Skillshare vs Domestika: Which is better for creative courses?

When looking for the best online course platforms for creative classes, you’ll come across two of the most popular options: Skillshare and Domestika.

Both services offer tons of engaging content to learn everything from UX design, Procreate, and Adobe Illustrator to macrame, map illustration, and basket weaving. But in the head-to-head competition of Skillshare vs Domestika, which platform comes out on top?

Since I’ve been using both for years, I’ve put together this comparison guide to help you decide which platform is right for you.

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Skillshare vs Domestika: Overview

Before we get into the Skillshare vs Domestika nitty-gritty, I wanted to share a brief overview of what each platform has to offer.

While both have a number of great courses to learn creative skills, they differ in key areas that may make one or the other a better choice for you.

In general, Domestika specializes in highly produced courses that give you an in-depth understanding of a task or topic. They can run anywhere from three to ten hours, and can be purchased individually.

Learn more about Domestika in our extensive Domestika review!

On the other hand, Skillshare focuses on teaching specific tasks and fundamentals throughout a series of shorter courses. These are created and published by amateur and professional tutors alike, who proactively sign up on the platform to teach.

This means that quality is a little more inconsistent, but the quantity is much higher.

Learn everything you need to know in our Skillshare review!

Some Skillshare courses can be accessed with a free account, while others require signing up for a yearly subscription. This single membership plan unlocks literally thousands of courses, so it’s perfect if you like to hop from lesson to lesson!

With that groundwork out of the way, let’s dive a bit deeper into our Skillshare vs Domestika comparison, starting with courses.

Skillshare vs Domestika: Courses

When looking into Skillshare vs Domestika based on the courses they feature, the story ultimately comes down to quantity vs quality.

Since Skillshare makes it so easy for anyone to create and upload a course, there are far more options on offer. The platform boasts nearly 30,000 courses, so no matter what you’re looking for, the odds are that there’s something for you.

The downside is that there isn’t as much control over quality. In recent years Skillshare has been much more active in removing courses that don’t meet its standards, but you’re still likely to encounter some duds.

To combat this, Skillshare created a subcategory called Skillshare Originals featuring a selection of courses produced in-house.

Through this category, it’s easier to find high-quality teachers and curated content right away. That said, what usually happens is that you discover a teacher you like, then check out the rest of their classes, which ultimately leads you to compile a list of courses and teachers you know are good.

Domestika takes the opposite approach by producing all of its courses with an in-house team. Teachers are reputable professionals in their field, but they have a big helping hand in creating quality courses.

Although this leads to fewer courses overall, they are consistently good and leave you satisfied and fulfilled with what you’ve learned. You also pay for them individually, so if you’re not happy you can always request a refund.

One big caveat is that although there are a growing number of English-language courses, most Domestika courses are mostly in Spanish with English subtitles.

These subtitles are often auto-generated so they can be hit or miss, although in my experience I was able to follow everything the instructors said. Also, over time this aspect has improved.

Subtitles are offered in English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, and others: a plus for international users.

If you’re someone who can’t stand watching movies with subtitles, you might want to opt for Skillshare’s English-language courses if you can’t find what you’re looking for on Domestika.

Other content

Aside from standard courses, neither platform has any patterns or other content to buy.

Instead, Skillshare offers a special program called “Learning Paths” which are essentially a series of courses on a specific topic. The idea is that by the time you complete all of them, you’ve picked up a new skill.

These range from practical matters like Adobe Photoshop to soft skills like beating procrastination.

Domestika also has something a little different to offer: Domestika Live. This program started as part of the 2020 #StayAtHome movement and hosts numerous free, hour-long lessons from reputable Domestika teachers.

These tutorials are shorter and less in-depth than standard courses, but provide a fun (and free!) way to learn new skills and meet new teachers.

Be aware that they are in Spanish, English, or Portuguese and do not have subtitles, so pick one that you’ll understand!

If you want to get an idea of what you can experience with a complete Domestika course, a few options are available for free for a limited time.

These used to change every few weeks, but have remained the same for over a year now. Learn more about the latest free Domestika courses here.

Skillshare vs Domestika: Pricing and value

Skillshare and Domestika have very different pricing models, so it’s difficult to say which offers better value for you. 

With Skillshare, courses are locked behind a single yearly subscription fee: Skillshare Premium. And while there are some free courses on the platform, the best ones are undoubtedly on the other side of the paywall.

A Skillshare Premium membership costs $165 (the equivalent of $13.75 a month). If you don’t want to go all in at first, the good news is that you can grab a free month of unlocked content with this special promotional link!

The downside of this model is that once you stop paying for your subscription, you lose access to all of your courses.

On Domestika, courses can be bought individually. Once purchased, they’re yours for good, and you will never have to worry about losing access.

Courses generally cost about $40 each, but frequent special offers lower that to about $10.

Keep in mind that these courses are taught by experts and are much more detailed and comprehensive, generally running 3-10 hours long.

Domestika also offers a subscription plan called Domestika Plus which offers fantastic perks if you’re one to take a lot of online courses.

Below are a few benefits you can expect!

Although Domestika Plus isn’t uber cheap, it’s still way cheaper than Skillshare Premium. It goes for $83.88 if paid yearly, translating into less than $7 a month.

If you choose to pay monthly, it’ll run you $9.99 a month.

By paying once a year, you will be getting a pretty good discount: the equivalent of three monthly payments.

While it may not be the best option for those who take just a few courses a year here and there, Domestika Plus is the ideal option if you intend to delve into a larger volume of classes.

You can also sign up for a month and enjoy a free course credit, free classes, and 20% discounts vs purchasing multiple courses individually at $10-40 a pop.

Skillshare vs Domestika: Platform

One great aspect of both Domestika and Skillshare is that they double as social media platforms for creatives.

As you complete courses you can upload your projects and share them with other members. This way you can build a portfolio of your work and follow other creators you like.

Domestika actually started its run in the early 2000s as a social media platform for creatives, and only began to add courses years later. There are many social features baked into the platform, like following creatives, sharing projects, and messaging other users.

There’s even a section on the website dedicated to creative job listings, and although most opportunities are based in Spain, many offer remote positions. You can also list yourself as open to freelance projects in your profile. Creating an account is free and does not require a subscription.

Skillshare also allows you to set up a basic profile and post your finished projects, but the social network aspect is not as complete. It’s still there, just not quite as full-featured and relevant to the experience as it is on Domestika.

Skillshare vs Domestika: For teachers

Before I wrap this up, I want to take a moment to talk about what the teacher experience is like on both platforms.

Skillshare vs Domestika: which is better for teachers?

The short answer is that both are a decent pathway to passive income for dedicated teachers. The long answer is that the experience is completely different on each platform.

On Skillshare, teachers are responsible for every part of course creation: planning, recording, and updating. This might seem like a burden, but the good news is that it’s easy to get accepted onto the platform.

Sure, there are minimum requirements, but as long as you can actually teach a skill and don’t actively promote another service, it’s basically as easy as uploading videos to YouTube.

To help new teachers, Skillshare offers a complete Teacher’s Handbook as well as a few classes filled with tips for teachers. Definitely check them out if you’re creating classes on any platform!

Creating courses on Domestika, on the other hand, is much more of a process. You have to first pitch your course idea (you can do that here), then get it accepted onto the platform.

The company will send production specialists free of charge to help you film your course so it’s always studio quality. You, of course, will still need to come up with the content itself.

As for payouts, Skillshare pays based on the amount of time subscribers spend viewing your courses. Domestika pays a flat fee to start, then a percentage of sales after surpassing that fee, similar to the book publishing industry.

One important thing to note is that Skillshare recently added the ability to change playback speed, which will decrease the number of hours users spend watching your courses. Also, courses watched by users on a free trial do not count toward payments.

Both of these can and will have a direct impact on how much you make as a teacher.

And yes, both Skillshare and Domestika are legitimate businesses that pay teachers what they’re owed in a timely manner.

Verdict

So who comes out on top in the battle of Skillshare vs Domestika? Honestly, you should try both because they each have something unique to offer.

In terms of raw value, a Skillshare Premium subscription is pretty pricey, but the upside is that you get access to tens of thousands of courses. This makes it a great choice if you like to explore new creative hobbies and skills through shorter, tutorial-like classes.

However, if what you’re after is a few really high-quality courses that teach a specific subject or skill in-depth, Domestika is a better option. Just be sure to check the audio language before you enroll and be open to the idea of reading subtitles (although there are lots of courses taught in English).

Get started with either service by clicking the buttons below!

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I hope this Skillshare vs Domestika comparison has been helpful for you! Let me know your experience and recommendations in the comments below.