The Complete Web Developer: Zero to Mastery is a massive, modern and engaging coding bootcamp-style course.
Produced by coding instructor Andrei Neagoie, it covers everything you need to know to get started with a career in web development.
So far so good, right?
But the thing is, it’s not an original concept.
Does The Complete Web Developer deliver?
Is it worth your time and money?
In this post, you’ll discover the course’s features, layout, cost and more.
This post contains affiliate links. We may receive compensation if you buy something. Read our disclosure for more details.
TLDR: The Complete Web Developer on Zero to Mastery
💥 Master modern web development fundamentals and advanced topics
🚀 Build 10 real-world web development projects including the mega-project SmartBrain
🔥 Build a professional portfolio website
➡️ Check out The Complete Web Developer ⬅️
Promo code: FRIENDS10
Many coding bootcamp-style courses have been released before it.
For example, there’s Colt Steele’s The Web Developer Bootcamp.
Then there’s Angela Yu’s The Complete Web Developer Bootcamp.
Both of these courses are well-loved and top-rated among students.
And Colt and Angela are Udemy darlings for all the right reasons.
The idea behind these courses is to teach people both the frontend and backend of web technologies (a.k.a. full-stack development).
Then, by the time they learn the material and build the projects, they’ll theoretically be ready to apply for their first job in the industry.
It’s a big promise!
With over HALF A MILLION students enrolled in the Colt Steele course, and Angela bragging nearly 150,000 students herself, releasing an online coding bootcamp-style course is a high-stakes game.
So the question is…
Is The Complete Web Developer by Andrei Neagoie even worth it?
Yes, we definitely think so.
Here’s why:
While the Colt Steele bootcamp is newly updated, it’s still missing some components you’d find at an in-person coding bootcamp.
And while the Angela Yu course is rock solid with excellent production values, the tech stack is practically the same as Colt’s. However, she does include chapters on React, a popular JavaScript library.
But Andrei’s course just turns up the heat on every metric.
For example, Andrei’s course does show you ES6 and React.
He teaches some cool, useful tech like PostgreSQL.
You’re also challenged to build a unique mega-project called SmartBrain that incorporates AI.
Andrei’s version of a coding bootcamp course stands out in a few more ways.
1. The Complete Web Developer Feature Set is Excellent
This course has a feature set that outshines the other bootcamp style courses.
Here’s how:
The Tech Stack
The tech stack simply means what types of technologies are taught. For example, every web developer coding bootcamp course is going to have sections on HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
⬆️⬆️⬆️ Those 3 technologies are the building blocks of the web.
Where instructors decide to go after that, however, is where things get… interesting.
Andrei’s tech stack is the most modern and, in our opinion, compelling. He gives you the building-block basics so you can build web pages. Then we start getting into the interesting stuff like:
- React – a popular JavaScript library developed by Facebook
- The Star Wars API (there’s a whole section on APIs)
- A section dedicated NPM + NPM scripts
- PostgreSQL
- How to perform code & security reviews
There’s a lot more to cover, but these are a few of the unique items in this course.
In a nutshell, here’s what you’ll learn on front and backend (this is a very abbreviated list):
Frontend:
- HTML & CSS
- Semantic UI
- JavaScript (all the way to ES10)
- React & Redux
Backend:
Miscellaneous
The man, the myth, the ZTM legend: Andrei Neagoie
If you spend even a few minutes on this site or on the RealToughCandy YouTube channel, you’ll see what we think of Andrei as an instructor.
🚨 SPOILER ALERT 🚨 We’re huge fans.
Why?
Because Andrei has style (he’s an experienced software developer & not reading off a teleprompter) and his production values are on point.
How many times have you taken a course where the guy sounds like he’s speaking through a piece of plastic wrap in some long-forgotten cave?
It’s frustrating.
But students on the Zero to Mastery platform don’t have to worry about that.
Oh yeah, and side note. We actually interviewed Andrei for our blog.
The Project
It’s not a typo… There’s only one major project in this entire course. That might turn some people off, but it’s a massive project you’ll be spending days on.
The Complete Web Developer landing page claims there’s over 10 projects, but honestly they’re probably not something you’d want to put in a web developer portfolio.
Think of them more as coding challenges.
For example, in the Advanced CSS section, you’re challenged to build an animated robot.
But back to the major project.
It’s called SmartBrain and it spans over multiple chapters of the course. It’s a full-stack image recognition app that uses a subset of artificial intelligence (AI) called Machine Learning (which he also has a good course on!).
Don’t worry though, you’re using an API so you don’t have to know how machine learning works. That’s the beauty of APIs as you’ll discover in the course.
You’ll be spending a lot of time with this project. It’s not something you’re going to crank out in just a few hours – Andrei has you add features to it as the course progresses.
The final result is a big and fun project that we haven’t seen in any other bootcamp course.
2. The add-ons are valuable
When you become a Zero To Mastery student, you don’t just get unlimited access to all courses. You get some fringe benefits too.
Firstly, the valuable Discord server (see below).
Secondly, you get an exclusive invite to his LinkedIn networking group.
Other benefits:
- members-only material
- course completion certificates
- ability to download all lessons for offline learning
It’s a nice touch. These are actually tangible benefits compared to other sites that offer “tHe SaTisFaCtIoN of kNoWinG y0u’rE lEarnNiNg s0m3ThInG” as a benefit. 🙄
What’s Missing in The Complete Web Developer?
Pros
- Information is modern and comprehensive
- Fun projects
- Engaging instructor
Cons
- Inconsistent audio levels
- No built-in coding environments
Although this is a high-quality course, it is missing a few things. The biggest thing is probably that pesky little word “Complete,” as in The Complete Web Developer.
Remember, web development is a vast area of study, and no course is going to be complete.
You’ll absolutely pick up the basics and build some neat projects. But that’s just scratching the surface.
Learning programming and web development is a journey. Simply stated, it can’t be learned in a single online course.
On a more technical note, the courses on the Zero to Mastery (ZTM) platform are strictly video-based.
It would have been nice to have interactive code editors or other areas of interactivity.
The video-only format can make it seem like you’re learning, when in fact you’re just watching videos.
It’s very easy to turn this type of platform into a Netflix-style binge session as a student. Even though you spend an entire afternoon on videos, you don’t learn much that way.
I’m a huge fan of platforms that have some sort of interactivity for that reason alone.
To be fair, Andrei does note in the course that in order to really learn the material, you should find an accountability partner and/or join his Discord.
Cost
The Complete Web Developer is available as part of an all-inclusive subscription plan. The ZTM platform has dozens of courses plus lots of extra resources, so you get access to all those as well.
Subscriptions are available month-to-month, yearly or lifetime.
- Monthly: $39
- Yearly: $279
- Lifetime: $999
(Note: The prices are subject to increase [damn you, inflation!] but on a month-to-month basis, the yearly & lifetime memberships are cheaper than the monthly.)
ZTM / The Complete Web Developer Discord Community
As I’ve mentioned in an earlier post, one of the best features of the Zero to Mastery Academy is the Discord server.
Not only can you meet fellow students from around the world, Andrei actually checks in daily with his peeps. It’s just not something you see a lot with online courses.
The ZTM Discord also serves as a real-time help center where somebody is sure to help you with your question.
There are also opportunities for finding an ideal accountability partner, including a dedicated room for linking up with like-minded students.
Can you get hired with just The Complete Web Developer?
Some people have claimed to have landed a junior developer position just by completing this course and creating a portfolio with the course projects. We have no doubt this is true, but don’t count on it for your own situation!
It’s a rarity.
The truth is, over 100,000 people have taken this course and hiring managers have seen the SmartBrain project before.
This is an awesome course, but as I emphasized earlier in this post, the learning does not stop here.
This is only the beginning.
And The Complete Web Developer is a really good, beginner-friendly start.
The Complete Web Developer: Conclusion
To summarize, in our opinion The Complete Web Developer: Zero to Mastery is totally worth it.
Although it faces some tough competition, Andrei has combined his unique instructional style with modern web technologies.
He fused that package with the ZTM add-ons like the Discord and LinkedIn networking group to create a high-quality bundle.
This course will probably take more than a month to finish if you’re a total beginner, so consider signing up for the ZTM annual plan.
That way you can take your time with the course and work your way into the others (such as The Complete Junior to Senior Web Developer Roadmap course, another banger).
On the other hand, if you just want to explore things and test the waters, or you’re a fast learner, the monthly plan would be a more ideal fit.
You can always upgrade to the annual plan later if that’s not enough time.
Check out The Complete Web Developer here (tell Andrei that RTC sent you!)
Use ZTM promo code FRIENDS10 at checkout and SAVE 10%.
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- 5 Best JavaScript Books for Beginners and Beyond
- 12 Best Web Developer Books [For Beginners]
- JavaScript Resources: The Ultimate Guide for Web Developers
- 52 Must Have Web Developer Tools for Beginners [Best Web Developer Resources]
Should I buy The Complete Web Developer: Zero to Mastery?
The Complete Web Developer may be a good option if you’re looking for an inexpensive way to learn modern web development. The idea of an “all in one” online coding bootcamp-style course isn’t unique, but Andrei Neagoie combines updated material, interesting projects and a natural gift for instruction to create a high-quality 30+ hour course. Check out today’s post for all the details.
Who is Andrei Neagoie?
Andrei is a self-taught programmer based in Canada. He is the creator of the best-selling course The Complete Web Developer: Zero to Mastery. He has previously worked in both Silicon Valley and Toronto as a senior software developer. Currently Andrei works full-time as an instructor, having launched his own learning platform ZeroToMastery.io in 2021. Today’s post features his most popular course.
What is Zero to Mastery?
Zero to Mastery is a series of courses produced by self-taught software developer Andrei Neagoie. The series includes: Complete Machine Learning and Data Science: Zero to Mastery, Complete Python Developer: Zero to Mastery, and the Complete Web Developer: Zero to Mastery. It is now also the name of his learning platform where his flagship offering is the Zero to Mastery Academy. Read today’s post to discover more about ZTM.