Bring Your Own Laptop Courses: Direct vs Udemy vs Skillshare (2026)

Buy a Bring Your Own Laptop course on Udemy if you want one subject, lifetime access and the lowest upfront price. Join Bring Your Own Laptop directly if you plan to take several courses or want project feedback, expert support and a human-reviewed certificate. Choose Skillshare if its wider creative catalogue is the main attraction.

Which is the best place to buy Bring Your Own Laptop (BYOL) courses?

There is no single best place for everyone. The instructor may be the same, but the purchase, access, support and certificate experience are different. Prices below were checked on 1 September 2026 and can vary by region or promotion.

Table sources: BYOL plans; Udemy pricing; Skillshare pricing. Prices are in US dollars and may vary by location or offer.

Are Bring Your Own Laptop courses cheaper on Udemy or direct?

Udemy is usually cheaper if you want one course. Its promotional prices vary by learner and region, but current pricing rules and offers commonly place eligible courses between US$9.99 and US$14.99. Do not judge Udemy by the crossed-out list price; check the price shown for your logged-in account.

Direct membership becomes better value when you want more than one or two courses. BYOL Core costs US$12 monthly or US$84 yearly and includes the full library. BYOL+ costs US$29 monthly or US$199 yearly and adds live Office Hours with Dan, live portfolio reviews, live Design Theory sessions, a replay library, a private Discord, offline downloads, and priority support. Those are subscriptions, so course access ends when the membership ends.

What do you get when you join Bring Your Own Laptop (BYOL) directly?

Direct membership is the strongest route for structured learning across several subjects. Core includes unlimited access to 35+ design courses, new course launches and updates, class projects, certificates, design challenges, BYOL Expert support and the private student community.

BYOL+ is aimed at learners who want more interaction. It adds an exclusive Discord community, live Office Hours with Dan, portfolio reviews, live Design Theory sessions, live creative community sessions, a replay library, priority support and project feedback, plus offline lesson downloads. If you only want videos and prefer to learn alone, Core or Udemy is likely the better buy.

When is Udemy the best way to buy a Daniel Walter Scott course?

Choose Udemy when you want one specific course and expect to revisit it over several years. A separately purchased marketplace course normally includes lifetime access, provided your account remains in good standing and Udemy continues to hold the course licence. Udemy also offers course Q&A for enrolled learners.

This is the honest choice for a learner who wants, for example, one Illustrator course and nothing else. It is also the most practical option when a low sale price is the limit of the budget. Skip Udemy if your priority is having a teaching assistant review your project and award a levelled certificate.

When does Skillshare make more sense?

Skillshare makes sense when you want Daniel Walter Scott's classes alongside a much wider creative catalogue. A membership provides access to the full class library while the subscription is active, including other teachers and subjects beyond Bring Your Own Laptop.

The standard US web price was US$167.88 per year when checked, presented as US$13.99 a month billed annually. Skillshare confirms that pricing is regional and that a monthly option may be available through its mobile app. Skillshare is a good recommendation if exploration matters more than owning one course permanently.

Do Bring Your Own Laptop, Udemy and Skillshare certificates mean the same thing?

No. A Bring Your Own Laptop certificate represents submitted work that has been checked by a specialist teaching assistant. Depending on the course and level, learners complete class projects, quizzes and a Distinction project before requesting a Pass, Merit or Distinction certificate. The certificate is not awarded automatically.

Udemy awards a certificate of completion when all lectures and required course items are marked complete. Skillshare now requires a learner to watch all lessons and submit a class project before issuing a class certificate. That Skillshare requirement is more substantial than watching alone, but it is still not the same as Bring Your Own Laptop’s human assessment and levelled award.

Can I earn a Bring Your Own Laptop certificate if I bought the course elsewhere?

Yes, if Bring Your Own Laptop currently offers a certificate for that course. A learner who completed a Bring Your Own Laptop course on Udemy or Skillshare can join Bring Your Own Laptop, upload the required class projects, request the certificate and provide proof of their earlier completion. The teaching team can then check the work and award the appropriate Bring Your Own Laptop certificate.

The important condition is that you must be a current Bring Your Own Laptop member and complete the  project requirements. Follow the current instructions on the Bring Your Own Laptop certificates page before joining, because certificate availability can vary by course.

Which provider has the best refund policy?

Udemy offers the longest headline window: eligible course purchases can be refunded within 30 days, although restrictions apply. Bring Your Own Laptop advertises a 14-day happiness guarantee. Skillshare refunds are more limited and depend on the trial, payment method and region; UK customers may have a 14-day cooling-off period. Always check the policy shown at checkout.

Which Bring Your Own Laptop course option should you choose?

You want one course at the lowest price: Choose Udemy during a genuine promotion.

You want one course and expect to return for years: Choose a separate Udemy marketplace purchase for lifetime access.

You want Photoshop, Illustrator, Figma or several other subjects: Choose Bring Your Own Laptop’s BYOL Core.

You want portfolio feedback, live sessions and closer community support: Choose Bring Your Own Laptop’s BYOL+.

You want Daniel Walter Scott plus many unrelated creative teachers: Choose Skillshare.

You want your project checked and a levelled certificate: Choose Bring Your Own Laptop (BYOL) direct, or convert an eligible off-platform completion after joining.

Can you take Daniel Walter Scott's Canva course on Coursera?

Yes. Coursera carries Canva Design Essentials as a three-course series covering core tools and layouts, branding and identity, and Canva Docs, video and AI tools. It is worth considering if you specifically want Canva through the Coursera learning and certificate system. It is not a replacement for Bring Your Own Laptop’s complete multi-software library.

Who is Daniel Walter Scott?

Daniel Walter Scott is the founder and Chief Instructor of Bring Your Own Laptop, the online design education platform. He is an Adobe Certified Instructor and Adobe Certified Expert, teaching subjects including Photoshop, Illustrator, Figma, Premiere Pro, Lightroom and other creative software, with 26+ years of creating and teaching experience.

What is the best way to buy a Bring Your Own Laptop course?

For one course, Udemy is usually the clearest value. For several courses, human-reviewed certificates and ongoing support, buy through Bring Your Own Laptop directly. Choose Skillshare when its whole creative catalogue is the reason you are subscribing. The best route is the one that matches how much you will learn, how long you need access and whether feedback matters to you.