Skillshare Alternatives That Provide More Freedom To Educate In 2024

For those with a passion for teaching and sharing their expertise, Skillshare has long been a popular platform, offering a diverse marketplace of online courses led by professionals across a multitude of subjects.

Skillshare has built a reputation as a reputable platform for individuals seeking to supplement their income through the dissemination of their unique knowledge.

However, the ever-evolving digital learning landscape now offers a variety of advanced platforms for hosting online courses, providing even more opportunities for educators to reach eager learners worldwide.

The success of online courses is largely dependent on transformative content, flexible customization options, and supportive community spaces. The top Skillshare alternatives are designed to guide learners on their educational journey, delivering precise and impactful results.

Platforms such as Teachfloor have fostered nurturing environments, cultivating thriving communities where each member contributes their unique knowledge and experiences.

Other alternatives, like Udemy and Creative Live, have enhanced learner engagement through features like discussion boards, small group settings, and messaging opportunities, facilitating connections among students and providing avenues for valuable feedback.

In this article, we will explore the top 7 alternatives to Skillshare that empower you to showcase the exceptional content you've produced.

However, before diving into these alternatives, it is essential to understand the strengths and limitations of Skillshare, providing a comprehensive perspective on today's online learning platforms.

Skillshare overview

Skillshare, an esteemed provider of online education, offers a vast array of video-based courses covering a wide range of creative and practical disciplines. From the intricate art of graphic design to the essentials of contemporary business, Skillshare caters to a variety of interests and skill levels.

Founded in 2011, Skillshare has evolved over a decade to become a significant player in the online learning landscape. The platform boasts an impressive selection of over 30,000 unique classes, each meticulously crafted and taught by highly experienced and knowledgeable experts in their respective fields.

Skillshare pros

Skillshare provides an accessible platform for beginners, featuring a well-structured marketplace with an emphasis on creative skills. It encourages feedback and support among its community members, fostering an interactive learning environment. Additional amenities include robust support options and a mobile app for learning on the go.

Skillshare cons

Despite its many advantages, Skillshare does present a few challenges. The platform is highly competitive, which may be daunting for new instructors. It offers limited control over course design and website aesthetics, which might be restrictive for some users. In terms of revenue generation, a minimum of 25 students is required to start earning money, and expanding revenue streams or growing your network beyond Skillshare can be challenging. It's important to weigh these factors when considering Skillshare as your chosen platform for sharing your expertise.

Read also: Which is the Best Free Online Education Platform in 2024?

Skillshare 7 alternatives

‍

1. Udemy - "Course selling" Skillshare alternative

Udemy is an online learning platform like Skillshare where creators and entrepreneurs can list multiple courses. Here are some pros and cons to help you decide if it's a good alternative for your business plan:

Pros:

• Udemy is popular and has a large marketplace with easy navigation and a rating system.
• You can also build a wide range of content, from videos to quizzes, Q&As, and more.

Cons:

• The mobile app is limited to mobile web for instructors.
• With so many creators and entrepreneurs selling courses on Udemy, it's easy for your courses to get buried in the algorithm.

2. Teachfloor - "All-in-one" Skillshare alternative

Teachfloor is a game-changer for anyone who wants to create and deliver high-quality online courses.

With a wide range of features and tools, you have unparalleled flexibility to build courses using various models like live learning, asynchronous learning, and blended learning.

Teachfloor also offers advanced features like white labeling, student reports, analytics, email automation, and an interactive community.

Pros:

• It offers unparalleled flexibility to create and deliver online courses using various models, including live learning, asynchronous learning, and blended learning
• It also provides advanced features for creating and delivering high-quality online courses, including white labeling, student reports, analytics, email automation, and an interactive community
• There are also no hidden charges and special discounts for non-profit organizations

Cons:

• There is no mobile app
• Some users may also prefer Skillshare's more extensive course library and community size.

‍

3. Kajabi - "Online course" Skillshare alternative

Kajabi is one of the best Skillshare alternatives focused on business and marketing features rather than transformative experiences for members.

Kajabi also has a slogan "if you can dream it, you can monetize it." And they do deliver on that promise, which is excellent. But, to me, building an online course shouldn't just be about making bank off your members. It should also be about creating a community that expands your network and brand value.

Pros:

• Kajabi offers a variety of tools for building online courses, including subscriptions, gated content, and membership sites.
• It provides automation features to control the delivery of course content.
• It also has built-in marketing tools to help promote courses.

Cons:

• High pricing, starting at $119/month for a basic plan, with restrictions on growth potential.
• Limited community options compared to competitors.
• Moreover, Its privacy levels for gated content are limited.

Overall, while Kajabi offers excellent features, there are more affordable options available that provide more value.

4. Creative Live

Creative Live offers over 2000 courses from over 700 instructors worldwide to help creative professionals develop the practical skills and business savvy needed to succeed. 

They also offer live-streamed masterclasses, comprehensive courses, and three subscription plans, with the option to purchase classes singly. 

Although they offer no certification, the platform provides exclusive conferences, learning paths, support from a like-minded community, and the ability to download courses for offline viewing.

Pros:

• It has a wide range of over 2000 courses from 700+ worldwide instructors
• It also has top-notch instructors, including world-class creatives, cultural icons like Tim Ferriss, and Pulitzer Prize winners
• Exclusive conferences and live streams
• Goal setting and learning paths
• Download classes for offline viewing
• Support from the CreativeLive community

Cons:

• No certification offered

5. Thinkific

Thinkific is a beginner-friendly Skillshare alternative. It offers excellent flexibility to creators, but interaction features are not great.

Pros:

• Lets you build online courses for free with unlimited students, quizzes, and surveys.
• It also offers flexible and customizable tools.

Cons:

• Thinkific requires more community building and management.
• It also lacks live events, Q&As, in-person coaching, and event-based learning options.
• It also has limited features for student interaction and network building.

Overall, Thinkific is a good starting point for beginners but may not be suitable for growth due to limited community features.

6. Teachable

Teachable is a viable Skillshare alternative for beginners in the online course creation field. Moreover, It mainly uses pre-recorded videos supplemented with live coaching sessions and text resources.

Pros:

• It allows custom domain names and powerful multimedia editing software.
• It also integrates with third-party apps to enhance online course construction.

Cons:

• The platform needs community-building tools.
• The marketplace style also makes it difficult for content to be found by new customers.
• The mobile app experience is also more geared towards students, with limited functionality for instructors.

7. Podia

Coming up to the next option in our Skillshare alternatives platform, Podia is a platform for entrepreneurs offering online courses, memberships, and digital products.

Pros:

• Podia offers a variety of content types, including online courses, digital memberships, webinars, and digital downloads.
• You can also create a custom website, access email marketing tools, and have 24/7 support.
• You can also sell all your digital products in one place.

Cons:

• Podia heavily relies on integrations for some key features, such as analytics.
• The structure of online courses on Podia may also need to be more familiar with traditional school formats.

Read also: Kajabi Vs Thinkific – Which One Is Best For You?

‍