The online learning market has been on the rise over the last few years, and one reason may be that developing a new skill can greatly increase your earning potential. Gallup data shows that workers who develop new skills can increase their income by an average of $8,000 per year.
Of course, you can learn something new for other reasons besides improving your personal financial situation. Fortunately, there are great online learning resources like MasterClass and Skillshare.
Here’s what each online learning platform offers, how they differ, and why you might want to consider a subscription.
Why might you want to choose MasterClass?
MasterClass has created one of the highest quality platforms for online learning. The platform has a much smaller list of lessons than some other websites – it has over 180 lessons across 11 different categories – but they are taught by celebrities and acclaimed instructors who are at the top of their professional fields.
For example, you can learn tennis skills from Serena Williams, screenwriting from Aaron Sorkin, and jazz lessons from Herbie Hancock. Each course has approximately 20 videos, approximately 10 minutes long.
There are three subscription levels: individual, duo (includes two devices), and family (up to six devices), starting at $120 per year. MasterClass does not have a free trial, but the platform has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
MasterClass says the subscription includes:
- Unlimited access: You can view all lessons as many times as you want.
- Offline access: You can download courses from the MasterClass mobile app to view later, but only if you have a duo or family plan.
- MasterClass Sessions: This feature adds additional step-by-step courses, feedback, an online community, and real-world projects you can work on.
Why might you want to choose Skillshare?
Skillshare offers 25,000 video lessons taught by 8,000 teachers. There are many creative courses available on the platform; So if you’re interested in learning a new creative skill, including illustration, writing, graphic design, and web development, this platform may be right for you.
I recently wrote a brief overview of Skillshare and noted that the platform’s annual subscription is $165, but there’s currently a 40% discount on that price. You can also try Skillshare for free for a month.
Skillshare says members receive many important benefits, including:
- Unlimited access: You can view all Skillshare lessons as many times as you want.
- Hands-on learning: You can work on projects to test your knowledge of skills and earn badges and certifications.
- Feedback: When you complete a project, you can add it to a gallery to get feedback from instructors and others in the course.
- Plan your learning: Skillshare offers a learning path to help you determine which courses will best help you learn the skills you want.
- Online community: You can connect with other people learning the same skills as you on the platform.
- Offline access: You can download lessons to the Skillshare app to continue learning even when you’re not online.
Which one is worth your money?
I usually hate to jump to this conclusion, but in this case I think both courses are worth the money depending on what you’re looking for.
If you’re looking to improve some of your creative skills or learn new ones, Skillshare might be better for you. Among the tons of lessons, you’re sure to find something that interests you. With its built-in community, instructor feedback, hands-on projects, and certifications, this can be a good option for people who are ready to learn a new skill.
MasterClass, on the other hand, offers numerous high-quality courses with world-renowned instructors. Getting a look at how these professionals work, hearing their own experiences, and learning tips from them can be invaluable for many online students.
MasterClass Sessions and some courses have similar features to those offered by Skillshare, such as submitting projects and receiving feedback from the online community. But it’s worth noting that if you sign up for the MasterClass subscription, you won’t be able to get direct feedback from your favorite celebs, sorry.
Thanks to Skillshare’s free trial and MasterClass’s 30-day money-back guarantee, you really can’t go wrong trying one (or both!) of these online learning platforms to learn a new skill.
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