Best Online Coding Courses

Best Overall: HarvardX CS50 Introduction to Computer Science on edX

• Price: Free
• Online Community: Yes
• Certificate: Optional

Why We Chose It

The HarvardX CS50 Introduction to Computer Science course is completely free for students, but an optional certificate of completion is available for $149. With an online community for help and specific assignments for each topic, this course is best for students to gain a solid working knowledge of coding.

Pros & Cons

Overview

If you’re looking to dive into coding, this course stands out from the rest. Harvard has put its most-visited course, CS50 Introduction to Computer Science, online, and it’s completely free unless you want a certificate of completion for $149. Not only does the course offer video recordings of each lecture, as well as additional videos explaining certain concepts, but it also has an assignment for each block of content. You can check if your code is up to par before you hand it in using the cloud-based IDE that complements this course, and there’s a large community to interact with if you’re having trouble.

CS50 Introduction to Computer Science is built in a way that the problem sets get more difficult enough every week that they can be challenging, but never in a way that you feel completely left on your own. This course stands out from the rest because instead of simply teaching you how to code, it tries to teach you how it works.

Best Intro: Codecademy

• Price: Free and paid courses available
• Online Community: Yes
• Certificate: Optional

Why We Chose It

Codecademy offers a large selection of free introductory courses for coding, allowing students to start their journey without committing to payments. Plus and Pro subscriptions are also available to access paid courses, and certificates of completion are optional for subscribers.

Pros & Cons

Overview

Codecademy is a great option thanks to the sheer amount of courses you have to choose from. You can find something for everyone here, with an extensive category ranging from HTML to C#, and more, if you sign up for Codecademy Plus or Pro. Every course that doesn’t require a subscription to Plus or Pro is completely free, so you can learn to your heart's content. If you choose to sign up for Codecademy Pro, you’ll even have a range of so-called career and skill paths to choose from, guiding you towards specific goals.

Having such a wide range of intro-level courses for free is great because it means that not only can you start learning how to code, you can also learn the differences between programming languages and find out which ones are best for what you want to do. Students can access online forums to post questions and discuss different topics. Not to mention there’s a smartphone app, too, letting you practice what you’ve learned on the go.

Runner Up, Best Intro: Khan Academy

• Price: Free
• Online Community: Yes
• Certificate: No

Why We Chose It

Khan Academy is another great introductory course for coding students, including projects and challenges for each lesson to help new coders apply their skills in common scenarios.

Pros & Cons

Overview

Khan Academy is a non-profit organization that specializes in bringing everyone a better education, and some of its courses are on coding. The courses are mostly on HTML or Javascript, and while there are some more complex topics such as natural simulations or different types of algorithms, Khan Academy is best suited for those with little to no coding experience.

Each course is structured so that you have an info block and then a challenge that builds upon the things you just learned. This type of project-based learning is a great way to start coding, as applying what you’ve learned helps you remember key concepts.

Khan Academy is completely free, and it has a whole community around it, too. If you ever have any questions or even want to get feedback on a project you’ve just coded, they’re always here to help.

Best University Course: MITx Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Using Python on edX

• Price: Free
• Online Community: Yes
• Certificate: Optional

Why We Chose It

MIT's online coding course on edX gives at-home students the same deep-dive into coding that their university courses offer. While the course is challenging, staff members are available to answer questions and guide students along the way.

Pros & Cons

Overview

Although MIT has a lot of old courses on their website for free, they also have a new one for free on edX. MITx Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Using Python is a version of the on-campus course that has been built specifically for edX, and that means it’s no walk in the park. However, it’s intended to still be doable for students without prior knowledge, meaning that if you put the work into it and take this course seriously, then it’ll be more than worth it. 

If you want to learn coding and more, then this course is right for you.

Best Splurge: Pluralsight

• Price: $29 per month or $299 per year
• Online Community: Yes
• Certificate: Optional

Why We Chose It

Pluralsight requires a monthly or yearly subscription, but it offers interactive lessons, multiple programming languages, career tools, and more, making it worth the splurge for serious students and team lessons.

Pros & Cons

Overview

If you want to learn to code so you can look more up-to-date on your resume, or if you’re looking to get your team up to par, then Pluralsight is the service for you. It’s a bit costly at $29 monthly or $299 yearly, but with the extensive course library, it can be worth it if you use it properly. Not only is there a wide variety of guided courses in different programming languages, but there are even specific courses for further learning in game development or data management for example.

Each course comes with videos, assessments, and exercise files, so you can really make the most of your learning experience. You can even measure how well you stack up against others in the same field. On top of that, some courses have interactive lessons, which can be especially helpful for trying to learn new concepts in a specific language. 

Runner Up, Best Splurge: LinkedIn Learning

• Price: $19.99 per month (billed annually)
• Online Community: No
• Certificate: Optional

Why We Chose It

LinkedIn Learning is more affordable overall than Pluralsight, but subscriptions must be paid annually. However, courses can be purchased individually, making this a great option for students who want to hone in on specific skills.

Pros & Cons

Overview

LinkedIn Learning, formerly known as Lynda.com, is filled to the brim with courses on coding and otherwise. Although the experience isn’t quite as streamlined as some of the other courses listed, it makes up for it by the number of available courses. LinkedIn Learning has more than just what you need to get started, as it even has courses for people with prior experience. You can really dive into the depths of different languages, see what makes them tick, and why they’re fit for certain tasks more than others.

It might be a bit overwhelming to know where to start, but if you search for the programming language you’re looking for, or the keywords “essential training,” you’ll be sure to find a course that’s right for you. They really have something for everyone, no matter what language you want to get into.

Best for Schools: Code Avengers

• Price: $20 to $29 per month
• Online Community: No
• Certificate: Yes

Why We Chose It

Code Avengers is an excellent choice for kids and teens to learn coding, making lessons fun, engaging, and easy to build on while teaching real-world coding concepts.

Pros & Cons

Overview

Code Avengers is perfect for schools and kids or teens who want to learn how to code. It’s structured into different complexity levels so it can be used to teach programming concepts at every school level. Using the online programming environment to work on different projects, Code Avengers aims to teach children programming, computational thinking, and data representation. There are also three guided paths available for teenagers, focused on becoming either a web developer, web designer, or software engineer.

The platform also has a series of resources for teachers, with lesson plans and course overviews, as well as being able to see how far into the course each student has come so far, and how well they’ve done along the way. Code Avengers is a great way to get children and teenagers into coding.

Best Variety: Udemy

• Price: Free and paid courses available
• Online Community: No
• Certificate: Optional

Why We Chose It

Udemy's extremely large range of classes makes it possible for students to pick and choose the specific skills they'd like to learn.

Pros & Cons

Overview

When it comes to variety, you can’t beat Udemy. You can find over 200,000 online courses in different subjects, and a large fraction of those is about coding. Unlike some of the other options on this list, Udemy isn’t subscription-based; instead, you pay only for the courses you actually choose. Each of them is a different price, and you can see how long each one is before you purchase it. This gives you the freedom to choose the specialization that you want, and learn how to program what interests you.

The courses are uploaded by individuals all over the world, and you can tell by their ranking how good they are. Different instructors have different specialties, and picking out the courses that feel relevant to you from a broad spectrum will help you see different styles of programming and teaching.