Skillshare vs Coursera: price and which to choose
Quick verdict
Skillshare is short creative classes with a project in every one; Coursera Plus is thousands of university and company courses with unlimited Professional Certificates. Coursera’s annual plan has a 14-day refund; Skillshare refunds only within 48 hours after a 7-day trial and never on renewals.
Option A
$167.88/yrAnnual membership
Official price before tax: $167.88
Price checked
Skillshare price and plans
Option B
$399.00/yrCoursera Plus Annual
Official price before tax: $399.00
Price checked
Coursera price and plansWe compare plans with a similar purpose, whose features may differ; prices before sales tax; prices for other plans and periods are in the reviews.
Feature comparison
| Criterion | Skillshare | Coursera |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Creative skills | Many subjects, universities |
| Certificates | Certificates and badges | Unlimited, incl. Professional |
| Trial | Free trial | 7 days (monthly) |
| Refund | 48 h after a 7-day trial | 14 days (annual) |
| Single purchases | Not listed | Single course or Specialization |
Skillshare is for making things; Coursera for building credentials. The overlap is small, so the choice is usually about your goal.
If you don’t want to read further
Creative hobbies and projects — Skillshare. Career certificates from universities and companies — Coursera Plus.
What really sets them apart
In each row, the last sentence matters most — what the difference means for you.
What you learn?
Skillshare
Creative skills in short classes.
Coursera
AI, business, technology and more, from 350+ partners.
Pick by goal.
Credentials?
Skillshare
Certificates and badges to mark progress.
Coursera
Unlimited certificates, including Professional Certificates.
For your résumé, Coursera.
Trial?
Skillshare
A free trial (7 days or longer, depending on the offer).
Coursera
7 days on the monthly plan.
Both let you try first.
Refunds?
Skillshare
48 hours after a 7-day trial, if unused; none on renewals.
Coursera
14-day money-back on the annual plan.
Coursera is more forgiving on a yearly plan.
Pay for less?
Skillshare
Subscription or gift memberships.
Coursera
Pay once for a single course or subscribe to one Specialization.
For one topic, Coursera’s single course may cost less.
Offline?
Skillshare
Downloads in the iOS and Android apps.
Coursera
Video downloads on a computer and in the app.
Both work offline for videos.
Teams?
Skillshare
Through an organization.
Coursera
Coursera for Teams, up to 125 employees.
Both have business plans.
Where they don’t differ, even though it seems they should
This part is often more useful than the list of differences — it saves money for anyone who was about to pay for an imaginary advantage.
Monthly option
Skillshare monthly through the app stores; Coursera Plus monthly.
Team plans
Skillshare for Teams and Coursera for Teams.
Hands-on work
Skillshare class projects; Coursera labs and projects.
Which one fits whom
| Your situation | What to choose | On what condition |
|---|---|---|
| You want creative projects | Skillshare | A project in every class. |
| You want a job-ready certificate | Coursera Plus | Professional Certificates. |
| You only need one topic | A single Coursera course | Pay once. |
| You want a gift | Skillshare gift membership | US only. |
- Skillshare doesn’t refund renewals.
- Coursera’s trial is monthly-only; annual has a 14-day refund instead.
- Coursera certificates are unlimited only after the trial ends.
- Skillshare offline viewing is app-only.
- Coursera’s trial is on monthly only; annual has a 14-day guarantee instead.
Where the facts come from
Sources: the Skillshare Help Center and coursera.org. Prices are in the price blocks on each service’s page.
Facts in the text checked: .
FAQ: Skillshare or Coursera
Other comparisons
The same products against other competitors, and other comparisons in the “Online courses” category.
Where their scores differ
Only criteria we’ve checked for both services and where the scores differ. Equal criteria and criteria without data aren’t shown here, because they add nothing to the decision.
If what matters most is — value of the certificate: Coursera Plus Annual
Skillshare: no external recognition (2,0/5) · Coursera Plus Annual: recognized outside the platform (5,0/5)
If what matters most is — price compared with others: Skillshare
Skillshare: 13,99 USD/mo · when paying for 12 months (5,0/5) · Coursera Plus Annual: 33,25 USD/mo · when paying for 12 months (3,0/5)
If what matters most is — sharing with family: Skillshare
Skillshare: business plans only, priced per seat (3,0/5) · Coursera Plus Annual: sharing isn’t allowed (1,0/5)
The scores and their weights are the same as in the reviews of both services. How we calculate
Comparison text updated: