Udemy vs Codecademy is two leading interactive code learning platforms that offer anything from exercises to quizzes and projects to courses.
When choosing the best online learning platform to use, it can get a little complicated.
One platform may have something you need whilst the other may have more to offer overall.
Which one of these online learning platforms is the best depends on what you’re looking for.
Maybe you want video courses and challenges, or thousands of paid courses to choose from.
Maybe you don’t need thousands of courses, and you’d prefer something a little clearer and simple to follow.
Today, we’re going to compare both Udemy vs Codecademy and find out what they offer.
We will look at the pros and cons of both so you can make an educated decision on what one you should use.
Udemy vs Codecademy: Overview
Before we review both code learning platforms, here is a quick overview of what both offer.
Codecademy
- Price – There are free and premium courses available
- Founded – Codecademy was founded in 2011
- Languages available – There are currently 12, including Sass, HTML, and Ruby
- Student numbers – Over 45 million students have used Codecademy’s service so far
- Platform structure – The classes are set up in paths, each one feeling like an online coding curriculum
- Curriculum – This is designed and published by Codecademy
- Interface – This included in-browser code editors and text instructions and prompts without any videos
Udemy
- Price – Most courses are listed at $99 with some discounted to only $9
- Founded – Udemy was founded in 2009
- Languages available – There are currently a wide variety of major coding languages on Udemy, including Java, Python, C++, and Node.js
- Student numbers – Over 12 million have used Udemy to take classes
- Platform structure – There are a number of different classes to choose different courses from
- Curriculum – The courses are designed by freelance instructors (these are not overseen by Udemy)
- Interface – Unlike Codecademy, Udemy does not offer in-browser text editing. But, there are plenty of real-world projects and tools available to use instead in Udemy. All courses on programming languages also come with their own instructor so each one is unique compared to the next
Codecademy: Good Or Bad?
Codecademy’s classes are in paths with topics on learning computer science and data science through SQL and Python programming language to mastering web development using JavaScript and HTML/CSS.
Codecademy allows users to hone their software development skills, even if they’re unsure what skills they require.
This is all done through pre-packaged courses.
The Codecademy courses are all related to coding and are in place to help coders improve their skills.
There is also Codecademy Pro which focuses on programs that offer meaningful outcomes and give people the new skills required to get certain jobs. (Check out ‘Does Codecademy Give Certificates?‘)
The code editor in Codecademy is not the best around, though.
Learning to code using Codecademy and then working as a programmer can be a little challenging, but its interface is clean and easy to use.
It allows users to edit code easily within the browser, which is more impressive than its Udemy rival.
Codecademy was once completely free but only beginner courses are now available for no cost.
The rest come under the Pro plan.
Nevertheless, you can usually start a course for free, but you’ll soon be asked to upgrade to a premium plan.
Altogether, there are monthly, semi-annual, and annual payment options available.
Each course comes with specific plans, so students tend to achieve higher rates of success when focusing on one aspect of coding.
Each class is designed to allow users to keep moving forward and not get lost along the way.
Sometimes, however, the courses can be overly theoretical.
Yes, it’s great to write code and see it in your browser immediately, but this novelty doesn’t last.
You’ll learn about certain aspects, like strings and variables, but they’re not exactly vital for building some code.
You may end up taking some classes on Codecademy and not learning much about code.
If you opt for the Premium Plan, though, you will get the most out of the platform.
Also, the extensive network of advisors, coaches, and graduates is available to answer any queries you may have.
And you can talk to other students, so you’re not alone in your learning.
Udemy: Good Or Bad?
You have the choice of over 100,000 courses on Udemy.
Each one offers lifetime access so you can complete them in your own time.
Ideal for people who have busy lives but want to learn code on the side.
Compared to the time constraint of Codecademy, Udemy offers more flexibility.
Udemy also provides courses covering several disciplines from personal development to grammar.
Like Codecademy, Udemy is not free with classes ranging from $19.99 to $199.99.
However, there are regular promotions and sales that bring some course prices down to $9.99.
Udemy is made up of one-off classes.
Most rely on instructions via videos, which is ideal if you have the extra time to watch the videos and you like an instructor you have found.
However, anyone can create a class and upload it to Udemy so the quality of the courses can vary significantly.
We recommend starting with a $9.99 course on Udemy.
But, because there is no time constraint on completing online courses, a common issue is that many people never finish the course.
In fact, over 95% of people who sign up for courses never complete them.
If you’re paying the money, you’ll want to get something out of it, but staying motivated can be challenging.
The Verdict
What you choose is down to personal preferences and how you like to learn.
Codecademy only offers one online course for every coding language, such as paths to learn Ruby and Python.
Udemy, on the other hand, has dozens of Udemy courses where you can learn Python, even if you’re a novice. (Check out ‘11+ Best Udemy Coding Courses For Developers‘)
But, the teachers who are teaching coding and the quality of the online coding courses can be poor in some cases.
You can start some Codecademy free courses, so we recommend trying some of these first.
But, Udemy is an excellent, affordable platform to get your foot into the coding world. So, take your time when choosing the right online learning platform.