No. Potting soil typically contains actual soil (topsoil) plus amendments. Potting mix is engineered from inorganic and organic components — peat, perlite, bark, coir — with no actual soil in it. For indoor plants, potting mix almost always outperforms potting soil because it drains better and resists compaction.

Soilless means the substrate contains no actual soil — it's built entirely from materials like bark, perlite, pumice, coir, and charcoal. The benefit: predictable drainage, no soil-borne pests, and a substrate that doesn't break down for 12-18 months. Standard potting soil compacts and degrades within a single season.

In a pot, 12-18 months before the structure starts to break down enough to need refreshing. Stored unopened in a dry place, the bag itself stays usable for 2-3+ years. There's no real shelf life concern; it's the in-pot performance that determines when to repot.