Web platformEducation & e-learningOriginal by Skillshare
Skillshare is a course platform focused on creative skills such as design, illustration, photography and video, offering unlimited access through a subscription. Courses are short and project-based: at the end of each lesson the student produces a piece of work and shares it in the class project gallery. This sharing culture turns learning from passive watching into making things and getting feedback.
Building something similar requires subscription management, a video course library, an instructor application and publishing process, instructor revenue sharing based on watch time, a project gallery, and comment and follow features. The instructor panel shows minute-level watch reports and payouts. On the admin side you run content approval, editor picks, campaigns and the accounting for instructor payments; the mobile app can offer offline viewing.
How Skillshare works: the core user flow
How many apps and dashboards do you need?
Student website and app
The interface where subscribers watch classes, share projects and follow instructors.
Instructor panel
A panel where instructors upload classes, define project assignments and see watch-time and earnings reports.
Admin panel
A panel for managing class approval, editor picks, subscription campaigns and instructor payout calculations.
Critical features of a product like Skillshare
Watch-time revenue pool
A share of monthly subscription revenue is distributed to instructors in proportion to the watch minutes of their classes.
Project gallery
Every class has a gallery showing student work, with likes and comments driving interaction.
Short lesson structure
Classes are split into 2 to 10 minute lessons, and progress and the last position are tracked automatically.
Instructor follows and notifications
Students follow instructors and are notified when a new class is published.
Editor picks and lists
Topic-based learning paths and curated lists make discovery easier.
Fake-view detection
To keep payouts fair, abnormal viewing behaviour is detected and excluded from the calculation.
What goes into the first version, what comes later
First version (MVP)
- Subscription and free trial
- Video class library and search
- Instructor panel with class upload
- Project gallery and comments
- Watch-minutes reporting
Later releases
- Automatic instructor payouts
- Mobile app and offline viewing
- Corporate team subscriptions
- Live workshops
Modules and how the budget is calculated
The budget is calculated with 360 SOFT’s pricing model from the modules below, about 28 screens and the project’s complexity: roughly 143 person-days for the full scope and 109 person-days for the first version. Every module you drop lowers the budget directly.
| Module | Phase |
|---|---|
| Sign-up, login, social login | First version |
| User profile and settings | First version |
| Roles and permissions | First version |
| Subscriptions and recurring billing | First version |
| Online payments (Stripe / PSP) | First version |
| Video / voice calls | First version |
| File, photo, video upload | First version |
| Advanced search and filters | First version |
| Ratings and reviews | First version |
| Email / SMS notifications | First version |
| Reporting and analytics | Later release |
| Admin dashboard | First version |
| Content management / blog | First version |
Hosting, SMS, map APIs, app store accounts and payment-provider fees are separate items. Maintenance and improvements (optional): €500 / month. We send a fixed written price within 24 hours after a free discovery call.
The hard parts
Fair revenue distribution
Collecting watch data accurately, filtering out manipulation and reporting transparently to instructors is the foundation of trust.
Instructor payments and tax
Payments to domestic and international instructors, withholding and invoicing processes must be designed together with accounting.
Community moderation
Spam, copyrighted material and inappropriate posts in the project gallery and comments must be controlled.
Business model
On a Skillshare-type platform the main revenue comes from monthly or yearly subscriptions, with users won through a free trial. A fixed percentage of subscription revenue is distributed to instructors by watch minutes, and referral bonuses can be paid to instructors who bring in new subscribers. Team plans for companies offer an additional revenue channel.
Get a free quote for your project
Let us scope it together and send a fixed written quote within 24 hours. NDA on request; you own the source code.
Choosing a company to build an app like Skillshare
Most people searching “website like skillshare” are really looking for a reliable app development company. When comparing quotes, check four things:
- Can you try similar products they have shipped, in the stores or live?
- Are the source code, design files, servers and store accounts transferred to you by contract?
- Do they show a working demo every two weeks, with written scope and acceptance criteria?
- Are maintenance, scaling and GDPR/security costs written into the quote?
Copyright and trademarks
A business model and features are generally not protected on their own, but the Skillshare name, logo, interface design, content and source code are. That is why we build a product with similar functionality but your own brand, design and code. This is not legal advice; we recommend a trademark search before launch.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to build a website like Skillshare?
A first version with subscriptions, a video library, an instructor panel and a project gallery can be built in a few months. Automatic watch-time payouts and a mobile app are later phases.
Subscription or per-course sales?
For creative, short classes a subscription works better because users browse many classes. For long, specialist training, per-course sales may be more suitable.
Are there copyright or trademark issues?
The subscription-based creative course model is free to use. The name, logo, design, class videos and code cannot be copied; this information is not legal advice.
What should I look for when choosing an education platform development company?
Look for a team with experience in subscription management, video analytics and revenue-share calculation. Ask how payout reports will be verified.
