When I began seeking online resources to enhance my graphic design skills, two names kept popping up: Udemy and Skillshare. But I was uncertain which of the two was superior, and I had no idea what each offered.
Both companies provide courses on various subjects beyond graphic design (what I was searching for). So, how do they operate? And more importantly, which one would be the best option for you?
I’ve made an in-depth Udemy vs. Skillshare comparison to answer these questions. I’ll tell you about their prices, course quality, instructors, and more.
Let’s get started!
Udemy vs. Skillshare Summary
Udemy and Skillshare are both companies that provide online courses on various subjects.
Udemy has over 130,000 courses, while Skillshare has over 25,000.
Udemy offers free and paid courses, while Skillshare only offers paid ones.
The average Udemy course costs $19-$200, while the average Skillshare course costs $15-$20.
Udemy courses are generally longer than Skillshare courses.
Skillshare offers a monthly or annual subscription, while Udemy courses must be purchased individually.
Warm Up Round: Which One Is More Popular?
Udemy is the clear winner when it comes to popularity. It’s been around since 2010 and has over 35 million students enrolled in its courses. Skillshare, on the other hand, was founded in 2011 and had roughly 2 million students.
So, Udemy is almost 20 times more prevalent than Skillshare!
That being said, Skillshare has been increasing in recent years. In 2016, it had 1 million students enrolled. By 2018, that number had doubled to 2 million.
So, Skillshare is catching up to Udemy in terms of popularity.
Round 1: Ease-of-Use & Interface
Udemy
The Udemy interface is very user-friendly and easy to navigate. When you first visit the site, you’re greeted with a search bar and a list of top categories.
You can also browse Udemy’s catalog by clicking on the “Courses” tab at the top of the page. You can filter courses by topic, skill level, language, price, and more.
Once you find a course you’re interested in, you can read reviews, watch previews, and get an overview of the course content.
If you decide to enroll in a course, you can do so with just a few clicks. Udemy will send you an email with a link to the course content.
Skillshare
The Skillshare interface is very similar to Udemy’s. When you first visit the site, you’re greeted with a search bar and a list of top categories.
You can also browse through Skillshare’s catalog by clicking on the “Classes” tab at the top of the page. You can filter courses by topic, skill level, language, price, and more.
Once you find a course you’re interested in, you can read reviews, watch previews, and get an overview of the course content.
Registration
Registration for a Skillshare course is a bit more involved than Udemy. You must sign up for a Skillshare account to enroll in a course.
You can pay for the course individually or subscribe to Skillshare’s monthly or annual plan. If you choose the latter option, you’ll have unlimited access to all of Skillshare’s courses.
Backend & Design
The backend and design of both Udemy and Skillshare are clean and minimalist. The courses are well organized and easy to find.
I didn’t notice any significant differences between the two in design or functionality. Both platforms are very user-friendly and straightforward.
Round 2: Udemy Vs. Skillshare Courses: Which One Is Better?
Udemy
Udemy offers both free and paid courses. The average Udemy course costs $19-$200, but you can often find discounts for individual courses.
Udemy also has a “Udemy for Business” subscription plan that gives businesses unlimited access to Udemy’s catalog of courses for $240 per year.
Skillshare
Skillshare only offers paid courses. The average Skillshare course costs $15-$20, but you can get a discount by subscribing to Skillshare’s monthly or annual plan.
With a Skillshare subscription, you’ll have unlimited access to all of Skillshare’s courses.
Popular Skillshare & Udemy Courses
Some popular Skillshare courses include “How To Start a Successful Blog,” “The Complete SEO Course – Rank Your Website in Google,” and “Drawing for Beginners.”
Some popular Udemy courses include “The Complete Web Developer Bootcamp,” “The Complete iOS 11 & Swift Developer Course,” and “Learn Ethical Hacking From Scratch.”
Round 3: Free Courses at Udemy & Skillshare
Udemy offers both free and paid courses. The average Udemy course costs $19-$200, but you can often find discounts for individual courses.
Skillshare only offers paid courses. The average Skillshare course costs $15-$20, but you can get a discount by subscribing to Skillshare’s monthly or annual plan.
With a Skillshare subscription, you’ll have unlimited access to all of Skillshare’s courses.
Round 4: Available Languages At Skillshare & Udemy
Skillshare is available in English, Spanish, French, German, and Portuguese.
Udemy is available in English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, and Chinese.
Round 5: Udemy Vs. Skillshare Certificates
Udemy offers certificates of completion for all of its courses. The certificate is included in the price of the course.
Skillshare does not offer certificates of completion for its courses.
Round 6: Skillshare Vs. Udemy Teachers & Community
Udemy is open to anybody interested in creating a course; of course, you must fulfill specific criteria, and it’s not feasible to put up an awful ten-minute course about anything. Yes, if you are prepared to make an effort and produce a course on Udemy, you’ll be able to sell it there. Udemy itself creates its courses (also known as official courses) created by the Udemy Instructor team.
With Skillshare, you may create and deliver a course on your design. This e-learning platform is open to anybody who wishes to educate others. Like Udemy, Skillshare also produces some of its courses (known as Skillshare Originals), and they collaborate with well-known professionals and businesses to offer some special lectures.
For example, you may discover a beginner SEO course taught by one of the world’s most renowned SEO trainers – equivalent to having Michael Jordan instructing you in basketball skills.
Both Skillshare and Udemy provide a mechanism for students to communicate and collaborate. I believe that working on a subscription basis, as well as limiting the scope of subjects, benefits Skillshare as well as its community.
Round 7: Is Skillshare or Udemy’s Support Better
It’s hard to compare the support systems of the two companies. Skillshare’s community is fantastic, and their team is very responsive when you reach out to them. However, since Udemy is a more comprehensive platform with more courses, it’s difficult to say that one company has better support than the other.
Round 8: Which One Is Better for Businesses
Elearning platforms are an excellent way to increase your team’s or company’s skills and learn new exercises, especially in fast-growing sectors like marketing or development.
3 Teams plans from Skillshare allow organizations to create premium accounts for workers so they can continue to learn. You get access to the entire Skillshare library, over 35,000 courses, which isn’t bad. It also lets businesses manage users’ Skillshare accounts. The Start-up plan is $139 per user per year (minimum of two people). The Enterprise and Revive plans are tailored to the team or organization’s needs.
I’m not sure if your question refers to the $360 a year per user version of Udemy, but it’s worth noting that this plan is only available for businesses. Like Udemy, Instructure has a similar business plan; however, you’ll need at least 5 users, which will set you back $360 each year per user (minimum of $1,800 annually). However, it does give you access to 130,000 of its courses – I can’t vouch for the quality since I’ve never tested this service for businesses.
Round 9: Udemy Vs. Skillshare Pricing
Skillshare offers a 14-day free trial, and the monthly subscription is $19. The annual subscription is available for $99 per year.
Udemy offers courses at different prices, with the average course price being $19. Some courses are free, while others can cost up to $200. You can also find bundle deals that offer a discount on multiple courses.
Udemy offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, while Skillshare has no refund policy.
To sum up, Skillshare is the better value for your money if you’re looking for an e-learning platform.
Bonus Round: Udemy & Skillshare Alternatives
There are other learning platforms available, but these are the two that stand out the most. Here are some alternatives to Udemy and Skillshare:
- Coursera: Coursera is an online learning platform that offers top universities and companies courses. It’s similar to Udemy in that you can take courses at your own pace, but Coursera also offers courses that last a few weeks with set deadlines.
- edX: edX is another online learning platform that offers top universities and companies courses. It’s similar to Coursera because it offers courses with set deadlines that last a few weeks.
- Lynda.com: Lynda.com is an online learning platform that offers courses on various topics, including business, design, and technology. It’s similar to Udemy in that you can take courses at your own pace.
Final thoughts: Udemy vs. Skillshare
Udemy is an excellent platform if you’re looking for a specific course on a particular topic. It offers a wide variety of courses at different price points.
Skillshare is an excellent platform if you’re looking for an e-learning platform with a subscription model. It offers a 14-day free trial, and the monthly subscription is $19. The annual subscription is available for $99 per year.
So, which one should you choose? It depends on your needs and budget. If you’re looking for a specific course on a particular topic, Udemy is a great option. If you’re looking for an e-learning platform with a subscription model, Skillshare is a great option.
