Short answer
- Brilliant teaches math, coding, data science and science through interactive problem-solving lessons. It has a free tier (2 lessons a day) and Premium. It does not offer certificates (Brilliant).
- Skillshare teaches creative and practical skills in short video classes, each with a project. It costs $167.88 a year ($13.99 a month, billed annually) on its US pricing page, has no free tier since 2021, and gives a class certificate when you watch all lessons and submit a project (Skillshare).
- Choose Brilliant to build math, logic, coding or data skills by solving problems. Choose Skillshare for design, illustration, video, photography or creative business skills.
Brilliant and Skillshare get compared often, but they teach different things in different ways. Brilliant is interactive: you solve problems and get instant feedback. Skillshare is video: you watch a class and make a project. The older version of this article had several facts wrong, including a Skillshare free tier that no longer exists. This version is based on both companies’ help centers and pricing pages, checked on September 22, 2026.
Brilliant vs Skillshare at a glance
| Brilliant | Skillshare | |
|---|---|---|
| Subjects | math, coding, data science, science and technology, including AI | creative and practical skills; categories include Design, Art & Illustration, Photography, Film & Video, Writing & Publishing, Marketing & Business and Development |
| Format | interactive lessons with problems and instant feedback | pre-recorded video classes, 20 to 60 minutes on average, each with a project |
| Catalog | more than 40 interactive courses | “over 35,000 classes” (Skillshare Teams article) |
| Free tier | yes: 2 “keys” a day, lessons in fixed order, occasional ads | no, since September 15, 2021 |
| Paid plans | Premium monthly or annual, Family Plan for up to 6 people | annual on the website ($167.88 in the US); monthly only through the app |
| Certificate | none | class certificate after all lessons plus a project |
| Offline | not available | in the iOS and Android apps |
| Refunds | “nonrefundable except as required by applicable law” | one-time refund within 48 hours after a 7-day trial charge; renewals not refunded |
Sources: Brilliant subjects, Brilliant courses, Brilliant free vs Premium, Brilliant pricing, Brilliant offline, Brilliant refunds, Skillshare categories, Skillshare pricing, Skillshare cost, Skillshare class format, Skillshare Teams, Skillshare free classes, Skillshare offline, Skillshare refunds.
What kind of certificate you get
Brilliant: none. Brilliant “does not currently offer completion certificates, course credits, academic degrees, or professional certifications” (Brilliant). You track progress with streaks, XP and progress bars instead. One detail that confuses people: Brilliant says it is “fully accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACS WASC),” but that accreditation doesn’t mean it awards credits or degrees; it states that it “does not award course credits, academic degrees, or professional certifications” (Brilliant).
Skillshare: a class certificate. “Yes!” is how Skillshare’s help center answers the question. You earn a certificate when you watch “all of the lessons in a class and submits a project.” It shows your name, the class title, the date, the teacher, the class length and a “unique certificate ID,” and you can share it by link from your Achievements page. A project saved as a draft doesn’t count; a privately published one does (Skillshare, Achievements FAQ).
Skillshare’s help center says nothing about accreditation or credit for these certificates. Treat them as proof that you completed a class and made something, which for creative work can be shown alongside the project itself. Neither platform offers a professional certification; for those, see our Certification Cost Index.
Is there a Brilliant free tier?
Yes. Brilliant’s free plan is “Limited to 2 keys per day,” and each key unlocks one lesson or practice set. Lessons follow a fixed order, there are occasional ads, and you get a limited preview of Brilliant’s AI tutor, Koji. Premium removes the limits (Brilliant).
Skillshare has no free tier anymore. Since September 15, 2021, Skillshare has been “transitioning away from offering a free class experience,” so all members need a trial or a paid subscription. Teachers can still share single classes through free access links (Skillshare).
Price
Skillshare: $167.88 a year, or $13.99 a month billed annually, on its US pricing page on September 22, 2026 (Skillshare pricing). Its help center adds that “Subscription costs may vary depending on your location” and that a monthly plan is available only “via the Skillshare app.” Trials come in two lengths, 7 days or 14 days and longer, depending on the offer (Skillshare).
Brilliant: Premium is sold monthly, annually and as a Family Plan for up to six people, and Brilliant’s help center points to its subscription page for current prices (Brilliant). That page shows prices in local currency; from Germany on September 22, 2026 it listed €25 a month on the monthly plan, €13.75 a month on the annual plan and €28 a month for Family (Brilliant subscribe). Check it from your location. Brilliant “does not usually offer discounts,” but K-12 teachers and their classes can get Premium for free (Brilliant).
Refunds differ. Brilliant’s payments are “nonrefundable except as required by applicable law,” with a self-service refund for some web purchases. Skillshare refunds once within 48 hours after a 7-day trial converts, if you haven’t used the platform since; longer trials and renewals aren’t refunded. App store purchases go through Apple or Google on both.
How the learning feels
Brilliant is built around doing: short interactive lessons with problems to solve, instant feedback and visual simulations. It has “more than 40 interactive courses” in math, programming, computer science, data analysis, science and AI, and says it has “10 million+ learners” (Brilliant). There is no offline mode.
Skillshare is built around watching and making: classes average 20 to 60 minutes of video, split into short lessons, and “all classes on Skillshare include a project” (Skillshare). It says 11 million+ people have learned on it. Classes can be downloaded in the apps.
Which one to choose
| You want… | Better fit |
|---|---|
| Math, logic or problem-solving practice | Brilliant |
| Coding or data basics by doing exercises | Brilliant |
| Design, illustration, photography or video skills | Skillshare |
| A certificate you can share | Skillshare |
| To learn for free | Brilliant (free tier) |
| To learn offline | Skillshare (apps) |
Comparing Skillshare with other platforms? See Skillshare vs MasterClass, CreativeLive vs Skillshare and Lynda (LinkedIn Learning) vs Skillshare.
Frequently asked questions
Is Brilliant or Skillshare better?
They teach different things. Brilliant is better suited to math, coding and data practice through problem-solving; Skillshare to creative and practical skills through video classes and projects.
Does Brilliant have a free tier?
Yes. The free plan gives you 2 keys a day to unlock lessons or practice sets, in a fixed order and with occasional ads.
Does Brilliant give certificates?
No. Brilliant doesn’t offer completion certificates, course credits, degrees or professional certifications.
Does Skillshare give certificates?
Yes, a class certificate when you watch all lessons of a class and submit a project. It includes a unique certificate ID and can be shared by link.
How much is Skillshare per year?
$167.88 a year ($13.99 a month, billed annually) on Skillshare’s US pricing page in September 2026. Prices can vary by location.
How we checked these facts. Brilliant and Skillshare rules, formats and catalog figures come from their help centers, pricing pages and homepages, checked on September 22, 2026. Certificate Quest is not affiliated with Brilliant or Skillshare and earns nothing from links on this page.