# Skillshare vs Paintable

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Paintable at none against Skillshare's 11. Skillshare's advantage is ratings volume (25K vs 18) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Skillshare sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $18.99 per month. Paintable asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Skillshare against 4.7 for Paintable. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Skillshare has 25K ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Skillshare ships an update every 10 days, Paintable weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Skillshare | Paintable |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (25K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/skillshare-creativity-classes/id916819843/reviews)** | [4.7 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paintable/id6751126346/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **25K** | 18 |
| Positive reviews | 61.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 64 MB | 143 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Skillshare, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/916819842) | [Paintable Pte. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1833558254) |

## 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


### Paintable

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paintable/id6751126346)

This app provides a structured learning path and community support for aspiring digital artists. It offers step-by-step guidance, monthly workshops, and personalized feedback to help users build confidence and complete their illustrations.

**Highlights:** 5-Level Learning Path, Monthly Themed Workshops, Private Feedback Space, Supportive Artist Community, Creative Habit Support, Illustration from Imagination

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Skillshare free?

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

### Is Paintable free?

Paintable is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

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

Skillshare is rated higher. Skillshare averages 4.8 out of 5 from 25K ratings, while Paintable averages 4.7 from 18 ratings.

### Do Skillshare or Paintable have ads?

Neither Skillshare nor Paintable shows ads.

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

Skillshare ships an update every 10 days, and Paintable weekly. Most recently, Skillshare was updated on September 25, 2026 and Paintable on September 19, 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.*