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Education 6 min readMarch 12, 2026

Skillshare Free Trial 2026: What You Get and Whether It Is Worth $168/Year

Skillshare offers a free trial with full access to 35,000+ classes. Here is what you get, how to make the most of the trial period, and whether it is worth $168/year after the trial ends.

Skillshare is an online learning platform with over 35,000 classes in design, photography, business, marketing, writing, and more. Unlike Coursera or Udemy, Skillshare is a subscription — one price gives you unlimited access to all classes. New members get a free trial with full access, typically 30 days, before being charged $168/year.

What Makes Skillshare Different

Skillshare classes are taught by practitioners — working designers, photographers, entrepreneurs, and creators — rather than academic instructors. The focus is on practical, project-based learning. Most classes are 30–90 minutes long, which makes them easier to fit into a busy schedule than a multi-week course.

How to Make the Most of the Free Trial

  1. Identify 3–5 specific skills you want to learn before starting the trial.
  2. Complete at least one full class in the first week — the project-based format makes this achievable.
  3. Download classes for offline viewing if you travel or commute.
  4. Set a calendar reminder for day 25 to decide whether to continue before being charged.

30-day free trial with full access to all 35,000+ classes.

Our Verdict
4/5

Skillshare is worth trying — the free trial is genuinely generous and 30 days is enough time to complete several classes and get real value. Whether the $168/year subscription is worth it depends on how consistently you use it. If you complete one class per month, the cost per class is $14 — reasonable for quality instruction from working professionals.

Written by the StackMyReferrals Editorial Team. We review products independently and only recommend products we believe are genuinely useful. When you sign up through our links, we may earn a referral bonus — this never affects our editorial opinion.