rate to get access to all the courses.
Sign up for the service and browse around for a course that interests you. As you’re browsing, you’ll be able to see how many students have already taken part in the course, how long the course is, etc.
You’ll also be able to see student reviews and ratings before watching a course. So you’ll have a good idea of whether a class is worth it before ever clicking the play button!
Unlike YouTube, though, Skillshare has teachers break down their video courses into smaller sections. For example, a 50-minute course might be broken down into five 10-minute videos.
This makes it easier to take the course little by little if your schedule is super busy.
Skillshare also has a free version that gives you access to around 2,000 videos. And then there’s the paid version that gives you access to the full 27,000+ course library.
Pros
- A vast selection of courses (over 27,000)
- A user-friendly and intuitive platform
- There’s a free trial available, so you can try before you buy
- Easy access for anyone that wants to become a teacher and earn money
- Access to some amazing classes taught by highly qualified professionals
Cons
- The free classes may have ads
- There are no accredited classes available, and Skillshare doesn’t issue certificates. Classes are only for your own personal learning purposes.
- Since anyone can create a course, some classes aren’t great quality
- Some classes may be out of date
Like everything, Skillshare has pros and cons. That’s why, when you sign up through our link, you’ll get 2 whole months to try it out!
Skillshare has classes on everything! Technology, business, lifestyle, and more! The only way to see everything they have is to take a look around Skillshare!
When you visit Skillshare, the first thing you’ll see is your course history, you’ll also see some recommended courses, trending courses, and popular courses.
But if you use the menu to search for a specific type, you’ll see that they break them down into 3 major categories, create, build, thrive.
Create
Create courses are courses that will train you on technology. These classes are about animation, graphic design, filming and video, illustration, photography, web development, etc.
Build
Build courses relate to business and business related topics. You’ll learn about business analytics, freelance & entrepreneurship, leadership, management, and creative business there.
Thrive
Thrive relates to lifestyle and productivity. There you’ll find classes related to arts & crafts, culinary, gaming, health, languages, etc.
Besides courses, you’ll also find recommended workshops. Remember that workshops are multi-course classes with higher engagement and feedback.
Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.
At the time of writing, the most popular classes on Skill share included
- Mastering Illustration: Sketching, Inking & Color Essentials
- Productivity Masterclass – Principles and Tools to Boost Your Productivity
- Adobe Illustrator CC – Essentials Training
- How to Study for Exams – An Evidence-Based Masterclass
- iPhone Photography: How to Take Pro Photos On Your iPhone
If an of these classes look like they’re down your alley, then check out Skillshare’s free trial!
Workshops
Workshops are a set of classes you take on a schedule with other students. The teacher usually sets the schedule, but sometime Skillshare sets the schedule.
At first, it seemed like workshops were unnecessary. I mean, you can take whatever courses you want on your own schedule. That’s the whole point of Skillshare, right?
But it turns out that having the support of a group of people that are taking classes with you is invaluable!
If you’re a procrastinator or if you have a habit of starting something and not finishing it, then a workshop may be just what you need!
Skillshare classes are prerecorded videos. There’s nothing wrong with that, but some people prefer to attend live classes.
To accommodate this, in the Spring 2020, Skillshare added a new feature called Live Sessions. With Live Sessions, instructors can host live classes with students over Zoom.
At the time of writing, this feature was still in beta testing and is only available to premium members.
Skillshare is an amazing platform if you want to learn new skills on your own time, but it’s not right for everyone.
For example, if you need to,
- take accredited classes or,
- take approved courses for a professional license or
- receive a course certificate,
Then Skillshare probably isn’t what you’re looking for.
Don’t get me wrong, Skillshare has fantastic courses, but they’re not approved by any organization. The classes Skillshare offers are for your own personal learning.
So, if you
- are interested in learning a new skill, but have a busy schedule, or
- can’t afford to pay for in-person classes
- are a visual learner and would like an online community to engage with
- want to improve your business skills
then Skillshare may be a good option for you.
As a Skillshare customer, I can say that most classes I take are high quality. But that’s because I focus on highly rated courses that get my attention in the intro.
Keep in mind that Skillshare allows anyone to publish courses, so not every course on the platform will be as amazing as you expect.
But in my experience, most courses are great. Specifically, there were two things I really appreciated about them.
- the quality of the teachers, and
- the diversity of teaching styles
Quality of Teachers
First off, anyone can create classes on Skillshare. In one sense, this is a great thing!
Skillshare doesn’t have to approve you first and you don’t have to be a licensed professional to share what you know with people!
Although anyone can upload a course, you’ll often find that highly qualified professionals are uploading classes. Either for fun or as a way to market themselves.
Those high-quality courses alone make Skillshare worth the price, in my opinion.
But on the other hand, the fact that anyone can create a course on Skillshare also means that some classes won’t be as awesome as you were hoping.
But hey, even if you find some poorly done classes, there should be tons of other great classes on the same subject.
This brings me to my second point…
Different Teachers Are Available For The Same Subject
Even the most expert professional won’t be an excellent teacher if they can’t explain the topic in a way you understand.
And since Skillshare has so many teachers, it’ll be easier to find one that can explain the topic in a way you understand.
Another benefit of having so many teachers is that they all have different tips and techniques to share with you. This is fantastic if you want to learn as much as you can about a topic.
The quality of the Skillshare learning experience comes from its knowledgeable teachers and the number of different teachers it offers.
How to Choose High-Quality Classes?
When browsing around, make sure you pay attention to how many students have taken part in the class. Low-class participation doesn’t necessarily mean that the class isn’t good, it might just be a new course.
Also, make sure you check out the reviews. The student reviews will go a long way to letting you know the strong points of the class, where it was lacking, and whether it delivered what it promised.
Next, pay attention to the “Top Teachers“. Skil share uses that label to indicate the most popular teachers with engaging content. If you find one teaching a topic you’re interested in, there’s a good chance you’ll like the class!
Last, check out student projects! Seeing what other people have done after taking the course can really motivate you to get started!
Skillshare is available on desktop, laptop, tablet, and mobile (both Android and iOS). So, you can learn anytime, anywhere, on any device!
And you’re able to synchronize your course progress between devices so you’ll never lose your place!
If you’re on a desktop, it’s recommended that you use the latest version of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari. And if you’re using a tablet or mobile device (Android or iOS), you can download the app.
If you’re a paid member, you have the option of downloading courses for offline learning as well.
Personally, as a Skillshare member, offline learning was invaluable for me because I could still listen to my courses while outside without having to use my mobile data or being connected to Wi-Fi.
If you’re thinking about giving Skillshare a shot, you’ll be able to use it on whatever device you have.
Skillshare has a free trial so you can try it out before you buy a premium membership!
Normally, the trial is only 7 days, but because you’re our readers, Skillshare will give you 2 months for free when you sign up through our link!
Skillshare’s premium membership normally costs $19 per month, or $99 per year if you go with annual billing.
But you don’t have to pay for Skillshare from day one because Skillshare has free membership as well!
The free membership gives you access to about 2,000 of their free classes, but if you want access to the unlimited access to the full course library, you’ve got to go with the premium (a. k. a. paid) membership.
If you go with a premium membership, you’ll get 2 months free by using our link.
At the time of writing, Skillshare is offering a 40% discount on your first year. Sign up for the annual plan and pay $59 for the first year instead of the normal $99!
FYI: Hey, don’t forget to install the Honey app before you pay for Skillshare! Honey automatically searches for and applies discount codes when you’re about to make your online purchases!
I can write 1,000 more words telling you about Skillshare, but there’s only one question that matters now – is Skillshare worth it for you?
The answer depends on a few things…
Are you curious?
Skillshare is a good option if you like to learn about many different subjects.
Are you an auditory/visual learner?
You can find anything on Google! But reading about it isn’t always the best way to learn a skill. It’s sometimes better to listen to a presentation or see a demonstration.
Can you stick with it?
People are often eager to sign up with Skillshare, but after a while, they use it less and less. Not because there’s anything wrong with Skillshare, but because their schedules are busy.
If you can commit a portion of your time to Skillshare and stick with it, then Skillshare is definitely right for you! But if you just want the free trial, take a few classes, and then cancel, that works too!
Related Post: Best Transferwise Review.
Yes! Skillshare is a trusted company with over 27,000 online classes available on almost any subject you’d want to learn about!
Even if you pay the normal price of $19 per month, that’s still only 63 cents per day! That’s a lot less than most of us spend on coffee!
And the 2 months of free premium membership means that you don’t have to pay anything! Simply sign up with our link and take as many classes as you want.
You literally have nothing to lose for trying it out!
Yes! There are two ways to make money using Skillshare.
- Teaching Skillshare classes
- As an affiliate marketer
Skillshare teachers get paid for each minute that students spend watching their videos.
(I should mention though, that instructors only get paid for premium student views. There’s no royalty for free students who watch your content.)
So, technically, you could make a bit of money with one video. But as you publish more and get more students watching your content, your income will grow.
The cool thing is that you can earn royalties for months and months as new students engage with your old content.
And according to Skillshare, their top teachers earn over $100,000 per year!
As an Affiliate Marketer
If you’re active on social media, you can also earn commissions by promoting Skillshare. Sign up as a marketer, start promoting, and get paid every time your followers sign up for a free trial or premium membership.
Overall, Skillshare provides an exceptional learning experience, but there are a few things I would change about it.
First, the free courses have ads, which can be annoying. I understand that they’re trying to monetize content, (who wouldn’t), but that’s one thing I don’t like.
But hey, if you get the premium version, you can forget about the ads.
Another thing is there are a lot of old courses on the platform. And I haven’t seen a publish date on any of the courses uploaded (unless I’m missing something), so there’s no telling how old they are.
That by itself isn’t bad, but depending on the subject you’re trying to learn, a few of the courses you find could be out of date.
On the other hand, if you’re learning about something like coffee brewing or artwork, you won’t have to worry about out-of-date content.
Related Post: Ibotta Review- How to Earn Cashback.
Skillshare has a lot to offer, and I’d definitely recommend that you at least try out the free trial!
To recap, they have over 27,000 classes available on most subjects, like graphic design, photography, personal finance, cooking, languages, business, life skills, and much more!
Even though anyone can sign up and start publishing courses, you’ll often find knowledgable professionals are the ones creating courses!
And you don’t even need a computer to use Skillshare! Of course, you can sign up using a browser, but there’s also an app available on your tablet or mobile device.
Last, if you’ve got skills to share, you can create an account, publish your own courses and make some money.
So, is Skillshare worth it? Yes!
Idalmis
Latest posts by Idalmis (see all)
- Why Is Budgeting Important? 12 Best Reasons to Start Budgeting Today! - October 6, 2020
- How to be Frugal With Groceries. Must Try Tips! - September 15, 2020
- Is Skillshare Worth It? Best 2020 Review - August 31, 2020
