To download a Skillshare class to your computer, open the class in Chrome while signed in, use a downloader that supports Skillshare, and save each lesson as a video file. Skillshare's own offline mode is built for its mobile apps, so on a desktop or laptop you need a browser extension such as Skillshare Downloader to get files you can keep and play locally.
This guide covers the desktop route step by step, what it costs in credits, how to handle a multi-lesson class, and where downloads commonly fail.
What you actually get on your computer
A downloaded class is not one big folder with a menu. It is a set of individual video files, one per lesson, saved wherever your browser puts downloads. You open them in VLC or your default player, and you organise them yourself if you want them grouped.
That distinction matters for planning. A 10-lesson class is 10 downloads, not one. Each new video costs 5 credits with Skillshare Downloader, so a 10-lesson class costs 50 credits the first time you save it.
You should only download classes you can already access in your Skillshare account, and keep the files for personal study. Redistributing lessons breaks Skillshare's terms and the teacher's copyright.
Method 1: Download the class with Skillshare Downloader
Skillshare Downloader is a Chrome extension that saves video files from Skillshare classes you are signed in to. It runs beside the official site, so you browse Skillshare normally and use the extension panel to pick what to save.
Steps
- Install the extension from the Chrome Web Store install page and confirm Add to Chrome.
- Click the extension icon and sign in with Google. You get 15 free credits, enough for 3 new video downloads.
- Go to skillshare.com in the same browser and sign in to your Skillshare account.
- Open the class you want and let the first lesson load.
- Click the extension icon again and wait for it to list the lessons it detects.
- Pick a lesson and a quality option if more than one is shown.
- Check the credit cost (5 credits per new video) and confirm to start the download.
- Repeat steps 6 and 7 for each remaining lesson in the class.
- Open your Downloads folder and play one file to confirm it works before you go offline.
What it costs
| Plan | Price | Credits per month | New videos per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 15 on sign-up | 3 (one time) |
| Standard | $9.80/month | 100 | About 20 |
| Pro | $29.80/month | 750 | About 150 |
Re-downloading the same video again does not cost extra credits, which helps if a file gets corrupted or you delete it by accident.
Where it fails
- It only works in browsers that can install Chrome extensions.
- It only saves classes your account can currently play. If your membership lapses, the class will not download.
- It depends on Skillshare's current player. Significant platform changes can break detection until the extension updates.
- Credits run out. A long class can use a large share of a monthly allowance in one sitting.
Method 2: Skillshare's mobile offline mode (and why it is not a desktop answer)
Some memberships let you save lessons for offline viewing inside the official Skillshare app on phones and tablets. It is the closest thing to an official download button.
The catch is portability. Those files stay inside the app, tied to your account and device, and you cannot copy them out as normal video files. There is no supported way to move them to a laptop folder.
Where it works
- You watch on a phone or tablet and do not need files elsewhere.
- You want zero extra tools and no credits.
Where it fails
- You cannot export the files to your computer.
- Offline access can stop when your membership ends or a class is removed.
- Desktop browsers generally do not show the same offline option.
If your goal is a file on your computer, this method does not get you there.
Method 3: Screen recording as a fallback
Recording the lesson while it plays is the method people reach for when nothing else works. It needs no extension and no credits.
Where it works
- A single lesson you cannot otherwise save.
- Content where slight quality loss is acceptable.
Where it fails
- It runs in real time. A 45-minute lesson takes 45 minutes.
- Audio can drift out of sync, and system sounds or notifications can leak into the recording.
- File sizes balloon, and recording a whole class is impractical.
- Quality is usually below the source stream.
Comparison: which method fits your goal
| Method | File you keep on the computer | Speed | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skillshare Downloader | Standard video file per lesson | Fast, direct | 5 credits per new video | Saving a class as files you own locally |
| Skillshare mobile offline mode | In-app only, not exportable | Fast | Included with membership | Watching on a phone or tablet |
| Screen recording | Recorded video of the screen | Real time | Free | One-off lessons as a last resort |
Downloading a multi-lesson class without wasting credits
A class with many lessons is where credit planning matters. A few habits keep the cost predictable.
- Open the class page and count the lessons before you start.
- Multiply by 5 to get the credit cost of the full class.
- Compare that number to your monthly allowance (100 on Standard, 750 on Pro).
- Download the lessons you will actually study first, not the whole class by reflex.
- Keep the files in a named folder so you can tell which lessons you already have.
If a class is 30 lessons, that is 150 credits, more than a Standard month. Either spread it across two months or move to Pro if you download at that volume regularly.
Common problems when downloading a class to a computer
The extension does not list the lessons
Sign in to Skillshare in the same browser profile, reload the class page, and open the panel again. If the player looks recently redesigned, the extension may need an update.
The download stops partway
Long lessons are more fragile. Keep the laptop awake, avoid switching networks mid-download, and check free disk space first. Test with a short lesson to see whether the problem is the file or your connection.
The file will not play
Try a different player such as VLC. If it still fails, re-download the lesson; on paid plans the same video does not cost credits again.
Chrome saves files somewhere unexpected
Check Chrome's download settings and turn on "Ask where to save each file" so you can route class files into a folder you will find later.
For a wider look at every download route, including generic tools, see how to download Skillshare videos.
The short version
Skillshare's built-in offline mode keeps lessons inside its mobile app, so downloading a class to your computer means saving each lesson as a video file with a browser extension. Skillshare Downloader does that at 5 credits per new video, starting with 15 free credits, and re-downloads of the same video are free. Count the lessons before you start so the credit cost does not surprise you.