Examined Sep 25, 2026 No link we may carry Billed a year up front A friend's Skillshare link gives you a free month, and when it ends Skillshare bills the whole year, $167.88, in one charge that its terms say it need not refund.
Skillshare's help center describes what you get in one sentence: “Your friend will be able to sign up and join the class with your referral, and they'll receive a month of Skillshare for free.” The pricing page then shows $167.88 a year, written as $13.99 a month paid annually, and answers the obvious question plainly: “You'll be billed for the year in full, so you can enjoy continuous access to creative classes year-round.” The same page mentions a trial, but not how long it lasts.
What pays what
| A new member joining through a member's referral link | 1 free month, then $167.88 for the year |
|---|---|
| A new member with no link | A trial of a length the pricing page does not state, then $167.88 |
Do this, in this order
- Get the link from someone you know. The member finds it under Refer a Friend in the profile menu, or with Share on a class page. The referral terms list, among actions that can close accounts, “Referring students using spam or mass emails, texts, or messages, automated bots advertising, sponsored links, unsolicited emails, or links on message boards or forums”. The same list lets Skillshare close the accounts of members referred that way, so a code from a stranger's post can put your new account at risk.
- Sign up on the website and write down the end date. For some trials Skillshare needs a payment method, and it charges it the day after the trial ends. If you subscribe through the Apple or Google app stores, the terms send you to their refund policy instead.
- Cancel before the month is out if you do not want the year. The terms say to cancel through your payment settings at skillshare.com/settings/payments before the charge. Canceling later, mid-year, does not refund fees already paid.
- Know the refund rules before you need them. The clause below is the one that matters for anyone who started free. The terms add: “To the extent permissible under applicable law, you are entitled to, at most, one refund only.” Once a refund is confirmed, you lose all access to the membership.
- Watch the renewal price too. Promotional prices usually last a set period, and then “your subscription will automatically renew at the then-applicable full price, unless you cancel prior to renewal by changing your settings on your account profile.”
Skillshare has no obligation to consider or grant refund requests, including (i) for subscription plans purchased with a 7-day or longer free trial;
What Skillshare does not publish, and why this page has no link
The length of the ordinary trial. The pricing page we read refers to “your trial” without saying how long it is. The terms say prices can differ when you are logged in: “The subscription price we offer may be different when you are logged into your account compared to the price available to users who aren't registered or logged in, for example because some of our promotions are available only to new users.” Check the figure on your own screen before you pay.
Offers on other sites. The referral gives a new member a free month. Skillshare's affiliate page says affiliates share special promotions rotated every month, so a site linking you to Skillshare may show an offer we could not read.
A clause we will not sign up to. The referral terms list, as grounds for voiding an award: “Engaging in actions that disparage or malign or call into question the reputation of Skillshare, in Skillshare's sole discretion”. A review has to be free to say a refund rule is harsh, so we carry no Skillshare link. The Terms of Service we read carry “Date of Last Revision: September 4, 2024”.
Is it worth your time?
If a friend is a member and you are curious, yes: a month of classes costs you nothing. Treat it as a month to decide, and make the decision before it ends, because the next step is $167.88 in one go.
Think harder if you tend to forget renewal dates. The trial-to-annual design means one missed date costs a year, and the terms leave any refund to Skillshare's discretion, once per person. If you would rather pay monthly, note that the pricing page we read showed only the annual plan.
