MasterClass vs. Skillshare: Which Is Worth Your Money?

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There’s never been a better time to learn a new skill online. Here’s how MasterClass and Skillshare stack up to each other. 

The online learning market has taken off over the past few years, and one reason may be that developing a new skill can greatly increase your earning potential. Gallup data shows that workers who develop new skills can boost their income by an average of $8,000 annually.

Of course, you can learn something new for other reasons besides improving your personal finances. Fortunately, there are some great online learning resources out there, including MasterClass and Skillshare.

Here’s what each online learning platform offers, how they differ, and why you may want to consider a subscription.

Why you might want to choose MasterClass

MasterClass has created one of the highest-caliber platforms for online learning. The platform has a much smaller list of available courses than some other websites — it has more than 180 classes in 11 different categories — but they’re taught by celebrities and acclaimed instructors who are at the top of their professional fields.

For example, you can learn tennis skills from Serena Williams, screenplay writing with Aaron Sorkin, and jazz lessons from Herbie Hancock. Each course has about 20 videos that are about 10 minutes long.

There are three subscription levels — individual, duo (which includes two devices), and family (up to six devices) — which start at $120 per year. There isn’t a MasterClass free trial, but the platform has a 30-day money-back guarantee.

MasterClass says the subscription includes:

Unlimited access: You can view all the courses as many times as you want. Offline access: You can download the courses in the MasterClass mobile app for viewing later, but only if you have the duo or family plan.MasterClass Sessions: This feature adds additional step-by-step courses, feedback, an online community, and real-world projects you can work on.

Why you might want to choose Skillshare

Skillshare offers 25,000 video classes taught by 8,000 teachers. The platform has a lot of creative courses, so this platform may be right for you if you’re interested in learning a new creative skill, including illustration, writing, graphic design, and web development.

I recently wrote a quick overview of Skillshare and noted that the annual subscription for the platform was $165, but there’s currently a 40% discount on that price. You can also try out Skillshare for free for one month.

Skillshare says members receive several key benefits, including:

Unlimited access: You can view all Skillshare classes as much as you want.Hands-on learning: You can work on projects to test your skill knowledge and earn badges and certificates.Feedback: When you complete a project, you can add it to a gallery to get feedback from the instructors and other people in the course.Plan your learning: Skillshare offers a learning path to help you determine which courses will best help you learn your desired skills. Online community: You can connect with other people on the platform learning the same skills as you.Offline access: You can download classes to the Skillshare app to continue learning even when you aren’t online.

Which one is worth your money?

I usually hate reaching this conclusion, but in this case, I think both courses could be worth your money, depending on what you’re looking for.

If you want to boost some of your creative skills, or learn new ones, Skillshare may be better for you. With tons of classes, you’re bound to find something you’re interested in. And with its built-in community, instructor feedback, hands-on projects, and certifications, this might be a good option for people ready to learn a new skill.

On the other hand, MasterClass offers a lot of high-quality courses with world-famous instructors. Getting a glimpse into how these professionals work, hearing their own experiences, and learning tips from them could be invaluable to many online learners.

And with MasterClass Sessions, some of the courses have similar features that Skillshare offers, like submitting projects and getting feedback from the online community. Though it’s worth noting that if you sign up for a MasterClass subscription, you won’t get direct feedback from your favorite celebrities, sorry.

With Skillshare offering a free trial and MasterClass’ 30-day money-back guarantee, you really can’t go wrong trying out either (or both!) of these online learning platforms to learn a new skill.

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The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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