Treehouse offers a variety of coding courses that are suitable for both novice web developers and aspiring coders.
You can develop a range of tech skills in different fields but should you stick to Treehouse’s basic plan or is it worth going with their Pro subscription?
In this article, we take a closer look at the different features of Treehouse Basic VS Pro.
Treehouse Basic Courses And Pro Courses
Treehouse offers three different types of course subscriptions: basic, plus and Techdegree.
The basic course subscription includes access to video courses, interactive tools and the learning community.
Coders with the basic membership also choose how they learn and at what pace.
The Treehouse Courses Plus includes everything from the basic plan, plus the ability to download videos for offline learning and access to bonus content.
Treehouse Basic Courses
Treehouse Courses is the platform’s basic subscription which helps you to get started on your coding journey.
As this is the most basic plan, it’s cheaper than the other two pro plans, and you can upgrade anytime to the more expensive memberships.
With Treehouse Courses, you can access a large variety of different coding courses. Treehouse offers a Library of course material.
As there is a lot of material, Treehouse has created so-called “Tracks” which are curated series of courses that help students to learn code in the most effective way.
If you are a coding beginner, then Treehouse recommends that you start with the Front End Development Track to give you an overview of essential code knowledge.
It covers almost every coding language, so when you are reading to learn more about each coding language, you can check the individual courses.
Treehouse Pro
Treehouses offer two different pro plans: Courses Plus and Techdegree.
Courses Plus is the next level up from the basic plan, and Techdegree has been designed for coding professionals.
- Treehouse Courses Plus
As you gain a greater understanding of coding languages, you may want to get more from Treehouse learning courses.
The Courses Plus plan is for coders who already have some basic coding knowledge and now want to dive deeper to focus on certain concepts or industry skills.
With Treehouse Courses Plus, the platform gives you access to the full course library which includes over 1000 hours of courses.
You will also be able to make use of the basic Courses features, such as using Tracks.
In addition, Courses Plus also includes interviews with industry experts and a range of workshops.
But the best feature that sets Courses Plus apart from the basic Treehouse plan is that you can download the course videos and view them offline.
This allows you to learn at your own pace, even without internet connection.
- Techdegree
Techdegree is Treehouse’s professional training program that covers a lot more material than the basic and plus plans.
It has been designed for job-ready junior developers who want to expand their knowledge and skills in front end development, UX design, full stack JavaScript, data analysis or Python development.
These professional coding courses go into great detail about the topic, and professionals can use them to launch or further their career development.
Each Techdegree course consist of 9-12 units which features a small test at the end of creating your own code project with all the concepts you have learned.
This allows you to pull together a comprehensive portfolio of your development skills, and you can present this to future employers.
In addition, learners also pick up the experience and confidence to create their own apps.
Each project that Techdegreee graduates create is reviewed by Treehouse’s Techdegree services staff and other students.
These projects are also graded by Exceeds Expectations, Meets Expectations and Needs Work. You will also receive notes with each projects, so you can improve on your work.
The key goal with a Techdegree course is that you will gain the knowledge and skills as well as create a program to get your Tech career started.
Treehouse Basic And Pro Features

There is a large range of features that students can use when they sign up for a basic Course plan or any of the two pro course plans.
Access To Video Course Library
One of the biggest differences between the basic and pro plans is that the basic subscription only gives you access to some of the most essential coding video courses.
In comparison, you will get full access to the entire on-demand video library with a Courses Plus membership.
You can stop and start the videos at any time which makes learning at your own pace relatively easy.
No Additional Software Required
Students who want to take a Treehouse course only need a web browser and an internet connection. There is no need for additional software.
This means you can work at any computer you want.
You only log into your workspace and start your learning. You will have access to your progress and any courses you started already.
If you need to stop in the middle of a course, just pause the video, save your progress and you can get back to it when you are ready.
Flexible Learning
What makes both the basic and pro courses of Treehouse so easy to use is that there is no set time for each course.
The coding lessons can be easily paused, so you can fit your learning around your schedule. Plus, you can also learn and practice coding languages at your own pace.
If you have a few minutes spare, then you can quickly jump onto your Treehouse course and learn more about coding.
It’s a good idea to consistently keep up with your learning to make sure that you retain all the knowledge you have learned.
The code courses are structured in a simple way with workshops, practice sessions, quizzes and code challenges.
You may also want to practice your new coding language as often as possible. This makes it easier to remember.
Access To A Learner Community
The coding industry is a large community, and Treehouse has picked up on this.
They have created a learning community forum where students can share their work, ask questions and get support from other students and teachers.
While learning with a course is an effective way to practice new skills, there are always questions that a course can’t quite answer.
The Treehouse community run by former Treehouse students is a great space to ask and exchange ideas.
No matter whether you are on the basic or pro plan with Treehouse, you will have full access to the community forum.
The community pace is private, so it’s a safe space to ask questions and find out more about a particular language.
This is a great addition to the traditional courses which allows you to expand your knowledge and share concepts with others.
View Your Achievements And Learning Progress
One of the best things about learning something new is watching yourself improve over time.
Treehouse offers its subscribers completion badges for each course they finished. They will also earn points with each lesson.
They can use the badges in their user profile, so recruiters and fellow students can view them.
You can also add the badge to your LinkedIn profile or other social media profiles as a proof of expertise in this coding language.
It’s a great way to show recruiters and interested employers that you have the suitable skills and knowledge.
Plus, you can also view your own progress in your account workspace at anytime.
Peer Review
Studies have found that students who teachers others what they have learned in a course will retain a lot more of their knowledge.
Peer review is an interesting feature that’s only available with Techdegree courses. After your third project for your course, the Peer Review feature will be unlocked automatically.
You will then be able to review the work of other students who just started their course.
This feature is voluntary but many students found peer reviewing other students’ work a positive experience and it helped them to learn better.
Career Development
If you are a coding newbie or you are a recent Tech graduate who wants to learn more about coding, then a coding language course is a good idea.
It’s the first step towards a development career. The basic Treehouse courses provide a good set of varied skills and knowledge that you will need for advanced projects.
Once you have completed the basic online courses, you can upgrade to the Course Plus or Techdegree training program.
Final Thoughts
Treehouse has a large library of coding on-demand videos that allow you to learn more about different programming and coding languages.
Each Treehouse plan gives you different access options to the course library and other learning features.
It is a good idea to keep an eye out for free trials as Treehouse often offer a range of options, so you can try out their features and start learning as soon as possible.