Skillshare vs. Teachable vs. Udemy

Jun 26th, 2023

In the digital age, we've seen the rise of various online platforms offering innovative learning opportunities. Skillshare, Teachable, and Udemy have emerged as leading platforms in the realm of online education. This long-read article will dissect the nuances of these three platforms, providing a detailed comparison for potential users and creators.

We will delve into various aspects, including content offering, user experience, pricing models, instructor quality, unique features, mobile learning, community engagement, course publication ease, customer support, the role of certificates, and accessibility. This article will serve as your navigational compass in the sea of online learning platforms. But before we embark on this journey, let's take a brief detour and understand the landscape of online education in the USA.

The rising popularity of online learning in the USA is a testament to its myriad benefits and the technological progress that has made it possible. The convenience of learning at one's own pace, the vast array of courses available, and the reduced cost compared to traditional education are just a few factors driving this trend. A study by the Babson Survey Research Group found that nearly 30% of college students in the USA are enrolled in at least one online course (Seaman, Allen, & Seaman, 2018).

Skillshare

Founded in 2010, Skillshare has positioned itself as a vibrant online learning community offering thousands of classes in various fields. From graphic design and photography to entrepreneurship and lifestyle, Skillshare caters to a wide audience. It is an ideal platform for lifelong learners looking to hone their skills or explore new areas of interest.

Teachable

Teachable, on the other hand, offers a unique proposition. Launched in 2014, it provides a robust platform for experts to create and sell their own courses. It's the go-to solution for entrepreneurs, coaches, or professionals who wish to monetize their knowledge and expertise.

Udemy

Udemy, founded in 2009, is one of the largest online learning platforms globally. With millions of students and over 130,000 courses in multiple languages, Udemy offers a vast landscape of learning. It's a platform where anyone can learn anything and anyone can teach anything.

Content Offering

While Skillshare leans towards creative fields with its rich catalog of courses in design, photography, and writing, Teachable's content varies widely depending on the individual instructors. Udemy, with its vast size, provides a smorgasbord of courses from technology and business to personal development and hobbies. There's something for everyone on Udemy, given its extensive course offering.

User Experience

The user experience across these platforms varies significantly. Skillshare offers a clean, easy-to-navigate interface with curated class lists and recommendations based on user preferences. Teachable, being primarily a platform for course creators, focuses on providing a seamless course creation experience. Meanwhile, Udemy's interface is comprehensive and search-friendly, considering its massive number of courses.

Pricing and Subscription Models

When it comes to pricing, Skillshare operates on a subscription model, offering unlimited access to all classes for a monthly or annual fee. Teachable, however, allows instructors to price their courses individually, leading to a wide range of prices. Udemy also follows a per-course pricing model, with frequent sales bringing down course prices significantly.

Quality of Instructors and Content

The quality of instructors and content on these platforms can vary. Skillshare has many industry professionals and experts among its instructors, ensuring high-quality classes. Teachable's content quality depends largely on the individual instructor, given its open platform model. Udemy has a mix of professionals and enthusiasts as instructors, leading to a wide range of course quality.

Each platform comes with its unique features. Skillshare encourages learning by doing, with most classes including a hands-on project. Teachable offers powerful tools for course creators, including sales pages, analytics, and integrations. Udemy's standout feature is its sheer variety of courses, coupled with lifetime access to purchased courses.

In today's fast-paced world, the ability to learn on the go is a significant advantage. All three platforms—Skillshare, Teachable, and Udemy—offer mobile apps, ensuring learners can access their courses whenever and wherever they wish. Skillshare's app is particularly well-designed, offering offline viewing and a seamless mobile learning experience. Udemy and Teachable also provide mobile access, though with some limitations. For instance, not all Teachable courses are fully compatible with mobile devices, and some Udemy course features like quizzes may not be accessible on their mobile app. Hence, while all three platforms cater to mobile learners, the level of mobile optimization and feature availability can vary.

Community engagement is a key component of the learning experience on these platforms. Skillshare fosters a sense of community with its project-based classes and encourages peer feedback. Teachable, being more focused on individual courses, doesn't emphasize community engagement as much. Udemy offers Q&A sections and direct messaging to instructors, facilitating some level of interaction.

Publishing a course is straightforward on all three platforms. Skillshare provides a step-by-step guide for creating classes, Teachable offers comprehensive tools for course creation and marketing, and Udemy has a course creation and hosting tool that simplifies the process.

When it comes to customer support, Skillshare offers email support, Teachable provides support via email and live chat for paid plans, and Udemy has a comprehensive help center along with email support.

An important consideration for many online learners is the availability and credibility of certificates upon course completion. Skillshare, for instance, does not offer completion certificates for its courses, focusing instead on the learning journey and project creation. Udemy, however, provides a certificate for all paid courses, which could be a motivating factor for some learners. Teachable's stance on certificates varies as it's up to individual course creators to offer them or not. While these certificates may not hold the same weight as a degree from a traditional institution, they can still be a testament to your dedication and skill in a particular area.

In the end, the choice between Skillshare, Teachable, and Udemy depends on your specific needs as a learner or instructor. Each platform has its strengths and unique features. It's important to consider factors like content variety, user experience, pricing, community engagement, and support when making your decision.

For further exploration into the world of online learning, check out the Babson Survey Research Group's reports on online education in the USA (Seaman et al., 2018). For an academic perspective on the effectiveness of online learning, refer to Means, Toyama, Murphy, Bakia, and Jones' (2010) meta-analysis published in the Review of Educational Research.