Lynda vs Skillshare: Which One Is Right For You In 2024?

Learning was always special to me. Be it learning a new skill or developing an already known skill. I am excited about learning.

That’s when I came across two excellent learning platforms: Lynda vs Skillshare. I was confused about choosing one from the other. Hence I took a few courses on LinkedIn Learning and a few on Skillshare.

There were a lot of things I loved about LinkedIn Learning and Skillshare. I decided to write a detailed review of my experience with LinkedIn Learning and Skillshare.

In this article, you’ll find an overview of both the platforms, how it works, who it is best suited to, the pricing plans, some best features, and the ease of use.

I also recommend a few alternative platforms if you are still not satisfied with LinkedIn Learning and Skillshare.

Toward the end, I answer the verdict – “which is better?”

Lynda vs Skillshare: Key Differences

Here are the key differences between Lynda (LinkedIn Leaning) and Skillshare.

• When you finish a course on LinkedIn Learning, you will get access to a course completion certificate that can add value to your resume. Skillshare does not offer any course completion certificate; instead of that, they will give you projects to complete based on the course you’ve just finished.
• There is not much pricing difference between LinkedIn Learning and Skillshare, but if you have to choose, Skillshare is the cheaper option.
• Skillshare gives you a 7-day free trial of their premium version, whereas LinkedIn Learning offers a 30-day free trial on their premium version.
• Skillshare offers many free classes, whereas you can access LinkedIn Learning classes only if you sign up for the free trial.
• Skillshare courses are for those who want to learn creative skills, whereas LinkedIn Learning’s courses are for those who have professional goals.

LinkedIn Learning vs Skillshare: In a Nutshell

It must be confusing when there are two big platforms with similar features from learning experience to subscription modules to different courses, so let me quickly give a  brief overview of Lynda and Skillshare separately for better understanding.

LinkedIn Learning Overview

Lynda.com is an e-learning educational platform that was acquired by LinkedIn and is now rebranded as LinkedIn Learning. The online learning platform provides 15,000+ courses on enhancing your career along with some exclusive creative courses. 

LinkedIn Learning has dedicated students from top organizations worldwide who are undertaking their courses. Although LinkedIn Learning focuses on helping its students reach professional goals, it also provides several creative classes.

The courses in LinkedIn Learning are taught by hired professionals who excel in their respective fields with relevant years of experience. 

You can also take tutorials in LinkedIn Learning in different languages like German, French, Japanese, Spanish, and English, which is excellent.

Skillshare Overview

Skillshare is another excellent online learning platform established in the year 2010, where anyone can create a course on any topic and become an instructor. 

In Skillshare, you have more than 20,000 courses from cooking to writing to painting. 

Professional experts handle all the courses in Skillshare. The best part about Skillshare is that the prices vary from course to course, depending on the instructor.

You can take Skillshare courses whenever you want because all the courses in Skillshare are self-paced, flexible for their users.

LinkedIn Learning vs Skillshare: The Instructors

It is evident that without the instructors, all the learning platforms are a total flop. Hence, let me quickly brief a little information about the instructors in LinkedIn Learning and Skillshare so that you’ll have a better understanding of them.

LinkedIn Learning Instructors

The instructors in LinkedIn Learning are professionally qualified experts who have prior experience (some instructors are still working professionals) to ensure quality teaching and lessons.

Even the process of becoming an instructor in LinkedIn Learning is tedious because there is a lot of application filling and cross-verification for authentication. 

Hence, every instructor is verified and trustable for their teaching in LinkedIn Learning.

Skillshare Instructors

In Skillshare, the instructors are potential individuals who are excelling in their respective fields, which means they have prior experience in the subject.

Skillshare is considered to be an open platform where anyone can create a course, turn into an instructor, and conduct a full-fledged class on a specific niche. 

Hence, LinkedIn Learning cannot promise the quality of an instructor throughout the platform because a different instructor handles every course.

Recommended Courses Of LinkedIn Learning and Skillshare

Both the platforms cover a wide variety of courses in multiple niches and offer different benefits separately. From learning digital art to understanding business, LinkedIn Learning and Skillshare have plenty of options to choose from.

I took the most recommended courses on both platforms to develop a few skills that might enhance my career.

Shall we begin? Let’s go.

LinkedIn Learning

LinkedIn Learning has several courses, from marketing to coding to learning science. Let me share the top-recommended courses in LinkedIn Learning below:

1. Learning Python

Instructor: Joe Marini

The number of lessons: 7 lessons

Duration: 2 hours and 11 minutes

Suitable for: Anyone interested in learning python from the basics or trying to build a career as a python developer. 

Quick verdict: The course was well-structured and easy to comprehend. It was taught by a Google developer expert so Joe broke down many professional concepts into simple lessons for easy understanding. You are also provided with a certificate for completion, which is beneficial and can be added to your resume.

2. Learning Java

Instructor: Kathryn Hodge

The number of lessons: 4 modules

Duration: 2 hours and 10 minutes

Suitable for: Beginners struggling to learn programming language and developers who like to know more about Java.

Quick verdict: The teaching was top-notch. I mean, the instructor explained everything about Java in-depth in his course. You are also provided with challenging quizzes and tasks. The course covers various aspects of programming language, which is helpful.

3. Blockchain Basics

Instructor: Jonathan Reichental

The number of lessons: 11 lessons

Duration: 1 hour

Suitable for: Anyone willing to learn the fundamentals of blockchain and beginners who would like to start their blockchain learning journey.

Quick verdict: The explanation of blockchain from the basics was well-delivered. You can clearly understand Jonathan Reichental’s teaching principles, plus you can view the content offline. Additionally, you get a certificate after completion.

Skillshare Learning

Skillshare has brilliant courses handled by experts in multiple niches. Let me quickly suggest some most recommended courses in Skillshare:

1. Baking Basics: Make Perfect Pastries Every Time

Instructor: Umber Ahmad

The number of lessons: 9 lessons

Duration: 1 hour and 10 minutes

Suitable for: Any beginner who would like to learn the art of baking and experienced bakers who’d like to learn different baking styles with minimal ingredients.

Quick verdict: In the course, Umber teaches baking and the science behind it. She also talks about her baking style and shares unique baking techniques to follow.

2. Intro to UX: Fundamentals of Usability

Instructor: Marieke McCloskey

The number of lessons: 10 lessons

Duration: 1 hour and 20 minutes

Suitable for: Any designer, developer, product manager, and people involved in the process of UX development or someone who’d like to learn UX basics.

Quick verdict: In the course, she teaches the basic principles in UX designing and smoothening the user experience in easy lessons in a detailed way.

3. Plants at Home: Uplift Your Spirit & Your Space

Instructor: Christopher Griffin

The number of lessons: 10 lessons

Duration: 50 minutes

Suitable for: Any gardener, plant lovers, and plant enthusiasts who’d like to know the importance of gardening and how to do it properly.

Quick verdict: In the course, Griffin shares easy steps in building a plant base at your home, discusses taking care of plants, and also talks about common issues faced by plant owners. It is a detailed course on growing plants.

Lynda vs Skillshare: Features Compared

After using both platforms, I noticed that LinkedIn Learning and Skillshare, though similar platforms, have unique and different features. They are:

LinkedIn Learning Features

Linked Learning stood out with some incredible features like learning path, where different instructors teach different areas of the same subject in the chosen course.

As I was taking the courses in LinkedIn Learning, I noticed that LinkedIn Learning was religiously updated with new and relevant content to the changing world.

Even if there is an industrial demand for jobs, LinkedIn Learning would specifically prepare exclusive content and beautifully deliver it as a curated course.

Apart from courses, LinkedIn Learning slightly suffered from producing HD quality content. I mean, there was a constant buffering whenever the video is of a big pixel. 

The structuring of lessons was well-put in LinkedIn Learning, and there is also an availability of mobile applications for IOS and Android to take classes anywhere.

Skillshare Features

Speaking of features in Skillshare, it is quite simple but has a significant impact while using their platform. You also get practical learning resources in each course taken in Skillshare, depending on the instructor.

Some instructors in Skillshare also conduct exclusive workshops, which is excellent. 

Skillshare allows anyone to become an instructor instantly with no complications. 

The videos in Skillshare can also be annotated, which is a helpful feature. Plus, you can easily access and stream Skillshare courses on any device you want.

LinkedIn Learning vs Skillshare: Ease of use

User-friendly criteria of a product are essential when purchasing it. Hence, let me share how smooth and easy it is to use LinkedIn Learning and Skillshare.

LinkedIn Learning Ease of Use

The courses in LinkedIn Learning had video tutorials with commentaries, which helped me while taking lessons. The feature of speeding up is also available.

Like LinkedIn, their exclusive learning platform, LinkedIn Learning, also has the option of getting notifications of who viewed your profile. 

Additionally, I was also able to connect with users taking similar courses and working professionals related to the field, which helped with my employment opportunities.

LinkedIn Learning offers courses in five distinctive languages, which can be beneficial to many users if they are familiar with the standard English language.

Skillshare Ease of Use

Skillshare has different instructors for each course under the same niche. This way, you get the opportunity to learn from multiple instructors at an affordable price.

Unlike other learning platforms, you do not get any additional learning materials except a few courses. 

Some courses offer exclusive workshop programs that can benefit learning.

The courses in Skillshare are available in all difficulty levels, which means it does not matter if you are a beginner or an amateur; the options are limitless for you.

Which is Best Suited to You? 

Apart from other aspects in choosing a learning platform, the suitability for users is important. Hence, I have categorized LinkedIn Learning and Skillshare separately.

• LinkedIn Learning aka Lynda is suitable for: 

LinkedIn Learning can be taken if

You are looking for courses along with job opportunities.

You are someone who likes to connect with employers while learning.
You are looking for skill-development courses related to business/entrepreneurship specifically.

• Skillshare is suitable for:

You can choose Skillshare if

You are looking for self-development and creative courses on a budget.
You want to teach and conduct a course for a specific niche or subject.
You want to take beginner-friendly and practical teaching courses.

Pros & Cons: Lynda vs Skillshare

There were a few things that I liked in both the platforms; hence I have listed them for LinkedIn Learning and Skillshare separately. They are:

LinkedIn Learning Pros

Quality content by industrial experts and professionals.
Availability of commentaries for video tutorials.
The courses can be sponsored by companies.
The company can track the employer’s progress.
You can speed up the videos in their courses.
Connecting with related interests is easy.
The courses are available in five languages.

Skillshare Learning Pros

Lots of beginner-friendly courses.
Few courses are handled by celebrities.
Easy to navigate and smooth user experience.
You can take and also teach courses in Skillshare.
Availability of a mobile application for flexible usage.

Though I liked a few things about LinkedIn Learning and Skillshare, I noticed a few downsides in both the learning platforms. They are:

LinkedIn Learning Cons

No tasks, tests, or projects.
All the courses are concise.
The mobile applications are not up to the mark. 
Unlike other learning platforms, there is no community hub. 

Skillshare Cons

The instructor’s quality is not constant throughout the platform.
Bookmarks are observed in elective courses in Skillshare.
In Skillshare, the courses can be taken in English only.

Pricing Plans Comparison: Which One is Affordable? 

As much as you look into other aspects of a product or a platform, pricing is significant. I mean, the pricing should do justice to the platform, right?

Let me list down the plans of both the learning platforms briefly:

LinkedIn Learning Pricing Explained 

LinkedIn Learning has two exciting plans lined up for you. They are:

Basic membership plan – $19.99/- per month
Premium membership plan – $29.99/- per month

Both the plans offer similar benefits and unlock the same features, but Premium users in LinkedIn Learning can also access the content in their platform offline. 

NOTE: There is also a 30-day free trial available on the platform.

Skillshare Pricing Explained

Skillshare also has some interesting plans. They are:

In Skillshare, the Annual plan is the most recommended plan, which is priced at $13.99 per month. It is billed as $168/- annually. 
Apart from the annual plan, you can purchase the courses in Skillshare on a monthly basis priced at $32/month only. This is a healthy option if you are looking for courses on a budget.

Both the plans allow access to the entire course library in Skillshare, which is impressive. Like, LinkedIn Learning, Skillshare also has a free trial of 30 days.

Alternatives to LinkedIn Learning & Skillshare:

Even if you are not satisfied with both the learning platforms for some reason, don’t worry, I got a few more options for you to give a try because I would like to ease out the research process for you. Well, you can also check the complete list of Skillshare alternatives here. Starting with:

Coursera

An online learning platform that follows a traditional teaching method is Coursera. The instructors in Coursera are from top colleges like Yale and Standard; hence the teaching is assured. Even the lessons are well-scripted and produced.

The pricing in Coursera Plus starts from $29/- and can go up to $99/- only. Additionally, you also receive certificates on completion of courses in Coursera.

Udemy

Udemy is also an e-learning platform that has a variety of courses on diverse creative and professional niches. The pricing in Udemy lies on the fair side.

You can also access the courses in Udemy via their mobile application.

MasterClass

MasterClass is another reliable online learning platform where you get to learn from worlds experts like Gordon Ramsay, Serena Williams, etc. To get more detailed insights into it, check our detailed comparison of MasterClass vs Skillshare here.

Final Verdict – Which One is Best In 2024?

It might be confusing to choose between two big learning platforms; hence, I took the popular courses in LinkedIn Learning and Skillshare. 

Now, I can answer the verdict after taking courses on both platforms.

Skillshare is better than LinkedIn Learning for several reasons like courses on multiple niches, extensive workshops, professional experts, and helpful resources.

The best part about Skillshare is that you can also teach a course if you are qualified. Additionally, the courses are also quite affordable compared to other platforms.

Although LinkedIn Learning was similar to Skillshare, Skillshare excelled in various aspects and was not constrained only to business and entrepreneurship like LinkedIn Learning.

However, Skillshare is a good choice. You can take LinkedIn Learning if you are looking for career-oriented courses and looking for employment.

FAQs: Lynda vs Skillshare