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Skillshare Review 2022: Get Creative With Skillshare

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Ease of use: 10/10
Variety of courses: 8/10
Available platforms: 8/10
Content quality: 9/10
Value for money: 10/10

Price: Free Trial

Updated: November, 3, 2022

Pros

  • Free trial
  • Easy to use
  • App for both iOS and Android
  • Up-to-date content
  • Affordable
  • Premium members get unlimited access
  • Cons

  • No certifications
  • Too many ads on the free trial
  • Premium membership needed to access workshops
  • You’ve probably crossed paths with a Skillshare ad either on YouTube or in your Google Searches, so you might know a thing or two about the platform. But, since you’re here, you must be wondering just how good Skillshare is. Well, you’re in the right place.

    In this Skillshare review, the Don’t Disappoint Me team has captured everything about this platform, from its newest courses to its prices and teachers. So keep reading to find out if this service is a good fit for you!

    What is Skillshare Good For?

    The Skillshare website went live back in 2010, and since then, it has helped millions of people learn new skills with over 21,000 Skillshare courses.

    The company offers all kinds of lessons taught by experts in their field. And the best part is that anyone who wants to learn something new can become a student. With these video courses, you can learn about a wide range of topics, from animation basics to starting your creative career as an Instagram influencer.

    Content Quality

    As mentioned above, the company provides courses on everything. Still, if you are not exactly sure what you want to learn today, you can browse through the Create, Build, and Thrive categories.

    But keep in mind that the Skillshare content is more about developing specific skills; If you’re looking for comprehensive training in a certain field, like programming languages, for instance, you might want to check out another platform such as Codecademy.

    Now let’s take a closer look at what you can find in these categories.

    Create

    • Animation
    • Creative writing
    • Film and video
    • Fine art
    • Graphic design
    • Illustration
    • Music
    • Photography
    • UI/UX design
    • Web development

    Build

    • Business analytics
    • Freelance & entrepreneurship
    • Leadership & management
    • Marketing

    Thrive

    • Lifestyle
    • Productivity

    Similarly to Udemy, these topics come in Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced levels. This means that you don’t need to have any previous knowledge of the subject before choosing to take a course.

    Furthermore, there are two types of Skillshare classes—the Skillshare Originals and courses made from other individuals. The Skillshare Original video classes are relatively recent and can be up to 60 minutes long. They are usually divided into several videos of 8–10 minutes that you have to watch in order.

    Classes made by individuals are videos created by ordinary people who choose to become a Skillshare teacher and help others.

    Features

    The site offers one of the most straightforward interfaces out there. If you go to its website, you can browse through all the courses or download the Skillshare app to learn new skills and techniques.

    What’s more, many Skillshare reviews by customers say they are satisfied as they get access to the eLearning platform and can watch classes offline.

    Additionally, you can watch the video courses on all devices, but if you decide to go for the Skillshare app download, you need to know that it’s available for Android and iOS only.

    We should also note that, unlike other online learning platforms like Coursera, Skillshare courses are not accredited by any institution, and they don’t provide you with a certificate when you complete a class.

    Skillshare Community

    The Skillshare community is one of the best ones we’ve come across. Unlike Coursera, where you can only interact with other people on projects, Skillshare has thousands of quizzes, workshops, online groups, and student projects.

    But the best part about this service is that you don’t need a paid Skillshare subscription, as there are also many Skillshare free classes.

    Skillshare Workshops

    The workshops typically last around four weeks, and they usually have a timeline that every student needs to follow. These classes are specially designed for students who want a complete learning experience and are ready to cope with deadlines.

    What’s better, you can find students who share the same interests as you, so it will be much easier to learn and share feedback on improving your work.

    Skillshare Online Groups

    Because of the rapid rise of the Skillshare community, the company added online groups. There are over 30 groups such as Creative Business, Social Media Strategy, New Teachers Support, and many more.

    The online groups are also mobile-friendly, letting you connect with millions of other students across the world. What’s interesting is that if you can’t find a group that suits you, you can create one of your own. The topic can be whatever you want it to be, from a specific question to just requesting feedback.

    Skillshare Student Project

    The projects are often a way to test the student’s knowledge, and usually, they are either quizzes or assignments.

    The projects are created in the Class Overview section by uploading a file with specific tasks and instructions that students need to complete. All you have to do is give your project a name, description and upload the file.

    Skillshare Price

    Although the service is one of the cheapest online learning platforms out there, Skillshare is not free. The platform offers two different Skillshare Premium plans and a trial that we’ll take a closer look at in a bit. Something worth mentioning is that both of these plans give you access to any class, and you even have the option of becoming a Skillshare teacher yourself.

    Skillshare Premium

    When you become a Premium member, you can download Skillshare videos and watch them offline without any interruption from ads. Furthermore, you have unlimited access to all Skillshare classes, and the platform often gives discounts and unique benefits for Premium subscribers.

    As for pricing, Skillshare UK users can choose an annual subscription that comes at £90 (£7.50/mo). For comparison, the yearly price for Udemy is $360, so Skillshare is definitely among the more budget-friendly options.

    One of the biggest perks of getting the annual membership is the discounts from more than one Skillshare affiliate such as Squarespace or Adobe Creative Cloud.

    Skillshare Free Trial

    Since October 2020, the service changed its terms and now only offers a seven-day free trial similar to Codecademy. But you can usually find a Skillshare code or a discount so that you can use Skillshare for 2 months free of charge.

    Keep in mind that you need a valid credit card to sign up for the service, and if you decide to go for the Premium Membership free trial, you will be charged once the trial ends. So, make sure you check your mail because Skillshare sends an email three days before your trial ends.

    Finally, if you decide to cancel your Skillshare subscription, you can do that in just a few steps. First, enter your Skillshare login, go to the Payments bar, and press Cancel Membership.

    What’s more, if you have any problems, you can always reach Skillshare, just contact support, and reps will assist you. Additionally, there is a Skillshare refund, but only if you get in touch with the company within a week after the charge has been processed. It’s also worth noting that Skillshare doesn’t offer refunds for customers with monthly memberships.

    Most Popular Skillshare Courses?

    Skillshare Animation Courses

    There are over 100 courses on animation, and you can find classes on:

    • 2D animation
    • 3D animation
    • 3D design
    • 3D modelling
    • 3D rendering
    • Adobe effects and after effects
    • Motion graphics
    • Character animation

    Some of the most popular Skillshare animation courses are:

    • Character animation basics: Create a dance loop with after effects and Photoshop—Bee Grandinetti
    • Blender 3D: Your first 3D character—Remington Markham
    • Procreate Animation: Make fun GIFs and videos—Rich Armstrong

    Skillshare Marketing Courses

    You can find marketing courses on:

    • Branding
    • Business and business development
    • Content and digital marketing
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Social media and social media marketing

    The most popular courses with over 40,000 students are:

    • Social media marketing: Top tips for growing your followers and going viral—Cat Coquillette
    • Introduction to SEO: Tactics and strategy for entrepreneurs—Rand Fishkin
    • Becoming an Instagram influencer: Creating authentic content and monetising your following—Sean Dalton

    Skillshare Lifestyle Courses

    There are lifestyle courses on:

    • Crafts
    • Culinary
    • Gaming
    • Health and wellness
    • Languages
    • Teaching
    • Other

    The most popular courses on Lifestyle are:

    • Interior design basics: Simple steps to your perfect space—Lauren Cox
    • Finding Instagram success: Build an account people care about—Later
    • Modern money habits: 5 steps to build the life you want—Justin Bridges

    Most Notable Experts on Skillshare

    Marc Ecko—Entrepreneurship and Brand Creation

    Marc Ecko was born in 1972 and is a well-known fashion designer, entrepreneur, and artist. When he was 20, he founded Ecko Unltd and recently published the book “Unlabel: Selling you without selling out.” His Skillshare teaching video has over 6,000 students, and it’s called “Run your own business: Lessons from Biggie.”

    Jessica Hische—Letterer

    Jessica Hische is an American letterer and illustrator. She has a degree in Graphic and Interactive Design and is widely known for her project Daily Drop Cap. This expert’s most viewed video is called “Lettering from designers: One drop cap letterform at a time,” and it has over 35,000 students.

    Seth Godin—Entrepreneurship

    Seth Godin is a US author and a former business executive. He has written over 20 books, including “This is Marketing” and “The Smiley Dictionary.” He is one of the most popular teachers on Skillshare, with almost 40,000 followers on the platform.

    Yuku Shimizu—Illustrator

    Although Yuku Shimizu is a Japanese illustrator, she works and teaches in New York. Her work has been published in papers such as The New York Times, Time, The New Yorker, and many more. One of her most viewed Skillshare classes has over 45,000 students, and it’s called “Ink Drawing Techniques: Brush, Nib and Pen style.”

    Skillshare Alternative Options

    Skillshare vs Udemy

    With around 300 million students worldwide, Udemy is the more popular learning platform of the two. Plus, Udemy has 150,000 courses, which is five times more than Skillshare.

    But there are many similarities too. For example, they both have simple and easy-to-use apps, and both offer free courses. As for pricing, Skillshare is a bit cheaper—Udemy courses are somewhere between $19.99 and $199.99 per course.

    Skillshare vs Lynda

    One of the biggest perks of LinkedIn Learning is that once you finish the course, it gives you a certificate, which can be viewed and shared online. Although both platforms offer a significant number of classes, Skillshare courses are more focused on creative skills learning, while LinkedIn Learning ones lean more towards technology and web development.

    Both offer a trial, but Lynda has a 30-day free period. As for price plans, Lynda’s monthly packages are more expensive.

    Is Skillshare Worth It?

    If you are looking for an online learning platform that comes at a low cost, Skillshare might be your best choice. The service makes learning fun and helps you upgrade your resume with new competitive skills.

    Still, the platform’s main disadvantage might be that you don’t receive a certification once you finish a course.

    Overall, Skillshare is for anyone who wants to challenge themselves and learn something new, especially in creative fields.

    FAQ

    What is Skillshare?

    Skillshare is an online learning platform with over 21,000 courses. As mentioned in our Skillshare review above, you can find classes on animation, illustration, photography, lifestyle, and more.

    How to cancel Skillshare?

    Whether you pay for Skillshare through PayPal or credit card, the cancellation process is the same.

    Just log in to your account, select Payments from the Skillshare menu, and click Cancel Membership.

    How much is Skillshare?

    For Skillshare users in the UK, the monthly subscription costs £13/mo, while the annual one comes at £84.

    How to download Skillshare videos?

    Skillshare Premium members can download videos through the iOS/Android-compatible app. Once you’ve accessed the content, click on Download Class.

    An aspiring linguist with a background in teaching, I decided to use my years of experience to educate my audience through writing. The chance to apply my knowledge to my articles, fueled by my passion for research helped me develop my skills and learn more along the way, awakening my interest in even more topics. When I’m not typing behind my desk, you’ll find me learning a new language or pouring my thoughts into rhymes.