Top Affordable Skillshare Alternatives in 2025

Skillshare is a subscription-based learning platform which gives you access to educational videos covering various topics. Despite being one of the most popular online learning platforms, many have criticisms about the way the platform is designed and its value. Luckily, there are many other online course catalogs outside of Skillshare for aspiring learners to explore. In this blog, we’ll explore Skillshare alternatives which could be more affordable, more valuable, and more effective than Skillshare. 

3 Affordable Alternatives to Learning on Skillshare

Ed2Go

Ed2Go is an online platform offering a diverse range of personal and professional development courses. Students have the option to choose between self-directed or instructor-led courses, enabling them to tailor their learning based on what environment helps them excel the most. Example course categories include:

• Arts and Design
  • Photography
  • Interior Design
  • Wed Design
  • Music
  • Game Development
  • And more…
• Business
  • Project Management
  • Accounting 
  • Administration
  • Finance
  • Marketing
  • And more…
• Computer Applications
  • Google
  • Microsoft
  • QuickBooks
  • Windows
• Additional Course Categories: Computer Science, Construction and Trades, Health and Fitness, Hospitality, Information Technology, Language, Legal, Math and Science, Teacher Professional Development, Test Prep, Writing. 
  

Ready to expand your skills? Browse Pathways’ Ed2Go Career Training and Professional Development Courses!

Ed2Go vs. Skillshare

Ed2Go Pros & Cons:

• Pros: 
  • High quality classes with qualified instructors.
  • Highly interactive while still entirely online.
  • Flexible enrollment timelines.
  • Refund available if a student drops a course within 13 days.
  • Some professional development courses eligible for Continuing Education Units (CEU) or Professional Development Units (PDU).
  • Some career training courses eligible for certification.
• Cons:
  • Higher initial one-time cost than Skillshare’s subscription-based pricing model.
  • Limited course catalog compared to Skillshare.
  • Courses are purchased individually.
  • Career training courses are higher cost.

Skillshare Pros & Cons:

• Pros:
  • Free one month trial available.
  • Flexible enrollment timelines.
  • Large library with over 30,000 courses.
  • All courses are accessible with a subscription.
• Cons:
  • Quality varies widely from course to course.
  • Large variation in instructor expertise (not all instructors are professionals).
  • Courses are video-based and not as interactive.
  • Courses are not eligible for certificates, credits, official documentation.etc
    

Mindedge 

MindEdge is a BBB Accredited business founded by Harvard and MIT educators in 1998. Pathways has worked with various certified institutions to bring learners high-quality course content with certificates of completion available on MindEdge. By learning through MindEdge, students can enhance their skills and stay committed to lifelong learning. Course categories include:

• Entrepreneurship
• HR Management
• Marketing
• Project Management
• Change Management
• Communication
• Computer Applications
• Finance
• Career Building 
• Business Math
• Design
• Creativity and Innovation
• Data Analytics
• Leadership
• And MUCH more…

MindEdge Course pricing ranges from $50-300+ per course depending on the course’s length and complexity. 

Excel your learning with affordable online courses — Browse Pathways’ MindEdge Course Library!

Mindedge vs. Skillshare

Mindedge Pros & Cons:

• Pros:
  • Course satisfaction rating at 96.5%.
  • Official certificates available for various courses.
  • Affordable cost per course.
  • Refunds available up to 7 days after the date of purchase and if less than 10% of the course has been completed.
  • Average course ratings from previous students are displayed with every course.
  • Wide variation in course length, ranging from 48 hours to 150 hours. 
  • Diverse course catalog with courses that focus on both soft skills (e.g. creativity and innovation, remote work) and practical skills (e.g. data analytics, computer applications.etc).
• Cons:
  • Uses a per-course payment model rather than a subscription model.
  • Students have a limited course access time (you cannot go back and re-do the course).
  • Longer and more complex courses are higher cost. 
  • Some categories have a much smaller selection of courses than others.

Skillshare Pros & Cons:

• Pros:
  • Free one month trial available.
  • Flexible enrollment timelines.
  • Large library with over 30,000 courses.
  • All courses are accessible with a subscription.
• Cons:
  • Quality varies widely from course to course.
  • Large variation in instructor expertise (not all instructors are professionals).
  • Courses are video-based and not as interactive.
  • Courses are not eligible for certificates, credits, official documentation.etc.

Alison

Alison offers over 5000+ online courses completely for free, no fees or subscription required. Signing up for an account and registering for a course is incredibly easy, students can register and complete a course within the same day. Since the courses are completely free, students are able to switch courses with ease if a course doesn’t meet their expectations. Alison’s course categories are practically endless, but some popular examples include:

• Adobe
• English Learning
• Mental Health and Wellness
• Bookkeeping
• Career Development
• Customer Service
• Logistics Management
• Mathematics
• Interview Skills
• Job Searching
• Marketing
• Construction Management
• First-Aid
• And MUCH more…

Accelerate your learning completely for free with Pathways’ Alison Course Catalog!

Alison vs. Skillshare

Alison Pros & Cons:

• Pros:
  • Courses are available completely free-of-charge. 
  • Certificate of completion and diplomas available.
  • Courses are labelled as beginner, intermediate, and advanced. 
  • Courses for both personal and professional growth. 
  • Very wide selection of course categories, ranging from mental health, child-rearing, and anger management to English learning, radiology, and computer science. 
• Cons:
  • Wide variation in course quality.
  • Courses are primarily video-based.
  • Limited interaction. 
  • Need to pay a fee to receive an official certificate or diploma. 
  • Most courses are short in length (2-3 hours), but there are some which are longer.

Skillshare Pros & Cons:

• Pros:
  • Free one month trial available.
  • Flexible enrollment timelines.
  • Large library with over 30,000 courses.
  • All courses are accessible with a subscription.
• Cons:
  • Courses are only free with free trial, after that, students will need to sign up for a monthly or annual subscription. 
  • Quality varies widely from course to course.
  • Large variation in instructor expertise (not all instructors are professionals).
  • Courses are video-based and not as interactive.
  • Courses are not eligible for certificates, credits, official documentation.etc.