Skillshare is an excellent platform to explore your creativity, but how are Skillshare Free vs Premium different from each other? I got everything about it in this detailed article!
In this article, I explained the benefits you’d get in Skillshare Free vs Premium, why Skillshare Premium is better, and much more insights into it.
Are you wondering if Skillshare Free offers certificates? Well, I answered that too.
Keep reading to find out Skillshare Free vs Skillshare Premium.
Skillshare: At A Glance
If you wanna get detailed insights into Skillshare, feel free to check our detailed Skillshare review here.
Skillshare is the best way to learn new skills, meet people with similar interests, and have fun doing what you love. There’s something for everyone, with over 3 million members and classes in more than 12,000 topics. I am glad to be one of them.
The creativity-focused platform offers high-quality content, self-paced learning, and a community of creative enthusiasts. With over 10 million class hours watched monthly, Skillshare is the place to learn new skills on your terms.
In addition to the wide range of classes, Skillshare has a unique interface that makes it easy to browse the different courses available. You can even sign up for classes with your email address or Facebook account. It is THAT simple!
It provides an opportunity to share skills and knowledge with anyone who wants to learn, which means you can also become an instructor in Skillshare with simple steps.
What’s more? Skillshare provides professional guidance for those attending the sessions, and expert-level teaching is also available on Skillshare.
The fact that Skillshare produces courses in different fields is incredible because most learning platforms restrict themselves to a specific niche. Still, Skillshare provides sub-categories like drawing in a particular software called Procreate.
The moment you enter Skillshare, you’ll see many practical courses to take right up!
Skillshare Free vs Premium: Main Differences
Although you will not regret using Skillshare, you might be a little disappointed when you find out that some features are that are limited to Skillshare premium only.
Yet, it does not mean you cannot do anything in Skillshare if you do not pay the premium. You can still take courses, get insightful advice, and learn new skills.
I am sure you are thinking, “How is Skillshare Free different from Skillshare Premium?”
- Although you get hundreds of fun and engaging courses on different niches and categories in Skillshare for free, the Skillshare Premium offers 5x additional sets of courses, which means that even sub-category courses are included.
- If you are a self-learner and do not require a discussion regarding a specific chapter in a lesson, you are good to go with Skillshare Free. If not, the community forum/tab might be the name of your calling in Skillshare Premium.
- Skillshare offers courses for free and nothing more than that. In contrast, if you unlock Skillshare Premium, you will get exclusive access to workshops conducted by the desired instructor and get practical teaching live.
- Some instructors take the extra mile and offer insightful resources like downloadable files and PDF-formatted workbooks, but you might not be able to access them without purchasing Skillshare Premium.
- Even the free courses you’d get in Skillshare might not allow you to take up the entire course, which means you can stream only the course preview. This is why Skillshare Premium is essential to get the utmost benefit.
- Getting a hands-on learning experience by taking up live projects is only possible in Skillshare Premium because Skillshare Free only offers free courses.
Take up limited courses or explore your creativity with no limits; the choice is yours! At some point, you might feel like you are caged in limited free courses, and so upgrading your skill set demands an upgrade in your Skillshare plan (Premium).
Should You Buy Skillshare Premium?
By now, you might have already decided to choose Skillshare Premium over Skillshare Free. If not, let me take the honor of recalling the benefits right now!
You do not have to overthink or confuse your mind with unwanted questioning about the quality or the course framework because Skillshare ensures to deliver the best content, and there is no denying that. Yes – Skillshare puts quality over quantity.
I would not argue on the quality aspect of both Skillshare Free and Skillshare Premium, yet the benefits you’d get are huge.
The Skillshare Premium lets you participate in insightful conversations regarding the subject you are learning with fellow peers, participate in knowledgeable workshops and learn closely with the instructor, and receive resourceful files to get going.
It is evident that all the premium plans offer additional benefits, but Skillshare steps ahead and delivers more than what you paid; that is why Skillshare is the best!
Do You get Accredited Certificates in Skillshare?
Getting rewards and receiving validation for something you have tried is a great feeling, and Skillshare ensures that it offers them to its dedicated students.
Yet, the catch is that not all Skillshare offers certificates on completion because of two different reasons –
- A different instructor handles each course, and so the instructors decide to offer certificates or not. Skillshare does not have a say in it.
- Skillshare Originals and the free courses that you see in Skillshare do not guarantee a certificate on completion, so you cannot expect anything.
I’d say that if you are looking for a way to upscale your skill set and do not expect any rewarding benefit like an accredited certificate or a validation card, Skillshare is an excellent platform for you to explore your creativity.
If not, Skillshare might be upsetting.
You can find other solid alternatives like Coursera, edX, and Pluralsight that offer accredited certificates on completion of the courses. Such options might come with a cost, but most students find them beneficial, and I agree with them as well. You can also check more Skillshare alternatives here.
Skillshare Pros & Cons
Here are the advantages & disadvantages of Skillshare.
Pros
- Course library has 34,000+ courses
- Exclusive 30-day free trial of Skillshare premium
- Affordable compared to other online learning platforms
- Skillshare learning paths to help you learn a skill in a systematic way
- All the classes have real-life projects
Cons
- The quality of the courses can be different.
- No course completion certificates after completing the course.
Skillshare Premium Pricing
The individual subscription of Skillshare premium costs $168/year, around $14/month. With Skillshare premium, you get unlimited access to more than 35,000 courses, access to a student community where you can discuss course details with other students, the option to download the classes to view on your mobile and tablet devices and get an exclusive discount on other creative platforms.
Skillshare also offers their premium version for teams, and their starting pricing is $159/user/year for teams 2 to 19. If you have more than 20 members, then you will have to contact the sales team, and this plan is also called an enterprise plan. They also have a Revive plan for big organizations with more than 50 employees, and its perks and pricing are different from other plans.
Are There any Free Trials for Skillshare Premium?
Check our working Skillshare discount codes to save a few extra bucks on Skillshare.
You do not have the budget to buy Skillshare Premium; now what?
Use Skillshare’s free trial and make the utmost use of all the benefits. Skillshare offers a standard 1-month free trial that gives you enough time to complete up to 4 courses in a month, even if you take only 1 course per week. It’s simple maths, but use it efficiently!
You can explore all the features in Skillshare, like shared learning, community forums, and subject-based discussions, take unlimited courses, and get access to everything.
Honestly, even though I was skeptical about purchasing Skillshare Premium, I decided to give Skillshare a free trial, and the rest is history. The course quality, the content delivery, and the instructor engagement made me come back to Skillshare.
I am sure you will feel the same, so why not give Skillshare a free trial a try? Go ahead!
Related Read:
Final Thoughts: Skillshare Free vs Premium (2025)
Hi again. You must be desperate if you had come this far to read the complete article about the difference between Skillshare Free vs. Skillshare Premium.
Let me get it straight. Imagine you are watching your favorite TV show, and suddenly, it tells you to pay for the subscription exactly when it gets interesting.
That is precisely how it feels to use Skillshare Free – You cannot utilize Skillshare to its maximum potential, which might disappoint you. A great tip I’d suggest is using the Skillshare free trial for a 1-whole month and deciding later.
I am confident you’ll end up using Skillshare Premium for apparent reasons. Try it!
FAQs On Skillshare Free vs Premium
Is Skillshare free?
Skillshare is free, but the course library is limited.
How many days is the free trial in Skillshare?
You can use Skillshare’s free trial for 30 days (1 month).
Is Skillshare useful for tech enthusiasts?
Yes. Skillshare offers compelling courses on tech-based subjects as well.
Can anyone become an instructor in Skillshare?
Skillshare lets you become an instructor if you can conduct a course in a fun and engaging tone with high-quality content.
Are Skillshare courses accredited?
Skillshare courses are not accredited. In most classes, you can complete it within one hour. These classes are not intended to teach you about the topic or any software, they are only focused on helping you learn a particular skill. However, you can still include the completed courses in your resume to impress your employees.
Does Skillshare offer refunds?
Skillshare offers refunds on their annual plans, and you can get them within 14 days of the purchase. But you will have to follow the proper guidelines only, and then your refund request will be granted.
Can I purchase individual classes on Skillshare?
You can not buy individual classes on Skillshare. You can only purchase the monthly subscription, which will give you access to all the courses available in the library.
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