4 Best HackerRank Alternatives of All Time (plus 7 honorable mentions)

💡 Today you’ll discover 4 high-quality HackerRank alternatives along with 7 honorable mentions.

What the heck is HackerRank?

HackerRank is a destination for programmers and employers alike.

And it doesn’t matter whether you have your eyes on a FAANG-level software engineer job or just love the leaderboards…

HackerRank provides an environment where there are literally thousands of coding challenges.

But the HackerRank isn’t for everyone.

• Some have issues with the questions. They’re lengthy or poorly phrased.
• Others aren’t impressed with the coding interface or testing environments.
• And some are looking for more platforms to flex their coding chops.

Whatever the reason, lots of programmers are searching for HackerRank alternatives.

And today’s list gives you just that.

This post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation if you buy something. Read my disclosure for more details.

HackerRank alternatives:

1. LeetCode

This site is probably the closest you’ll get to a HackerRank clone. LeetCode features over 1500 questions.

With over 1 million users, it’s also a popular destination for coders with FAANG-level job aspirations. (For comparison, HackerRank has about 7 million users.)

The site offers 14 popular programming languages with feature-rich coding playgrounds.

Inside the coding playgrounds, you can write, test, run and debug your code.

🏷️ Price: Free for a basic membership. Premium membership is $35/month or $159/year.

Premium features include:

• more questions & more answers
• questions specific to companies like Google
• debugger where you can set breakpoints
• interview simulations
• sort questions by relevance
• unlimited playgrounds

Is LeetCode Premium worth it?

The basic membership will suffice if you want to take a crack at common questions.

However, if you’re dead-set on passing a FAANG-level interview, the Premium subscription may be worth the investment.

2. AlgoExpert.io

AlgoExpert is one of our favorite HackerRank alternatives for software engineers with FAANG aspirations.

But unlike HackerRank, AlgoExpert has neither leaderboards nor user-submitted answers.

Instead, you’re given algorithmic coding challenges while simultaneously learning about concepts like Big O notation.

Half learning platform, half immersive coding environment, AlgoExpert was created by an ex-Google/ex-Facebook software engineer.

You get the flexibility of interactive IDEs in addition to in-depth video explanations.

👉 Already know you want AlgoExpert and looking for a coupon? I got you: use my link and apply code “realtoughcandy” for 10% off the course.

The coding environment provides 4 windows that serve as your algorithm command center. You read the challenge, code and run the solution, and work to pass the tests.

Plenty of hints accent the in-depth video explanation for each challenge.

With 150+ questions, AlgoExpert provides quality over quantity. These questions fall into various categories including:

• Dynamic Programming
• Heaps
• Recursion
• Strings
• Linked Lists
• Famous Algorithms
• Arrays
• Sorting
• Graphs
• Binary Search Trees
• Tries
• Binary Trees
• Searching
• Stacks

Co-founder Clément Mihailescu is also the producer of the solution videos. In addition, solution files are available in 9 programming languages:

• Java
• JavaScript
• Go
• Python
• C++
• Swift
• C#
• TypeScript
• Kotlin

AlgoExpert regularly releases updates and new features. Additional sections include:

1. Behavioral Interview Prep: advice for behavioral interviews as well as examples
2. Coding Interview Assessment: coding interview simulation with 4 questions

🏷️ Price: $99 annually. Use our link and apply coupon “realtoughcandy” to get an additional 10% off.

3. Grokking the Coding Interview

If your primary goal is to pass a FAANG software engineering interview, Grokking the Coding Interview is possibly your best bet.

This course was created by a team of hiring managers and senior engineers from Google, Lyft, Microsoft, Facebook and Amazon.

Combined, these experts have interviewed over 300 engineers.

This course is the result of their real-world experiences.

But unlike HackerRank alternatives like LeetCode, Grokking the Coding Interview doesn’t have a massive list of problems.

It also doesn’t pit you against other users or show peer-based solutions.

Instead, it teaches you how to identify patterns to successfully solve coding problems thrown at you during an interview.

Pattern-based learning

As mentioned, Grokking the Coding Interview doesn’t dive into hundreds of specific problems and implementations. Rather, you learn 16 patterns you can apply to various questions.

After you learn the patterns, you’ll be challenged to solve various problems inside the course.

Visual and interactive elements include:

• 1000 code playgrounds (including an IDE right in the browser)
• 220 illustrations
• 125 challenges
• 184 lessons

Some of the 16 patterns you’ll learn include:

• Topological Sort (Graph)
• Sliding Window
• Tree Breadth First Search
• Subsets
• Merge Intervals
• Two Pointers
• Two Heaps
• Top ‘K’ elements

And if you can’t crack a challenge, just check out the right answer within the solution snippet.

Each coding playground offers you the choice of Java, JavaScript, C++ or Python 3.

🏷️ Price: $79 (one-time purchase)

You can also upgrade to a yearly subscription. This gives you access to Educative.io’s expansive course catalog.

💡The subscription can easily be the better option if you need to learn more about FAANG-level interviewing or software development.

For example, a subscription also gets you access to Ace the Java Coding Interview.

Want to know even more? See our detailed review of Grokking the Coding Interview.

4. Code Wars

The fun starts the minute you sign up on Code Wars…You won’t be able to register until you solve a coding challenge in your programming language of choice.

But don’t worry. If you don’t know the answer, this question is so trivial that a simple Google search will solve it.

Code Wars has plenty of features for the challenge-hungry software engineer looking for HackerRank alternatives.

Code Wars features all the bells and whistles of HackerRank’s competitive side.

You get the rankings, a wide array of challenges, and more. You also get a well-designed, data-rich stats panel.

And adding to the ninja twist, they don’t technically complete “coding challenges.” Instead, Code Wars calls them kata.

This platform is probably the most language-diverse on our list of HackerRank alternatives. Choose from the popular (JavaScript, Java, Python) to the obscure (Coq, Idris, PureScript).

🏷️ Price: Free

HackerRank alternatives: 7 Honorable Mentions

While the following seven platforms contain content that could be considered HackerRank alternatives, they aren’t as robust as the options we listed above.

That said, if you’re just exploring you can’t go wrong with free, scaled-back options.

5. CodeChef

In addition to coding challenges, CodeChef also has monthly coding contests. Winners can earn up to $700 per challenge.

However, unlike some of the more modern platforms, CodeChef’s UI/UX is a little outdated.

But don’t let that stop you from exploring this site.

There are hundreds of problems here, a user-submission area where you can see others’ solutions. The supported languages are a grab bag, ranging from Java to Perl6 (Raku), Fortran to PHP.

CodeChef is probably the most international-friendly of all the HackerRank alternatives.

For example, you can read the problem statements in Hindi, Russian, Mandarin Chinese, Bengali and Vietnamese in addition to English. Prize money

🏷️ Price: Free

6. Checkio

Checkio is possibly the most whimsical of the HackerRank alternatives on this list. It focuses on two languages: Python and TypeScript.

On this site you’ll be thrown into a gamer’s paradise that includes robot mollusks and coding your way off an island.

But once you accept the coding challenges, you go straight into a serious coding environment.

Checkio features badges and points, mirroring much of the HackerRank experience.

🏷️ Price: Free

7. Coderbyte

Coderbyte offers free company-specific interview prep courses. Some of their free courses include:

• Google Interview Prep
• Microsoft Interview Prep
• Facebook Interview Prep

And inside each of these courses are coding questions often asked at the interview. Like other HackerRank alternatives, users can submit their answers in the comments section and upvote the best ones.

On the free tier you also get access to a handful of coding challenges. But you’ll have to upgrade to a paid tier to get access to all 300+ coding questions & solutions.

Bonus: There are courses for programming languages like Python and Ruby.

🏷️ Price: Free for basic tier, otherwise $35/month or $150/year

8. CodingBat 🦇

Simply pick from Java or Python and be on your way to solving coding challenges.

We think CodingBat is the easiest to use compared to other HackerRank alternatives.

Created by a CS instructor at Stanford, with CodingBat you simply read the challenge and solve the problem. You get a basic built-in coding editor where you can type and run your code.

The problems are limited and there aren’t any rankings, but CodingBat can be a great starting point.

🏷️ Price: Free

9. Rankk

This site has a mid-90s feel, but don’t let that stop you.

While the landing page may trigger reminders of The Prodigy, Geocities and LiveJournal gone wrong, Rankk is both a challenge and journey.

On Rankk you solve puzzles, so get ready to flex your logic and programming skills. JavaScript knowledge is helpful.

Examples of challenges:

• Write a program to crack a password
• Write a program that scrapes an image and processes it. The image processing component needs to find any discrepancies in the image (odd color, weird shape) and submit the result in under 500 milliseconds.

Challenges are organized in levels from easy to difficult.

In addition, they’re based on topics ranging from programming to mathematics, cryptology to hacking along with stenography.

🏷️ Price: Free

10. CodeAbbey 🏰

Like our HackerRank alternatives Rankk and CodeChef, the design of CodeAbbey is a bit outdated. However, behind the old-school veneer is a site filled with respectable coding challenges.

You also get leaderboards and rankings, along with video explanations to some of their 200+ questions. Programming languages are diverse, ranging from Lua and Brainf**k to JavaScript and PHP.

In addition, CodeAbbey also has an active forum for all abilities. Problem translations are available in various languages including French, Arabic and Spanish.

If HackerRank had a Renaissance Fair-obsessed little brother, CodeAbbey would be it.

🏷️ Price: Free

11. InterviewBit

InterviewBit is focused on sharing problems asked by FAANG. Pick from tracks ranging from programming, system design and databases.

From there, you rack up points and coins while hammering away at over 300 questions.

InterviewBit also features a contest area.

🏷️ Price: Free

Are HackerRank Alternatives worth it?

HackerRank is a popular and expansive platform. However, these HackerRank alternatives shouldn’t be ignored.

HackerRank boasts over 7 million users, which can be both a blessing and a curse. More users means more sub-par answers.

It can also mean distractions and information that isn’t applicable to your coding journey.

HackerRank alternatives like the ones we showed you can provide you an equal – or even better – experience than HackerRank itself.

Whether you’re a code newbie, experienced programmer or need to cram for an upcoming FAANG interview, these platforms

Software engineers looking for HackerRank alternatives are also reading:

• Is Grokking the System Design Interview worth it?
• Grokking the Coding Interview REVIEW [Learn Coding Interview Prep ASAP]
• Best Way to Learn Algorithms [books & courses list]
• 23 LeetCode Alternatives You Need This Year [Courses, Platforms, Books]