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LMS · head to head

Skillshare vs Totara

Skillshare logo

Skillshare

LMS

Online learning community for creative skills

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Totara logo

Totara

LMS

Open source learning, performance and collaboration platform derived from Moodle and sold through partners

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Skillshare has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Skillshare limited language support available compared to Udemy which offers 75 languages; Totara you cannot buy from the vendor. Every purchase runs through a partner who sets its own hosting, services and support pricing, so identical platforms are quoted at materially different totals and buyers must run a partner comparison as well as a product comparison.
  • They diverge on capability: Skillshare covers Video classes, Totara covers Organisational hierarchies.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Skillshare and Totara actually diverge.

Attributes where Skillshare and Totara differ
AttributeSkillshareTotara
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android, Linux
Founded2010Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (LMS).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Skillshare

  • Video classes
  • Class projects
  • Discussions
  • Offline viewing
  • Mobile learning
  • Workshops
  • Curated paths
  • Teacher studio

Only in Totara

  • Organisational hierarchies
  • Compliance and certification
  • Totara Perform
  • Totara Engage
  • Self-hosting
  • Programs and learning plans

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Skillshare

  • Skill developmentnot Totara
  • Creative projectsnot Totara
  • Career growthnot Totara
  • Side hustlesnot Totara

Totara

  • Health services and government bodies that must evidence mandatory training by job role across a large hierarchynot Skillshare
  • Organisations with data residency rules that require the platform to run on their own infrastructurenot Skillshare
  • Moodle users who need appraisal, competency and compliance features the academic product does not carrynot Skillshare
  • Buyers who want exit rights over the platform code rather than dependence on a single hosted vendornot Skillshare

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Skillshare

  • Limited language support available compared to Udemy which offers 75 languages
  • Focus on creative skills means limited technical or professional development courses
  • Video quality and instructor expertise varies across courses

Totara

  • You cannot buy from the vendor. Every purchase runs through a partner who sets its own hosting, services and support pricing, so identical platforms are quoted at materially different totals and buyers must run a partner comparison as well as a product comparison.
  • Open source does not mean cheap. Subscription plus partner hosting plus implementation and version upgrade services commonly lands near commercial system cost, and the saving is in control and exit rights rather than in the invoice.
  • The administrative interface carries its Moodle lineage and is dense, so administrator training is a real project cost rather than an afterthought.
  • Major version upgrades are projects, especially where a partner has customised the deployment, and organisations that customise heavily find upgrades slower and dearer over time.
  • The learner facing experience is functional rather than engaging, and organisations wanting a consumer grade learning experience usually front it with something else.

Pricing, plan by plan

Skillshare

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Select free classes
    • Class projects
  • Premium$13.99/month
    • All classes
    • Offline viewing
    • No ads
  • Teams$undefined/month
    • Team management
    • Analytics
    • Custom content

Totara

On request
  • Totara subscription via partner$undefined/year
    • Sold only through distribution partners
    • Partner sets hosting, implementation and support pricing
    • Source available under the GPL, but subscription required for supported releases

Which should you pick?

Choose Skillshare if

  • You need video classes.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want class projects.
Skillshare review

Choose Totara if

  • You need organisational hierarchies.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
  • You also want compliance and certification.
Totara review

Questions people ask

Is Skillshare or Totara better?
Neither clearly leads. Skillshare starts at Free and Totara at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Skillshare or Totara?
Skillshare has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Skillshare and On request for Totara.
Does Skillshare or Totara run on more platforms?
Skillshare runs on Web, iOS, Android. Totara runs on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
Can I use Skillshare for free?
Yes. Skillshare has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Totara starts at On request.
What is Skillshare best used for?
Skillshare is most often used for skill development, creative projects, career growth, side hustles. Of those, skill development and creative projects are not what Totara is typically brought in for.
What can Skillshare do that Totara cannot?
Skillshare covers Video classes, Class projects, Discussions, Offline viewing. Totara covers Organisational hierarchies, Compliance and certification, Totara Perform, Totara Engage.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Skillshare: How much does Skillshare cost?

Skillshare Premium membership costs $167.88 per year (about $13.99 per month) when billed annually, or $17.99 to $32 per month when paying month-to-month. New members receive a free trial before billing begins.

Source
Totara: Is Totara free because it is open source?

No. The source is available under the GPL, but supported releases require a subscription, and it is sold through partners who add hosting, implementation and support costs.

Skillshare: What topics does Skillshare cover?

Skillshare offers more than 30,000 project-based classes in design, illustration, photography, video, writing, marketing, and productivity. Courses often include downloadable resources like templates, brushes, and design files.

Source
Totara: How is it different from Moodle?

Moodle is built around courses and academic delivery. Totara adds organisational hierarchies, role based automatic assignment, recurring certification and appraisal, which is what workplace compliance reporting needs.

Skillshare: Can I download Skillshare classes for offline viewing?

Yes, Skillshare Premium members can download classes for offline viewing, allowing you to watch content anywhere without an internet connection.

Source
Totara: Can we host it ourselves?

Yes. Self hosting is a genuine option and is one of the main reasons regulated and public sector buyers choose it over a hosted only competitor.

Skillshare: Does Skillshare offer certificates?

Yes, Skillshare classes include certificates of completion as part of the project-based learning model, allowing you to track and share your learning progress.

Source
Skillshare: Is there a free tier on Skillshare?

Skillshare offers a free one-month trial to new users who provide card details. After the trial, a paid subscription is required for continued access.

Source
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