Codecademy vs Udemy… Which platform reigns supreme?
Well, it all depends on what you’re looking for.
Do you prefer video courses? Or do you learn better by working directly in the browser on a series of challenges?
Do you want the challenge of sifting through 10,000 courses (literally)? Or do you want a clear path laid out for you?
Today we’re looking at all that and more in this ultimate showdown of Codecademy vs Udemy.
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TLDR: Codecademy vs Udemy
🔥 Codecademy Pro is an interactive learning platform containing courses, skill paths and career paths related to web development. Codecademy Pro is recommended for students who prefer structured learning.
💥 Udemy is a video-based learning platform. There are no skill paths or career paths. We think Udemy is ideal for students who are bargain hunters.
Codecademy | Udemy | |
Interactive Learning | ✅ | ❌ |
Video Learning | Minimal | ✅ |
Courses | 85+ | 130,000+ |
Skill Paths | 22 | ❌ |
Career Paths | 6 | ❌ |
Projects | 25 | depends on course |
Community | Yes | No |
Consistent Courses | ✅ | ❌ |
Consistent Pricing | ✅ | ❌ |
Codecademy vs Udemy: Codecademy
Codecademy is an interactive learning platform geared towards beginner software developers. All work is done inside the browser (you don’t have to set anything up).
This includes:
- exercises
- quizzes
- projects
And beyond.
Udemy, on the other hand, is a video-based platform with courses on everything from web development to photography. You also are responsible for setting up your developer environment.
Areas of study
Codecademy offers courses in 14 languages including:
- HTML & CSS
- Python
- JavaScript
- Java
- SQL
- C++
- R
- C#
And more.
The 10 subjects covered include:
- Web Development
- Data Science
- Computer Science
- Machine Learning
- Web Design
- Data Visualization
- Developer Tools
- Code Foundations
- Game Development
- Mobile Development
Codecademy vs Udemy: Courses
There are 85+ courses on Codecademy Pro. Conversely, Udemy has over 130,000.
Codecademy courses range anywhere from 1 hour to over 30 hours per course but Udemy courses can last well over 60 hours.
This depends on the subject, difficulty level, and how deep into concepts the course goes.
Each Codecademy course contains a series of interactive exercises, and the occasional video to reinforce concepts.
Let’s look at the course Learn Python 3 as an example.
There are 11 modules in Learn Python 3 covering:
- control flow
- functions
- lists
- loops
- strings
- dictionaries
- classes
- function arguments
And beyond.
All exercises are interactive and all work is done in the same browser.
For example, you can expect to see a lesson, instructions and a code editor all on the same page.
This is a bit different than Udemy, which uses video instruction. So all exercises and projects you work on there will be done outside of the browser.
There are also 22 skill paths on Codecademy Pro.
Skill paths are like courses, only amped up. Instead of one course, there are multiple.
They’re taken in a particular order to build on concepts learned in previous courses.
Each skill path has curated content focused on mastering a specific skill such as:
- Analyze Data with Python
- Build Basic Android Apps with Java
- Create Video Games with Phaser.js
- Build a Machine Learning Model with Python
Skill paths typically take a few months to complete.
On the other hand, Udemy does not offer any skill paths.
Career paths are another feature of Codecademy Pro.
Career paths are similar to skill paths, but are more intensive. Almost like a bootcamp.
Instead of honing in on a specific skill, the paths focus on specific careers.
Codecademy Pro currently offers 6 career paths:
Career paths typically take 6 months to a year to complete.
Like skill paths, Udemy doesn’t have any career paths, either.
Projects
You’ll work on multiple mini projects throughout every Codecademy Pro course, skill path and career path.
Some of these 25 projects include:
- Magic 8-Ball
- Number Guesser
- Tic-Tac-Toe
- Credit Card Checker
- Best Fare Calculator
- Build a Website Design System
And beyond.
Community
Codecademy Pro has forums where you can connect with other students.
You can ask questions, help others, and share projects you’re working on.
However, you won’t find any community on Udemy.
Certificate of Completion
Codecademy Pro offers a Certificate for every completed course, skill path and career path.
Codecademy Cost
There is a free tier on Codecademy, but its features are limited to a few basic courses. And you aren’t eligible for Certificates.
However, with Codecademy Pro, you’ll get bonuses like members-only content, Certificates of Completion, and real-world projects.
You can get Codecademy Pro for $39.99 per month or $239.88 per year ($19.99/mo).
Pros
- Courses are interactive
- Skill paths
- Career paths
- Monthly and yearly subscriptions
Cons
- Limited videos
🔥 Geena’s Hot Take
Look, I’ve taken courses on Codecademy and Udemy.
And I’ve spent plenty of time on both just getting familiar with what each platform offers.
If you’re interested in pursuing a career in web development, I really wouldn’t mess with Udemy.
Their pricing scheme is just that… a scheme. Is a course $10 or $100? The price is always changing.
And is the course by a top-rated instructor or some dude with a grainy camera filming from a dark basement? Are the projects evergreen bangers or duds with buggy code?
There’s no consistency.
But with Codecademy, I know what I’m getting.
Codecademy vs Udemy: Udemy
Udemy is a video-based learning platform geared towards learners of all types. What I mean by that is that it’s not limited to developers.
There are courses on building butterfly gardens, photography, and how to rent your home to vacationers.
And that’s truly just for starters.
With over 130,000 courses, there are courses for almost everyone and everything under the sun.
This can be confusing if you just want to learn web development.
Codecademy vs Udemy: Areas of Study
Udemy is a bit different than Codecademy.
Codecademy focuses on areas of web development, machine learning, and data science.
But as we mentioned, Udemy has a large scope of courses beyond software development.
However, Udemy does cover topics such as:
- web development
- data science
- mobile development
- software engineering
- no-code development
Some programming languages that are taught include:
- Python
- Java
- C#
- C++
- JavaScript
- Go
- Python
- R
In addition there are courses on frameworks like React, Angular and Node.
Udemy Courses
There are over 130,000 video-based courses on Udemy. Remember, that’s compared to about 85 on Codecademy.
Though the exact number of software development courses is unknown, it’s more than 10,000.
But not all of those courses are awesome.
In fact, most aren’t.
Some courses have inconsistencies like poor audio or video.
Others haven’t been updated in years.
However, there are some killer courses by instructors like Colt Steele and Angela Yu. Check out RTC’s video review of their bootcamps:
But you really have to sift through courses to find the good ones.
So make sure:
- you read the reviews.
- the courses are up to date.
You can find reviews and course dates on the course landing page.
Courses can last anywhere from a couple of hours to 60+ hours.
Now let’s take a closer look at one of the best Udemy courses: 100 Days of Code by Angela Yu.
Clocking in at 60 hours of video, this course is meant to be taken over the course of 100 days.
Its layout is like that of a bootcamp with over 200 articles, 116 downloadable resources, assignments and more.
Throughout the course, you’ll work on building 100 Python projects in 100 days.
This includes games like Blackjack, Pong and Snake.
You’ll also learn how to use frameworks like Scikit Learn, Matplotlib and more.
By the end of the course, you should be able to professionally code in Python.
But keep in mind that while Codecademy is an interactive platform, Udemy is a video-based learning platform.
So you’ll be doing all projects outside of the browser.
If you’re a visual learner, this shouldn’t be a problem.
However, if you learn by doing and need to work alongside instructions, this style of learning may be a little more difficult for you.
Unlike Codecademy, Udemy doesn’t offer any learning paths.
There are no skill paths or career paths on Udemy, only courses.
Projects
All projects are contained within courses. Some courses have them, some don’t. So the exact number of projects on Udemy is unknown.
Extras
Udemy extras are limited and course-specific.
For example, in 100 Days of Code, there are 116 downloadable resources. However, in another course Learn Python Programming Masterclass, there are only 15 downloadable resources.
So it all depends on the course and is at the discretion of the instructor.
Certificate of Completion
Just like Codecademy, there is Certificate of Completion for every completed course on the Udemy.
Udemy Cost
Udemy courses are priced individually. They typically range between $95 and $140.
Unlike Codecademy, they don’t offer monthly or yearly subscriptions for Udemy, and those courses can add up.
However, Udemy frequently has sales where you can get courses for around $10 or $15.
Keep your eye out for sales and coupons, and clear your browser history — it could save you hundreds!
Pros
- Video-based courses
- Some good instructors
Cons
- Inconsistent course quality
- Inconsistent pricing
- No skill or career paths
Codecademy vs Udemy: Conclusion
So which is the better learning platform: Codecademy or Udemy?
Codecademy is an interactive learning platform with easy-to-find individual courses. In addition, there are skill paths and career paths.
On the other hand, Udemy is a video-based learning platform which can be useful for visual learners.
However, courses can be difficult to find, and many are outdated. Also, there are no skill or career paths.
If you need to take more than one course (which most students do), it doesn’t make sense to pay for each course individually on Udemy. So for these reasons, we think Codecademy Pro is the superior platform.
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Is Udemy worth it to learn web development?
It all depends. While there are some good courses on Udemy by instructors like Colt Steele and Angela Yu, there are also thousands of courses that are low-quality or outdated. In addition, Udemy has an inconsistent pricing structure where the same course will cost anywhere from $10 to $150 or or more depending on whether Udemy has a sale. Or if your cookies are cleared.
Who is the winner in Codecademy vs Udemy?
We think Codecademy is the better platform for learning web development. The courses are consistently high quality. In addition, you can buy a monthly or yearly subscription to the platform. With Udemy, the production values differ greatly from instructor to instructor. There are no monthly or yearly subscriptions. And the pricing scheme is inconsistent to where the same course will cost anywhere from $10 to $150 or more depending on the day, browsing history, and if you’re a first-time Udemy user.
Is Codecademy a good platform?
Codecademy is a good platform for students pursuing a career in web development, machine learning or data science. It’s an interactive learning platform, so you’ll do all the work in the same browser. Each course is filled with exercises, mini projects and quizzes. There are monthly and yearly subscriptions available.