Udemy vs Skillshare | Which Platform Offers Better E-learning Courses?

What Are The Primary Differences Between Udemy and Skillshare? 

Since online learning competition is high, choosing the right learning platform can be challenging. Udemy, Skillshare and Udacity are some of the more renowned learning platforms. But, they have a few differences that set each one apart.

Here are the main differences between Udemy and Skillshare; 

Foundation

Udemy has been leading in the American online learning international marketplace since May 2010. Udemy was founded by Eren Bali, but since February 2019, the company is being headed by Gregg Coccari.

It helps over 40 million students and professional adults achieve academic targets. As of December 2020, Udemy had over 200,000 courses and 480 million course enrollments.

On the other hand, Skillshare is an American online course institution founded in November 2010 to explore creativity. Skillshare has over 12 million members and 30,000 video courses.

Skillshare and Udemy e-learning platforms enjoy a massive online engagement of customers in the US and around the globe. However, since Udemy was the first one in the industry,. it has the upper hand with more courses and students than Skillshare.

Teaching Modes

Udemy or Skillshare use videos as their primary learning mode. Despite the vast flow of students from different nations, it is hustle-free to conduct training on the platforms. This online learning course gives the students ample time to schedule their daily programs and create time to attend classes.

At Skillshare, you can get an educational video course through a subscription model. At Udemy, the top 57,000 international teachers also use quizzes, assignments, and coding exercises to enrich learning. Besides that, you can use the mobile app to download your preferred course and get offline access to watch at your convenient time. You can view your course via Apple TV or the Chromecast options while listening to your certified instructor via audio podcast-style. 

Teacher Earnings

Sharing your talent and experience with others is an excellent service. However, to make up for your time, energy, and resources, you need to benefit from some healthy earnings.

At Skillshare, teaching is free, but you can receive money in three different methods:

1.Earn from premium referrals – Get $10 for every student referred

2.Earn from royalties from premium students – Earn from $0.05 and $0.10 per minute watched in your class every month

3.Earn from referring a new teacher – Grab a $10 bonus after your referral publishes their first class 

At Udemy, the experts in their field can earn from $0 to over $100,000 per year after selling an online course. Therefore, if you aspire to join the teaching community at Udemy, do not hesitate. Your effort and production of high-quality courses can pay off. 

Skillshare has more than one process to earn as a teacher. While at Udemy, your earnings depend on the courses you create and sell online.

Certification

After every quality course, you need some proof of completion. That is why most online and offline training institutions present accredited certificates to their graduates. However, it is a different approach with these two online learning platforms.

After Udemy training, you can only get a completion certification; however, it is not a formal course accreditation.

On the other end, Skillshare also offers non-accredited training. However, with the right skills, you can grab yourself better-advanced opportunities within your company or business.

If you are in search of a professional course with a certificate at the end, Lynda is a perfect pick as you can put the certificates you get from Lynda on your LinkedIn profile.

Therefore, you can still benefit and acquire valuable talents and skills without an official document from any of the platforms.

Main Courses

The primary group courses at Skillshare include web design, technology, creative arts, lifestyle, and entrepreneurship. Furthermore, there are other minor subjects under these major categories. However, in June 2018, the institution's internal team unveiled its courses known as Skillshare Originals.

While at Udemy, the main categories include business, IT & software, web development, design, and office productivity, though Pluralsight platform probably offers best ways to update your IT skills. Udemy also offers finance & accounting, lifestyle, music, marketing, photography & video, and teaching & academics.

Also, one of the huge benefits of Udemy is that there's no need to worry about the Udemy courses expiration date or any other such thing, as Udemy does not limit your access to the materials in any way.

Free Classes

Apart from the premium course, Skillshare classes are free, with unlimited access to various topics using unique languages. For example, courses on the Skillshare site are about lifestyle, creativity, business intelligence, and technology. You can access courses using mobile (iOS) or on the web with only an email account. However, Skillshare doesn’t provide full access to free classes. Students can get a premium membership of over 20,000 courses alongside offline viewing.

For Udemy courses, there are over 2000 subjects that are 100% free inclusive of course materials. You only need to create an account with your email and download the preferred class. You can apply promo codes and coupons to get unique fantastic discounts.

Besides that, only subscribed courses offer completion certificates, as it’s not possible to gain a certificate of completion when taking free Udemy courses. So, you can enroll and find access to courses and various foreign languages to go with Udemy to higher limits.

Fees and Course Payment Modes

Payment modes are different. A student can pay per course or training. Each site has unique methods. As a student, there are various features to consider before settling for a suitable course. For example, look for factors like affordability, vast and convenient mode of payments, special features for exceptional students, different course content offered, course quality, etc.  

When you enroll at Udemy, the first thing you notice are the affordable prices per course. They vary from $49.99 to $199.99, with members having access to several offers and there are plenty of Udemy discounts to be had. Udemy has a flat rate charge with lifetime access to your desired online courses. Unlike Skillshare course pricing, where you pay for a monthly subscription while Udemy offers an annual subscription. 

When you create an account and sign up at Skillshare Premium, you get a 30% off membership every year. However, the three levels are free, paid membership (approximately $19 per month or $99 per year), and team accounts. The best part is the free version has videos, community discussions, and even PDF workbooks. However, before you settle for what suits your budget, start with the free trial offer! 

The good news is that Udemy and Skillshare have reliable online payment options. At Skillshare, they accept PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Discover, MasterCard, Visa, and even American Express. However, Skillshare does not accept prepaid or debit cards.  

At Udemy, the service depends on the student’s location and currency. For example, Brazilian students can pay their courses via the Boleto Bancario method. Overall, you can still use Apple or Google pay modes, debit, and international credit cards, bank transfers, and cash payments, Udemy credits, and even PayPal.  

Every service has its negative and positive side. So are Udemy and Skillshare courses. When Udemy vs. Skillshare comes to your mind, which site has the best content to gain knowledge and skills? Here is a brief review of the pros and cons of both learning sites.