MasterClass review: How it works, what it costs, the best celebrity-led classes to take

How much does MasterClass cost?

MasterClass costs $180 for its annual subscription ($15 a month), which gives you unlimited access to all its classes until you cancel. 

If you want to share your subscription with others, you can pay a little more for the Duo plan (two devices; $240 annually) or the Family plan (up to six devices; $276 annually).

How does MasterClass work? 

MasterClass courses are about 2-5 hours long on average, with individual lessons ranging from 2-5 minutes. Classes include pre-recorded video lessons by your instructor, a class workbook, interactive assignments, and sometimes community activities.

Some MasterClasses may have opportunities for students to submit work to instructors for feedback, but that's not the norm. 

Is MasterClass worth it? 

Unlike competitors like Coursera or edX, MasterClass doesn't offer certificates of completion and is best used for personal development and entertainment rather than gaining hard career skills. 

If you will use MasterClass more than a few times, yes, the yearly pass is worth it. If you don't — or want something more intensive or traditionally academic — consider other online learning platforms.

How do I get MasterClass for free?

Without a membership, you can't take any MasterClass courses. However, you can try a free 30-day trial before committing to an annual plan.

Some of the best MasterClass courses

Some of the most notable names on MasterClass teach courses in the entertainment arts, from directing to acting. The roster of celebrity instructors is almost overwhelming: Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, Helen Mirren, Samuel L. Jackson, Amy Poehler, Kevin Hart, Natalie Portman, Steve Martin, Judd Apatow, Ron Howard, Mira Nair, Jodie Foster, David Lynch, and Werner Herzog are just a few examples. 

It's this robust list that makes MasterClass a particularly thoughtful gift for any film buffs or acting students in your life. 

You can browse all of MasterClass's film and TV-related courses here.

There are endless online writing courses out there, but only on MasterClass can you learn from some of the most famous authors out there. We loved Margaret Atwood's course, and while they don't offer the typical feedback and notes traditional writing workshops do, MasterClass courses provide storytelling tips from Malcolm Gladwell, David Sedaris, James Patterson, Judy Blume, Amy Tan, N.K. Jemisin, Dan Brown, Neil Gaiman, Joyce Carol Oates, Walter Mosley, Shonda Rhimes, Aaron Sorkin, Roxane Gay, Amanda Gorman, David Mamet, and Salman Rushdie.

You can browse all of MasterClass's writing courses here.

Whether you want to learn techniques from the best chefs or add some new recipes to your repertoire, we've loved MasterClass's offerings. For example, Massimo Bottura's Modern Italian Cooking MasterClass provided tips on everything from creating simple, delicious meals to reducing food waste. 

Some standout instructors include Gordon Ramsay, Thomas Keller, Wolfgang Puck, Alice Waters, Dominique Ansel, Yotam Ottolenghi, and Niki Nakayama.

You can browse all the MasterClass food and culinary arts courses here.

Like MasterClass's film and TV courses, its selection of famous musicians is impressive. You can learn anything from singing and songwriting to music producing from Alicia Keys, Usher, Christina Aguilera, John Legend, Mariah Carey, Reba McEntire, Questlove, Hans Zimmer, St. Vincent, Nas, Yo-Yo-Ma, Danny Elfman, and Ringo Starr.

You can browse all of MasterClass's music courses here.

For those interested in design, be it decorating a space, changing your wardrobe, or taking great photos, MasterClass boasts courses from the best of the best.

Some famous names include Tan France, Bobbi Brown, Tyler Mitchell, Diane Von Furstenberg, RuPaul, Naomi Campbell, and Annie Leibovitz. And while it was more about leadership than fashion, we particularly loved Anna Wintour's MasterClass.

You can browse all of MasterClass's design, fashion, and photography courses here.

Some of the more hidden gems on MasterClass include its wellness-related courses. Ones we've really enjoyed include sexual health advice from Emily Morse, the science behind healthy sleep from Matthew Walker, meditation guidance from Jon Kabat-Zinn, and fitness tips from Joe Holder. One editor even bought a $4 emergency bracelet after watching Jessie Krebs' MasterClass on wilderness survival. 

You can browse all of MasterClass's wellness courses here.

Some of MasterClass's more recent additions have been courses led by famous political figures and historians, which can provide a fascinating window into their views. You can learn from Malala, Hillary Clinton, Madeleine Albright, Condoleezza Rice, and Cornel West, and MasterClass also offers series on topics like empathy, feminism, and Black history.

You can browse all of MasterClass's community, government, and political courses here.

Along with creative skills like cooking or art, MasterClass can also provide powerful leadership advice, no matter your profession. Anna Wintour's course included surprising tidbits about how she runs Vogue, and one of our favorite MasterClasses of all time is former FBI investigator Chris Voss's guide to successful negotiation. 

The topics are broad and cover a wide range of skills, be it staying relevant and building success with Martha Stewart, personal branding taught by Kris Jenner, purposeful communication by George Stephanopoulos, business strategy by Bob Iger, or authentic communication by Robin Roberts.

Sure, when you think of learning a sport, online courses might not come to mind as particularly effective. But then again, most online courses don't feature the world's top athletes sharing and demonstrating their best-kept secrets. You can learn from Serena Williams, Stephen Curry, Simone Biles, Garry Kasparov, Tony Hawk, Misty Copeland, and Wayne Gretzky, to name a few.

You can browse all the MasterClass courses in sports and games here.

For those who remain constantly curious about the world around them, MasterClass's science and technology courses are a fun way to keep learning. Bill Nye, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Dr. Jane Goodall are a few of the notable instructors sharing their knowledge through the platform.

You can browse all of MasterClass's science and technology courses here.

You can find a broad range of lifestyle courses on MasterClass, from cooking to interior design. We really enjoyed Ron Finley's course on gardening, which went beyond practical tips to expand into the politics of food.

You can browse all of MasterClass's home and lifestyle courses here.

MasterClass is one of my favorite online learning platforms, and I've had personal experience with a fair share of them. Compared to many competitors, MasterClass courses follow the format of a one-sided conversation more than an academic setting, which can make learning feel more convenient and personally driven.

I love that I'm able to learn conventional and not-so-conventional tricks and tips from giants of any industry — some of whom are on my shortlist of favorite authors, actors, musicians, and chefs.

Classes are pretty short and easy to pick up whenever I have free time, and it's nice that I can download lessons or use Audio Mode in the car as an audiobook. When I feel like diving in deeper, I like that I have access to notes, additional reading resources, and a community. 

Plus, the diversity, quality, and flexibility of its online classes are hard to beat. If I'm going through a cooking phase, I can watch bite-sized clips that are interesting and useful. And if something isn't my number one passion, the allure of a "master" helps me remain interested in the lessons. 

Personally, I enjoy having yearly access. If you're a lifelong learner, it gives you the ability to jump around different subjects with tools like "topic playlists" that queue up stuff you might like. For me, it's worth the $180 — it's informative without feeling overly stringent or overwhelming. But if you're interested in deep-diving into only one topic, I'd recommend auditing a class at Coursera or edX rather than dropping $180 just to access one MasterClass. — Mara Leighton, former senior reporter