# Skillshare vs Alison

The clearest difference is ads: Skillshare at none against Alison's shown. Alison's advantage is review sentiment (79% vs 62%). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Skillshare sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $18.99 per month and Alison sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $5.00 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Skillshare against 4.8 for Alison. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 25K and 12K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 62% of Skillshare's written reviews are positive against 79% of Alison's.

Skillshare ships an update every 10 days, Alison every 9 days. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Skillshare | Alison |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (25K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skillshare-creativity-classes/id916819843/reviews)** | [4.8 (12K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alison-online-education-app/id1558468968/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **25K** | 12K |
| Positive reviews | 61.7% of reviews | **79.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 64 MB | 118 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Skillshare, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/916819842) | [Alison (Capernaum Limited)](https://appshunter.io/developer/1558468970) |

## What reviewers say

### Skillshare

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skillshare-creativity-classes/id916819843)

Access thousands of online courses taught by industry professionals to develop your creative skills. Learn drawing, animation, design, photography, and more at your own pace. Offers free classes and a premium subscription for unlimited access.

**Highlights:** Thousands of online creative courses, Professionally led lessons, Offline viewing, Progress syncing across devices, Mini viewer for multitasking, Free classes available

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Membership | $18.99 | per month |
| Skillshare Monthly Membership | $19.99 | per month |
| Monthly Premium Membership | $31.99 | per month |
| Monthly Premium Membership | $31.99 | per month |
| Skillshare Monthly Membership | $49.99 | per month |
| Skillshare Annual Membership | $167.99 | per year |
| Annual Premium Membership | $169.99 | per year |
| Annual Premium Membership | $169.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Excellent variety of creative classes
- 🤓 High-quality instruction from industry professionals
- 🕰 Flexible learning at your own pace
- 💡 Inspiring and motivating content
- 📚 Broad range of topics covered

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Lacking search and organization features in the app
- 🖥 Limited functionality compared to the website
- 🔌 Offline viewing issues and inconsistencies
- 🤖 Buggy and unstable app performance
- 🔒 Questionable billing and cancellation practices

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes and freezes frequently
- Video playback issues and syncing problems
- Inconsistent user interface and navigation
- Inability to access class resources and materials
- Account management and cancellation difficulties

**Requested features**

- Ability to sort and organize saved classes
- Offline class downloads and viewing
- Seamless integration between app and website
- More advanced search and filtering options
- Picture-in-picture mode for multitasking


### Alison

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alison-online-education-app/id1558468968)

Access over 4,000 free, CPD-accredited courses to upskill or change careers. Earn diplomas and certificates from anywhere, anytime, with flexible, self-paced learning. Join a global community of millions and build job-ready skills.

**Highlights:** 4,000+ free CPD-accredited courses, Earn diplomas and certificates, Mobile-friendly course content, Personalized course recommendations, Flexible self-paced learning, Track progress and schedule reminders, Synced coursework across devices

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (18)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Alison offline learning monthly sub | $5.00 | per month |
| Alison offline learning yearly sub | $39.99 | per year |
| Alison offline learning lite | $3.00 | one-time |
| Alison digital certificate NG | $11.00 | one-time |
| Alison digital certificate | $17.49 | one-time |
| Alison digital certificate | $17.99 | one-time |
| Alison digital certificate | $18.49 | one-time |
| Alison digital certificate | $22.99 | one-time |
| Alison digital certificate | $23.00 | one-time |
| Alison digital certificate | $26.99 | one-time |
| Alison digital certificate | $28.99 | one-time |
| Alison digital certificate | $29.49 | one-time |
| Alison digital certificate | $31.00 | one-time |
| Alison digital certificate | $39.00 | one-time |
| Alison digital diploma US | $75.00 | one-time |
| Alison digital diploma | $75.00 | one-time |
| Alison digital diploma | $80.00 | one-time |
| Alison digital diploma | $100.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💥 Excellent learning platform
- 🎓 Useful certifications and diplomas
- 🤓 Informative and educational content
- 👍 Easy to use and navigate
- 🌟 Great for personal and career growth

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Paid certificates after free courses
- 🐛 Occasional glitches and bugs
- 🔍 Limited course selection in some areas
- ⏱️ Lack of progress saving and resume options

**Reported bugs**

- Freezing during assessments
- Inconsistent course progress tracking
- Login issues with Apple credentials

**Requested features**

- Offline mode for courses
- More language options
- Improved search and filtering
- Ability to favorite/save courses
- Downloadable course materials


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Skillshare free?

Skillshare is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Alison free?

Alison is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Skillshare or Alison?

Skillshare is rated higher. Skillshare averages 4.8 out of 5 from 25K ratings, while Alison averages 4.8 from 12K ratings.

### Do Skillshare or Alison have ads?

Alison shows ads; Skillshare does not.

### Which is updated more often, Skillshare or Alison?

Skillshare ships an update every 10 days, and Alison every 9 days. Most recently, Skillshare was updated on October 30, 2026 and Alison on October 30, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*