Top-notch Tools for Mastering Novel Talents:
Have a yen to learn a new whacky skill? Cyberspace's teeming with apps that can help you out. But with so many options, where do you start? This guide narrows down your choices by showcasing our top favorite learning apps for helping you broaden your horizons.
We'll take a gander at what each one offers and explain their differences, so you can make an educated decision. Before you make up your mind, consider these questions:
- Got the dough for a proper education, or are you on a shoestring budget right now?
- Are you after formal recognition, or do you prefer practical, hands-on skills?
- Do you fancy a structured learning environment, or are you into self-paced study?
And for deets on upskilling, here's our top picks on upskilling courses. Let's dive into our top learning apps:
01. Udemy
- Emphasis: Individual learning
- Payment model: Free courses, pay-per-course, subscription
- Access: Android, iOS, web
Udemy is a massive online marketplace that lets you create and take video-based courses on a vast array of topics. It allows interaction with instructors and fellow students, ensuring support and clarification when needed. The platform offers an expansive library of over 100,000 video courses crafted by experts, including both free courses and paid options. If you'd rather access multiple courses, you can take out a subscription.
Subjects range from graphic design, web design, UX, animation, illustration, 3D, photography, video editing, game development, fashion design, and arts and crafts. There's also plenty of broader options for creative exploration. Remember, due to anyone being able to create and sell a course on Udemy, course quality may vary.
02. Skillshare
- Emphasis: Project-based learning
- Payment model: Monthly or annual subscription
- Access: Android, iOS, web
Much like Udemy, Skillshare offers video-based learning. But unlike Udemy, you can't pay per course – you need to subscribe monthly or annually for access to the whole shebang.
Skillshare leans more towards creative disciplines, providing not just instruction on tools and techniques, but also guidance on best practices and fundamental principles within your chosen creative field. Topics covered include design, illustration, photography, writing, and animation.
Skillshare emphasizes project-based learning and community interaction, with many courses involving hands-on projects and discussion forums where students can connect and share their work.
03. Domestika
- Unique Selling Proposition (USP): High-quality production values.
- Payment model: Free trial, pay-per-course, subscription
- Access: Android, iOS, web
Domestika puts a premium on course production values. The team works closely with instructors to ensure that courses are professionally filmed and edited, resulting in an engaging visual learning experience.
Domestika caters to creative professionals and enthusiasts, offering high-quality online courses taught by leading artists and designers. The platform covers a wide range of creative disciplines, including illustration, photography, design, and animation. Courses often include downloadable resources and community forums for interaction and feedback. You can opt for a subscription or pay per course.
04. LinkedIn Learning
- Emphasis: Professional development
- Payment model: Subscription-based (usually linked to a LinkedIn Premium account)
- Access: Android, iOS, web
Got a hankering to level up your professional skills? LinkedIn Learning provides in-depth training on management, effective working practices, and a wide range of other skills, spanning from programming and audio creation to business strategy.
If you're an avid LinkedIn user, it does a swell job suggesting relevant courses based on your previous searches, posts, and interactions. LinkedIn Learning offers both monthly and annual subscriptions. However, if you already have a LinkedIn Premium account, you likely already have access to LinkedIn Learning included in your membership.
As you might expect from this business-focused platform, LinkedIn Learning is a fantastic resource for career advancement with a professional edge. It tends to have a more vetted selection of instructors, who typically come with established expertise in their respective fields. That said, you'll also find courses here for hobby exploration if that's your cup of tea.
05. Coursera
- Emphasis: University-level courses and qualifications
- Payment model: Varies by course/program; some free, others require payment or subscription
- Access: Android, iOS, web
If you prefer a more academic approach to your learning, Coursera stands out for its academic and professional zest, teaming up with universities and institutions worldwide to offer courses, specializations, and even degrees. This means you can find everything from introductory courses to advanced master's programs.
Coursera covers a broad range of subjects but with a tilt towards formal education and recognized credentials. Many courses include video lectures, readings, quizzes, assignments, and discussion forums, providing a structured learning environment.
Many courses offer an "audit" option, allowing you to access course materials (videos, readings, etc.) for free, without completing assignments or earning a certificate. This is a great way to explore a subject before committing to a paid one. Paid options include subscription and bespoke payment plans.
06. edX
- Unique Selling Proposition (USP): Technical subjects such as computer science.
- Payment model: Varies by course/program; some free, others require payment or subscription
- Access: Android, iOS, web
If you're keen on techy subjects like computer science and AI, edX has a strong academic foundation, partnering with universities and institutions worldwide to offer courses, MicroMasters programs, and even full degree programs. This means you can find rigorous, university-backed content.
Courses on edX often include a variety of learning materials, such as video lectures, readings, quizzes, assignments, hands-on labs, and discussion forums. As with Coursera, many edX courses offer an "audit" track, which allows you to access the course materials (videos, readings, etc.) for free before committing to the full course.
- Udemy's vast library of over 100,000 video courses includes not only graphic design, web design, and UX but also animation, illustration, 3D, photography, video editing, game development, fashion design, and arts and crafts.
- Skillshare emphasizes project-based learning and encourages students to connect and share their work in community forums, focusing on creative disciplines like design, illustration, photography, writing, and animation.
- Domestika prioritizes high-quality production values in its courses, offering them to creative professionals and enthusiasts across a broad range of creative disciplines like illustration, photography, design, and animation.
- LinkedIn Learning focuses on professional development, providing in-depth training on a variety of skills, from programming and audio creation to business strategy, and catering to a more vetted selection of instructors with established expertise.
- Coursera offers university-level courses and qualifications, partnering with institutions worldwide to provide both introductory courses and advanced programs, covering a broad range of subjects but with a tilt towards formal education and recognized credentials.
- edX is a strong choice for those interested in technical subjects like computer science and AI, as it partners with universities and institutions worldwide to offer rigorous, university-backed content.
- Education-and-self-development apps like these not only provide access to courses but also provide a means for practical, hands-on learning with a focus on interactive, project-based tasks.
- If you're on a shoestring budget, you may find more affordable options or even free courses through apps like Udemy and Coursera, which offer both paid content and free courses.
- Online-education apps cater to self-paced learners, allowing you to work through courses at your own speed, providing a structured learning environment if you prefer a more formal educational structure, but also offering flexibility to learn as you choose.
