MasterClass is an online learning platform that offers 200+ courses taught by world-renowned experts and celebrities in various fields, covering everything from photography to cinematography to business to cooking to singing to acting to dog training and a whole lot more. With plans that range between $10 to $20 a month billed annually, the platform has offerings for individuals, families, and even business teams.
In addition to a growing library of on-demand classes, MasterClass has also started to roll out even more content for its members, including original series (GOAT: The Greatest of All Time, Talking Shop: Icons & Their Influences, Mastering the Markets, etc.), MasterClass Sessions (30-day cohort-style courses with a structured curriculum), curated playlists of lessons, and more.
As a longtime user of the app, I’ve put together this guide that takes a look at the MasterClass subscription model and its key features. I’ll go in-depth comparing the different plans in detail (there are some key differences between them!). I’ll also show you how the pricing compares to other popular learning apps I’ve tested. By the end of the guide, you’ll be able to identify which MasterClass membership plan, if any, is best for you in 2024.
MasterClass
With MasterClass, you can learn from some of the world's most recognized experts and celebrities. Classes include business, cooking, photography, acting, design, and so much more.
How Much Does MasterClass Cost?
There are 3 different MasterClass plans available as of February 2024. They range in price from $10-$20 per month billed annually. That means you’ll be paying a lump sum of anywhere from $120 to $240 up front for an annual subscription, depending on the plan you pick.
I want to point out that a Masterclass membership actually used to start at $15 a month ($180 a year when billed in full), but back in May 2023, the company surprised everyone when they slashed the prices on their plans, saving customers as much as $60 a year.
“By continuing to innovate the approach to our portfolio of content and making the platform more accessible, we’re not only unlocking potential in our members, we’re enabling them to realize it,” David Rogier, MasterClass Founder & CEO, said in a statement at the time.
The main differences between the various MasterClass subscriptions are the number of devices that can stream classes and whether or not the video content can be downloaded for offline viewing (very useful feature for when you’re traveling and won’t have internet access, like on a plane).
I’ve put together the table below where you can easily compare MasterClass plans at a glance. You can also continue reading for further details about each one.
| Individual | Duo | Family | |
| Monthly Cost (Billed Annually) | $10 | $15 | $20 |
| # of devices you can watch on at the same time | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Offline viewing | No | Yes | Yes |
| Access all 100+ classes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Access to Sessions by MasterClass | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Watch MasterClass on all devices (TV, phone, tablet, computer) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Extra workbooks & content | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Members-only discussion | Yes | Yes | Yes |
I also want to point out that I’ve seen the company offer special deals at various times during the year, like the MasterClass Black Friday & Cyber Monday sales when they tend to run a buy one, get one free sale. There’s also the annual MasterClass Mother’s Day deal they run where you can get up to 35% off a subscription.
Unfortunately, MasterClass doesn’t offer a free trial at this time, which is a bit of a drawback since many other course platforms usually offer either a 7-day or 30-day free trial period.
MasterClass Individual Plan – $10/month billed annually.
The MasterClass Individual Plan (formerly called the Standard Plan) is a great option for anyone desiring to learn, from hobbyists to entrepreneurs.
The MasterClass Individual Plan allows for one device at a time to view the content and includes a 30-day money-back guarantee. With only single-device simultaneous streaming, it might not be the best idea for families who are sharing a subscription and want to have multiple people watching Masterclass videos at the same time. But if you’re just a single person looking to explore what the platform offers, this plan is an affordable option.
The other feature missing here is the ability to download content for offline viewing. If you’re someone who travels a lot and might want to use MasterClass somewhere where you don’t have great internet access, you might need to upgrade to the Duo plan so you can enjoy offline access to classes.
In addition, the Individual Plan gives the learner access to a community hub to engage in stimulating conversations about the content.
Key Features:
- Access to all of the enriching classes
- Bonus content and workbooks
- Access to a members-only community
- Watch classes on one device
- Stream Masterclass on mobile devices, TV, or your computer
- Access to the MasterClass app for easy viewing
Who is the MasterClass Individual Plan Best Suited For?
The MasterClass Individual Plan is best suited for individual learners craving to expand their knowledge. Since you can only stream on a single device at a time with this plan, it might not be ideal for families or couples who are sharing a subscription. This plan is budget-friendly and costs just $120 annually.
MasterClass Duo Plan – $15/month billed annually.
The MasterClass Duo Plan (formerly called the Plus Plan) is probably the best fit for most users. It allows for classes to be viewed on two devices simultaneously and for lessons to be downloaded to be viewed offline.
Dual streams combined with offline viewing really makes it a compelling option for couples and even small families in my opinion.
This plan gives the learner access to all of the classes available at MasterClass instructed by true experts.
The Duo Plan includes workbooks, bonus content, and roughly twenty hours of course content.
Who is the MasterClass Duo Plan Best Suited For?
Because it allows streaming on two devices at the same time, it’s a great option for couples. The Duo Plan also allows for downloading class content for offline viewing, so if that’s a feature you care about, you’ll want this plan over the Individual Plan.
MasterClass Family Plan – $20/month billed annually.
The MasterClass Family Plan (formerly called the Premium Plan) allows for classes to be viewed on six devices simultaneously and for courses to be downloaded for offline viewing and participation. This is the biggest plan they have, and while most people don’t need it, I can see it being useful for large families where a lot of people may be using the app at the same time.
MasterClass offers an enriching learning experience with incredible video quality, legendary teachers, an easy-to-use app, and self-paced.
Key Features:
- Watch the course content on six different devices at the same time
- Download content for offline learning
- Access to all of the high-quality classes at MasterClass
- Access to a simple app to enhance learning
- Workbooks, worksheets, and discussions
Who is the MasterClass Family Plan Best Suited For?
The MasterClass Family Plan is best suited for families and small groups/organizations that might be sharing a subscription because it allows simultaneous streaming on up to 6 devices at a time.
What Kind of Courses Does MasterClass Offer?
No matter what level of MasterClass membership you get, you’ll have complete access to every single class that’s on the platform. There are currently around 200 different classes — each of which consists of around 20 bite-sized video lessons — and new classes are added each month.
Here are some highlights of classes MasterClass offers across its different categories:
Business
Sara Blakely Teaches Self-Made Entrepreneurship
Jocko Willink Teaches Critical Leadership Training
Anna Wintour Teaches Creativity and Leadership
Daniel Pink Teaches Sales and Persuasion
Howard Schultz Teaches Business Leadership
Bob Iger Teaches Business Strategy and Leadership
Cooking
Aaron Franklin Teaches Texas-Style BBQ
Gordon Ramsay Teaches Cooking
Alice Waters Teaches Home Cooking
Dominique Ansel Teaches French Pastry Fundamentals
Thomas Keller Teaches Cooking Techniques
Wolfgang Puck Teaches Cooking
Yotam Ottolenghi Teaches Modern Middle Eastern Cooking
Film & TV
Aaron Sorkin Teaches Screenwriting
Werner Herzog Teaches Filmmaking
Jodie Foster Teaches Filmmaking
Ron Howard Teaches Directing
Samuel L. Jackson Teaches Acting
Helen Mirren Teaches Acting
Natalie Portman Teaches Acting
Music & Entertainment
Hans Zimmer Teaches Film Scoring
Steve Martin Teaches Comedy
Usher Teaches the Art of Performance
Herbie Hancock Teaches Jazz
Itzhak Perlman Teaches Violin
Christina Aguilera Teaches Singing
Danny Elfman Teaches Music for Film
Writing
James Patterson Teaches Writing
Shonda Rhimes Teaches Writing for Television
Joyce Carol Oats Teaches The Art of the Short Story
Judy Blume Teaches Writing
Neil Gaiman Teaches The Art of Storytelling
David Sedaris Teaches Story Telling and Humor
Malcolm Gladwell Teaches Writing
Margaret Atwood Teaches Creative Writing
Sports & Gaming
Serena Williams Teaches Tennis
Stephen Curry Teaches Shooting, Ball-Handling, and Scoring
Garry Kasparov Teaches Chess
Simone Biles Teaches Gymnastics Fundamentals
Tony Hawk Teaches Skateboarding
Misty Copeland Teaches Ballet Technique and Artistry
Design & Style
Frank Gehry Teaches Design and Architecture
Diane Von Furstenberg Teaches Building a Fashion Brand
Marc Jacobs Teaches Fashion Design
Tan France Teaches Style for Everyone
Bobbi Brown Teaches Makeup and Beauty
Photography
Annie Leibovitz Teaches Photography
Jimmy Chin Teaches Adventure Photography
Home & Lifestyle
Ron Finley Teaches Gardening
Brandon McMillan Teaches Dog Training
Science & Technology
Dr. Jane Goodall Teaches Conservation
Chris Hadfield Teaches Space Exploration
Matthew Walker Teaches The Science of Better Sleep
MasterClass Cost Q&A
Is there a MasterClass free trial?
No, MasterClass currently doesn’t offer a free trial but rather a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Does MasterClass offer both yearly and monthly membership plans?
MasterClass currently only offers yearly membership plans with a 30-day money-back satisfaction guarantee.
What kind of MasterClass courses are available?
MasterClass offers a broad range of classes and video lectures for online learning. Categories range from arts and entertainment, lifestyle, business, music, design and style, creative writing, culinary arts, and more. Each class provides 20-25 hours of course content, along with prerecorded videos, workbooks, interactive assignments, and various community activities.
What are the most popular classes at MasterClass?
A few of the most popular classes at MasterClass are:
- Gordon Ramsay – Cooking
- Sara Blakely Teaches Self-Made Entrepreneurship
- Chris Voss Masterclass – The Art of Negotiation
- Malcolm Gladwell Teaches Writing
- Daniel Negreanu – Poker
- Christina Aguilera Teaches Singing
- Serena Williams Teaches Tennis
What form of payment does MasterClass accept?
MasterClass accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, and PayPal.
Does MasterClass have a refund policy?
MasterClass offers a 30-day satisfaction guarantee during which time you can get a full refund if you’re not satisfied with the service.
Can you cancel MasterClass after the first month?
Yes, you can cancel MasterClass at any time, but if the 30-day money-back period has passed, you won’t get a refund. Instead, you’ll keep access to your membership for the remainder of the year, and your annual plan will not auto-renew.
Does MasterClass renew automatically?
Yes, your MasterClass subscription plan will automatically renew at the end of your annual membership. You don’t have to do anything if you want to keep your membership.
Is there a MasterClass student discount?
Not usually, but MasterClass has run some special offers in the past for college students, including an offer of just $1 for a full year of access.
Can you give MasterClass as a gift?
Yes, you can give an annual subscription as an eGift to whoever you’d like. Check out our MasterClass gift guide for more info.
What categories does MasterClass have classes in?
- Art & Entertainment (60+ classes)
- Home & Lifestyle (~25 classes)
- Business (~20 classes)
- Writing (20 classes)
- Food (~20 classes)
- Music (20+ classes)
- Design & Style (15 classes)
- Wellness (~10 classes)
- Sports & Gaming (10+ classes)
Are the classes at MasterClass prerecorded or live?
All of the classes at MasterClass are prerecorded and support self-learning at the students’ rate.
What devices can you watch MasterClass on?
MasterClass account access is available on iOS and Android phones and tablets, PC & Mac computers, and on TVs with streaming capabilities (Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, etc.)
How Does MasterClass Pricing Compare to Other Online Learning Platforms?
Before you sign up for MasterClass, you might want to see how its pricing compares to some of the other platforms that offer on-demand video courses.
While there aren’t many other platforms out there that can compare with MasterClass in terms of the star power of its instructors, there are lots of great sites I love that offer quality online courses.
With that in mind, here’s a look at the current prices of some other popular course platforms:
- LinkedIn Learning — $39.99 for month-to-month or $240 for an annual membership
- Coursera — $59 a month or $399 a year for a Coursera Plus subscription
- Skillshare — $165 per year, which works out to $13.75/month averaged out.
- Udemy — Online courses are sold individually, ranging from as little as $19.99 to $200 or more in some cases.
- Udacity — $249 a month or $2,390 a year
Check out these guides for even more info:
- Brilliant.org pricing guide
- Coursera pricing guide
- CreativeLive pricing guide
- Domestika pricing guide
- Edureka pricing guide
- edX pricing guide
- FutureLearn pricing guide
- LinkedIn Learning pricing guide
- Masterclass pricing guide
- Mindvalley pricing guide
- Nas Academy pricing guide
- Pluralsight pricing guide
- Skillshare pricing guide
- Udemy pricing guide
- Udacity pricing guide
Is MasterClass Worth It?
While everyone is different and has their own unique learning goals and interests, I feel that for as little as $10 per month paid out yearly, the MasterClass annual membership is a great value.
The only thing that gives me slight pause is that you have to pay for the full year’s cost all at once, so there is a bit of a hit to the wallet, but even at the full $120 cost for the base membership, you’re getting a ton of great content that can keep you busy for months to come.
No other site offers the kind of A-list celebrity instructors that MasterClass features, and the quality of their course productions is truly second to none.
With Masterclass, you truly have the chance to learn from the best at a monthly cost that’s less than what most people spend on coffee in a single week.
The only situations where a MasterClass membership might not be worth it is if you’re someone looking for in-depth, intensive training on a topic (MasterClass courses tend to be aimed more at beginners and usually don’t deep dive into a topic) or if you’re a professional looking to earn certifications in certain fields (MasterClass courses tend to be more for personal development or entertainment).
If for some reason MasterClass isn’t the right fit for you, you can also look into Masterclass alternatives.
Want to learn more about the platform? See our full Masterclass review for a full breakdown of the platform.
Click here to get started with MasterClass today.
Have questions about MasterClass pricing? Comment below to let me know.
