2022 Codecademy Review: Learn to Code for Free

What is Codecademy Good for?

Codecademy is a web-based learning platform that attempts to make coding simple, fun, and accessible. 

This platform is a great way to get a sense of what coding is and how it works.  Also, some of its courses are free, so it’s a great place to see if coding is something that interests you as a career opportunity.

Who is Codecademy for?

Codecademy has plenty of different courses for anyone who wants to learn computer science and web development, regardless of skill level and age. 

Codecademy also offers hands-on learning, although its courses are more geared towards complete novices to coding, making it an ideal platform for beginners. 

As such, it may not be the best place for more advanced students. Still, Codecademy can help you get ahead in the highly competitive IT industry as many of its learners have gone on to have careers at IBM, Google, Amazon and Microsoft. 

Content Quality

What exactly can you learn at Codecademy, how are the lessons structures, and do you need any prior knowledge? 

Let’s find out. 

What Does Codecademy Cover?

If you are passionate about learning Javascript or want to noodle around with some back-end language like Python, Codecademy is the place to go. 

They offer courses on 15 programming languages, including HTML and CSS, Python, C#, JavaScript, Roby, and many more. 

The platform also covers 13 subjects, including web development, game development, data science, machine learning, and web design. 

Codecademy further divides its subject courses into career paths and skills paths, if you want to commit to more than a single course. 

Other platforms offer similar products, however, Codeacademy is one of the few that groups courses around a specific career, making it incredibly easy to find the perfect tutorial for you.  

Note that some of these bundles of courses might take more than 30 weeks to complete, so if you are interested in shorter classes, take a look at some Codecademy alternatives. 

Courses structure

Codecademy courses and paths are based on real-world projects and interactive content so they are easy to follow and consume. 

Once you select a course, you will be shown a list of concepts you should become familiar with before getting started. In addition to preparing you for the actual lesson, this introduction to the topic is another great way to ensure that the course is right for you. 

You will then be taken to a workspace where you can start building and completing challenges. Skills are developed gradually, starting from the basics and moving up to more complex tasks. 

What’s more, lessons come with clickable clues to help you along the way, while the text editor is clean and intuitive—as one would expect from a beginner-friendly platform.

Best of all, you can pause at any time and your progress and work will be saved so you can continue where you left off. 

Course levels 

Codecademy courses are mainly focused on learning how to code, so most of them are beginner-friendly and self-paced, allowing you to learn at your own speed. 

You can also find intermediate lessons on Codecademy, which are more advanced and recommended for students who have at least some coding experience.

However, should you want to explore certain tech skills and subjects further, take a look at what Pluralsight has to offer. 

Live classes

Codecademy hosts live streams on YouTube where you can watch experienced programmers work and interact with them in real-time. This is a great opportunity to see professionals in action and one that you are not likely to find among other eLearning platforms. 

Features

Now that we have gone through the content, let’s see what Codecademy offers in terms of features.

Ease of use

Overall, the user interface is simple and easy to navigate, while the course catalogue is clearly laid out, letting you find a course in a matter of minutes. 

For those who are still not sure how to proceed, Codecademy has a handy quiz of 9 questions that will recommend which course or career path might be most suited to your programming personality.  

Codecademy certificate

All Codecademy Pro members receive a certificate upon course completion. While it is a great addition to any portfolio, the certificate is not accredited. If accreditation is a must for your career, there are platforms that might lend a hand or even some that could help you get an internship in some of the biggest companies in the world.

Availability

Codecademy courses are 100% online, putting you in charge of when, where and what you want to learn. 

That said, you cannot access courses while offline. There is also no option to download course content and watch at a later time. If you want a truly seamless learning experience across all devices and platforms, try Coursera or Pluralsight. 

For those who want to learn on the go, Codecademy Go, the platform’s mobile app, is available for download from the App Store and Google Play Store. This Codecademy app is designed to help you research and practice what you’ve learned on the web at any time, from any place. 

Extra resources

As well as interactive courses, Codecademy grants access to plenty of extra materials that students can use to practise outside of their coursework. 

These include:

• Project & code challenges that put your skills to the test with real-world exercises. 

• Blogs, articles & cheat sheets are available to give you more insight into the concepts covered in Codecademy courses.
• Videos that range from live streams to learner’s stories, all with the goal of helping you perfect your coding skills or pick up some new information. 

Codecademy community

Codecademy has one of the most vibrant communities among eLearning platforms. 

In addition to forums where you can ask questions and get help from other students, you can join a supportive live chat and or go for one of the regular in-person meet-ups with like-minded individuals, fellow coders and other users of the platform. 

Even Udemy with its extensive Q&A section or Linkedin Learning’s study groups are not a match for Codecademy’s community. 

Codecademy UK Pricing

Codecademy has several pricing plans in place.

For individuals

Codeacademy is a subscription-based online course provider.  This means that you cannot purchase courses individually, but have to pay a monthly fee of £31.99/month, or £15.99/month if billed annually, which will unlock all the features of the platform. 

Compared to its biggest competitors, the Pro Plan is actually quite affordable—DataCamp’s subscription costs £18.67/month and Plurasight’s standard plan comes out to £24.00/month. 

This plan comes with a seven-day risk-free trial so you can test out some of the courses and see if they are the right fit. 

There is also a Codecademy free plan that includes basic courses and peer support, as well as limited mobile practice. 

For Teams

Codecademy does not reveal the price of a team plan subscription. To get a price, contact the company directly and they will give you a quote. 

For students

Codecademy Pro Student subscription costs $149.99/year. Those eligible for the Codecademy student discount can get up to 35% off on a subscription plan.

For businesses

Codecademy offers businesses customised plans. The price depends on the features you’d like to have access to.

Is Codecademy Worth It?

If you want to learn to code or improve your skills in any area related to coding and web development,  Codecademy is a great place to start. 

The provider doesn’t offer accredited university certificates and may not be the best pick for advanced developers and coders, but Codecademy is an incredibly well-designed online learning platform that is actively updating its courses and puts an emphasis on quality and consistency.