Coursera vs Skillshare

Coursera9.3Visit Skillshare7.2Visit

Higher score Coursera #1 in Online Course Marketplaces 9.3/10 Free plan · 7-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Coursera

vs

Skillshare #19 in Online Course Marketplaces 7.2/10 Paid ✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Skillshare

• Coursera fits best

  Broad university and professional learning

• Skillshare fits best

  Affordable creative-class subscriptions

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Side by side

Feature	Coursera 9.3/10 Visit ↗	Skillshare 7.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	7.2
Ranking	#1 in Online Course Marketplaces	#19 in Online Course Marketplaces
Best for	Broad university and professional learning	Affordable creative-class subscriptions
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	—	$159/user/yr
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	7 days	—
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile	Cloud, Mobile
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web, iOS, Android
Support	Docs	Email, Tickets, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Coursera 4/4 · Skillshare 4/4
Subscription access	✓	✓
Offline access	✓	✓
Course certificates	✓	✓
Business plans	✓	✓
Specs
Mobile apps	Both	Both
Course formats	Mixed	Video
Our review
Pros	Courses, projects, labs, assessments, and certificates in one marketplace Auditing, free previews, and a free plan support flexible exploration Mobile apps include offline video downloads and personalized AI guidance	Unlimited access to thousands of creative and business classes Projects, galleries, feedback, and discussion boards support active learning Web, iOS, and Android access with offline mobile downloads
Cons	Coursera Plus covers eligible programs rather than the entire catalog Team learning is designed for up to 125 employees Pricing varies by country, currency, taxes, and checkout context	No free plan is available Classes are primarily pre-recorded video lessons Individual classes are not sold separately
Our verdict	Coursera is an online learning marketplace for individual learners, professionals, students, and organizations. Its catalog includes courses, Specializations, Professional Certificates, Guided Projects, and online degrees from… Read the review →	Skillshare is a paid online learning community for creative and curious learners, with a catalog spanning illustration, design, photography, video, writing, freelancing, productivity, and marketing. It suits individuals who want broad… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Coursera — where it wins

  • Courses, projects, labs, assessments, and certificates in one marketplace
  • Auditing, free previews, and a free plan support flexible exploration
  • Mobile apps include offline video downloads and personalized AI guidance

  Where it doesn't

  • Coursera Plus covers eligible programs rather than the entire catalog
  • Team learning is designed for up to 125 employees
  • Pricing varies by country, currency, taxes, and checkout context

• Skillshare — where it wins

  • Unlimited access to thousands of creative and business classes
  • Projects, galleries, feedback, and discussion boards support active learning
  • Web, iOS, and Android access with offline mobile downloads

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan is available
  • Classes are primarily pre-recorded video lessons
  • Individual classes are not sold separately

• Coursera9.3/10 · Free plan · 7-day trial

  A broad learning marketplace with courses, certificates, projects, labs, and team analytics.

  Visit CourseraFull verdict →
• Skillshare7.2/10 · Paid

  A flexible subscription for learning creative skills through video classes and projects.

  Visit SkillshareFull verdict →