Codecademy vs Udacity in blue and pink banners with Udacity and Codecademy logos in background

Codecademy vs Udacity [Best Coding Platform in 2024]

And as a new coder, you’re probably wondering which is better: Codecademy vs Udacity.

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TLDR: Codecademy vs Udacity

Codecademy Pro is an interactive platform with a focus on beginner and intermediate programmers using courses and paths.

Udacity is generally geared towards leveling up existing tech skills with its multi-course Nanodegree program.

Remote learning is more popular now than ever.

And in the world of computer programming, you don’t need a college degree to get a good, high-paying job.

So that means there are a lot of educational platforms out there. But which one is right for you?

Codecademy vs Udacity…

Today we’re looking at Codecademy vs Udacity. And we’re breaking them down by:

  • learning style (text or video-based)
  • learning paths
  • code editor features
  • courses offered
  • certificate of completion
  • cost

And much more.

From there, you’ll decide which platform is best to take you on your programming journey.

🥊💥 Vital Stats

You can’t have a proper Codecademy vs Udacity face-off without some cold hard facts.

Codecademy ProUdacity
Text-Based
Video-Based
Skill Paths
Career Paths
Nanodegree
Integrated
Code Editor
Certificate of
Completion
✅ (for nanodegrees
only)
Courses70+195+
CostAbout $240/year
access to all
curriculum
$200+/month
nanodegree

Codecademy Pro

What is Codecademy?

Codecademy is a text-based education platform offering over 70 courses in 14 programming languages:

Hello World! HTML code breaking down element, content, opening tag, closing tag
  1. JavaScript
  2. C++
  3. Bash/Shell
  4. PHP
  5. Python
  6. Swift
  7. Ruby
  8. Java
  9. Kotlin
  10. SQL
  11. Go
  12. R
  13. C#
  14. HTML & CSS

“I thought Codecademy was free.”

While there are some free courses available, they are geared more towards newbies. But we’ve found that most people outgrow them quickly.

However, the free courses can be a benefit for anyone starting out. You can learn what programming languages you want to pursue.

And from there, work on some more challenging courses with Codecademy Pro.

📚 Codecademy Pro

In addition to individual courses, Codecademy Pro offers complete access to the platform including:

  • Full Course Catalog
  • Skill Paths
  • Career Paths

Now let’s take a closer look.

➡️ Courses

Over 70 courses are included in the Codecademy Pro plan. And new courses are added regularly.

These courses cover basics like Intro to JavaScript all the way up to advanced topics like Technical Interview Practice with Python.

Some courses available on Codecademy Pro

Each course tackles multiple concepts.

And they use various learning methods:

interactive lessons

projects

quizzes

And some of the more difficult concepts contain video explanations.

Some lessons also include articles.

For example, let’s take a quick peek at the course Learn Python 3.

i. Interactive Lessons

Each lesson contains:

🔷 explanation of a concept 🔷 coding instructions

🔷 concept review 🔷 community forums

ii. Projects

Many platforms offer one or two projects to work on per course. But with Codecademy Pro, you’ll create one or two projects per lesson.

iii. Quizzes

Quizzes in Codecademy Pro contain a series of multiple choice questions.

➡️ Skill Paths

Skill paths are an organized collection of courses to help you develop a specific skill. These paths typically take about 3 months to complete.

And just like the courses, you’ll learn with a series of interactive lessons, projects, quizzes and videos.

There are currently 13 skill paths on Codecademy Pro:

🔹Analyze Data
with Python
🔹 Visualize Data
with Python
🔹Build Chatbots
with Python
🔹 Analyze Data
with R
🔹Create Video Games
with Phaser.js
🔹Build Basic
Android Apps
with Java
🔹 Analyze Data
with SQL
🔹Create a Front-End
App with React
🔹Build a Machine
Learning Model
with Python
🔹 Analyze Financial
Data with Python
🔹Create a Back-End
App with JavaScript
🔹Build a Website
with HTML, CSS
& GitHub Pages
🔹Pass the
Technical Interview
with JavaScript

➡️ Career Paths

Career paths are designed to help you develop in-depth foundational knowledge of your career goals.

Similar to individual courses, career paths contain lessons, quizzes and projects so you can learn and practice real-world skills.

Codecademy Pro offers 4 career paths:

🔷 Code Foundations – computer science history, career exploration, applications

🔷 Computer Science – learn data structures and algorithms, master Python

🔷 Data Science – learn Python and SQL, query, analyze and visualize data

🔷 Web Development – learn HTML, CSS, JavaScript and SQL

Career paths typically take about 6-12 weeks to complete.

Code Editor

The Codecademy Pro embedded code editor features:

🔹Dark mode – Dark mode is a must-have when coding for hours on end. It looks good. Plus, it reduces eye strain.

JavaScript instruction, code editor, and results in Codecademy Pro
Dark mode code editor on Codecademy Pro

🔹Syntax highlighting – Proper syntax highlighting is used for the programming language you’re working with.

🔹 Autocomplete – While this is a great option for seasoned programmers, newbies might want to use an outside code editor like Sublime or Brackets. And then paste your written code into the Codecademy Pro editor.

Certificate of Completion

Certificates of completion are available at the completion of any course, career or skill path on Codecademy Pro.

💰 Cost

You can get Codecademy Pro for about $240 a year, or about $20 per month.

This will give you complete access to the platform including:

  • over 70 courses
  • 13 skill paths
  • 4 career paths
  • certificate of completion
  • community resources

And More.

For everything you get, Codecademy Pro offers a good bang for your buck.

👉 Check out Codecademy Pro here.

Want to know more? Check out our full Codecademy Pro review.


✨ Udacity

What is Udacity?

Udacity is a video-based learning platform containing:

  • Courses
  • Nanodegrees

Note: Because they contain extended curriculum and features, the nanodegrees cost money.

“But I thought Udacity was free.”

Individual courses are free. However, their nanodegree program is not.

Courses

Udacity currently offers almost 200 courses in 6 categories:

🔷 Programming and Development 🔷 Artificial Intelligence

🔷 Cloud Computing 🔷 Data Science 🔷 Career

🔷 Autonomous Systems

These courses contain:

interactive lessons

quizzes

And because they’re video courses, they’re ideal for visual learners.

➡️ Interactive Lessons

The interactive lessons contain explanations and how-to instructions on various topics.

For example, in their Intro to JavaScript course you:

  • learn about the concept
  • watch the explanation
  • try it out yourself
Video explanation of Intro to JavaScript concept on Udacity

➡️ Quizzes

These interactive quizzes come in:

🔹multiple choice 🔹drag-and-drop 🔹code your solutions

For example, here’s a coding quiz in the course Intro to JavaScript:

In the battle of Codecademy vs Udacity, we think the Udacity quizzes win the pot.

📚 Nanodegree Program

“So what is a nanodegree?”

A nanodegree is a course of study that’s typically completed within 4 months. This is similar to Codecademy Pro’s career paths.

But is Udacity accredited?

Udacity is not accredited. So this means their nanodegree program doesn’t count towards college credits.

Nanodegrees Offered

Udacity offers 52 nanodegrees in 6 catgories:

🔹Data Science 🔹Artificial Intelligence 🔹Programming

🔹Autonomous Systems 🔹Cloud Computing 🔹Business

And in each category are multiple options.

For example, in the Programming category there are 14 nanodegrees offered:

Cloud DevOps
Engineer
Front End Web
Developer
Full Stack Web
Developer
Java DeveloperCloud DeveloperC++
Data Structures
& Algorithms
Data EngineerIntroduction to
Programming
iOS DeveloperReactBlock Chain
Developer
Android DeveloperAndroid Basics

And within these programs, you’ll learn a variety of skills from industry leaders. Plus they’ll provide:

👍 interview preparation 👍 resume help 👍 GitHub review

👍 job search assistance 👍 monthly 1-on-1 calls

👍 feedback 👍 LinkedIn optimization

You’ll also learn how to:

  • build portfolio-ready projects
  • use new tools
  • advance your web developer career
  • focus skills on areas such as blockchain and full stack development

And much more.

Nanodegrees are useful for honing in and leveling up your skills. But there’s a catch: You have to pay for each nanodegree course you want to take.

And with over 50 nanodegree courses, this can end up costing thousands.

So because these nanodegrees aren’t accredited, you need to decide if it’s worth your financial investment.

Code Editor

Udacity doesn’t have a code editor, so you’ll need to download one.

Certificate of Completion

Udacity does not offer certificates of completion for courses.

However, it does offer a certificate of completion for nanodegrees.

💰 Cost

Nanodegree programs cost anywhere from $200 per month and up. And that’s for only 4 months of access. But if you bundle nanodegrees or pay up front, you can get a discount.

👉 You can check out Udacity.

🥊💥 CODECADEMY vs UDACITY: CONCLUSION

So in the battle of Codecademy vs Udacity, which do we recommend?

We made our decision based on:

☑️ learning style ☑️ learning paths ☑️ code editor

☑️ features ☑️ courses ☑️ certificate ☑️ cost

Codecademy Pro is text-based with an integrated code editor. You get more features for less money than Udacity.

And for about $240 per year you get complete access to the Codecademy platform.

Udacity offers free courses with limited features. And while their nanodegree programs offer concentrated learning, they’re too expensive to justify the cost of $200+ per month with limited 4-month access.

So when it comes to Codecademy vs Udacity

🔔 Codecademy Pro is the clear winner. 🔔

Up Next: Codecademy vs Pluralsight [Is Codecademy Worth It?]

  1. Is Udacity accredited?

    Udacity is not accredited. So while a nanodegree will give you centralized focus on a particular skill, it does not count towards a college degree. Whereas some employers may consider an extracurricular nanodegree to be a sign of discipline and dedication, you shouldn’t depend on it to land your next job.

  2. Is a Udacity nanodegree worth it?

    Udacity nanodegrees cost anywhere from $200 per month and up for a 4-month program. And with over 50 nanodegree courses, this can quickly lead to spending thousands of dollars to hone your skills. But if you decide to take one of their nanodegree courses, you’ll qualify for their 1-on-1 support. They’ll also help with your resume and review your GitHub portfolio.

  3. Is Udacity worth it?

    Udacity has over 195 free video courses. They also have a nanodegree program. The nanodegrees cost upwards of $200 per month for a 4-month program. And they do offer benefits like 1-on-1 support, resume help, job search assistance and a GitHub portfolio review. But Udacity is not accredited, so their nanodegrees are merely symbolic. So while we recommend some of their free courses, we don’t recommend the financial investment in the nanodegree.

  4. Which is better Codecademy vs Udacity?

    Codecademy Pro is text-based with an integrated code editor. You get more features for less money than Udacity. And for about $240 per year you get complete access to the Codecademy platform. Conversely, Udacity offers free courses with limited features. And while their nanodegree programs offer concentrated learning, they’re too expensive to justify the cost of $200+ per month with limited 4-month access. So when it comes to Codecademy vs Udacity, Codecademy Pro is the clear winner.