Learning to code is a fantastic way to set yourself up for a career in web development, app development or even build your own startup. Over the last few months, I have been learning to code in my spare time and since I’m going through the self-taught route, I have had to rely on online resources to aid my progression. So in this article, I’ll be sharing the 11 best websites I have found if you want to learn programming.
Best websites to learn coding for free
1. Codecademy
Codecademy is one of the most popular websites where you can learn to code for free. In fact, over 20 milion people have already used this site to learn programming and it is usually the first recommendation for beginners to learn the basics of programming. All you need to do is sign up for a free account and get started with your preferred language. The ones on offer include HTML & CSS, JavaScript, JQuery, Python, Ruby and PHP.
2. Free Code Camp
Free Code Camp is a wonderful place to learn web development especially if you’re interested in full-stack JavaScript which is the main focus of this website. The curriculum starts off with HTML5 and CSS3 before moving on to browser-based JavaScript and JQuery and then Regular Expressions. Other things covered here include Git, Angular.js, Node.js and Express.js. The best part is that you get to build projects for nonprofits as part of your real world experience after the completion of this course.
3. Code School
Code School is a fantastic place to continue your development and further expand your knowledge. While it’s not totally free, they do offer a good number of free courses that you can do immediately. You can do everything from your browser with video tutorials and screencasts to guide you and plenty of programming challenges to put your knowledge to the test. The course paths offered include Ruby, JavaScript, iOS, Git, HTML & CSS and Electives (Regular Expressions, MySQL, Chrome Developer tools).
4. The Odin Project
The Odin Project is an online curriculum targeted at people that are looking to end up as Ruby and Rails developers. However, they also offer HTML, CSS and JavaScript as part of their comprehensive curriculum. They have already compiled the best resources for each language and have grouped them into seven sections so you only need to work your way from top to bottom. There are also projects for you to work on so you can master the techniques learned.
5. Harvard University CS50 Class
Harvard University CS50 Class, a free computer science introductory course is taught by David J. Malan. It’s one of the best ways to get started with programming even if you do not have any prior coding experience. Topics covered on this course include Web development, algorithms, encapsulation, data structures and more. Also, you get an introduction to programming languages such as C, PHP, JavaScript plus SQL, HTML and CSS.
6. HTML Dog
HTML Dog is a wonderful resource for tutorials in HTML, CSS and JavaScript. It’s a great place to start from if you’re a complete beginner looking to learn any of the above languages. There are also a small selection of how-to techniques to outline ways in which common web designed features can be achieved such as CSS Dropdowns, Collecting Form Data with PHP, Custom 404 error pages and more. It’s completely free and you do not need to sign up for anything to use the site.
7. Khan Academy
Khan Academy is a completly free online resource where you can learn a variety of subjects. The main offerings in the computer programming section are HTML & CSS, JavaScript and SQL. There are talk-throughs (interactive videos) for each section and then coding challenges for you to practice with hints and messages to guide you in the right direction.
8. The Code Player
The Code Player plays code like a video to help you learn front-end technologies – HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Here, you’ll get to see cool things being created from the scratch using the above technologies and you can replicate those stuff or improve them. Some examples include HTML & CSS wireframes, HTML5 snake game, JavaScript & CSS calculator and lots more. This website is not for the complete beginner as you must have a working knowledge of each language to be able to understand how they are used to create stuff.
9. Udemy
Udemy is a fantastic online platform for learning and improving your programming skills. There is a wide variety of languages to pick from including popular options such as HTML, CSS, PHP, MySQL Swift, Python, Java and much more. You can also learn various aspects of web design here such as UX (User eXperience) design, and Photoshop. There are plenty of videos and quizzes for each course and you get a certificate of completion as well. Most of the courses will cost you money but there are some you can take for free such as HTML5 and Java programming.
10. Udacity
Udacity is another renowned resource to advance your knowledge and career in programming. Their courses are taught by industry experts from software giants such as Google, Facebook, MongoDB and more. With Udacity, you can learn android developement, Git and GitHub, Java, ios app development and even how to build your own Startup! Some of the courses require paid enrollment but access to course materials are free.
11. General Assembly’s Dash
Dash is a good place to learn HTML, CSS and JavaScript through projects you can do right from your browser. The projects (From making a small personal website to coding a CSS Robot) are of increasing difficulty but they are completed by progressing through checkpoints which should make you enjoy the process and keep you motivated. All you need to do is sign up for a General Assembly account to start learning.
SEE ALSO: 11 Best Sites Like Coursera For Online Learning
So that’s it. You can visit any of these websites to get your coding journey started immediately. If you’re a complete beginner, Codecademy, HTML Dog, The Odin Project and Free Code Camp are great places to start off. If we left out your favourite online coding resource, do let us know about it in the comments section!
