Tarun Nagar 
What if you could build the next Skillshare where artists, coders, chefs, and dreamers from around the world come not just to learn but to thrive?
In today’s creator economy, knowledge is more than power; it’s profit. And platforms like Skillshare have turned online learning into a global movement.
Now, it’s your turn.
Whether you’re a visionary entrepreneur or a bold startup, imagine creating a digital classroom that never sleeps, fuels creativity, and generates revenue 24/7.
Intrigued? This blog is your blueprint to build a website like Skillshare. From must-have features to costs and tech insights, let’s craft your idea into an online learning revolution.
What is Skillshare?
Skillshare is an online learning platform that was founded in November 2010 by Michael Karnjanaprakorn and Malcolm Ong in New York City. It was launched in April 2011 to offer video courses in a diverse range of subjects across creative and practical areas, including Design, Photography, Writing, and Entrepreneurship.
Skillshare’s philosophy focuses on project-based learning, enabling virtually anyone to teach or learn a new skill through video classes. An app like Duolingo or Skillshare platform is offered via a subscription model, allowing members access to thousands of classes in exchange for a monthly fee.
What Market Stats Talk About Skillshare?
- As of 2024, Skillshare has approximately 13 million registered users.
- About 500,000 of these users are paying subscribers.
- The platform features a catalog of over 30,000 online courses, primarily focused on creative, business, and technical skills.
- Skillshare receives approximately 9 million monthly website visits.
- Skillshare gained over 38 million course enrollments and 8 million classes completed in 2022.
- Skillshare reported that about 55% of traffic came from desktops and 45% from mobile devices.
Why Would An Entrepreneur Want To Invest In Building A Website Like Skillshare?
Before we guide you through the process to build a website like Skillshare, you must consider these compelling reasons that will make you feel more confident about choosing Skillshare clone app development as the right choice.
1. High Demand for Online Learning
There is an incredible demand for online learning, driven by a significant shift towards remote work and the need to continue learning while working remotely. An entrepreneur can put this mindset to use by covering various subjects and assisting learners in acquiring new skills or by providing individuals with opportunities to enhance their careers. So, here we provide the benefits of educational mobile apps for students:
2. Scalable Revenue Model
A subscription or pay-per-class platform like Skillshare has enormous potential for scalable revenue. After initial investment into the content infrastructure, the cost to serve additional users is negligible compared to the added revenue benefit.
This means that in most subscription programs, as the number of users globally increases, profit margins also increase without a substantial proportional increase in operational costs.
3. Community Building and Engagement
The tutor app development solution provides a natural community for learners to meet, connect, learn from, share with, and engage with one another on projects. This is viewed by entrepreneurs as a sticky feature of the platform, helping to ensure successful user retention.
They create a self-sustaining ecosystem, attract additional instructors and learners, and encourage brand loyalty and advocacy.
4. Leveraging the Creator Economy
Skillshare-type platforms, where learners can leverage their knowledge to become paid instructors, provide a community where an entrepreneur can attract talented instructors to produce valuable and engaging course content. They can reap the benefits without incurring the costs of hiring and creating all the content themselves; it’s a win-win arrangement.
5. Data-Driven Insights and Niche Identification
The e-learning app development solutions provide an abundance of data on course offerings, allowing for the identification of popular topics, learning patterns, and user preferences. This data can provide entrepreneurs with clues to identify future trends and new, underserved niches.
Any successful entrepreneur will methodically plan for and adjust their offering regularly to maintain relevance in a fast-changing online learning space.
What Makes Skillshare Different From Other Education Apps?
Look, this is a question that comes in everyone’s mind whether you’re an entrepreneur or a user. What’s so different about skillshare? So let me take you towards the journey of unique core about skillshare.
1. Creative-Centric Niche
Skillshare specializes in the creative arts, design, photography, and related disciplines. According to the kids learning app development company, this single focus attracts a demographic that is likely passionate about visual and applied arts. This sets it apart from other platforms that have a wide-ranging academic curriculum.
2. Emphasis on Project-Based Learning
One of the key differentiators is how Skillshare focuses on project-based learning as a specialized approach. In Skillshare, every class provides learners with hands-on projects that allow them to apply their skills and learn through experience. These projects can help build a real portfolio for learners to showcase the skills they have demonstrated rather than relying on “fake” projects.
3. Vibrant Community Engagement
Skill development platforms provide learners with ample opportunities for interactive community engagement, allowing them to share projects, receive feedback from users, and ask questions of instructors. The best education applications offer a collaborative learning experience for users and an opportunity for them to form meaningful and long-lasting connections with other users.
4. Unlimited Subscription Model
Unlike other educational portals where learners purchase courses individually, Skillshare functions more like an all-access model. This method encourages learners to explore all topics without worrying about incurring additional costs for each course as they delve into new creative endeavors.
5. Practitioner-Led Instruction
Instructors are often working professionals or individuals still active in the industry, sharing real-world techniques from a practitioner’s perspective. An app like Udemy helps learners receive more practical and actionable information from current industry practitioners in comparison to more traditional academic or theoretical instructors.
Top 10 Skillshare Alternatives
Here is the list of some superb alternatives to Skillshare that you need to have in your pocket. Let’s go, entrepreneurs!
| Website | Launch Date | Downloads / User Base | Founders |
| Udemy | 2010 | 100M+ users | Eren Bali, Oktay Caglar, Gagan Biyani |
| Coursera | 2012 | 124M+ learners | Andrew Ng, Daphne Koller |
| edX | 2012 | 50M+ learners | Harvard University, MIT |
| Khan Academy | 2008 | 135M+ users | Salman Khan |
| LinkedIn Learning | 2016 (as Lynda in 1995) | 27M+ users (LinkedIn data) | Lynda Weinman, Bruce Heavin |
| Teachable | 2014 | 100K+ instructors, 30M+ students | Ankur Nagpal |
| Domestika | 2010 | 10M+ users | Julio G. Cotorruelo |
| FutureLearn | 2012 | 18M+ learners | The Open University (UK) |
| MasterClass | 2015 | 1M+ subscribers | David Rogier, Aaron Rasmussen |
| Pluralsight | 2004 | 1.7M+ subscribers | Aaron Skonnard, Keith Brown |
6 Stages To Build a Website Like Skillshare
Hooray, the time has come when you need to know about the step-by-step guide to create a website like Skillshare. So let’s get this segment started, shall we?
1. Define Your Business Model & Niche
Before the actual educational app development services start, you should have clearly defined the business model you want to pursue — subscription, freemium, or pay-as-you-go. You should have also outlined your focus (creative learning, tech skills, etc.) and audience.
This will provide the development team with the context they require to deliver your core features aligned to your vision. This way, your revenue model and other growth drivers can be factored in from the start.
2. Partner with the Right Education App Development Company
In the second stage to build a website like Skillshare, select a development partner that has a strong reputation for building effective e-learning platforms. Take the time to check their portfolio of clients, review the testimonials provided from their clients, and assess their technical experience regarding LMS platforms, video streaming, payment gateways, and mobile compatibility.
Hire dedicated website developers who will be there for you from ideation to planning, development, testing, and implementation.
3. Plan Features and Functionality
Work with the development team to outline all the features you would like including user registration, instructor/user profiles, course creation tools, video hosting, quizzes, ratings and feedback, messaging and payment integration.
Be sure to rank features as they relate to the MVP (Minimum Viable Product). Plan to roll out more advanced features such as AI recommendations, gamification or offline access in future releases to allow for scalability.
4. Design Intuitive UI/UX for Learners & Instructors
Hire mobile app developers to create a design that allows for a clean and straightforward experience for both users and instructors, which should involve both before core functionality can be imagined. There should be intuitive navigation, course browsing, tracking of learners’ progress, and experiences of uploading content.
5. Integrate a Scalable Technology Stack
Through the use of agile methodologies, your app development team will build the app iteratively through a series of sprints. Each modular piece (e.g., user app, electrician app, admin panel) is developed, tested, and integrated. It is in this phase that APIs, such as maps and payment methods, are integrated into the app.
This is also the time you will receive any updates from your app development team, and you have to ensure that they remain aligned with your vision.
6. Test, Launch, and Market Your Platform
In the last stage to build a website like Skillshare, before launch, the app goes through extensive testing to ensure functionality, security, and compatibility on all devices. As soon as you approve the app, they will deploy it to both the iOS and Android platforms.
Hire education app developers that offer post-launch support; they will also keep an eye on your app to monitor performance, any bugs that need to be fixed, as well as keep the app updated regularly to ensure the platform remains in working order.
Features of A Website Like Skillshare
Hey, stop there. We know that many entrepreneurs think having profound knowledge about the development process is okay, but do you know what’s more important than this? Guess yes, you can. Its features. If you’re interested in creating a replica of the Skillshare website, then you must know about these must-have features for all panels. Here you go!
| Student Panel | Instructor Panel | Admin Panel |
| Easy sign-up/login via email or social | Instructor registration & profile setup | Admin dashboard with analytics |
| Course browsing by category or keyword | Course creation tools (video, text, quizzes) | User & course management |
| Enroll in free or premium courses | Earnings tracking and payout management | Instructor approval system |
| Video streaming and progress tracking | Class performance & feedback reports | Review and moderate content |
| Leave reviews and rate courses | Engage with students through comments | Manage subscriptions & payment settings |
| Personalized course recommendations | Edit and update course content anytime | Monitor user activities and violations |
| Access downloadable resources | Promote courses with custom coupons | Send push/email notifications |
| Join discussion forums and communities | Access to course-building guidelines | View transaction and revenue reports |
| Bookmark or save courses for later | Track student engagement and feedback | Resolve user disputes or issues |
| Manage account settings and preferences | Manage profile, photo, and bio | Data backup and security settings |
Advanced Features of A Website Like Skillshare
Now that you know the essential features of an education app like Skillshare you should have a list on your notepad about these advanced features. In the 2025-2020 market of education these features are gonna boom. So write, write!
1. AI-Based Course Recommendations
Skillshare alternatives supports machine learning capabilities to analyze behavior, preferences, and users’ previous learning history to suggest personalized courses.
2. Gamification Features
Uses points, badges, and leaderboards to motivate learners, increase engagement, and completion of courses through motivation and competition potential.
3. Live Classes and Webinars
The Skillshare website clone enables real-time interactions with instructors through live streaming, as well as options for Q&As, workshops, and hands-on demonstrations, all designed to enhance learning potential.
4. Offline Learning Mode
Skillshare website clone allows users to download course materials and videos for offline learning; learning continues without interruption for users, without any need for an internet connection, anywhere and at any time.
5. Advanced Analytics Dashboard
Websites like Skillshare provide very comprehensive data for instructors and administrators on users’ engagement, course performance, retention, and revenue generation.
6. Integrated Community Forums
If you create an app like Skillshare, it allows instructors and learners to interact in different ways to build a learning community; features include discussion boards, community settings, group chats, forum-like features and peer support.
7. Multi-language Capabilities
Increases global reach and appeal to learners of different languages through user interface content in multiple languages.
8. In-app Messaging System
Websites like Skillshare provide the ability for direct communication with students and instructors, increasing the effectiveness of feedback to students for support and mentorship.
9. Custom Course Certificates
Automatically generates branded certificates for users when the course is finished, provides learners with the ability to show off their new skills or validate them in some fashion, professionally.
10. Subscription & Micro-Payment Models
A flexible monetization model for new revenue streams; includes variants such as premium subscriptions, pay-per-course subscriptions, bundled products, and continuous monthly payments to suit learning budget and choice(s).
How Much Does It Cost to Develop A Website Like Skillshare?
Generally, the estimated cost of developing an education app like Skillshare is between $8,000 and $30,000 in most cases. However, some of the variables that affect this estimate include the complexity of the platform, the features we wish to include, the intended design, and the location of the developing team, to mention a few.
The lowest Skillshare website development cost with all the minimum required features will fall within the lower budget range. However, creating a full-fledged platform with a decent amount of features will take a significant investment. Here are 7 different variables that will affect the education app development cost:
1. Platform Features & Functionalities
The more features you add to your platform and the more advanced (e.g., video streaming, quizzes, certificates, subscriptions, live and asynchronous classes), the more development will take, and hence, the more cost you will incur because of the increased website development cost.
| Feature Complexity | Estimated Cost |
| Basic MVP (courses, user profiles, login) | $8,000 – $12,000 |
| Intermediate (certifications, quizzes, reviews, subscriptions) | $13,000 – $20,000 |
| Advanced (live classes, AI recommendations, analytics) | $20,000 – $30,000+ |
2. Third-Party Integrations
Integrating features like payment gateways, live streaming APIs, email services, and analytics tools comes with additional costs and can result in increased project times when project owners demand an extensive list of integrations and customizable aspects of the e-learning application, requiring real-time support or enterprise-level service.
| Integration Type | Estimated Cost |
| Payment Gateways (e.g., Stripe, PayPal) | $800 – $1,500 |
| Live Streaming APIs | $1,500 – $3,000 |
| Email/Notification Tools | $500 – $1,000 |
| Analytics & Tracking Tools | $800 – $2,000 |
3. UI/UX Design
The more time and effort we invest in developing clean, user-friendly, and intuitive mobile-responsive designs for both the UI and UX to enhance retention will also result in higher costs. Additionally, custom graphics, interactive elements, and smooth interfaces also require experienced developers, and the complexity of the designs can significantly impact the overall mobile app development cost.
| Design Type | Estimated Cost |
| Basic, Template-Based Design | $1,000 – $2,000 |
| Custom UI/UX with Mobile-Responsive Layout | $2,500 – $5,000 |
| Advanced UI with Animations & Interactions | $5,000 – $7,000 |
4. Development Team Location
Developers in North America or Western Europe can be considerably more expensive than the average developers in Asia or Eastern Europe. Outsourcing can lower overall Skillshare website development cost without sacrificing quality if you choose the right people.
| Region | Hourly Rate | Estimated Total Cost |
| North America | $80 – $150/hour | $25,000 – $40,000+ |
| Western Europe | $60 – $120/hour | $20,000 – $35,000+ |
| Eastern Europe | $30 – $60/hour | $12,000 – $25,000 |
| Asia (India, Philippines) | $20 – $40/hour | $8,000 – $20,000 |
5. Technology Stack
The technology stack chosen (to build your application using), such as React, Node.js, Laravel, and AWS, profoundly impacts how a platform behaves, scales, and performs. It will also include licensing costs, integration costs, hosting solutions, and others, which can add significantly to the overall cost to create a website from Scratch.
| Tech Stack Level | Estimated Cost |
| Basic Open-Source Stack | $1,000 – $2,500 |
| Mid-Level Stack with Licensed Tools | $3,000 – $6,000 |
| Advanced Stack (React, Node.js, AWS, Microservices) | $6,000 – $10,000+ |
6. Content Management System (CMS)
Creating a custom CMS for uploading courses, instructor tools, and content moderation is more resource-intensive than using an existing CMS option. It will be reflected in your cost to build a website Like Skillshare.
| CMS Type | Estimated Cost |
| Using Existing CMS (WordPress, Moodle) | $1,500 – $3,000 |
| Semi-Custom CMS | $3,000 – $6,000 |
| Fully Custom CMS with Instructor Dashboard | $6,000 – $10,000+ |
7. Maintenance & Support
There are education app maintenance services costs after deployment, including bug fixes, feature upgrades, security updates, and server-level maintenance. Typically, these costs come out of the annual project budget based on the initial cost to develop an education app.
| Service Type | Annual Cost Estimate |
| Basic Support (Bug Fixes, Updates) | $1,000 – $2,000/year |
| Standard Support + Minor Feature Upgrades | $2,500 – $4,000/year |
| Full Support with Scaling & Security Monitoring | $5,000 – $7,000+/year |
Having a website to run your professional eLearning company, like Skillshare, is a cost to build a website like Skillshare that will continue to pay off and be able to scale and grow as a business.
How AI Impact Education Websites Like Skillshare?
E-learning websites like Skillshare have seen tremendous change due to AI’s ability to personalize content, facilitate automation, and promote engagement. Aside from offering customized course recommendations based on learning patterns through AI-driven algorithms, AI has also enabled the development of innovative content creation applications, automated grading, and real-time feedback both for learners and instructors.
Chatbots provide round-the-clock support, enhancing user satisfaction and freeing them of some of the manual labor. On the other hand, advanced analytics demonstrate performance, predict learning outcomes, and improve content strategy.
Additionally, the advancement of AI-driven translation and speech recognition technologies is making learning increasingly accessible to a broader international audience, offering opportunities for sites like Skillshare to expand their market reach and ultimately provide a more inclusive learning environment.
How a Website Like Skillshare Earns Money?
Online education portals like Skillshare typically have a variety of revenue streams that they use to monetize their content and users. Here are 5 examples:
1. Subscription Model
This is Skillshare’s primary revenue source. Users pay a recurring (monthly or yearly) charge for unlimited access to all their content; a)it is certainly a more reliable income than consumers making individual purchases; b)it’s utterly predictable income; the standard subscription for a member is approximately $200 a year.
2. Revenue Sharing with Instructors
A substantial proportion of the subscription revenue is shared with instructors for the content they create. This is done according to various measures, such as the number of minutes watched in their classes and consumer engagement with their content. This program serves as an incentive to create high-quality content while also attracting top instructors.
3. Affiliate Marketing
Educational apps like Masterclass may collaborate with relevant companies or software vendors to receive a commission whenever users register, sign up, or purchase the company’s products or services through embedded, unique affiliate links within the platform.
For example, in a design course, they suggest a few software products where the platform receives a commission when a student purchases the software using the link provided by the platform.
4. Corporate/Team Subscriptions
The best algebra apps offer business or educational institutions plans that enable their employees or students to access the platform. B2B deals frequently generate more revenue than B2C deals, as they are generally bulk licensing agreements that utilize company budgets to pay for them.
5. Sponsored content/partnerships
This arrangement covers both scenarios where platforms partner with brands to create sponsored courses that could be worthwhile to the brand, as well as partnering with a brand for a specific purpose. This could take many forms, including direct payments by the brand to create content or arrangements such as licensing for existing content on another video streaming platform or through other commercial means.
How Dev Technosys Can Build You A Skillshare-like Website?
Dev Technosys is a premier education app development company that can help build a website like Skillshare by providing you with full-fledged web and mobile app development services.
We bring years of experience developing robust, scalable learning platforms with all of the capabilities required to teach online, including user and instructor profiles, course management, streaming video, secure payment integration, and community components.
Our focus is on making your e-learning platform memorable with an intuitive UI/UX so that your entrepreneurs have an effortless learning experience while bringing their e-learning vision to life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What is the Very First Step to Make a Website Like Skillshare?
The first step is to make a website like Skillshare, perform quality market research to identify a relevant niche, define your target audience, and establish an interesting value proposition to focus your development on. You will use these findings to help you navigate your platform features and content strategy.
Q2. Should I Develop My E-learning Platform to Focus on Live Classes or Pre-Recorded Courses to Start?
You should focus on pre-recorded courses to start, so you can scale content efficiently and consistently. You can look to develop live classes later as a premium offering, or a way to engage users through community interaction as the platform grows and the demand from your users becomes evident.
Q3. What Payment Models Are the Most Popular for a Skillshare-Like Site?
To create a site like Skillshare you will want to incorporate a freemium model (vs. premium) to encourage use and entry before wanting to convert users to a paid plan. Then you will want to experiment with subscription plans (monthly vs. yearly), per-course payments, and bundled course payment options.
Q4. How Can I Attract Instructors To My New Platform?
Offer competitive revenue shares, provide excellent instructor support and tools, and highlight your platform’s unique reach and marketing capabilities. Showcase success stories to entice top talent.
Q5. What Are The Key Technology Considerations For A Robust E-Learning Platform?
Prioritize a scalable cloud infrastructure, a user-friendly learning management system (LMS), secure payment gateway integration, and robust video hosting solutions for seamless user experience.
Q6. How Much Does it Cost to Build a Website Like Skillshare?
The cost to develop a website like Skillshare is between $8,000 to $25,000, depending on features, design complexity, platform, and development team rates. The cost to build a website like Skillshare also depends on the user accounts, video streaming, payment integration, and scalability.
Q7. How Long Does it Take to Create a Website Like Skillshare?
To create a website like Skillshare, it usually takes 6 to 12 months, depending on project scope, features, design complexity, team size, and development methodology used for creating a robust and scalable platform.
