Masterclass vs Skillshare: An In-Depth Comparison for Online Learners

Online learning has exploded in popularity in recent years, providing a convenient and accessible way for anyone to gain new knowledge and skills from the comfort of home. Two of the leading platforms in this space are Masterclass and Skillshare. While both offer high-quality online courses, they each have their own unique approach, instructors, and topic areas.

In this comprehensive comparison, we‘ll take a deep dive into what sets Masterclass and Skillshare apart to help you determine which platform may be the best fit for your learning goals and interests. We‘ll cover key factors like course topics, instructors, pricing, and more. By the end, you‘ll have a clear understanding of how these two e-learning giants stack up.

Masterclass Overview

First, let‘s take a closer look at Masterclass. Launched in 2015, Masterclass is a streaming platform that offers online classes taught by world-renowned experts and celebrities at the top of their fields. You can learn cooking from Gordon Ramsay, filmmaking from Martin Scorsese, tennis from Serena Williams, and much more.

Masterclass is all about learning from the very best. The production quality is extremely high, with cinematic, documentary-style videos that make you feel like you‘re getting an intimate, one-on-one lesson from these legendary instructors. It‘s an immersive and inspiring approach to education.

Some key stats on Masterclass:

150+ classes across 11 categories
100+ world-famous instructors
20-40 video lessons per class
2-5 hours of total video content per class
Downloadable class guides and worksheets
Over 1 million subscribers

The classes are designed for students of all skill levels – whether you‘re a complete beginner looking to learn the basics or already have some experience and want to hone your craft. There are no deadlines or due dates. You can take the classes entirely at your own pace and rewatch lessons as many times as you want.

Skillshare Overview

Skillshare, founded in 2010, is a learning community for creatives and curious people who want to gain new skills and find inspiration. The platform offers thousands of online classes in creative disciplines like animation, photography, writing, design, and more.

What sets Skillshare apart is its focus on learning by doing. The classes are hands-on and project-based, designed to help you put your new skills into action right away. Rather than just passively watching video lessons, you‘ll complete a class project and get feedback from the instructor and other students. This learning model helps the lessons really stick.

Some key stats on Skillshare:

30,000+ classes across dozens of creative categories
8,000+ expert instructors
Typically 20-60 minutes of video per class
Class projects and community discussions
Over 12 million registered members
Available in 160+ countries

While Masterclass features celebrity instructors, the teachers on Skillshare are working professionals and experts in their fields. Many are successful freelancers or entrepreneurs themselves. This gives the classes a more down-to-earth, relatable vibe compared to the polished production of Masterclass.

Course Categories Comparison

Now, let‘s compare the types of courses and topics you can find on each platform:

As you can see, Masterclass covers a broad range, from creative pursuits to business, politics, sports and more. Some of their most popular classes include Cooking with Gordon Ramsay, Chess with Garry Kasparov, Screenwriting with Aaron Sorkin, and Leadership with Bill Clinton.

Skillshare‘s categories are more specifically focused on creative topics, though they also offer classes in business, lifestyle and productivity. You‘ll find classes like Intro to Procreate: Illustrating on the iPad, iPhone Photography: How to Take Pro Photos On Your iPhone, and Productivity Masterclass: Create a Custom System that Works.

The verdict? Masterclass wins for sheer variety, with classes that extend far beyond the creative realm. Skillshare is the clear choice for creatives and artists who want to dive deep into specific skills with hands-on projects.

Masterclass vs Skillshare: Instructors

One of the biggest differences between Masterclass and Skillshare is the instructors. Masterclass is known for its all-star celebrity instructors and luminaries who are considered the best in the world at what they do. This includes famous actors, musicians, athletes, politicians, and more.

The instructors on Skillshare are successful creative professionals and entrepreneurs who have applied skills in the real world. While they may not be household names, they have unique industry insights and experience to share.

Notable Masterclass instructors:

Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard – Filmmaking
Shonda Rhimes, Aaron Sorkin – TV Writing
Gordon Ramsay, Thomas Keller – Cooking
Stephen Curry, Serena Williams – Sports
Annie Leibovitz, Jimmy Chin – Photography
Neil deGrasse Tyson – Scientific Thinking

Skillshare also features some big names, like Roxane Gay for Creative Writing and Mailchimp‘s co-founder Ben Chestnut for Email Marketing. But overall, the instructor selection is more of a mix of experienced professionals across many creative disciplines.

Pricing & Subscription Options

What do Masterclass and Skillshare cost? Here‘s the breakdown:

Masterclass Pricing:

– Standard Plan: $180 per year ($15/month)
– Plus Plan: $240 per year ($20/month) – Download videos for offline viewing
– Premium Plan: $276 per year ($23/month) – Download videos for offline viewing plus additional user accounts

All Masterclass plans include unlimited access to every class on the platform with a 30 day satisfaction guarantee. There is no free trial or monthly subscription option.

Skillshare Pricing:

– Monthly Subscription: $32 per month
– Annual Subscription: $168 per year (averages to $14/month)
– Team Plans: Starting at $139 per user per year
– 1 Month Free Trial for new members

Skillshare offers two subscription options – monthly and annual. The annual plan provides a 30% discount compared to paying month-to-month. With both plans, you get unlimited access to every class. Skillshare also offers team plans for organizations who want to invest in their employees‘ professional development.

Masterclass is more of an investment, since the only option is paying for a yearly membership upfront. Skillshare is more flexible with the monthly subscription and free trial period to test it out.

What Students Are Saying

Let‘s take a look at some real reviews and feedback from students on Masterclass and Skillshare:

Masterclass review excerpts:

"Game-changing. Masterclass has given me access to genius-level advice from experts I would never normally get to learn from."
"Beautifully produced videos. I love getting an inside look into the instructors‘ creative process."
"Yes, it‘s pricey, but the quality is top-notch. It‘s a real pleasure to watch the classes. I‘ve learned so much."
"Some of the advice is a bit surface level – I wish the instructors went more in-depth. But overall, it‘s very inspiring."

Skillshare review excerpts:

"I‘ve taken over a dozen classes on Skillshare and I‘m always impressed by how engaging and actionable the content is."
"The class projects are the best part. It‘s so motivating to put the lessons into practice and get feedback from other students."
"I‘ve been able to apply many of the skills I‘ve learned and see direct improvements in my creative work."
"Some of the classes are hit or miss in terms of production value, but the majority are really high quality with great teachers."

Overall, both platforms get positive reviews for the quality of the content and instructors. Students seem to appreciate Masterclass for the rare opportunity to learn from the world‘s best, and Skillshare for its interactive, project-based approach.

Unique Features & Benefits

To wrap up this comparison, let‘s highlight some of the unique features and benefits of each platform:

Masterclass Unique Features:

– Unparalleled access to learn from the world‘s best in their fields
– Incredibly high production value with immersive, cinematic video lessons
– Broad range of categories that extend beyond creative pursuits
– Polished, cohesive experience – every class feels premium
– Downloadable class guides and worksheets to complement the video lessons

Skillshare Unique Features:

– Interactive, project-based classes that get you to put new skills into action
– Vibrant community aspect with student projects and discussions
– Wide variety of niche creative topics and software skills
– Practical, actionable advice from experienced industry pros
– Flexibility of monthly subscription and free trial period
– More affordable than Masterclass on a per-class basis

The Final Verdict

So, which platform is the best? The answer depends on your unique learning goals, interests and priorities. Here are some recommendations:

Choose Masterclass if:

You‘re fascinated by the idea of learning from the world‘s top experts and celebrities
You want classes that extend beyond creative skills and hobbies
You‘re happy to pay more for extremely high production value
You don‘t mind paying for a year upfront

Choose Skillshare if:

You‘re a creative professional or hobbyist who wants to improve your craft
You like hands-on, project-based learning
You‘re looking for classes on niche topics or specific software skills
You want a more affordable monthly subscription or free trial option

Ultimately, both Masterclass and Skillshare are excellent platforms that deliver high-quality education. You may even consider subscribing to both to combine the prestige and polish of Masterclass with the practical, skill-building approach of Skillshare.

No matter which you choose, the key is to devote time and effort to the classes. Simply watching the videos is not enough – taking notes, completing assignments, and engaging with other students will help you get the most out of your learning.

We hope this in-depth comparison has given you helpful insights to choose the best online learning platform for you! Let us know about your experiences with Masterclass and Skillshare in the comments. Happy learning!

Masterclass vs Skillshare: An In-Depth Comparison for Online Learners

Masterclass Overview

Skillshare Overview

Course Categories Comparison

Masterclass Course Categories:

Skillshare Course Categories:

Masterclass vs Skillshare: Instructors