CreativeLive Vs Skillshare (Which Is Better?)

CreativeLive vs Skillshare – which one is worth investing your time and money in? Let’s find out!

Alongside Masterclass, CreativeLive and Skillshare are my favorite online learning platforms on the internet. I’ve always been a big fan of Skillshare and Masterclass since they helped improve my copywriting skills. But when I found out about CreativeLive, I had to dig deeper.

After some research, I found that CreativeLive is solely for creative professionals, hence the name. This makes it perfect for freelance writers. The best part is, there are hundreds of free classes on CreativeLive.

Some of my favorite courses on CreativeLive include Blogging to Sell Your Products by Megan Auman and Start a Handmade Business by Kari Chapin.

In this review, I’ll go through why you should consider using these learning tools, who they’re for, the pros and cons of each, and which one is better.

Let’s dive in!

What Is CreativeLive And Why Should You Consider Using It?

CreativeLive is an online learning platform founded in 2010 by Chase Jarvis and Craig Swanson. Unlike Skillshare or Masterclass, CreativeLive solely focuses on teaching soft skills like writing, stress management, and art. 

CreativeLive has around 1500 lessons and 700 handpicked instructors. This isn’t as much as Skillshare, but remember, Skillshare has online learning lessons about everything under the sun.

There are over 10 million students with different professions taking classes on CreativeLive. These include:

• Bloggers
• Copywriters
• Artists
• Entrepreneurs
• Photographers

One thing you’ll notice about CreativeLive is how professional the video lessons are. This is thanks to the co-founder, Chase Jarvis. Jarvis is a photographer, director, and artist. He ensures that the quality of each video is near perfect.

Something I like about CreativeLive is that it takes an alternative route to education. The classes are engaging, and you never feel like you’re sitting in a classroom.

What Is Skillshare And Why Should You Consider Using It?

Skillshare is an online learning platform founded by Michael Karnjanaprakorn and Malcolm Ong in 2010. Since then, they have published over 27,000 courses.

Although most courses are created by ordinary people who’re specialists at a specific skill, you can find new-renowned classes taught by:

• Seth Godin
• Susan Orlean
• Marc Ecko
• Yuko Shimizu

I also like that there are over 2000 free classes to watch, no strings attached. This is what I feel Skillshare does better than CreativeLive. Skillshare has more free classes than CreativeLive has total courses.

Each niche has hundreds of classes to choose from. So you’ll never feel like there are too few instructors. Each class is also broken up into 2 to 20-minute chapters. This makes it easier to consume.

My favorite feature is Skillshare’s engaging platform. CreativeLive, Masterclass, and Udemy lag here. You can ask for help from fellow students and instructors, and it’s more of a family than a learning platform. People are always willing to help.

CreativeLive and Masterclass is taught by world-renowned specialists like Neil deGrasse Tyson and James Patterson so it’s difficult to get them to answer your questions.

Who Is CreativeLive And Skillshare For?

CreativeLive and Skillshare have thousands of courses catered to different professions. These professions include:

• Content writers and copywriters
• Creative professionals
• Entrepreneurs

Who Is CreativeLive For?

CreativeLive is designed for creative professionals to improve their skills like photography, writing, and blogging. Unlike Skillshare, which has courses about everything under the sun, CreativeLive only focuses on soft skills.

It also has a unique interface since instructors teach in front of an audience. This creates a more engaging class. If you’re watching a live class, you can also ask questions in the chatbox, and the instructor will answer them.

Here you’ll find detailed CreativeLive courses on:

• Art and design
• Writing
• Entrepreneurship

Some of my favorite CreativeLive classes include:

• Copywriting for Crafters by Lisa Jacobs
• Blogging to Sell Your Products by Megan Auman

If you’re into writing, I highly recommend watching these classes. They’re fun, short, and explain everything you need to know about copywriting and blogging.

Another profession that’ll benefit from CreativeLive is photographers. This is because the co-founder of CreativeLive is a photographer, so they specialize in it. The photography courses here are out of this world and difficult to find anywhere else, including Skillshare.

Some popular CreativeLive courses include:

• Fundamentals of Photography by John Greeno
• 28 Days of Portrait Photography by Sue Bryce
• The Art of Flower Photography by Kathleen Clemons

Last, I noticed that CreativeLive has several online learning classes that help with mental health. As a creative, it’s easy to shove your mental health in the back seat and focus on work. But this isn’t only unproductive, it’s dangerous.

Consider taking CreativeLive courses like:

• Moving to Happiness by Petra Kolber
• Positivity First by Elise Swopes and Kenna Klosterman

Who Is Skillshare For?

Although Skillshare has classes on several topics, I feel like their best courses are in the coding, writing, and business niches.

If you’re looking to get into the coding space but don’t know where to start, Skillshare is for you. They have hundreds of classes on coding for beginners.

I always wanted to learn how to code since it looked so cool in the movies. But it’s difficult getting started because most bootcamps cost several hundred dollars.

But with Skillshare, you can jump into any beginner class, and they’ll teach coding languages like:

• CSS 
• HTML
• Python

Some of my favorite classes on coding for beginners include:

• Coding 101: Python for Beginners by Alvin Wan
• Coding for Beginners by Applause Interactive

These classes are between 2 hours and 8 hours long. Each class is broken down into several bite-sized chapters, so you can watch a few chapters on your lunch break or while commuting.

Like CreativeLive, Skillshare has helpful writing courses for content writers, copywriters, and creative writers. Some of my favorites include:

• Content Writing for Blogs by Callum Sharp
• Writing the Truth by Mary Karr

I like these classes since they’re less than an hour long and packed full of invaluable information.

CreativeLive Tutors vs. Skillshare Tutors

CreativeLive mainly has classes taught by top-tier instructors. Unlike Skillshare, not anyone can create a course. This ensures higher quality videos.

CreativeLive has famous instructors like:

• Ramit Sethi
• Tim Ferriss 
• Mel Robbins

With Skillshare, anyone can create a course, and although there are thousands of helpful courses available, not everything is top-notch. Some classes are just regurgitated information that’s mediocre at best.

However, you will find world-renowned instructors like:

• Seth Godin
• Anne Ditmeyer
• Guy Kawasaki

I especially liked The Art of the Start by Guy Kawaski. This class is only 1 hour and 30 minutes long, but he teaches how to turn regular ideas into high-growth businesses. This is helpful as a freelance writer. 

Kawaski also worked for famous companies like Apple and also published articles in Forbes and MacUser magazines. 

What Topics Are Covered On CreativeLive And Skillshare?

CreativeLive mainly focuses on softer skills like art and writing. Skillshare also focuses on these soft skills but includes technical skills like coding and business.

On the CreativeLive platform, there are 5 main categories:

1. Photo and video
2. Money and life
3. Art and design
4. Music and audio
5. Craft and maker

This is helpful if you’re looking to improve your creative skills. For example, CreativeLive helped me improve my blog posts. Megan Auman’s class on Blogging to Sell Your Products is a must for every blogger. 

It contains 26 video lessons that are 5 hours and 14 minutes long. Here you learn how to increase engagement, promote blog posts, and choose products that sell.

On Skillshare, you have 7 categories available: 

1. Animation 
2. Design
3. Illustration
4. Lifestyle
5. Photo and film
6. Business
7. Writing

This makes Skillshare the better option if interested in learning a broader set of skills. I especially like their coding classes since they’re detailed and easy to understand.

Coding 101 by Alvin Wan is the best class for beginners. Wan is an AI Ph.D. student at UC Berkeley, and he teaches the fundamentals of coding and gives you projects to work on. The class is 2 hours long, and it’s broken up into 17 chapters.

The Courses I Took For This Review

I took several Skillshare and CreativeLive courses and learned a lot from them. But my favorite class on CreativeLive is Blogging to Sell Your Products by Megan Auman.

Blogging To Sell Your Products By Megan Auman

Megan Auman’s CreativeLive course costs $24, or if you have the Creator Pass, it only costs $13 per month for unlimited access to all classes. 

There are over 15,000 students who watched these CreativeLive classes.

I took this class because I wanted to improve my blogging skills and increase engagement among my posts. It includes 26 video lessons that are over 5 hours long. Each lesson is recorded in front of an audience. 

I’ve learned unique techniques that increase page rankings, engagement, and sales. 

Other courses that helped include:

• The 4-Hour Life With Tim Ferriss ($74)
• How to Make Money With Ramit Sethi ($74)

However, My favorite course on Skillshare is Writing The Truth by Mary Karr

Writing The Truth By Mary Karr

I took this Skillshare class because I wanted to create a personal memoir. Here I learned how to transfer ideas from my brain onto a piece of paper in a way that’s compelling to readers.

Her course is only 56 minutes long and is broken down into 9 short classes. This makes it a convenient class to watch when you have free time.

How Much Does A CreativeLive Creator Pass Cost?

If you’re not willing to pay immediately, you can head over to CreativeLive and sign up for a free account. This gives you access to several free live courses.

You can also choose to buy each course separately. Most other learning platforms, including Skillshare, don’t have this option. But this is a good choice if you’re only interested in one course.

If you want to get access to all courses on CreativeLive without having to buy them separately, then opt for the Creator Pass. This Creator Pass costs $39 per month, or you can choose the annual plan that’s $149 per year. This works out to only $12,41 per month. 

I prefer the Creator Pass since you get access to all the CreativeLive online courses.

How Much Does Skillshare Premium Cost?

Before you sign up for a Skillshare membership, you’ll already have access to thousands of free classes, no strings attached. After that, you’ll have the option between an annual premium membership that costs $99 or a monthly membership that’s $19 per month. 

This monthly membership is similar to the CreativeLive Creator Pass.

Pros And Cons Of CreativeLive

Pros And Cons Of Skillshare

Which Is Better? 

If you’re a freelance writer looking to refine your tools, then both platforms will help you reach your goals but in different ways.

Skillshare has over 27,000 courses, while Creative Live only has 2,000. This is important, especially in the long run, since you’ll be able to learn more skills like entrepreneurship, coding, and writing when using Skillshare.

You also get access to one of the biggest learning communities on the internet. If you’re stuck, simply ask a fellow student or instructor for help.

But Skillshare also has its downsides. Anyone can create a Skillshare course. This means that the quality of classes varies greatly. One class can be super helpful, while another is mediocre at best.

This is where CreativeLive has an advantage. They have world-renowned instructors like Tim Ferriss and Ramit Sethi, so you know you’re in good hands.

Why You Can Trust Us

I’ve been using Skillshare for some time to improve my copywriting and content writing skills and learn to code. I also started using CreativeLive recently and watched several courses on blogging and making money.

The criteria I used to judge the courses on each platform include:

1. If it shares a lot of valuable information within a short lesson
2. Are the classes easy to understand?
3. Is there a community that’ll help if you’re stuck?
4. Are the instructors well-known in their field?

As a freelance writer, I learned the art of writing from watching online videos, reading blog posts, and working with clients. But I noticed an increase in work quality, output, and efficiency after putting these classes into practice.

For example, I feel like I struggled with the flow and structuring of articles at the beginning of my career. But after taking the course Content Writing for Blogs by Callum Sharp, I can safely say I have an easier time structuring articles to better help readers.

I tested these platforms by watching the entire video course and completing any projects the instructor issued. 

I also recorded everything I learned by making notes. This is why I say that not all courses on Skillshare are top quality. Sometimes I’ll watch a 30-minute lesson but not learn anything. However, I always learned something new when taking a class on CreativeLive.

Final Word On CreativeLive vs Skillshare Review

CreativeLive and Skillshare are excellent platforms for writers, entrepreneurs, and photographers to refine their skills. They also have two of the most helpful communities on the internet. So if you are stuck, just ask for some help.

However, they help us in different ways. Skillshare has more classes to watch. This allows you to see different approaches that people used to reach their goals. With CreativeLive, the classes are taught by the top 1% of professionals in their respective skills. Via CreativeLive, you learn from some of the web’s best content creators.