Is MasterClass worth it? Our honest review after trying 9+ classes

What does it truly mean to master something?

In simple terms, it means to hold the aces in a given field, industry or craft — to push the limits in a specialty that comes with a fervent and consistent experience. It’s the years-in-counting, hands-on journey that allows others to applaud in awe, asking, “How can I do that, too?”

Before you’ve earned all the badges in your pursuit of choice, you have to learn — or study — the basics. Alas, we’ve landed at Masterclass.

The online education subscription platform is where that skill or team of must-know tips is unlocked. Thanks to Masterclass, users with a growth mindset can learn from more than 180 experts in their respective arts — anyplace, anywhere.

I’ve been inundated with sponsored ads, commercials and social media posts all touting Masterclass’ handiwork in helping others learn how to bake sourdough from scratch, learn how to effectively present a speech or grow a green thumb to yield a fruitful harvest, so I thought I’d put the $10-a-month service to the test.

What is MasterClass?

MasterClass is breaking the barriers in “edu-tainment” — a sphere of online learning that’s both enlightening and insightful. It’s the marriage of your most engaging college seminar (without the brick-and-mortar classrooms, of course) and digital media production, as each MasterClass offering is debuted documentary-style to instruct creatively and brilliantly.

More, the elite, as-seen-everywhere platform is glittered with household names teaching very important things. From Martha Stewart giving the 411 on her blossoming, home-making suburban garden that she, as a result, harvested into a business to Sara Blakely teaching the masses on entrepreneurship and the ideation to creation of transformative womenswear brand SPANX, $10 a month certainly unlocks the cream of the crop — the carefully curated litter of those who can speak to their craft most astoundingly.

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What is the most popular class on MasterClass?

While MasterClass doesn’t have a concrete list of top-enrolled classes, I thoroughly researched the options the platform has to offer to gauge what users have been enjoying and talking about. While the particular MasterClass course (or courses, I should say) is largely dependent on what you prefer to learn, I compiled a brief list of classes I’ve taken and completed and ones you can expect to gain insight from and take plenty of notes for:

• Martha Stewart — Think Like a Boss, Live Like a Legend
• James Clear — Small Habits that Make a Big Impact on Your Life
• Noam Chomsky — Independent Thinking and Media’s Invisible Powers
• Shea McGee — Design a Space You’ll Love
• Robin Roberts — Effective and Authentic Communication
• Sara Blakely — Self-Made Entrepreneurship
• Melinda French Gates — Impactful Giving
• Bobbi Brown — Makeup and Beauty
• Gordon Ramsay — Cooking I

Even better, the classes range from less-than-an-hour sessions to upwards of four hours. In other words, some classes can be completed in one sitting while others are more intensive and can be worked on for a few weeks at a time. MasterClass makes it simple to learn new skills and hone existing ones.

So far, I’ve completed nine MasterClass programs and I provide a glimmer of my perspective in the review section below. While I can only speak for the offerings I’ve mastered I can say that there are a variety of other classes that have caught my attention (and are on my list to tackle next). Some of these include Bread Baking with Apollonia Poilâne, Poker Strategy with Phil Ivey and Gardening with Ron Finley.

What is the average cost for MasterClass?

What’s great about MasterClass is its flexibility. The platform truly desires you to learn at your own pace based on your own schedule. It’s that easy!

You can sign up for MasterClass for $10 a month, billed annually. For each membership plan, you can share devices with other members of your household, access more than 180 classes across 11 learning categories and unlock bonus guides and content — the latter pre-slated into select MasterClass offerings.

Here’s my two cents: MasterClass, compared to other e-learning platforms (like Coursera or edX), is a phenomenal value. Though you may receive learning certificates on other platforms that you can leverage on your resume or LinkedIn profile — unlike MasterClass — the invaluable tips and tricks learned on this platform, in particular, are equally as beneficial to your personal growth. Surely, it’s something to consider: a $10 investment monthly to learn, sharpen and improve upon a variety of skill sets.

Our review

As early as I can remember, I’ve always loved school. I loved playing school at five-years-old just as much as I enjoyed going to school at 16-years-old. And, of course, the classes become increasingly more interesting as you approach college — honing in on an area of focus (in my case, journalism and writing) and seeking out different perspectives and way to learn the craft.

So is the case with MasterClass. No, it doesn’t really feel like school. However, its keen focus on educational programming with expert-led lessons and sessions adds some of the excitement into enjoying the learning process. Forget about the grades, forget about the stress and — in most classes — forget about the assignments.

As I perused the MasterClass offerings, I came to realize how many different skills I was interested in learning about — and that’s the best part. There aren’t any limits with MasterClass. Sure, I’m not going to leave Melinda French Gates’ MasterClass and kickstart a $69 billion philanthropic foundation or transform into the youngest self-made billionaire after starting something like SPANX (side note: I never could compete, as the brand’s AirEssentials Crew simply has no competition).

But, here’s what I learned: the experts know their craft and their personal journeys best, and that’s the best takeaway you won’t find anywhere other than MasterClass. That’s right — not a TED Talk (though most similar), nor a YouTube video, can provide that first-person, exclusive instruction.

I first experienced MasterClass one or two years ago, but I started really “studying” with MasterClass in the past four months. Sometimes, I selected classes based on the person (Gordon Ramsay) and other times, based on the class material (Noam Chomsky), so there truly is something for everyone — whether you’re a fan of the expert or a fan of the larger conversation topic.

As someone who has always valued education in high regard, I’ve loved MasterClass’ commitment to continuous learning where creativity and brilliance unite. Each course offered online has documentary-style production levels (think: History Channel meets a modern-day classroom).

Some MasterClasses feature exclusive, personal stories, while others offer behind-the-scenes footage, like being taken backstage with Robin Roberts on the set of Good Morning America or to Martha Stewart’s backyard to see her home-grown vegetables (which led to her cooking shows on, in fact, cooking the vegetables, which then turned into the publishing of vegetarian cookbooks and, therefore, the growth of her multi-faceted franchise).

As I reflected on my testing notes I’ve taken throughout my MasterClass experience, I came across this phrase in my journal that underscores the platform perfectly: It feels like an insightful documentary you want to take notes on.

That’s how each MasterClass feels. From taking an inside look at Bobbi Brown’s going-out nighttime makeup bag to learning *exactly* how Gordon Ramsay prepares his Perfect Scrambled Eggs in his world-class, at-home kitchen, there’s always a “wow moment.”

Additionally, MasterClass is a platform where I can see school-districted teachers and collegiate professors integrating into their lesson plans. For instance, Robin Roberts’ lesson on public speaking as part of her Effective and Authentic Communication course was one I thought a communications professor may share as part of his lecture. After all, MasterClass breaks down each course into bite-sized chunks (sometimes about 10 minutes, other times around 30 minutes), so you can revisit one area of focus whenever you’d like.

How MasterClass compares to other e-learning platforms

Previously, I’ve written a MasterClass v. Skillshare review that highlights the differences between these two popularly used platforms. In the past four months, I’ve been making lists of MasterClass and Skillshare courses I’d like to experience, working my way down the list (note: if you feel like filling up your cup with 15 minutes of an e-learning platform instead of spending 15 minutes watching a TV series on Netflix, your list is ever-evolving!)

Because I’ve been using MasterClass and Skillshare simultaneously, it has been easier to compare the differences between these two platforms in particular. While MasterClass is most closely related to a documentary or TED Talk, Skillshare is more akin to a YouTube video. This is primarily because MasterClass provides a more expert-first approach to its content while Skillshare offers a more skills-first approach to its content (as its name suggests).

With Skillshare, I’ve taken digital drawing and animation classes from an instructor who was self-taught on the tablet drawing app Procreate. I’ve also taken an all-in-one YouTube crash course (building a channel, filming, editing, the works) from someone who has gained plenty of followers and passive income from his personal channel. However, neither of these names were people I’ve recognized. But, of course, Martha Stewart and Gordon Ramsay on MasterClass are household names — proven experts in their fields.

This doesn’t mean one platform is better than the other. Truthfully, the one that’ll work best for you depends on your lifestyle and how you want to learn. I didn’t sign up for MasterClass thinking, “I want to learn how to apply makeup like a pro and learn all the insider tips.” In all honesty, signing up for Bobbi Brown’s four-hour course is something I completed in one day — therefore, negating the need to continue my MasterClass membership. I signed up for MasterClass because I wanted to learn a variety of skills — from learning how to decorate a space like an interior designer to understanding how to think more critically about the media landscape.

That said, if I had the same thought — “I want to learn how to apply makeup like a pro and learn all the insider tips,” I think Skillshare is the better platform, in this instance. Skillshare is a bit more user-friendly in terms of searching for something to learn (like “animation” or “copy editing”). You’ll find hundreds of videos, mostly all with assignments, that teach the niche skill in different lenses.

While MasterClass provides expert-taught perspectives to implement into your lifestyle, Skillshare provides perspectives that allow you to become an expert over time.

Additionally, MasterClass is pretty excellent for those who have busier schedules. While I took notes during both MasterClass and Skillshare classes, I found myself having to really sit down and pay attention with Skillshare. With MasterClass, I found myself cleaning my room, applying makeup or multi-tasking and checking emails at times.

Aside from Skillshare, MasterClass seems to be on an introductory level to certificate courses you may find online. For example, I’ve completed a few lessons from Yale University’s The Science of Well-Being course (otherwise known as the “happiness class”) and that felt more like a remote class I was enrolled in while I was in college. That said, the saying, “you get what you pay for” holds true here; paying for e-learning opportunities — whether upfront for the full course or at the end to hold the certificate in your hands — can be upwards of $3,000, sometimes more.

So, $10 a month for MasterClass ain’t too shabby to learn some skills and first-person approaches to a topic of choice. While you won’t have a certificate, you’ll gain incredible knowledge — from starting a corporation and prototyping an invention to understanding the ins and outs of making sourdough bread from scratch in easy-to-follow steps.

Is MasterClass worth it?

Taking all factors into consideration, I’d say MasterClass is worth the cost. You can cancel at any time, though I feel like $10 a month is a small price to pay for the production quality, educational insight and digestible pointers and tips you receive throughout each course. Plus, MasterClass continually updates its platform, so it’s worth sticking around.

How we tested

Testing and critiquing an online learning platform like MasterClass is no easy feat. After all, I haven’t taken all of the 180 (and counting!) courses its catalog has to offer, so I can only speak for the ones I have taken. Here’s the rundown of the testing criteria I kept in mind with each MasterClass course I enrolled in:

• Quality: From the quality of the online videos to the quality of the content, this criteria is one that seemed to be the most important to me. I took note of how consistent MasterClass was from course to course — and, unsurprisingly, I was amazed throughout them all.
• Value: Though $10 a month isn’t a crazy price to spend on education, it can add up over time. I consistently thought, “Is this really worth it?” and didn’t find myself ever thinking the platform wasn’t.
• Real-world applicability: As insightful as classes may be, I jotted down any unique insights I tangibly took away from the class. Uniquely, Sara Blakely’s Self-Made Entrepreneurship course inspired me to start a podcast (it’s in the works!), while Robin Robert’s Effective and Authentic Communication course made me think more critically and confidently about my career journey.

The bottom line

Let’s revisit the initial question at the beginning of this review — What does it truly mean to master something? After taking and completing more than nine MasterClass offerings, I’ve learned that consistency is key. Having an open mind to learn from new perspectives is instrumental to your growth. And, most importantly, investing in MasterClass for only $10 a month allows you to unlock potential you may not have thought you had within you — a potential that can soon develop into something much greater than yourself.

With pages of notes chronicling the many tidbits I’ve learned from MasterClass and what I enjoyed about the platform, I’d say there’s no better time to sign up than right now. No, you don’t have to wait for Jan. 1 or the first of a month. If you take the first step to sign up, you’re already on your way to becoming just a bit better than you were yesterday.

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