freeCodeCamp Review: Is It Better Than Codecademy?
With the rise of the tech scene in the late 90s and the early 2000s, the need for skilled professionals increased dramatically, leading to the creation of countless learning institutions focused on tech like freeCodeCamp.
freeCodeCamp hosts different courses on web development and data analytics. If you want to get started with coding but are befuddled by the choices available, read this freeCodeCamp review to see if the platform is right for you.
What Is freeCodeCamp?
freeCodeCamp is a non-profit community that offers coding challenges and project ideas to help people learn to code for free. At no cost at all, the service makes thousands of videos, articles, and interactive coding lessons available to the public.
Quincy Larson created freeCodeCamp with the goal to help beginners master the art of computer programming. Students with no prior knowledge of coding can create an account and begin expanding their knowledge and skills of coding and web development.
The Learning Platform
The freeCodeCamp.org website itself hosts over 6,000 tutorials, which you can work through at your own pace after signing up. If you get stuck, freeCodeCamp has an active community forum where you can get answers to your questions and feedback on your projects within hours.
freeCodeCamp also has a YouTube channel where you can take free courses on a wide variety of coding topics, such as Python, SQL, and programming for Android. Alternatively, you can check out freeCodeCamp’s chat room on Discord, yet another place where you can learn from experienced developers and chat with other beginners.
Features
When you come to the freeCodeCamp homepage, all you see is a large sign-up button, a couple of success stories, a bit about what you’ll learn, and some information about the organization’s non-profit credentials. This no-nonsense introduction tells you everything you need to know about freeCodeCamp. They’re here to help, nothing more.
Some websites have good content but a poor interface, which gives users a negative impression. Not so with freeCodeCamp, which excels at both. The quality of courses is great, the content is accessible, and the website is easy to navigate. The website’s simple and basic style makes for a pleasant user interface.
freeCodeCamp gives you plenty of opportunities to apply your new knowledge and skills, which is really important for people who want to get a job as coders or developers. Wherever you want to work in tech, freeCodeCamp has a course for you.
Certificates
Whenever you enroll in a course, you want to be able to prove that you’ve actually gained the advertised knowledge and skills. Thankfully, freeCodeCamp offers several free certificates that you can add to your resume.
The core certificates include Responsive Web Design, JavaScript Algorithms and Data Structures, Quality Assurance, Data Visualization, Machine Learning with Python, and Data Analysis with Python.
freeCodeCamp also offers four legacy certificates from the older curriculum, which include Legacy Front End Development, Legacy Data Visualization, Legacy Back End Development, and Legacy Information Security and Quality Assurance.
Job Opportunities
The first step toward a coding job is practice. Remember that coding can be a bit overwhelming if you’re just getting started.
But the more tutorials you watch, and the more you practice, the more confidence you’ll develop. Just by following the free curriculum, you’ll log countless hours of practice. Before long, you’ll start to feel like a master.
More importantly, you can start to add freeCodeCamp certifications to your resume or to your LinkedIn page. All you have to do to get them is complete the required projects and submit them for review by the experts at freeCodeCamp.
Simply put, freeCodeCamp is a great way to land your first job in software development. Some graduates of freeCodeCamp have even gone on to jobs at Google and Microsoft. And really, what can be better motivation than that?
Recommendations
We recommend FreeCodeCamp to anyone, whether you’re just starting out, looking to upskill, or returning for a refresher course.
The platform is especially good for web development. After taking this course, you’ll have the knowledge required to design a web page. The modules cover the basics of HTML, CSS, and Bootstrap before moving on to more complex projects.
The JQuery and CSS modules will save beginners a lot of time and energy. Be aware, however, that some experts find the instruction to be overly basic. Without supplementing your training with some other resource, you may find yourself lacking the vocabulary to understand what CSS is really about.
freeCodeCamp vs Codecademy: Which Platform Is Better?
Especially in the time of COVID-19 and lockdowns, students are looking for more ways to learn to code online. This is where websites like freeCodeCamp and Codecademy come in handy. Both of these provide quality online education and are highly regarded by most users around the world.
But which one is better? Below are some key similarities and differences that can help you make the right choice.
Similarity: English-Only
Although more and more people are becoming more proficient in English language, there are still some who do not speak or understand English well. Such learners require translations, but unfortunately, all the courses on both sites are only in English.
Difference: Cost of Certificates
As we have discussed, certifications are an important way for students to advance in their careers. While freeCodeCamp and Codecademy both provide certifications for completing parts of their curriculums, the certificates provided by Codecademy cost money and freeCodeCamp’s certificates are absolutely free.
Difference: Overall Pricing
As the name suggests, freeCodeCamp is free. Codecademy, on the other hand, offers only some of its features for free. To get access to all of the content, students have to pay for a Pro subscription, which costs $19.99 after a 7-day trial period.
Verdict: freeCodeCamp Is Better Than Codecademy
Both the sites provide their users with a variety of courses and challenges, but if you’re looking for a free option with no strings attached, then freeCodeCamp is for you.
Conclusion: What to Do After Completing freeCodeCamp?
What to do after finishing freeCodeCamp depends on how much experience in programming you have.
If this is your first foray into coding, then you might want to look into getting a certificate for a specific programming language. Another good option would be to take CS50 through edX, Harvard’s famous introduction to computer science and coding.
But in general, the best thing you can do is to take on more coding projects. Project building is an integral part of learning how to code. A portfolio of great projects will highlight your work and get your name out there. You can share projects that you’re particularly proud of on online coding forums like CodeChef and Github.
Nothing beats being validated by your peers, but before you’re ready to share your work, you can also turn to these communities for feedback and guidance. Most experts who frequent coding forums are happy to help beginners whenever they need it. Making connections now will help you in the long run.
In brief, you should evaluate your goals, and then proceed accordingly. With freeCodeCamp at your side, all that’s left is to be true to yourself and your goals.
