If you were to draw a Venn diagram showing the best ideas from TED Talks and the high-quality production value from the best television of the past decade, the overlap would be MasterClass. MasterClass is an online learning service that takes the form of video lectures and demonstrations from top talent across many fields. It’s simultaneously binge-worthy, educational, and thought-provoking. The quality alone leaves you wondering, “How is this so good?” As such, MasterClass is an enthusiastic Editors’ Choice winner for online learning.How Much Does MasterClass Cost?MasterClass has three plan types: Standard ($120 per year), Plus ($180 per year), and Premium ($240 per year). All plans require full payment for a year up front. There are no monthly options. Previously, the starting rate was $180 per year, and the current lower prices put MasterClass more in line with the cost of more mainstream video streaming services. There is no free trial, but there is a 30-day money-back guarantee, and if you know someone who already subscribes, you can ask them if they have any 14-day guest passes to share.
Standard gives you access to all of MasterClass’ content without restriction. The limitations are that you can only stream MasterClass on one device at a time, and you must stream because you cannot download lessons to watch offline. It’s the best option if you plan to watch MasterClass videos mostly at home.The Plus account lets you download videos to watch offline, and you can watch videos on two devices at a time—so effectively, two people can share one account. The Premium plan is similar to Plus, but you can watch on up to six devices at a time.
For what MasterClass offers, the price is reasonable—and lower than what it once was, though it’s still not an impulse buy. It would be better if there were a month-to-month option.
(Credit: MasterClass/PCMag)
Other similar non-degree learning courses are priced all over the map, and prices often change, so it’s to MasterClass’ credit that its prices have been stable for at least a year. LinkedIn Learning gives you a month for free to try out the service, but then it costs a minimum of $29.99 per month or $179.88 per year. Skillshare has a free tier of service with limited content, and the cost of the paid membership for all access changes every single time I visit the site. Not long ago, it was $167.88 per year, but as of this writing, I saw $49 per year—and at times, it has been as low as $20 per year. Skillshare has a little of everything, but it tends to focus on the skills either in or adjacent to the arts, like sewing, memoir writing, and running an Etsy store. Khan Academy is totally free, and it’s tightly focused on academics.What Makes MasterClass Different?MasterClass has two defining characteristics that set it apart from any other online learning system. First is the talent. MasterClass recruits A-listers as its instructors. Steve Martin teaches comedy. Natalie Portman teaches acting. Serena Williams teaches tennis. It’s an awe-inspiring lineup.Second, the classes are supremely high quality in both production value and course composition. You can tell the team at MasterClass spends significant time working with the instructors to create an outline and sequence for each course so you, the learner, get the right information at the right time. In other words, concepts build on one another. The quality of the sets, lighting, and audio are equally high. When Christina Aguilera teaches you how to use different microphones while singing, you can hear every example she makes with the mics without losing your grasp on her normal speaking voice when she’s explaining what she’s doing.
(Credit: MasterClass/PCMag)
What (and Who) Is Inside MasterClass?Inside MasterClass are eleven categories:Arts and EntertainmentBusinessCommunity and GovernmentDesign and StyleFoodHome and LifestyleMusicScience and TechSports and GamingWellnessWritingSome sections have more video courses than others. For example, the Science and Tech category has eight, but Writing has 22. As mentioned, MasterClass recruits the best people in their fields to teach these courses. Many teachers are household names.For in-depth descriptions of some of the best content from MasterClass, see PCMag’s list of the best MasterClass Courses.
The Best MasterClass Courses
Getting Started With MasterClassWhen you start a course, you can read an overview of everything it contains, including the number of videos and any supplemental materials. You see a breakdown of the videos, each with a title and description.How long are the videos? The run times appear on thumbnails of the video inside the course. What you don’t see is what year the course was filmed, which would be nice to know. Most lessons are 6 to 20 minutes long, and most courses are at least 18 lessons long, though the length varies. Some courses have bonus content, too, such as David Lynch explaining Transcendental Meditation for 17 minutes using diagrams he draws with a Sharpie. He’s David Lynch, so I suppose he gets to do that.As you watch, you can take notes in a notes field next to the video player. MasterClass saves your progress every time you start a course. You can also make a list of saved courses that you want to go through.
(Credit: MasterClass/PCMag)
The MasterClass Experience: What Are the Classes Like?Over the years, I’ve watched a lot of MasterClass courses. Some are straightforward skills-based courses, and others (often the older ones) are more philosophical and inspirational in nature. I watched Penn and Teller teach the art of magic while also driving home the importance of storytelling and the meaning of truth. I paid attention to Judy Blume’s story creation process while absorbing lessons about sticking to your guns when an editor or an agent wants to make a change that you, as an author, disagree with. I took notes as Shonda Rhimes explained how to write interesting and useful auxiliary characters. The topics are varied, and the insight and reflection you get from these A-listers is rich.Some courses are much more about the teacher and less about the content. Alice Waters, for example, teaches home cooking, but she spends most of it sharing her philosophy of food and life. She insists on filming in her home kitchen. She brings her daughter in for a few segments. They talk about eating seasonally and share stories of different dishware and cookware in their home. You learn a lot of the “why” behind cooking. Why choose this ingredient? Why pair these flavors? It’s a bit slow at times, so I opted to dial up the video playback to 1.5x speed. If there had been a 1.25 speed (Skillshare has that, MasterClass does not), I might have used it more, as Waters speaks slowly and easily gets sidetracked, or she takes 20 minutes to wash lettuce.In addition to speeding up the playback, you can also turn on closed captioning or subtitles in several languages. The English captioning seems to be automatically generated and not checked by humans because I noticed many small errors, though it’s about on average with captioning I see elsewhere.
(Credit: MasterClass/PCMag)
Curation for InspirationIf you don’t want to watch the same person on the same topic for hours on end, you can turn to curated Playlists. Playlists are selected videos from different presenters that share a similar theme. Each Playlist has a name that highlights the theme, such as A Healthy Amount of Risk, Dialogue for Screen and Stage, Leadership, and Understanding Ingredients. The playlists are fantastic, as they let the MasterClass editors pull together some of the best moments from courses that have the most universal appeal. Plus, they are much shorter than a full course. They also may lead you to get interested in a course that might not have captured your attention when browsing through the MasterClass content in other ways.Verdict: Masterfully CompellingMasterClass is a joy to watch. While reviewing the service, I would play a video in the background while making notes or doing other work, only to find myself drawn into it or pausing it until a time when I could engage with it more fully. The question I kept asking myself was, “Could I find this content online for free if I really wanted it?” and the answer was “no.” I might be able to watch interviews with Reba McEntire or astronaut Chris Hadfield on YouTube or catch a glimpse of insight from a celebrity on TikTok or Instagram, but I’m not going to get hours’ worth, and they won’t lay out the process of how they work in a clearly defined structure as they do on MasterClass. The meat of MasterClass is masterful, making it an Editors’ Choice winner for online learning.
The Bottom Line
Online learning service MasterClass lures you in with its A-list instructors and then hooks you with thoughtful material and exceptional production value.
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About Jill Duffy
Columnist and Deputy Managing Editor, Software
I’ve been contributing to PCMag since 2011 and am currently the deputy managing editor for the software team. My column, Get Organized, has been running on PCMag since 2012. It gives advice on how to manage all the devices, apps, digital photos, email, and other technology that can make you feel like you’re going to have a panic attack.My latest book is The Everything Guide to Remote Work, which goes into great detail about a subject that I’ve been covering as a writer and participating in personally since well before the COVID-19 pandemic.I specialize in apps for productivity and collaboration, including project management software. I also test and analyze online learning services, particularly for learning languages.Prior to working for PCMag, I was the managing editor of Game Developer magazine. I’ve also worked at the Association for Computing Machinery, The Examiner newspaper in San Francisco, and The American Institute of Physics. I was once profiled in an article in Vogue India alongside Marie Kondo.Follow me on Mastodon.
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