Month: June 2022

Introduction

In the wake of the pandemic, many of us have taken time out to learn new things at home. E-learning was already big before and it shows no signs of slowing down now. According to a Statista report, by 2026, the global e-learning market will be worth roughly 370 billion dollars. So this trend isn’t going anywhere.

You may have decided to take some time to learn more about coding. And if that’s what you’re looking for, there are a number of different services that can help you reach those goals. Zenva academy is one that you may not be quite as familiar with. 

It’s not the most well-known e-learning site but it can be a solid to excellent service depending on what you want out of your e-learning experience. In this review of Zenva Academy, we’re going to dig deeper into what’s on the site and what you can expect if you subscribe.

What is Zenva Academy?

Hopefully, our Zenva Academy review will tell you everything you need to know about this one-of-a-kind platform – but for now, we’ll give you the short and sweet, condensed version so you can learn in one bite-sized nugget what this platform is all about!

Zenva Academy is an online learning platform that offers courses in a wide variety of technical skills. Meant to prepare learners for direct entry into various technology-related professions, this online school offers on-demand access to high-quality projects, video lessons, and courses in coding. 

It is a platform that is trusted by more than 100,000 developers and students – and counting. The training here is world-class and is one of the best. Founded in 2011, it’s a relatively new e-learning platform that is surely but steadily gaining traction with employers and industry professionals all over the world. 

Who is Zenva Academy For?

The academy can be used by students of all ages. Teens with an interest in coding can begin their journey with Zenva. It’s also available (and, to some extent, especially designed) for busy working adults who are looking to explore some new career options or even a hobby. 

The academy focuses on programming courses and also provides Zenva mini-degrees. None of these are not accredited. So if you’re looking to learn without a guarantee that you can use these courses for professional reasons, these courses will probably be ideal for you. 

In general, classes on Zenva Academy can be broken down into the following categories:

• Game and App Development
• Virtual and Augmented Reality
• Data Science
• Machine Learning
• Mobile Apps
• Web Development 

Zenva Academy is the perfect choice for learners who are sick of the same monotonous lessons in coding and other technical skills. With Zenva, you won’t just be sitting in front of a computer, watching instructors rattle off lists of information in boring on-demand videos. You also won’t have to log in at predetermined times of day – you can log on to the lessons whenever you’d like.

What really sets this platform apart from the others, though, is that it will allow you to learn by doing – and in a fun way! Zenva Academy requires its users to create their own games, apps, websites, and other projects. It also does much of its teaching directly through games as well!

While it’s not the best option for learners who want to build soft skills, such as those in communication and teamwork, it is a good option for professionals who want to directly improve the hard skills they need to land a job.

Chances are, if you are considering expanding your education in coding, programming, or some other highly technical field, then Zenva Academy is the right choice for you. 

How Does Zenva Academy Work?

The online learning platform has more than 250 courses to choose from. The courses are multi-modal and offer video lessons and training.The courses cover a variety of topics like programming for basic websites, games, mobile apps, and more. 

Those courses include an RPG academy to teach students how to create role-playing games,a python mini-degree, a free bundle on the basis of programming called “Coding 101,” and many more kinds of training. 

Features and Functionality

Not sure if Zenva Academy is right for you? We will provide you with a full overview of the many pros and cons of this online learning platform below in our more detailed Zenva review, but for now, consider these top features.

Expert Instructors

The instructors are pretty well-vetted on Zenva and courses are frequently kept up to date. The academy releases free updates for premium and free classes and edits to keep the courses as up to date as possible. 

Courses in Numerous High-Demand Areas

When you’re on the site you can choose from several different topics that will help prepare you with the technical skills and coding skills you need to expand your career – or to pursue a new one.

You can choose from topics such as  data science, gaming, mobile apps, productivity, virtual reality & augmented reality, and web development. Those courses delve deeper into each topic. The gaming course includes topics like artwork, Unreal engine, HTML5, and multiplayer. Data science digs into databases, machine learning, and computer vision. 

Zenva Mini-Degrees

Zenva also offers mini-degrees that allows you to start a new career path. Those include things like Full-Stack Development, Unity Game Development, Python, and an Intro to Programming Bundle, to name a few. 

Zenva Academy courses and mini-degrees alike are both very flexible. You can study on-demand whenever you want to. They are perfect for adult learners who are balancing their coding lessons with other responsibilities. 

Certificate of Completion

Once you finish courses, Zenva Academy offers certificates of completion. These are not the same as finishing a course at a university and Zenva’s courses are not accredited. Therefore, they won’t allow you to transfer credit into a university program or something of that nature.

However, these courses could offer a certain level of practical knowledge that you can potentially apply in the real world – something you won’t get just from reading an article you find on Google about how to complete various technology-related tasks.

Also, just because the courses lack accreditation doesn’t mean that employers won’t value them. That said, it is something that you need to know before you invest all those hours into finishing these courses. 

Zenva Academy Pricing Model

Zenva uses subscriptions to give you access to the online platform. You can pay $30 a month for access to all courses under a monthly subscription or $24 a month if you pay for a yearly one. The Academy runs sales occasionally and accepts coupons so you can gain access to different prices. 

At the time of writing, the cost for a yearly subscription is $14 and a monthly one is $20. As mentioned before, certain courses, including several of the introduction courses like “Python 101” and “Coding 101” are free.

You can take the following free courses on Zenva Academy without having to pay a dime. Although the free course selection is somewhat limited, the beauty of taking free courses on this platform is that it will give you an idea of whether Zenva Academy is right for you. Plus, it will also provide you with an elementary-level training in core topics.

Consider taking free classes in:

• JavaScript101 – First Programming Steps
• Mobile Games 101 – Android and iOS Development
• Python 101 – Introduction to Programming
• Unreal Engine 101 – 3D Game Creation
• Coding 101 Bundle – Programming Essential

Zena is incredibly affordable without sacrificing the quality. The free courses include numerous lessons that will cover everything you need to know to get started in a certain program of study. All you need is an Internet browser and you’re good to go – no credit card required.

It’s a great way to learn more about whether the platform is right to you. This is a Zenva feature that you shouldn’t overlook. In fact, this is something you will see praised in many Zenva review postings that you find online, with Zenva Academy users stating that they like how affordable this online platform is. Many comparative websites charge twice, three times, or even ten times more than Zenva Academy does. 

Support

After reading several reviews, the general consensus is that Zenva’s customer support is responsive when needed and can handle a variety of issues. Reviewers and learners mention not having much of a problem getting in touch with the support team and gettin resolutions to their problems. 

Overall, Zenva is an effective way to learn more about programming and coding for a reasonable price. The website is pretty easy to navigate and offers many different ways to learn. 

Zenva’s interface can appear a bit dated at times, but it is generally pretty easy to find your way around and you can easily take the next steps without having to search too much for whatever it is you are looking for on this site.

The Advantages (Pros) of Zenva Academy

While there’s no single online learning platform that’s right for everyone, you’ll find that there are many advantages to taking classes with Zenva Academy. Here are some of the best reasons why many learners are turning to Zenva Academy to get the experience each needs to boost his career. 

Practical, Hands-on Approach To Learning

As mentioned before, Zenva Academy offers more than 250 courses on anything between gaming, productivity, data science, virtual reality, and much much more. These courses are not shallow, either. 

They offer courses in web development, game development, mobile development, full-stack development and more. If you’re interested in learning how to code and specifically programming it is a wealth of resources for a relatively low monthly price. 

The courses are multi-modal featuring videos, coding exercises and more. It also offers mini-diplomas concentrated on several topics. There are a lot of different ways to learn on the platform and it’s actually rather difficult to find many downsides.  

Multiple Free Courses Available

If you’re tight on cash you can still access some of Zenva Academy’s courses. There are 12 different entry-level courses available to the public for absolutely free. These courses offer students training and education in basic programming language and coding exercises. Students just beginning to learn how to code might benefit from the experience and training. 

For informative, albeit not accredited, courses the price one pays for the subscription is reasonable. You can even try several free courses before you decide to pay for a subscription. If you’re looking to develop a broad set of programming skills then it is a pretty cost effective option. If you’re looking for a course that’s guaranteed to make you more hirable, then this will likely not be worth it.  

Some of the Best Courses in Gaming

There are all kinds of online learning platforms out there that focus on programming, coding, and other technical skills that will likely help you get a job. However, when it comes to more specific niches, there is a saddening (and aggravating!) dearth of high-quality courses out there.

However, Zenva Academy helps to fill in any gaps you might find, particularly in gaming and game development.

You’ll cover all of the following courses and topics in your Zenva Academy courses:

• Unity 2D
• Unity 3D
• HTML5
• Godot
• C++ 
• Artwork
• Unreal engine
• Multiplayer

…and much more.

Courses Taught by Experts with Years of Experience

Zenva courses generally include videos that feature experts in the coding field. Some of these are even university-level courses taught at Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Princeton and other universities. 

Quality Customer Support

Read just about any review of Zenva Academy and they’ll all tell you the same thing – most praise the fact that Zenva Academy’s customer support was not only capable but also responsive. 

There’s a seven-day refund policy if you decide early on that you don’t like Geneva’s courses. A quick scan of the different reviews for the service doesn’t reveal that there aren’t many complaints of people not being able to get refunds. You likely won’t have problems getting your money back. 

The Disadvantages (Cons) of Zenva Academy

That said, with every benefit of a given e-learning platform, you’ll likely also find a few disadvantages. Here are some that stick out when considering Zenva Academy. 

Non-Accredited Certificates

While Zenva Academy’s courses are taught by experts and will likely teach you very valuable skills they are not accredited. To be clear, this means that any certificate of completion from Zenva will not be recognized by any official international institutions. You can still add the certificates to your portfolio to highlight your coding skills. However, if you’re looking for jobs, know that some employers may not recognize it. 

Only Computer and Coding-Related Topics Are Covered

While you can find a program of study in just about anything related to programming and coding on Zenva Academy, you’ll unfortunately have a hard time finding any courses in related topics here. Almost all of the classes focus solely on coding and programming – you aren’t going to be able to branch out much, even to related fields like business development or digital marketing.

Can’t Pay for Individual Courses

Although Zenva Academy is one of the most affordable online learning platforms out there, particularly for students who are interested in learning more about technical fields like coding and programming, it frustrates some users that there’s no option to pay by the course (rather than by a subscription-based model).

Despite the fact that Zenva Academy subscriptions are relatively low in cost, it can be off-putting to have to pay for a full subscription, especially if you only want to take one or two classes. This is a feature that is certainly possible, too, since there are dozens of other online learning platforms out there that will allow you to do this.

If you want to see what Zenva has to offer but don’t want to pay for the full subscription, again, it may be worth your time to just take one or two free classes to see what it’s like. 

Not the Best Design and User Experience

Zenva is easy to use but a bit unflashy. For most people, that is a benefit – there’s less junk to sift through in order to get the information you need. However, some people decry the fact that there just isn’t a lot to look at. You might find that using another platform where the courses are designed in a sleeker, more cohesive fashion, works better for you instead. 

Log on to the Zenva Academy homepage and you’ll notice right a way that it looks a bit out of date. You’ll see a detailed menu bar where you can view your accounts and see all available courses (as well as any courses you already started). YOu can also use a search tool to find what you are looking for. Scroll down and you should see a bit more information, such as the various platform features and courses that are available as new offerings.

However, it can be a bit more challenging to find Zenva Mini-Degrees – and even more challenging to truly engage and interact with the platform’s format. It’s really not the best user experience, especially not compared to the many other options out there. 

Zenva’s website design isn’t always the most aesthetically pleasing but if you can get past that there is a wealth of information on the site about some of the latest trends and information in programming, virtual reality, augmented reality and a lot more. 

Zenva Academy Alternatives

Looking for platforms that offer all the learning material you need – but perhaps not sold on Zenvo Academy? Here are some alternatives to this platform.

Several reviewers and commenters mentioned Udemy, which offers a variety of tech-related courses. Udemy actually offers some courses in topics that you might also find on Zenva Academy but also offers courses in things like entrepreneurship and marketing. If you’re looking for a more well-rounded education in the tech field it might be preferable. However, some reviewers warn that Udemy’s standards for instructors aren’t quite as strict as Zenva’s. 

To become an instructor on Udemy, you don’t have to meet any qualifications or standards. You just create an account and upload your courses! This is much different than the vetting process that many other e-learning websites, Zenva Academy included, do for their candidates. 

As Udemy offers a much wider range of courses, they tend to charge per course if you’re buying it for just yourself. These courses start at $12.99. You can pay various amounts if you’re paying for a team. 

Codecademy is a somewhat similar service that offers more free services, allows you to build  real websites, and offers forums for each class. It offers no video instruction, however. It also does not offer certificates of completion once you finish a course.  

Its premium service offers more exclusive learning content, more real-world projects, expert feedback, as well as mobile access plans for $40 monthly and $20 a month if you pay annually. 

Coursera offers accredited courses that can offer certifications that might carry some more weight in all workplaces. It offers many courses in coding that covers similar ground that Zenva, code academy, and Udemy cover. The service’s pricing model, however, is actually pretty complicated. 

College students can access certain courses for free. Other courses require one-time fees. 

Others offer separate fees for accredited certifications. There is also a subscription plan available and you can audit some courses for free. Here is the simple version. Individual courses will probably cost somewhere between $30-$100.So there’s a good chance you will pay more to find less of some of the same content you might find on Zenva. 

Conclusion

Zenva Academy offers quality instruction for a reasonable price. It could be argued that similar services offer less for more money. Other services like Udemy may not be cost effective if you only want to learn about coding and programming. 

If you have a somewhat specific interest in coding, Zenva Academy is actually the perfect choice. It focuses on programming and not just design. So if you’re learning to code from scratch, using this in conjunction with another free service to learn about basic design might actually help a bit more.. 

If you’re looking to do a coding bootcamp that gives you accredited certification to land a new job, Zenva may not be for you. Although we can’t guarantee that listing a certificate of completion from Zenva will or won’t help you land a job. 

The best thing you could probably do is learn more about what the companies you’re interested in are looking for in a candidate. This way, you will know if Zenva can help you meet your career goals. 

Of course, it’s also a great idea to start looking at what other people say about the many online learning platform options out there. Hopefully, this Zenva Academy review has been helpful in giving you the information you need to determine if Zenva courses are right for you, but if not, you’ll find that there are plenty of other options for you to choose from. 

FAQ

Is Zenva Academy legit?

Yes. Zenva Academy is a legitimate coding academy and business and not a scam. It features a return policy and has received positive reviews from several legitimate customers and reviewers. 

Is Zenva Academy worth It?

That depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re looking to learn more about various types of programming, it will do that for you. But bear in mind that the courses are not accredited and the courses can be somewhat long. So if you’re taking up coding lessons to get a job, you should double check that the companies you’re going to apply to do not require accredited courses. 

Are Zenva Academy courses worth the price?

By most accounts, the subscription cost of Zenva Academy is reasonable for the more than 250 courses you get access too. 

The most you’ll pay a month is $30 for a Zenva subscription.They also often run sales and accept coupon codes. There are cheaper services available and more expensive ones.If you’re looking for one particular course, it might not be cost effective to pay that much. 

Is Zenva Academy free?

Zenva offers about a dozen free introductory courses. The rest of the more than 250 are only accessible once you purchase a subscription. 

How much does Zenva Academy cost?

$30 a month for a monthly subscription. $24 a month for a yearly subscription. 

Who teaches Zenva Academy courses?

Various accomplished professionals and experts teach Zenva classes. 

What types of courses does Zenva Academy offer?

Zenva focuses on programming and data science classes. You can learn how to program apps, various games, virtual and augmented reality, experiences, various coding languages, and much more. 

Introduction

Thinkful is an online learning platform that falls more into the category of a coding bootcamp.  This platform was founded in 2012 and is based in New York. At any given time the camp teaches roughly 7,000 students.

Their learners can choose between seven different online courses that are all backed with a tuition reimbursement guarantee as well as a guaranteed job at the end of the camp. We will discuss these in further detail later in our review of Thinkful.

Thinkful also boasts a 92% satisfaction rate on review sites, something other bootcamps struggle to match. 

Ready to find out if Thinkful is right for you? In this Thinkful review, we will tell you everything you need to know.

What is Thinkful?

Thinkful offers quality education in a lot of areas of technology that some other coding boot camps would leave off the table, such as product management. 

The platform focuses on the one-on-one mentoring program and that’s a good thing – this is generally a weak point of other online coding boot camps. However, it appears that they could use some quality control in how they choose their mentors, with many reviews citing poor mentorship as the biggest downfall of the course.

A unique feature of Thinkful is the use of a stipend that gives students a monthly income while completing the course. This is also something that very few, if any, other coding boot camps offer and for many students could be a dealbreaker.

Probably the biggest benefit of Thinkful is the effort the platform puts into making sure you have the best career coaching, setting up mock interviews, test questions, and one-on-one mentorship for this part of your education specifically.

Who is Thinkful For?

This platform is specifically designed for people who want to make a career in the world of computer science and acquire the technical skills needed to do so. Thinkful does not at all lend itself to being good for hobbyists, given the price.

Students most likely to benefit from Thinkful have interests in topics like software engineering, digital marketing, and data science to name just a few things. 

Thinkful is good for both a complete beginner and for someone with a little knowledge in the field looking to bolster their resume. Some students who were in the field before attending Thinkful have reported an increase in annual earnings of around $20,000.

Also, there is a fair amount of communication on the platform both with other students and your mentorship. If a student prefers a more introverted approach to learning this likely is not the platform for them. 

How Does Thinkful Work?

Thinkful is a very structured and straightforward platform to use, especially in comparison to a lot of other online learning platforms out there. Because it is an online bootcamp, you won’t notice as much flexibility in the studying process or any individual program.  

Their platform is very easy to navigate, and not just for people that are already web developers. Going to their site gives you a chance to browse through the curriculum, but seeing a full course is going to require you to submit your email. 

You should have an idea of what you want to get out of Thinkful before you get onto the platform. This way you can see what Thinkful offers to get you to your goals. 

Once you select a course you’ll take a look at their pricing options and decide what kind of workload you can handle, whether it be full-time or part-time, which will dictate the cost and timespan of your education. 

Beginning your education is also different depending on whether you intend to be a full or part-time student. A full-time student will attend prep courses for their chosen field to ensure they have the knowledge base required to graduate. 

From there you will continue your education with regular meetings with your mentor and peer-associated work. You’ll focus on building a portfolio and getting the real-world knowledge necessary to secure a job in your new field of work.

Features and Functionality

1:1 Teaching

In general, one of the things most lacking from online learning is the ability to interact with a teacher at all. To address this, Thinkful has made it their mission to provide this for their students. 

Each student will have access to a mentor that has years of experience in their field to guide them through the process. Not only for technical questions like how things work but also real-world hiring questions to get through an interview. 

Tuition Reimbursement

A quick disclaimer: there are qualifications you must meet to have access to their tuition reimbursement. One of these is that you must live in, or be willing to relocate to, a “qualified city”, typically major metropolitan areas like New York or Pittsburgh.

If you do qualify, though, you can’t go wrong with this. Either you get a job within six months of graduating from their course or you get all your money back. They even go so far as to stipulate it must be a job where you earn at least $40,000 per year. 

This can help to lessen the sting of forking out potentially $19,000 on an education that isn’t from an actual college. 

ISA/Deferred Tuition Assistance

Thinkful offers opportunities for people to gain access to their curriculum without having to pay money upfront. This is in the form of either an ISA or a deferred tuition plan.

The difference between the two is that an ISA (income sharing agreement) is tied to your income, with around 15% of it going back to Thinkful, while deferred tuition is a set rate with interest instead. 

Both of these options have the potential to pay off your education after you complete the program and secure a job. Since the cost of education at Thinkful is relatively high, it can open the platform up to people who may not normally be able to afford it. 

Career Assistance

The whole reason you take a course from Thinkful is to land a job or secure a better position in your current industry. Unfortunately, many coding boot camps don’t prepare you for this part of the process.

Thinkful does a great job at getting their students ready for the job search. They supply mentors that help coach you in the interview process. 

The platform even goes so far as to conduct mock interviews to give you a confidence boost. If you look at student testimonials, this is one of the most frequently mentioned features that helped learners land jobs.

Thinkful Pricing Model

Thinkful’s pricing is probably the most confusing part of the entire system, mostly because the cost varies so greatly depending on everything from course type to workload.

To keep things simple, we’ll go over the course on Technical Product Management as an example. The format is similar for each of the courses so it should give you a good idea of what to expect for each of them without getting into exact prices and the different ways to pay for each course.

Also, before we get into things, it is worth noting that there are scholarship programs available for those that qualify to lessen the cost of schooling. 

You may either pay for a course upfront or take advantage of one of Thinkfuls financing options. Both prices will be different depending on your full or part-time status. 

For instance, this course’s upfront cost is $9,000 for full-time and $4,900 for part-time. 

Conversely, you may choose to pay for it monthly but it will cost you more in the long run. Such as the $3,333 per month or $1,240 per month for full and part-time respectively with our example course. 

Thinkful also offers a loan through Ascent to pay for the tuition. This cost is going to vary based on your credit scores but on their site for this course it would end up costing you $10,000 or $6,200 as an example. 

Another way of paying for schooling on Thinkful is through an ISA or Income Sharing Agreement. This option is only available for full-time students, but it means that when you get your job after you have graduated a portion of your money will go back to Thinkful. 

In this example it would be 15% of your earnings, which is to be paid monthly, This would happen for the first three years of your employment as long as you land a job making over $40,000 per year. 

A subset of this option is with the inclusion of a monthly stipend. Thinkful allows you to take the course free of charge and give you $1,500 per month to cover any expenses and allow you to focus on learning. 

This way you end up paying that 15% of your earnings for an additional year, totaling four years. 

The final, and newest, way to pay for Thinkful is through their “Deferred Tuition” program. This is similar to the ISA but you won’t have a payment tied to your income, instead, it will be a fixed amount. 

You’ll begin payments after you get a job, at a fixed rate with interest until your tuition is paid off. An estimate for this course is $188 per month and a total cost of $6,768.

Customer Support

Support is arguably Thinkfuls most prominent feature that it offers to its students. You will meet regularly with a mentor that can help you through difficult pieces of the course. After graduation, you have access to intensive career guidance to ensure you make the most of your new education. 

If you are having technical issues with the course, you can reach out to your course advisor or email someone at Thinkful directly. Their technical support does seem to be one of the failings of their system if you read some reviews though. 

The Advantages (Pros) of Thinkful

Below are some of the biggest advantages of using Thinkful.

Community

Not only do you build a strong relationship with a mentor on this platform, but you will also have access to the Slack community formed around the Thinkful learning process. It can be very helpful for new people learning to code to be able to talk about their difficulties instead of just reading about them. 

Because Thinkful has so many students and mentors the Slack community is almost always going to have someone there to answer questions regardless of your time zone. 

Simulates Real School

A major downfall of online learning platforms is the inability to engage students the way traditional education does. Thinkful attempts to bridge this gap with the inclusion of daily live workshops that are mandatory in their full-time course loads. 

This allows students to ask questions and formulate discussion points in real-time. This feature is not available for those that choose to take a part-time course as it wouldn’t be possible to schedule the seminars to meet everyone’s needs. 

Course Quality

Something you might notice about Thinkful is the small number of courses that it offers on its platform. In comparison to other online learning sites like Udemy or Coursera. Thinkful takes an extremely specialized approach in their system. 

Because of this, you get a lot of quality and information packed into these courses. Remember that they are designed to be everything someone would need to get a job in that role after they graduate. 

Easy to Use

Thinkful is a very easy platform to use and get started with. They offer very few decisions that have to be made right out of the gate, which keeps from overwhelming the student in the very beginning. 

And the generalization of their courses assists in narrowing down what few choices you have to make as well. For example, if you would like to learn how to build applications then go for software engineering, you don’t have to pigeonhole yourself into anything specific. 

The Disadvantages (Cons) of Thinkful

These are the biggest disadvantages of using this online learning platform.

Lacking Some Topics

While Thinkful covers a wide swathe of the tech industry with its courses, there are a few that are notably missing from the curriculum. Machine learning is a very quickly growing part of technology and there isn’t a specific course for it anywhere on the site. 

There also isn’t anything on cybersecurity, which is one of the fastest-growing careers in the country. These topics being left off the site is concerning for a company that seems to pride itself in fulfilling both the needs of students and the industry itself. 

Price

Thinkful is an extremely expensive platform, especially if you compare it to other learning platforms like Coursera. But even compared to other coding boot camps Thinkful can end up costing you thousands of dollars extra. 

Whether or not you get more value for that extra cost is up for debate. Other coding boot camps offer job guarantees and tuition reimbursement. So really you have to weigh how much stock you put into good reviews and if one on one teaching is worth it to you.  

Some Poor Mentors

While the best feature of Thinkful is the mentors, its worst feature can also be the mentors. Because so much of the experience revolves around having good communication and feedback from your mentor it can be detrimental if you have a bad one. 

Because Thinkful has so many mentors, over 500, it seems it is difficult for the company to keep track of all of their activities with the students. Some reviews have stated that their mentors were not suited for the tasks. 

Most mentors are probably great, but knowing there isn’t too much quality control in this regard is a bit concerning. 

Thinkful Alternatives

Not sure that Thinkful is right for you? Here are some alternatives to consider.

FreeCodeCamp

FreeCodeCamp has been around for a while now, and what started as one guy trying to teach people to code has blossomed into an amazing community. This site can give you everything you need to know about web development, and it is completely free. 

The community is incredible and people are always willing to help you when you struggle. While they don’t have any guarantees, you can see by the testimonials that students do get jobs from just this program alone. 

There isn’t one on one teaching, or even instructors, everything is text-based and structured in a syllabus. Their built-in code evaluator lets you know when you’ve done something wrong and allows you to pass to the next topic when you’ve completed the tasks.

If you are looking for a free way to get started in code FreeCodeCamp is a wonderful place to set up shop.

Udacity

Udacity isn’t technically a coding boot camp, they are more similar to platforms like Udemy but with much better quality control. Udacity hosts courses from Robotics to Front-end development both in small courses and full certification courses called nano degrees.

Similar to Thinkful, some of Udacity’s courses offer job placement, usually only in more demand areas like full stack developer and software engineer.

They also partner with massive tech companies like Google and Tesla, who help design the courses in android development and self-driving car technologies. 

Their courses are often much more affordable than Thinkful and have excellent quality. But they lack the one-on-one mentoring that Thinkful offers unless you enroll in a nanodegree program. 

Springboard

Springboard is very similar to Thinkful in many aspects. They both offer one on one mentoring and a job guarantee. Springboard does offer one benefit in that their most expensive course tops out at $8,500 as opposed to Thinkful’s $18,500.

Springboard also offers a very similar curriculum to Thinkful similar topics include software engineering data science and UX/UI design. A lot of their courses also offer a job guarantee similar to Thinkful.

The courses are designed to be completed within six to nine months depending on your workload but they require fewer weekly hours than Thinkful’s do. They do not have different course prices for full and part-time students either. 

If you are someone with very limited time, Springboard might be the better option between the two platforms.

App Academy

App Academy is one of the most well-respected coding boot camps on the market today, graduating from their program is looked upon highly in hiring circles. Like Thinkful they have high prices, their full-stack web development course is $20,000.

They also have a free course called App Academy Open, which gives you access to everything App Academy has on full-stack development. If you want access to very high-quality schooling at no cost then you should look no further. 

Their paid course is 24 weeks long for the online version and 16 weeks for in-person learning. The in-person learning is offered both in San Francisco and New York City. 

App Academy does not offer a job guarantee but they do give career assistance toward the end of their courses. This could be a letdown for those wanting the guarantee, but App Academy’s track record speaks for itself. 

According to the statistics, App Academy landed more students jobs at Google than UC Berkeley in 2016. Regardless of if you pay for the course or attend the free option, you will be getting excellent content to learn from.

Conclusion

Overall, Thinkful is a solid learning platform that a lot of aspiring students have found a benefit from. However, the platform is one of the most expensive, and whether that cost is worth it for you is going to be a personal decision. 

Choosing Thinkful is going to come down to a matter of cost and time. If you have the extra money to put into this education and the extra time to be able to complete a full-time workload, Thinkful may be the option for you. Hopefully, our review of Thinkful has proven to be helpful as you search for the ideal online learning platform for your needs!

FAQ

Is Thinkful legit?

Yes is a legitimate company and you will receive an education for the money you pay them. There is also a tuition guarantee for those that qualify.

They also maintain the highest rating on CourseReport. A third-party site that grades coding boot camps on their overall teaching capabilities and student success rate. 

Is Thinkful worth it?

This is entirely dependent on the individual’s situation. If you are looking to change careers into the tech industry, or bolster your skills to garner a pay raise it might be a good platform for you.

If coding or technology is a hobby for you, then it is most likely not worth the price. This is also not a good platform for someone who has limited time as the courses are quite intensive.

Is Thinkful accredited?

No, Thinkful is not accredited. You cannot receive a “real” degree from Thinkful.

The only thing you receive from Thinkful is their certification when you graduate and their job guarantees if you qualify.

It is worth pointing out that in the tech industry it is less necessary to have a degree than proof of the practical skills your job would need. Thinkful provides this proof in the form of your portfolio, which by the end of your education should be filled with completed projects. 

What courses are offered at Thinkful?

Thinkful offers 7 different courses to choose from. Some have both a full and part-time option when you sign up which changes the course duration and overall price. The following is a list of all the course topics:

• Software Engineering – Full and part-time
• Date Science – Full and part-time
• Data Analytics – Full and part-time
• UX/UI Design – Full and part-time
• Digital Marketing – Full and part-time
• Product Management – Part-time only
• Technical Project Management – Full and part-time

How much does Thinkful cost?

Thinkful’s cost is going to depend on which course you take, which workload you prefer, and how you intend to pay for the program. Paying things off after you graduate through an ISA or getting one of their loans is going to cost you more in the long run. 

Here we will list the courses and both their full and part-time costs if you pay upfront to give you an idea of what you are looking at. 

• Software Engineering – Full-time:$16,000 Part-time: $7,900
• Data Science – Full-time:$18,500 Part-time: $7,900
• Data Analytics – Full-time: $12,250 Part-time: $6,500
• UX/UI Design – Full-time: $12,150 Part-time: $7,900
• Digital Marketing – Full-time: $7,500 Part-time: $4,900
• Product Management – Part-time: $4,900
• Technical Project Management – Full-time: $9,000 Part-time: $4,900

Does Thinkful Offer a Job Guarantee?

Yes, Thinkful does offer a job guarantee upon completion of their program. If you don’t get a job within 6 months of graduation with an annual income of $40,000 or more your education cost is refunded.

There are stipulations such as having to live or be willing to relocate to a major city. You also must complete the course within the allotted time frame to qualify for the guarantee.

Introduction

Ready to learn how to code? In our FreeCodeCamp review, we will tell you everything you need to know about this platform. Hopefully, it will help you learn all the software development and programming language skills you need to become a master coder.

FreeCodeCamp is everything that the name implies  – and a little bit more. The platform is a completely free online learning platform aimed at giving students the technical knowledge needed for a career in coding. 

What is FreeCodeCamp?

FreeCodeCamp is a nonprofit company founded in 2014 by Quincy Larson, with ost of hte site serving as an open source for the developers out there. Since the company’s founding, it has grown to service millions of people in their pursuit of careers in technology.

FreeCodeCamp is not a coding boot camp like so many other platforms out there are. The platform isn’t designed to be a crash course just to land a job, the platform focuses more on comprehension than the raw quantity of information. 

We will take a deeper dive into everything that the platform offers here in our review of FreeCodeCamp.

Who is FreeCodeCamp for?

Something FreeCodeCamp does well is marketing itself to just about every type of student. So really you could say that FreeCodeCamp is designed for anyone that wants to be a coder. Whether that be in a professional developer job or just as a hobby. 

The platform offers a lot of variety in just about every aspect, such as the programming language of choice and what you intend to do with it. You could be looking to improve your skills as a web developer or begin your career in software development where you help engineer the latest apps. 

People who would not like FreeCodeCamp are those that prefer a great deal of structure and individual instruction. While they have designated course material meant to be completed in a certain order, there is no instruction from teachers. 

How does FreeCodeCamp work?

In a nutshell, FreeCodeCamp teaches students coding skills through a series of projects and coding challenges. These end with them receiving a FreeCodeCamp certification. Getting started with FreeCodeCamp is very simple, and of course free. You simply register an account and begin with a curriculum that fits your interests.

Selecting a course is a big part of the process – there are multiple options ranging from scientific computing and machine learning to web development with Javascript. From there you begin your journey with their built-in code editor learning the basics and gradually increasing difficulty. 

The projects you build will serve to bolster your portfolio if you wish to pursue a career, and at the end of many of the courses, you have the opportunity to gain experience working for a non-profit of your choice. 

While there are no guarantees like some paid coding boot camps, FreeCodeCamp provides a programming education to thousands of students each year that end up landing real paying jobs. 

Features and Functionality

Here are some of the top features of FreeCodeCamp that you will need to consider in your search for the ideal online learning platform for coding.

Projects

One of the best features of FreeCodeCamp is its projects. These projects offer students the opportunity to get as near to real-world experience as possible without throwing them too far off the scope or trajectory of the current lesson. 

Students are also encouraged to go further than the actual project demands to learn as much as possible from each assignment. For instance, there was a time when their web development course’s first project was to design a weather app webpage. 

Although it did teach you the basics of CSS, HTML, and Javascript as they intended, it also made students think creatively about how they could make this app better. Therefore, you could argue that the projects on FreeCodeCamp help you develop hard and soft skills alike! Not only that, but by utilizing geolocation and similar tools they could customize the app for what they wanted. 

Since every student of these courses is going to get the same project it is also beneficial to the student for use in their portfolio to customize. To stand out amongst the crowd they must learn skills and think of features that are not simply in the course text. 

These projects are a vital learning experience with no handholding. Students must do their own debugging to solve their problems. 

Course Diversity

The platform has an expansive catalog of courses to choose from, we will list them here but to get a detailed view it is best to go to their site.

• Responsive Web Design Certification
• Javascript Algorithms And Data Structures Certification
• Front End Development Libraries Certification
• Data Visualization Certification
• APIs And Microservices Certification
• Quality Assurance Certification
• Scientific Computing With Python Certification
• Data Analysis with Python Certification
• Information Security Certification
• Machine Learning With Python Certification

Each of these courses is 300 hours of learning. That doesn’t mean you will be a master in these subjects after that amount of time, but it does mean you will have a solid foundation to continue learning the trade on your own. As well as several projects to prove your knowledge.

FreeCodeCamp also offers thousands of hours of coding challenges. These are intended to be used for interview prep. But they can also solidify your understanding of topics that you aren’t quite as confident in. 

Forums and Community Support

The support you receive is mostly going to be coming from the FreeCodeCamp community. And it is one of the best and most welcoming communities on the internet. If you need help with an exercise from the course this is the first place you should look. 

Because some of their courses have been around for a while (updated of course) there are a lot of students that have seen the problems and answers before. While it is mostly frowned upon to just give people the answers they will steer you in the correct direction. 

Their Slack community or the forum are both excellent places to ask for help. 

Not only that but they have sections for project feedback, so you can see what you did that was either good or bad practice. Since so many of FreeCodeCamp’s students have landed developer jobs many times you’ll be getting feedback from people in the industry. 

FreeCodeCamp Pricing Model

Understanding the price on FreeCodeCamp is the easiest part of getting to know this platform: everything they offer is completely free of charge. They are a non-profit and every penny they receive goes right back into the platform and pays their employees.

We would be remiss if we did not say that FreeCodeCamp accepts donations to keep the platform going, either monthly or one-off donations. In addition, they also set up their students with projects for other non-profits to gain experience.

Another way to support the platform is through merchandise. Just like students who go to traditional college and learn to code at school, you can support your choice of an educational institution with clothing and things of the like. 

Support

Support is something that platform does both really well and not so well at the same time. The community is amazing and just about everything you might need to know has probably already been asked on their forums. 

However, there is no direct contact with instructors like so many other platforms have. This is mostly fine because of the way their platform is designed to teach, but for those that need that one-on-one contact, it is going to be a major drawback. 

The Advantages (Pros) of FreeCodeCamp

Here are some of the biggest advantages of using FreeCodeCamp to advance your career. 

Free

Easily the best thing about FreeCodeCamp is right there in the name. It costs absolutely nothing to access this educational content. Most platforms charge a lot of money for the same kind of content quality that FreeCodeCamp provides for nothing. 

In addition to it being free students also end up helping non-profits at the end of their courses should they choose to do so. FreeCodeCamp will pair you up with non-profits that need projects done in similar fields to what you have studied. 

This gives students real-world experience and the opportunity to work in teams. As most of the time, you are paired with another student to get his work done. 

Community

The FreeCodeCamp community is incredible, so much so that many of their students stay active far after they graduate from their respective courses. If there is anything you have questions about on course material or a problem you can’t solve, it is likely already posted here. 

If by some off chance you are the first student to encounter your dilemma you’ll find that you get responses extremely quick. If you utilize their Slack channel then most times you get some guidance instantly. 

There are also guides you can follow, many of them have been made by users to bolster the FreeCodeCamp curriculum. This can help get a different point of view from those that have already taken the course, or a place for you to share what you have learned with others. 

Here is also where you are going to find career support. While FreeCodeCamp does not guarantee a job like other platforms, it has been very successful in placing students in some very good roles at big companies. You can receive advice from those that have come before you and have had success. 

Quality

Even though everything they offer costs their students nothing FreeCodeCamp has exemplary quality in their courses. They are written to allow anyone to learn without having any prior knowledge of the subject. 

Probably the biggest plus is their usage of a built-in code editor. This allows them to show helpful hints and pinpoint exactly where the mistakes are without having to go through normal debugging channels. It also lessens setup time for those that have never used an editor before. 

Something that gets overlooked is the way they go about teaching their courses. They are so well thought out in the order of their topics, something that a lot of learning platforms neglect in their classes. 

Outside of the courses their coding challenges, or algorithms, are top-notch practice. You can learn a language in and out just by using these. 

Lastly, on the topic of quality, FreeCodeCamp has done an excellent job in growing their site to accommodate people that have interests in a wide array of tech fields. There was a time when the only courses they supported were for web development and design. 

The Disadvantages (Cons) of FreeCodeCamp

Here are some disadvantages of the platform. 

Lack of Teachers

Not having teachers is a double-edged sword in the world of online learning. On the one hand, it is less costly for the platform and more focus can be put into the education itself rather than on staffing. On the other hand, it is supremely beneficial for students to have a set person to go to when they have questions on a course. 

The lack of an instructor also means there are no videos on their platform. So no visual aids or step-by-step instructions on topics that could use it. Complex data structures specifically are a very good thing to have a visual aid on. 

Teachers also provide students with accountability. The biggest failing point on platforms like these is that students begin courses and never finish them, especially when they are free and it costs nothing to quit. Having someone that you are accountable to can keep this from happening. 

No Career Support

Another area FreeCodeCamp could improve on is their career support. While they do a great job of preparing you to get a job in the industry they don’t help much with the actual process. You’ll have a good portfolio and some experience but nothing else. 

A good place for them to start would be partnerships with companies. FreeCodeCamp does have relationships with other non-profit organizations that their students can help, but it would help them to partner with companies like Google for internships and the like. 

Something else you won’t find on the platform for careers is mentors. A lot of boot camps out there are offering mentors to help the job search. Even if you had to pay for this portion of the process it likely would benefit the platform as a whole. 

FreeCodeCamp Alternatives

Odin Project

The Odin Project is probably the platform that is most similar to FreeCodeCamp because they offer their courses completely free of charge as well. However, they do offer different courses to achieve the same goal, and they have less variety in their courses. 

Everything they offer is for web development at the time of writing. They offer two different paths to the same end goal of becoming proficient in web development. You can either take the Ruby on Rails sedition, which was the original on the site or the Javascript side. 

Both of these courses require that you take their foundational course first so that you have all of the information needed to understand the more advanced courses. The Odin Project is completely open-source and the site says it will take around 1000 hours to achieve your goals of being a web developer. 

While they focus primarily on Ruby on Rails and Javascript, they will explore some more advanced frameworks and software later on in the course. This is to give you a taste of what is out there and get you ready for a career in web development where new software will always be implemented. 

Udacity

Udacity is one of the best online learning platforms out there for all-around use. They have topics on just about everything in the world of technology. While some of their classes are completely free most of them are paid. 

Some of the courses offered here are called “nano degrees” and they offer a job guarantee upon completion. Meaning that after you complete the course and have demonstrated knowledge of the material you are guaranteed a job. 

These courses are time-intensive and require a lot of commitment from the student but they can be some of the most rewarding on the platform as well. And while most of them are paid, the quality is outstanding for the price that you do pay for it. 

If FreeCodeCamp does not offer a course on a topic that you are interested in then Udacity would be a good place to start looking. Their topics range from web development to business in software, to self-driving cars. 

Khan Academy

Khan Academy is one of the most well-known online learning platforms out there. Their main sources of material are devoted to helping people through the education system. They offer subjects from Kindergarten to College level courses. 

Khan also has a section for coding, where they have courses on web development as well as information akin to computer science courses taught in real colleges. One section that is particularly well done here is Cryptography. This topic is usually completely absent on platforms but Khan teaches it and they do a stellar job of it as well. 

If you are looking for a platform to learn computer science as a whole then Khan is probably going to be where you want to be. Although they don’t go quite so far into the skill side of things that FreeCodeCamp does the information they have is top-notch. 

Conclusion

FreeCodeCamp provides quality education for absolutely no cost to its students. They were one of the first to offer this kind of product online and have shown how open source projects can blossom. While they don’t offer some of the more elite services like a personal instructor or career mentor, they do offer a great platform to learn the skills you will need to succeed. 

Their platform is not going to be for everyone. Those that require outside accountability, which is a large group, won’t have a lot of success here if they don’t involve themselves with the community. It also is not a great platform for those that want a guarantee of a job at the end of the course. 

But if you are a beginner it is an excellent place for you to start. Even those that want to be serious about getting a job in the industry can find a lot of benefit in FreeCodeCamp. They offer a course in at least one aspect in every major sector of the technology industry for their students. 

The community that surrounds the platform is one of the best parts. Everyone there is super helpful and many of them are prior students that have since found a job in the industry. Getting feedback from professionals at no cost is a definite upside. 

All in all, FreeCodeCamp is an excellent platform to learn about coding and things like it. They offer all of their services for free and help thousands of students every year get a job in the industry that they love. They also help a lot of other non-profit companies with their students participating in projects to help them grow free of charge 

FAQ

Is FreeCodeCamp legit?

Yes, FreeCodeCamp is a legit learning platform that millions of people have found benefit in. There is no cost to the program either so you won’t be out anything for trying it either besides your time. 

The company is also a non-profit, and it helps a lot of other non-profits with projects that their students participate in. So there is a philanthropic air about the process as well. 

Is FreeCodeCamp accredited?

No FreeCodeCamp is not accredited, but this isn’t because it is a free platform. None of the big expensive coding boot camps are accredited, either. The platform does offer certifications like some of the paid boot camps do, but realistically employers aren’t going to be looking at that either. 

Accredited schools are recognized by the government and have standards set by private agencies. It would be difficult for these kinds of platforms to attain these accreditations due to having no physical campus and not covering anything but a few courses. 

The closest thing would be referencing it as a trade school on resumes, but that is a stretch. 

Is FreeCodeCamp good for beginners?

FreeCodeCamp is excellent for beginners as every one of their courses starts at the very beginning of a subject whatever that may be. They gradually increase the difficulty and introduce new subjects without overwhelming the student. 

There are a few courses that you should probably have a little bit of coding experience before getting into though. The cybersecurity course is one that while it doesn’t assume too much prior knowledge it is probably best that you have some.

The platform also does a great job at not requiring much outside software to learn. IT skills almost always require the usage of numerous pieces of software, but FreeCodeCamp keeps everything contained to their built-in coding interface. 

How long does it take to finish FreeCodeCamp?

This is mostly going to depend on the student because there are no videos for you to watch. Meaning there isn’t anything that says you have to watch something for 10 minutes before completing a task. 

The platform does put a guideline that it will likely take around 300 hours to complete each one of their courses, but this is just an average and it isn’t set in stone. A big variable in time on the courses is in the projects as the more effort you put in and extras you incorporate the longer it will take you. 

If you read and comprehend the information fast then it might get you in at a little under 300 hours. But unless you have prior experience in the subjects don’t expect to be burning through as there is a lot of information to take in. 

Is FreeCodeCamp actually free?

Yes, everything on FreeCodeCamp is entirely free and no part of the curriculum will cost any money at all. 

FreeCodeCamp is a nonprofit and the only way they bring in funds is through donations and the sale of merchandise like sweatshirts and hats. There is also no advertising on the site which is extremely rare to see these days and goes to show how seriously they take that part of the program. 

Can I get a job with FreeCodeCamp?

Yes, you can get a job with the skills that you receive from FreeCodeCamp. But unlike some other coding boot camps out there the company does not offer a job guarantee. There is also no direct career support on the platform to speak of as they do not have mentors. 

What you are offered, however, are certifications to display on your resume that says you have completed the course with all material being completed. But this is unlikely to land you any jobs. 

The portfolio that you create along the way is your ticket to the industry. Because the tech industry is experiencing such growth, proof that you have the skills to complete a task is sometimes more beneficial than a degree. 

Students also have the opportunity to work with other non-profit groups on projects that can give you valuable experience in the industry, this can also serve as a reference on your resume should you need it. 

There is also an entire section on the FreeCodeCamp website of people that have gotten jobs just from using the platform, so if you need some further proof and motivation then you should look there. 

Introduction

If you’re looking to make yourself more marketable when it comes time to look for a job in the tech industry, one of the easiest ways to do so is to learn the basics of coding. When you know code foundations, basic coding concepts, and at least one programming language, you’ll be able to apply for just about any kind of job you might be interested in.

Do you have to get a degree in computer science or machine learning in order to propel yourself forward in this rewarding, in-demand industry? Not at all. You just need to have a little bit of coding experience – which you can easily acquire by taking online coding courses through Codecademy.

In this review of Codecademy, an online learning platform that specializes in online coding classes, you’ll be able to master the basics of coding and get ahead in this industry.

Ready to learn more about this one-of-a-kind opportunity? Our Codecademy intensive review will tell you everything you need to learn about the platform, from the real-world projects you’ll complete to the prices – we will even address some of the most frequently asked questions you might have.

There’s no time to waste. Let’s jump into our detailed Codecademy review.

What is Codecademy?

Codecademy is an American-based online learning platform that offers free coding classes in a dozen different programming languages, including:

• Python
• Java
• JavaScript
• Go
• Ruby
• SQL
• C++
• C# 
• Swift
• Sass 
• HTML 
• CSS

…and more. This unique platform is free to use but you can upgrade to a paid “pro” plan that will give you access to personalized learning plans along with quizzes and real-world projects.

Codecademy was founded in 2011 by Ryan Bubinski and Zach Sims, a pair that met at Columbia University. Headquartered in New York City, the website is perhaps most famous for its iOS app known as “Hour of Code,” which focuses on the basics of programming. Although Codecademy does not offer in-depth training in computer science or programming, it offers easy-to-understand classes that are perfect for newbies. 

Who is Codecademy For?

Codecademy can work well for anyone, but it’s best for people who have a limited knowledge of programming. Although you can certainly play around on Codecademy if you have a  bit more experience, you may find that the courses here are a bit too elementary for your liking. 

However, if you prefer hands-on learning and aren’t a fan of just watching videos of lectures, Codecademy is the right platform for you. It is a highly structured platform that offers the perfect learning environment for people who crave predictability when it comes to their online courses. 

Of course, Codecademy is perhaps most famous for its ease of access for kids and teens. If you or your child are looking to learn how to code in an easy, accessible, and organized way, Codecademy is the way to go. 

How Does Codecademy Work?

Codecademy is relatively simple at its core. This platform offers classes in more than a dozen programming languages along with courses on various frameworks and libraries along with related tech subjects. 

It’s designed for beginners, making it a good option if you are completely new to coding (or if you are a teen or young child). After you sign up to create an account (either free or paid), you’ll be able to choose your course from a long list of options. 

Everything is extremely hands-on. You’ll learn by doing, walking through courses that are primarily text-based with additional written instructions that can help you out if and when you get stuck. You’ll also be able to write real code as you work through the course material, using a text editor as you do so.

Features

Interested in learning more about what Codecademy has to offer? Here are some of the platform’s most exciting and unique features.

Personalized Learning Plans

There are very few online learning platforms out there that offer quite the same level of customization as Codecademy. With this platform, you will be able to pursue a variety of career paths and skill paths so that you can take coding courses that are uniquely customized to your unique career goals and personal interests. Whether it’s computer science or web development, a Codecademy pro membership will allow you to tackle any topic. 

Quizzes on Code Foundations 

One of the most helpful features of Codecademy is that it includes quizzes at regular intervals to test your progress. Although this is something that you will find in many online learning platforms and courses, quizzes certainly can’t be found in all – but when they are, they offer users a great way to gauge their skill level and figure out what concepts have yet to be mastered. 

Extensive Community Support

Taking online courses can be lonely sometimes – and if you have questions or need a bit of assistance along the way, it’s nice to know that there are folks you can reach out to for help. With Codecademy, you’ll have access to Codecademy forums where you can share resources, ask questions, and collaborate with other students.

Not only that, but Codecademy offers extensive customer support. You’ll also benefit from in-person and virtual Codecademy Chapters that host regular meetups all around the country. You could actually get to meet some of your classmates face to face – how cool is that?

On the Go Access

If you’re not the kind of student that likes being chained to a desk when you’re working on your online courses, Codecademy is the platform you’ll want to consider. Codecademy offers apps for both iOS and Android devices, allowing you to read articles, practice coding, and review core concepts all from your smartphone.

Detailed Walkthrough Videos of Coding Programs

Codecademy doesn’t just contain lengthy lectures that you’re expected to listen to before trying things out on your own – the courses on this platform also offer project walkthrough videos so that you can see firsthand how things are done. By watching an expert work his way through projects, you’ll gain all the confidence you need to give it a try yourself.

Certificates 

When you finish a Codecademy course, you’ll receive a certificate of completion that is 100% personalized. Although this certificate may not be credit-bearing, it is certainly enough to show a current or prospective employer that you really know your stuff. 

Additional Resources 

The long list of features of Codecademy does not end there. You’ll also have access to programming personality quizzes so you can find out which programming languages and careers might be best for you to pursue. You can also read related blog articles and get personal insights into your progress. 

Streaks and Project Challenges

A final interesting feature of Codecademy is the streaks and project challenges feature. Streaks allow you to make a game out of your learning – you will see a streak number displayed on your dashboard that goes up for every day you progress on the platform. You can also opt into 30-day project challenges to help keep you pushing forward – and motivated to learn more. 

Ease of Use

A simply designed, clean, and easy to use platform, Codecademy offers an engaging interface that is perfect for newbies to the field of programming. 

You’ll find everything you need from the platform’s homepage – nothing is hidden and it doesn’t take a master’s degree to figure out what your next steps are. You can start taking classes immediately and the catalog of courses is easy to navigate.

Just from the home page, you’ll be able to see what kinds of classes are currently available. You can browse by subject or programming language, or you can click through an aggregated list to see everything under the sun.

Content Quality

Without a doubt, the content quality on Codecademy is second to none. With this platform, you’ll enjoy access to text-based projects, lessons, and quizzes, all of which are uniquely and thoughtfully arranged and organized to help you advance your learning in any aspect of coding.

One of the nicest features of Codecademy’s courses is that there’s very little beating around the bush  – courses don’t contain long preambles from instructors trying to get you to buy into their latest sales pitch or gimmick. Instead, the courses get right to the point. Everything is simply written and easy to follow and it’s easy to figure out what the instructions are telling you to do.

And if you do get stuck, Codecademy’s courses offer a way around that, too. There are forum threads that allow you to unlock hints if you get stuck. Some classes even have detailed walkthrough videos that are taught by dedicated and talented coding professionals.

Learning Experience

Student reviews of Codecademy are overwhelmingly positive. They report that the courses are easy to access and the material is intuitive and not difficult to follow. 

As a learner on Codecademy, you’ll benefit from a one-of-a-kind structure that truly puts the student first. You’ll be able to practice before you even work through all the material, allowing you to learn firsthand how to code (and especially what not to do). 

Codecademy Pricing Model

A subscription-based service, Codecademy offers two simple pricing structures for you to choose from. 

The most common is the basic plan. This plan is 100% free – no obligations, no commitments, just free access to everything that Codecademy has to offer. 

The second plan, the premium plan or Codecademy Pro, can be purchased with two separate options. You’ll pay $19.99 per month, billed on an annual basis, and receive access to all of the dynamic features of the basic plan along with the unlimited mobile practice, real-world projects, extra assistance, members-only content, and more. 

If you don’t want to commit to a yearly plan, you can sign up for a monthly premium plan, too, which will cost you $39.99 per month. 

Of course, if you’re a business owner, you may want to look into Codecademy’s business plans. These are offered on a case-by-case basis. 

Support

Codecademy has extensive resources to help you out should you get stuck while taking a class or trying to sign up for one. 

You can log on to Codecademy’s support page to find answers to frequently asked questions, where you can also browse help articles by category. You can also message customer service and support if you have a more specific question that isn’t addressed on this page.

The Advantages (Pros) of Codecademy

Affordable Way to Learn Coding as a Beginner

If you’re new to the big, wide world of coding, you won’t find a better or more budget-friendly way to get started than with Codecademy. This platform offers all kinds of resources for total newbies. Since the lessons are all extremely hands-on and don’t cost a cent, you’ll be able to get your feet wet without having to spend a fortune. 

Low Barriers to Entry

Of course, if you decide that you really love what Codecademy has to offer, you can upgrade for a Pro membership. However, the free version of the platform makes it easy enough to get started immediately – you can learn from anywhere and without having to spend any money at all. This platform removes a lot of the barriers that tend to exist when it comes to advanced education, such as time, distance, and money. 

Many Topics in the Tech Niche Covered

Although Codecademy does not cover any topics outside of the tech niche – something that we’ll address in the next section – it does offer plenty of courses to choose from in subjects like web development, computer science, machine learning, data science, code foundations, developer tools, mobile development, game development, web design, and more. 

The Disadvantages (Cons) of Codecademy

Courses are Not Available Offline

Although Codecademy does have a mobile app that you can use, the courses cannot be downloaded for later use. 

Lacks Training in Theory of Programming

If you’re hoping to get a solid, highly intensive education in coding and programming like you’d receive with a full computer science degree, unfortunately, you won’t get it with Codecademy. 

This platform does a great job of providing students with bite-sized course modules that are easy to accomplish and master, but doesn’t go super in-depth on the theory and principles of software development. To become a true professional, this is something you would want to explore further, perhaps by pursuing a full-fledged college degree. 

Limited Courses in Other Non-Tech Areas

Many students who wrote Codecademy reviews mentioned that there was a surprising deficit of course topics to choose from. Although this platform offers plenty of classes in coding languages, it would be nice if it included more tracks and programs geared specifically toward business, marketing, and related fields. 

In addition, as of writing this article, Codecademy only offers courses in English. 

Free Version is a Bit Limited

Another potential turn-off from Codecademy is that the free version of the website is a little bit limited. Most of the high-quality content comes at a price. Of course, this is to be expected  – nothing worth having in life is truly free! However, it would be nice to see a few more free features to give you an idea of what you’re paying good money for.

No Advanced Search Settings

When it comes to finding the right course for your needs and goals, it can often be helpful to narrow down a course search list by things like paid vs. free classes, beginner vs. advanced, and so on.

Unfortunately, when it comes to searching for courses on Codecademy, this is not an option. You’ll have to do a bit more legwork to find the course that meets your needs. 

Codecademy Alternatives

There are a few alternatives to Codecademy that you may want to consider.

One of these is Code School. Just like Codecademy, Code School will do a great job of teaching you how to code. However, it also offers a more extensive range of courses with course materials covering things like cybersecurity and software development. It’s also better for more advanced learners. 

FreeCodeCamp is another option. Just like Codecademy, FreeCodeCamp is free. You can pursue various certifications and also benefit from a unique interview prep feature – something you won’t get with Codecademy. 

A final alternative to Codecademy is Pluralsight. Pluralsight offers classes that are primarily video-based rather than code- and text-based. As with Codecademy, you will be able to explore unique learning paths and in-browser coding challenges. It’s a bit better suited to advanced and intermediate learners than Codecademy, too. 

Conclusion

Is Codecademy right for you? Only you can be the judge of that – but here’s our take.

If you want to learn the basics of coding, whether it be via Javascript or another programming language, there’s no better way to do it than by creating an account with Codecademy. If you’ve read this far in our review of Codecademy and all of its features, you’re probably already aware of that.

But if you’re still not convinced, after reading this Codecademy intensive review, don’t be afraid to do a little research of your own. Take the time to read other students’ Codecademy reviews and you’ll likely draw the same conclusion we did – this online learning platform is one of the best if you want to master coding concepts via real-world projects, detailed online coding classes, and hands-on project challenges.

For an exciting coding experience that will suit students of any skill level (and at affordable prices to boot) you should consider Codecademy. 

FAQ

Is Codecademy legit?

Codecademy is legit. As a web app and desktop website meant to teach aspiring developers how to code, it is perfect for beginners. There are certainly areas where Codecademy could improve – for example, in its teaching of the theory behind coding, an area in which it is sorely lacking – but overall, this platform is 100% legit. 

Is Codecademy any good?

Yes. Overall, Codecademy is an excellent online learning platform to consider if you are interested in learning how to code from ground zero. While some of the courses may not offer the most advanced level of instruction, this site offers a great entry-level education in coding, particularly for those on a budget. 

Is Codecademy actually free?

No smoke and mirrors here – Codecademy is actually free. The platform’s free course catalog features hundreds of hours of content that can help you develop your skills in a certain programming language. Of course, there are paid features you can explore, too, if you want to get a bit more in-depth with your training. 

Is Codecademy worth paying for?

That depends. If you’re just a beginner interested in playing around with coding, then it probably won’t do you much good to pay for the premium version of this platform. However, if you care deeply about getting ahead in coding, it might be a good investment. 

Does Codecademy give you a certificate?

After you complete a course or path, you will receive a personalized certificate of completion. To get this certificate, you do have to be a Pro member of the platform, though. 

Can I put Codecademy on my resume?

You can. However, the courses you take here are not accredited, so it may or may not make a difference to your future employer whether these courses are listed there. 

Can I get a job with Codecademy?

With zero background in programming, the courses you take on Codecademy may not be enough to get you a job by themselves. However, the experience that you gain through taking classes on this platform can help you break into the industry and will provide a solid footing for pursuing additional education and training in coding.

Introduction

If you’re seriously considering this online learning platform, then you’ve probably read more than one review of Springboard. Understandable—you want to get as much information as possible before you commit to potentially time-consuming and expensive online courses.

This Springboard review is different though. Not only is it comprehensive; it’s also completely transparent. We’ll give you all of the information you need about the Springboard programs (including the good, the bad, and the ugly!), so you can make the most educated decision possible about your future tech career.  

What Is Springboard?

Springboard is a “bootcamp” program that offers online courses and programs in tech fields like data science, user experience and design, and web development. Despite its relatively brief history in distance learning, Springboard claims to have launched the careers of thousands of students from over 100 different countries.

Springboard is one of many online bootcamps available for students who wish to break into a tech field like coding, software engineering or data analytics, for example.

If you’re on the hunt for career-focused online learning platforms in the IT field, you’ll find dozens of options. Some of the most popular include General Assembly, Flatiron School, Fullstack Academy, CareerFoundry, and Lambda School, for example.

Springboard has partnered with reputable companies such as Google, Adobe, Affirm, Career Karma, and more. These partnerships help the online learning platform accomplish its mission of filling the skills gap for individuals with aspirations of working with technology.

Who Is Springboard For?

The Springboard program is primarily designed for individuals who desire a career change or want to advance in their current technical role by enhancing their digital skills.

While anyone can take individual online courses from Springboard, you’ll need certain qualifications if you want to take advantage of the platform’s full programs, which it refers to as “career tracks”. For example, some programs require that you have prior work experience in the industry or a credential such as a bachelor’s degree in a related field.

How Does Springboard Work?

To get started with Springboard, students must choose either a learning path or career track. Learning paths are free online courses designed by industry experts. No enrollment is necessary; simply click to access the curriculum, and you’re on your way. Learning is self-paced, and there is no grading. Students mark the material complete as they progress independently through the course.

Some examples of free online courses/ learning paths from Springboard include:

• Fundamentals of Digital Marketing
• Machine Learning in Python
• Beginner’s Guide to Front-End Programming
• Becoming a Software Security Analyst
• Foundations of Cyber Security
• Android Application Development

Career tracks are much more involved than learning paths. These are Springboard’s flagship programs, and they come with all the bells and whistles. As of this writing, the Springboard program offers the following career tracks for students to choose from:

• Data Science Career Track
• Machine Learning Engineering Career Track
• Data Engineering Career Track
• Data Analytics Career Track
• Cyber Security Career Track
• UI/UX Design Career Track
• UX Career Track
• Software Engineering Career Track

Unlike Springboard’s free online courses, career tracks aren’t just open to anyone. Instead, students must apply to the program as they would an online degree. However, there is no cost for the application, and it only takes about 5-20 minutes to complete, depending on the specific learning path.  

Once the application is submitted, Springboard will schedule virtual interviews with qualified students on a first-come, first-serve basis. Students must also take a skills survey or challenge prior to being officially admitted to the program. This aspect of the application process can take an additional 1-3 hours, depending on the program.

Once admitted to a career track, students will fill out an online profile, which the Springboard program will use to match them with a personalized mentor. Based on their schedules and specific career goals, a student advisor will locate the best possible mentor from their extensive database of experienced industry professionals.

To complete a career track, students will participate in a series of online modules which will teach them the fundamental technical skills required for a job in the field. These modules are experiential in nature and include practice exercises, career-focused assignments, and project-based learning experiences.

In addition, students will build a professional portfolio over the duration of the program. This portfolio may prove essential in landing a job after completing the career track.

Most of the career tracks featured on Springboard’s online learning platform take just six months to complete with the exception of the UI/UX Design and Software Engineering career tracks, which require nine months. The Springboard team recommends that students devote between 15 and 20 hours per week on their online coursework for these programs.

Features and Functionality

Mentorship

Springboard students are matched with a personal mentor whose job it is to counsel them as they progress through each module of their chosen career track. These mentors are professionals in their respective industries and can offer students the most practical and relevant advice for landing a job in the field. Additionally, the program’s one-on-one instruction model enables the mentor to quickly ascertain the students’ individual learning styles and cater their guidance accordingly.

Springboard is extremely selective about their mentorship program, too—applicants must fulfill strict prerequisite requirements and participate in a video interview in order to qualify. Plus, only one in 12 applicants is hired on for a mentorship role.

Career Coaching

One of the major advantages of the Springboard program is its dedicated one-on-one career coaching. Once enrolled in a career track, students are assigned mentors that help them with course material and provide career assistance such as job search advice, networking, interview help, and more.

Each career track comes with a certain number of scheduled calls with a mentor or career coach, and students have unlimited access to additional calls at their request. Even after the program is complete, students can continue career coaching for an additional six months while they actively seek a position in their chosen field.

Capstone Projects

Each of Springboard’s career tracks requires at least one capstone project. These assignments are specifically designed to build students’ professional portfolios so that they can demonstrate their technical skills to potential employers.

Many alumni report that the ability to showcase their skills through the capstone project was a breakthrough moment during the interview process and helped them to secure their new positions.

Career Assessment Test

Unsure of the exact career path you want to follow? Springboard can help with that too. Simply enter your name and email address, and you can begin taking the platform’s unique career assessment test.

The test takes just 15-20 minutes and feels a bit like taking a personality quiz. After you answer each of the questions, you’ll receive your personalized results instantly. These results will provide a recommendation for which learning paths or career tracks may be best suited for you as well as the career path that best complements your interests and talents.

Springboard Pricing Model

Free Courses

Some of Springboard’s online courses are completely free. These courses are quite basic though and feature a self-paced curriculum. Unlike the career track programs, the free classes from Springboard do not include any of the online learning platform’s signature resources such as mentor matching, career coaching, or job guarantee, for example.

Upfront Tuition

For career track programs, the most economical tuition model is the upfront tuition option. Though the exact savings will vary depending on the program, students can save up to 18% off the full tuition price by selecting the upfront option.  

Monthly Payment

Students who wish to pay their tuition monthly can do so, but they will forego the savings offered by the upfront tuition plan. Those who are unsure of whether they will complete the program in its entirety may benefit from this monthly plan, though, since they will only need to pay for the months in which they are enrolled.

Deferred Tuition

An attractive option for low-income students, Springboard’s deferred tuition plan enables students to put off paying for their programs until after they have successfully secured a job in the field. One downside, though—there is a deposit required for this option, and with deferred tuition fees, the cost of the program will be more expensive in the long term.

Climb Credit

Students looking for financial aid options to pay for their online education can opt for a student loan through Climb Credit. Because it comes with an interest rate, this payment plan is the most expensive in the long term, but it does enable students to make smaller monthly payments. Of course, students with better credit scores will pay a lower interest rate than those with negative credit ratings.

Job Guarantee

Perhaps the most attractive aspect of the Springboard program’s pricing model is its job guarantee. This promise ensures that students who do not receive a job offer within six months of completing their career track will receive a full refund on tuition.

In order to receive a full tuition refund under the job guarantee, though, students must meet certain eligibility requirements. Some of these requirements include:

• 18 Years Old or Up
• English Proficiency (Written and Verbal)
• Aptitude in Soft Skills Like Communication, Motivation, and Collaboration
• Legally Qualified to Work in the United States
• No Criminal Record

In addition to these basic eligibility requirements, students must also adhere to certain rules of conduct in order to benefit from the job guarantee. For example, graduates of the Springboard program must apply for a minimum of four jobs per week, communicate with a minimum of seven individuals in their industry network per week, and respond to all communications from the Springboard placement team within 72 hours of receipt.

Support

One of the worries with any online education program is that students will be left to figure out problems and issues that arise on their own. That’s why it’s important to evaluate a platform’s customer support and technical help services prior to enrollment.

With Springboard, you’ll be happy to learn that support is completely individualized. Instead of calling a help desk, students can get in touch with their personal student advisor whenever they have questions or problems. This can make the process of getting technical support or help with an assignment much less of a hassle.

The Advantages (Pros) of Springboard

Dynamic Curriculum

Springboard prides itself on offering curricula that is not only developed by industry experts, but that is also ever-changing as new industry advancements are forged. This is how the platform ensures that students receive the most relevant and up-to-date instruction possible.

Flexibility

Springboard’s online courses and career track programs are offered fully online, and students can work at their own pace. It’s entirely possible to keep your day job while completing a bootcamp since the programs require just 10-15 hours of study time each week.

Individualized Instruction

Study after educational study has proven that individualized instruction yields the very best learning outcomes for students. Springboard capitalizes on this research-backed strategy by pairing their students with personal mentors who provide instruction and support as they progress through their online courses.

Scholarships

The Springboard program boasts additional financial aid opportunities for underserved populations. For example, if you’re a woman or a veteran, you may be eligible for a $750 scholarship towards your tuition from Springboard. This financial aid is deducted from the cost of attendance during the admissions process. Even if you don’t qualify for one of these scholarships, additional discounts may be available.

The Disadvantages (Cons) of Springboard

The Application Process

One downside of Springboard is its selective application process. Class seats are limited, so there’s no guarantee you’ll get into a bootcamp, especially if you have little or no relative experience to the chosen career track. Plus, enrollment isn’t continuous, meaning students may have to join a waiting list until classes become available.  

Stringent/Subjective Job Guarantee Requirements

As mentioned previously, one of the main appeals of the Springboard program is its job guarantee. This is the feature of the online learning platform that gives students the assurance that they won’t be stuck with a hefty bill if they are unable to find a job after completing the program.

Some students have expressed dissatisfaction with this guarantee because of its stringent and sometimes subjective eligibility requirements. Because the terms of the guarantee state that the on-site admissions team at Springboard can decide whether or not a student is sufficiently motivated or has adequate communication and collaboration skills, Springboard can choose not to honor the job guarantee even if the candidate has successfully completed the program and put a good faith effort into looking for a job.

Mentor (Mis)Match

The mentor match feature of the Springboard program isn’t perfect, and some users have reported being paired with a mentor who wasn’t exactly a good fit. While it may be inevitable that a problem like this could arise a small percentage of the time, it is worth mentioning since it could have a significant impact on the overall student experience. Alumni have reported being re-matched after having a bad experience with a mentor, though, which shows an effort by the Springboard team to rectify these issues when they do arise.

Time Limits on Career Tracks

Despite marketing itself as a flexible, self-paced online learning platform, Springboard does place time limits on its career track programs. These time limits vary from six to nine months, depending on the chosen career track. Students who fail to complete the program within this predetermined time frame risk losing the job guarantee benefit, meaning they may have to pay the full tuition price even if they are unable to find a job after finishing all program requirements.

Springboard Alternatives

CareerFoundry

Students looking for careers in UI/UX Design, Data Analytics, and Web Development may consider CareerFoundry as an alternative to Springboard. Those looking for learning paths in Machine Learning, CyberSecurity, or Data Engineering will have to look elsewhere, however. In addition to having less course and program offerings compared to Springboard, CareerFoundry takes longer to complete on average. Both programs offer the tuition-back job guarantee.

Thinkful

Owned by the edtech pioneer Chegg, Thinkful is an online bootcamp offering similar learning paths and courses as Springboard. The major difference here is that Thinkful offers career tracks in Product Management and Technical Project Management whereas Springboard does not. Moreover, Springboard offers a couple of additional programs that Thinkful does not, including Machine Learning Engineering and Cybersecurity.

Both programs offer comparable learning resources and support services, including one-on-one mentorship. Thinkful can cost up to twice the amount in tuition, however, depending on the specific bootcamp program. Job guarantees are available to qualified students through both Thinkful and Springboard, meaning eligible students who cannot land a job within six months of completing the program will receive a full tuition refund.

General Assembly            

Founded in 2011, General Assembly offers bootcamp programs from more than 30 different campuses worldwide, but students also have access to online courses and learning paths similar to Springboard’s. Though the online learning platforms have comparable consumer ratings, General Assembly has a more extensive track record of success, boasting over 70,000 alumni compared to Springboard’s 5,000+.

One advantage Springboard has over General Assembly, though, is its job guarantee. While eligible students who complete certain Springboard programs will receive a full refund if they are unable to secure employment within six months, General Assembly offers no such promise.

Conclusion

And voila—everything you need to know about Springboard’s online courses and learning paths in one Springboard review! If you’re still on the fence about whether or not to invest your time and/or money with this online learning platform, we suggest trying one of the many free online courses available. This will give you an idea of what the Springboard curriculum looks like, so you can decide for yourself whether it’s worth your while.

FAQ

Are Springboard courses worth it?

The exact value of a bootcamp program like Springboard is difficult, if not impossible, to predict. Still, this online learning platform offers legitimate learning resources, expert instruction, and plenty of student support throughout the program (and beyond!). This, combined with Springboard’s job guarantee, makes it a fairly safe bet.

Are Springboard courses free?

Some of them are, yes. Springboard’s signature Career Tracks, however, can cost up to $9,000 when paid upfront. Students who opt for monthly payments, deferred tuition, or financing will pay more. Scholarships and discounts are available to eligible students, however.

How much does Springboard cost?

A: The cost of Springboard will vary by program. While some individual courses are free, Springboard’s career track programs will set students back anywhere from $6,900 to $10,000 in upfront tuition.

Who qualifies for Springboard courses?

A: Prerequisite skills and experience for Springboard programs will vary by industry and career track. An admissions team will evaluate your application and determine if you’re a good fit for the program. You may also have to complete a skills challenge and video interview to qualify. Prep courses are available for some career paths.

Is Springboard accredited?

A: No. Since it is not affiliated with a college or university, Springboard is not accredited by a U.S. Department of Education-approved accrediting body. This is the case for the vast majority of for-profit online bootcamps, however.

Can Springboard get you a job and help in your career?

A: Yes. If you play your cards right, the potential is certainly there to advance in your dream career with Springboard. Our advice? Give it your all, and pay particular attention to deadlines and requirements. A misstep could cost you your job guarantee benefits.

Introduction

Have you been invited to a technical interview at one of the world’s top tech companies, like Google, Microsoft, or Apple? Perhaps you’re ready to take your education as a software engineer to the next level and want to start preparing for the demands of interviewing.

Our AlgoExpert review will help you find the best place to do so.

As you’re looking for the ideal online learning platform to prepare, you might find that you’re growing increasingly frustrated. Although there are plenty of resources out there to teach you coding skills and other hard and soft skills you might need to ace a technical interview, there are few that offer this kind of preparation in more than one programming language.

In our review of AlgoExpert, you’ll find that this unique online learning platform is different. 

Keep reading to learn how – and whether this platform is right for you. 

What is AlgoExpert?

Founded in 2017, AlgoExpert was created by Clement Mihailescu. An aspiring software engineer, Mihailescu was placed in a tricky – albeit exciting – position when he landed his first coding interviews for a promising software engineering job at Google.

To prepare for the interviews, he found himself poring over textbooks, reading articles, and watching YouTube videos. Despite hours’ worth of preparation, Mihailescu didn’t feel adequately prepared – and instead just felt frustrated and defeated. 

Because most textbooks were written with a focus on Java and C++ and not on other languages, like Javascript, he found himself struggling to understand the content. 

AlgoExpert was created out of Mihailescu’s desire to offer a more accessible way to get yourself ready for technical interviews at some of the company’s leading tech companies, such as Facebook, Microsoft, and Amazon. 

It is a paid online learning platform designed specifically for software engineers. Here, you will be able to practice interview questions to prepare you for an in-demand career in tech.

Unlike other online learning platforms, this one focuses primarily on technical skills. You’ll navigate through various questions in things like data structures, algorithms, and problem solving with more than 160 types of questions to help you prepare. 

Who is AlgoExpert For?

AlgoExpert is a one-of-a-kind platform that is ideal for aspiring software developers.

However, if you’re new to software development, then it’s probably not the platform for you. It’s not trying to offer a beginner-level education in programming or to teach newbies the basics of computer science. 

Instead, its goal is to prepare people who more or less already know what they are doing for lucrative careers in software development. It’s more of an interview preparation tool than anything else. 

Designed for professionals who already have a strong training in the field, it’s truly for the upper echelon of the industry, targeting professionals who are looking for jobs at places like Facebook, Amazon, and Google.

How Does AlgoExpert Work?

The content on AlgoExpert spans 15 categories and four difficulty levels so that you can be prepared for anything your interviewer throws your way. In addition, nine different programming languages are covered, with the platform allowing you to use an in-browser window to write and run your own code. 

When you prepare for interviews with AlgoExpert, you won’t just be asked questions in a shotgun-style pattern. Instead, for each question, you’ll be given a two-part video explanation. This will provide you with a clear, contextual, and conceptual overview of each algorithm, teaching you the best way to approach, optimize, implement, and analyze the problem. 

You will also be given a clear walkthrough of the code in Python.

There are a few different options you can choose from when you sign up for AlgoExpert. 

AlgoExpert is the ultimate resource to help you prepare for coding interviews, with everything you need in a simple, easy-to-navigate, and streamlined platform. 

SystemsExpert is another option to consider. A bit less expensive than AlgoExpert, it is a course on large-scale distributed systems to help you ace interviews specifically in systems design. 

MLExpert, on the other hand, will help you learn machine learning coding questions. It includes a series on large-scale machine learning along with a helpful glossary of machine learning terms. Again, you’ll receive comprehensive video explanations and all the other features of AlgoExpert and SystemsExpert – but for aspiring machine learners instead.

Features and Functionality

Here are some of the most significant features of AlgoExpert that you need to know about as you prepare for the job of a lifetime.

Hundreds of Hand-Picked Questions

One of the most difficult elements of preparing for an interview is not knowing what to expect. It can provoke anxiety and uncertainty, but AlgoExpert takes some of the uncertainty out of the process with its 150+ questions. 

The questions are separated into five difficulty levels – easy, medium, hard, very hard, and extremely hard. 

In addition to searching questions by difficulty level, you can also narrow your search down by category. There are fourteen categories covered by AlgoExpert, including:

• Binary search trees
• Linked lists
• Binary trees
• Strings
• Searching
• Stacks
• Arrays
• Famous algorithms
• Dynamic programming
• Sorting
• Recursion
• Graphs
• Tries
• Heaps 

….in addition to challenges like:

• Palindrome partitioning
• Nth Fibonacci
• Depth-first search
• Merge sort
• Group anagrams
• Move element to end

More than 100 Hours of Video Explanations

When you’re preparing for a challenging interview in software development, it’s not enough to just work through practice problems  – you also need to understand why things are the way they are!

AlgoExeprt will prepare you with its 100 hours of video explanations. Code walk-throughs are in Python (the argument for this being that Python is the easiest to read) but solution files are available in nine different programming languages.

Each video explanation is strategically broken down into two separate parts – a conceptual overview and a code walkthrough. In the conceptual overview, you’ll create a strategy for the algorithm, including how to approach, implement, optimize, and analyze it. 

In the code walkthrough, you’ll focus primarily on implementation. 

Workspace Environment

With any of the AlgoExpert options, you will enjoy access to a powerful workspace environment that features a helpful text editor, a full mock video interview, guided question and answer sessions, and clear written solution walkthroughs.

This will enable you to practice in a realistic, hands-on way. 

A Crash Course in Data Structures

As you likely already know, data structures form the foundation of most coding interviews with a huge emphasis placed on this area at most tech companies. 

In the crash course in data structures at Algo Expert, you’ll benefit from a video series that will provide you with the foundational knowledge you need to be well-versed in all the popular data structures you might encounter. 

Analyses of Space-Time Complexities

Knowing and comprehending how much memory is used by an algorithm (as well as how quickly it runs) is incredibly important when it comes to technical interviews. Each video explanation includes a helpful and in-depth space-time complexity analysis to make sure you’re at the top of your game.

Solutions Offered in 9 Programming Languages 

One of Algo Experts’ founding principles is that you shouldn’t have to prepare for an interview in just one language – everybody has their own unique specialties.

Because of this, the platform offers solutions in nine different languages, including Python, JavaScript, C++, C#, Java, Swift, Go, TypeScript, and Kotlin. 

Assessments

A typical day at a coding interview can be stressful, especially when you consider how intensive the assessments are.

AlgoExpert simulates this environment to prepare you as best as it possibly can, providing you with assessments that include not only the content you might encounter, but also the format of the assessments themselves.

Generally speaking, these practice assessments include four hours to answer two questions followed by a one-hour break and then an additional four hours to answer two more questions.

Each assessment is timed and curated to mimic a real day of coding interviews. The assessments are filled with variety in terms of both content and difficulty level.

Mock Coding Interviews 

In addition to the coding assessments described above, AlgoExpert also features 15 videos to prepare you for the behavioral interview. You’ll get three videos that offer advice for the behavioral interview along with 12 additional videos that offer theoretical answers to those interview questions. 

These interviews will allow you to practice with a real human being, enabling you to partner with other people and participate in interviews in a shared workspace.

Certificate of Completion

When you complete all 100+ questions on AlgoExpert, you will be able to earn a certificate of completion, helping you prove to yourself and others that you’re ready to move on to the next step in your career – acing the interview! 

AlgoExpert Pricing Model

AlgoExpert has several different pricing models. Choose to purchase an AlgoExpert plan and you can enjoy access for one year. 

AlgoExpert costs $99 per year. Select this subscription and you’ll receive:

• 160 coding interview questions
• Two-part video explanations
• Space-time complexity analyses
• Solutions in nine different programming languages
• Certificate of completion
• Crash course on data structures
• Four coding assessments
• Behavioral interview content
• In-browser IDE

Alternatively, you can purchase SystemsExpert if you’re interested in a career in systems design. This plan costs $79 for a year of access and includes:

• 10 systems interview questions
• Systems design course
• Glossary of design terms
• Video explanations
• Certificate of completion
• Written walkthroughs and systems diagrams
• Timed quiz 
• Behavioral interview content

Last but not least is MLExpert, which costs $99 per year for one year of access. You’ll get:

• Machine learning coding and design questions
• Exhaustive course on machine learning
• Glossary of terms
• Video explanations
• Certificate of success
• Timed quiz
• Behavioral interview content

Can’t decide which product to purchase? You’ll get a 25% discount for bundling when you buy two or more of these products. 

There are also bulk packages available if you want to buy a bundle for a group of students. 

It’s important to note that, when you buy an AlgoExpert subscription, you are buying it only for one year. Your subscription will not be renewed after your license expires. You’ll have to go back in and purchase the product again. 

However, if you decide to purchase it for an additional year, you’ll receive a 30% loyalty discount. This discount is reelected in the product price on the purchase page after you have logged in. 

Support

When you sign up to use AlgoExpert to prepare for your interview, you’ll benefit from a supportive learning environment that features video tutorials, troubleshooting guides, question and answer sessions, and more.

If you are struggling with some technical aspects of using the platform itself, you can check out the FAQ on the AlgoExpert website. This is also the place where you can file a bug report or view solutions to common issues that you might encounter.

The Advantages (Pros) of AlgoExpert

AlgoExpert is an interview preparation resource for software developers that is taking the world by storm. Here’s what you need to know about its many advantages. 

Excellent Outcomes 

Let the reviews speak for themselves!

AlgoExpert graduates and customers have landed jobs at top tech companies such as:

• Zillow
• Facebook
• Google
• Two sigma
• Morgan Stanley
• NBC Universal
• Bloomberg
• Simon
• Amazon 
• BlackRock
• Microsoft 

Superb Practice Environment

AlgoExpert offers an excellent practice environment, bringing together both video and interactive code editors to help prepare you for a technical interview.

You’ll have access to a four-pane section in which you can read the question, code your solution or solutions, run your code, receive helpful hints, and hopefully, pass the tests. You’ll be able to do all of this in your programming language of choice.

You’ll be able to navigate around multiple tabs for the ultimate level of control, accessing an upper left panel that will allow you to read prompts, use a scratchpad for notes, view the solution, and watch the video explanation.

Wide Variety of Questions and Categories 

One of the most challenging aspects of preparing for an interview in any field – but especially software development and coding – is not knowing what to expect. If you want to ace your interview, AlgoExpert is the way to go.

This online learning platform includes questions in fifteen different categories with more than 160 different questions to choose from. They’re offered at all difficulty levels, too, so you can start off easy and go from there.

Questions are included in categories like sorting, searching, dynamic programming, binary trees, strings, trees, graphs, arrays, and much more. Chances are, even if there’s only a slight likelihood that a question will be asked on a certain topic in an interview, AlgoExpert includes it in its vast collection of questions. 

Helpful Videos 

The thing that really sets AlgoExpert apart from its competitors is its catalog of helpful videos. It’s no secret that interview questions and algorithms are tricky – but something that is arguably even trickier is trying to understand the inner workings of a difficult algorithm from a book. 

AlgoExpert offers crisp, easy-to-follow 1080p videos with clear audio. These are strategically broken down into two separate sections to offer you comprehensive explanations and solutions to questions. 

There is more than 100 hours of content and all of it is tailored specifically to you to help make understanding interview questions and algorithms easy. 

Ultimate Crash Course in Data Structures 

The data structures crash course is another defining feature of AlgoExpert. 

With this course, you’ll be able to cover everything you need to know, such as fundamental concepts pertaining to memory, Big O notation, and complexity analysis. The course breaks down popular data structures as you can get a clear idea of how those concepts are applied. This can alleviate a lot of the stress and uncertainty you might experience walking into an interview and not knowing what to expect!  

Big O Notation Made Easy

AlgoExpert makes Big O Notation easy. You’ll cover both time complexity and space complexity in your work, learning everything from what O(logN) really means to the time-complexity difference between appending a value to an array and adding a character to a string.

All video explanations take a deep dive into this content as well as space-complexity so that you can become the most well-rounded Big O expert possible. 

Nine Languages Offer Accessibility For Everyone

A major downfall of most interview preparation resources is that they aren’t accessible to everyone because they’re offered only in one programming language. With so many programming languages to choose from, there’s a good chance that the language offered will be a language that you don’t know.

With AlgoExpert, you no longer have to worry about that – all questions come with written solutions in nine popular languages. This makes the resource more accessible for data scientists, “Androiders,” “old-schoolers,” and iOS engineers alike!

The Disadvantages (Cons) of AlgoExpert

Consider these disadvantages of AlgoExpert as you’re deciding whether it’s worth spending $99 to prepare for an interview.

Only 100 Questions

Some critics have argued that AlgoExpert simply is not worth the money because it only offers 100 questions to prepare you, many of which are standard and well-known by the entire software engineering community. Some argue that the materials could be accessed for free via the Internet or through other platforms, like LeetCode’s non-premium resources.

However, it’s important to note that while learning these skills and accessing the material through the Internet is a possibility, it’s going to take some time (and some digging) to find exactly what you are looking for. If you want to skip the search, AlgoExpert is the way to go.

Geared Toward Visual Learners

Many people argue that AlgoExpert doesn’t have enough content to make it worth its price tag, especially if you aren’t necessarily a visual learner. AlgoExpert prepares learners primarily through videos and other visually-oriented activities.

If you learn best by listening or some other fashion, then this might not be the best platform for you. 

No Free Version – and No Refunds

AlgoExpert is one of those platforms that knows its worth – unapologetically. There is no free trial plan – although you can try out a few questions in each difficulty level and category before you buy a subscription. 

While most users are satisfied with the experience that this platform has to offer, the downside of using it is that if you aren’t satisfied, there are no refunds. You get what you get!

AlgoExpert Alternatives

If you’re hoping to land a job in software development, you have a lot of resources to choose from to help you get prepared. However, AlgoExpert is one of the best. With dozens of testimonials from employers and engineers alike,all of whom highly praise the quality selection of videos, algorithms, and explanations here, you’ll find that there’s not much in terms of competition.

A major competitor to AlgoExpert is LeetCode. LeetCode is similar to AlgoExpert in that it offers a wide variety of coding problems at various levels of difficulty and content. 

The biggest difference between the two? While AlgoExeprt does not have any kind of free plan, LeetCode has a basic tier that is 100% free. 

In addition, this platform focuses more on scoring and peer competition, relying on a close-knit community to provide solutions and context to problems. AlgoExpert is more individually-driven. 

While you’ll likely enjoy the collaborative environment of LeetCode, some users have reported frustration in that users often try to “one-up” each other with their solutions, taking the focus away from interview preparation and placing it more on the competition. You also do not receive video explanations or upgrades for help, even with the paid version of LeetCode (which is more expensive than AlgoExpert at $159 per year). 

Another alternative is Grooming the Coding Interview. This is more of a full-length course that features more than 180 lessons, 125 challenges, thousands of playgrounds, and hundreds of code snippets and illustrations for you to browse. Again, though, there are no video explanations and the emphasis here is on patterns for solving coding interview problems rather than learning answers to specific questions.

Some other alternatives to AlgoExpert include HackerRank, Learneroo, Coderbyte, and Pluralsight.

Conclusion

If you want to ace the technical interview and land a rewarding career as a software engineer, you’ll have your work cut out for you for sure! From knowing what to say to mastering the technical aspects of the interview (like mastering coding skills), it’s hard to know what the tech companies are looking for.

Hopefully, our review of AlgoExpert has been helpful in showing you the benefits of using such a resource to prepare. Not only does this online learning platform provide detailed video explanations and hands-on tools to help you master everything from systems design to data structures, but it does so in a clear, easy-to-understand, and accessible way.

Don’t just take our AlgoExpert review as gospel. If you’re preparing for an interview and aren’t sure where to start, go ahead and give it a try for yourself, and let us know what you think! 

FAQ

Is AlgoExpert worth it?

If you want to land a high-ranking software development or software engineering job, you won’t find a much better resource to help you prepare than AlgoExpert. This platform isn’t’ free’ by any means, but it offers some of the best interview prep resources all in one place – no more digging to find whatever it is that you need! 

How much does AlgoExpert cost?

Unless you are interested in a SystemsExpert plan, you’ll pay $99 per year to use AlgoExpert for one year. 

Can I get AlgoExpert for free?

Unlike many competitors, AlgoExpert does not offer a free trial of its services. You can try four practice questions of various difficulty levels so you can give the platform a quick try before you purchase the subscription, but that is the extent of the free plan.

What languages are offered on AlgoExpert?

On AlgoExpert, you’ll be able to access content in nine different programming languages – Go, TypeScript, Kotlin, Swift, C#, C++, Python, Java, and Javascript. 

Is AlgoExpert good for beginners?

AlgoExpert is not designed for beginners. Although it has a wide range of content with hundreds of questions for users to solve and helpful, detailed video explanations for every problem, it is geared toward intermediate or expert-level developers who are ready to move on to the job-seeking portion of their education.

Is AlgoExpert enough for coding interviews?

AlgoExpert is one of the best places to practice coding and to prepare you for coding interviews, since it offers hundreds of questions in all kinds of categories. Not only that, but it will prepare you with the soft skills and other skills you need to make a serious impact when you interview. “Graduates” of this program have gone on to land interviews at prestigious companies like Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and more.

Introduction

If you are looking for a platform that will allow you to build your own courses, Thinkific is the perfect option – we will tell you why in this detailed Thinkific review.

Thinkific allows you to edit the course and upload it with ease. You can also add in quizzes and assignments to make sure students are paying attention. A popular online course creation platform, Thinkific offers a state-of-the-art design and is one of the top learning management systems if you want to create your own lessons for new students – or students you might already have from your blog or website.

There are so many features worth noting with this online course platform. In this Thinkific review, we hope to address them all! 

What is Thinkific?

Thinkific is an online education platform that allows you to create your own courses and sell them for a one-time fee. It also has a marketplace where you can buy other people’s courses as well.

This unique online course creation program will allow you to both create and sell courses and membership sites under your brand, allowing you to see a serious impact with your business. 

As of writing this article, Thinkific has more than 50,000 course creators and 100 million courses. It’s one of the most popular sites for people looking to expand their businesses in online education. 

Who is Thinkific For?

Read any Thinkific course reviews, and you’ll likely find the same answer from satisfied teachers and students everywhere – Thinkific is for anyone. It offers a smooth user interface and a great value for money that makes it one of the best online platforms for education. 

People use Thinkific to teach all kinds of courses, from learning how to master coding to learning how to fly a drone. You can offer any kind of course you want on Thinkific and you don’t have to be adept at programming or course creation in order to do so – you just have to be passionate about the topic you plan to teach.

As of now, Thinkific offers course creation services to more than 25,000 instructors in 164 countries.

How Does Thinkific Work?

It is important to note that Thinkific is not an online course platform open to students to take classes, like Udemy or Skillshare. You won’t sign on to Thinkific to find a class you’d like to take – instead, you’ll sign on to Thinkific to teach a class.

You’ll start by creating an account but you don’t have to pay a dime in order to do so. You don’t have to be a developer in order to use the platform – you’ll be able to set up your own course with out-of-the-box templates and integrations and you’ll have full ownership over your site so you can fully customize it according to your brand.

Thinkific even offers demo features to help you get an idea of how the platform works -these demos are available right on the platform’s website. Of course, you can always sign up for a free trial, too, if you’d prefer. 

Features and Functionality

These are some of the most important features of Thinkific to pay attention to.

Completion Certificates

Another helpful feature of Thinkific, and one you’ll see echoed as a benefit in many a review of Thinkific, is its completion certificates. 

Although you don’t have to choose to offer completion certificates as part of your class, doing so is a great way to “high-five” your students and help them celebrate their wins. You can include these certificates at the end of each course with customized displays. 

Drag and Drop Course Builder 

Thinkific makes it easy to launch a course. You don’t have to have any knowledge of coding – the platform will handle it all. 
You will be able to keep your students engaged with all kinds of helpful features and resources, including downloads, text, discussions, surveys, quizzes, and more. There Is even compatibility with other multimedia platforms, like Google Docs. You can host all of your video content for free, too. 

With the drag and drop course builder, you can organize content to add, rearrange, or delete various course pages. 

Customization Resources

You will be able to fully customize every aspect of your online courses when you develop them on Thinkific. From the ability to create hidden or private courses to being able to make certain elements prerequisites, Thinkific offers it all.

You can even connect to other membership sites, enlist the help of multiple instructors, schedule drip content, or build cohorts and evergreen content. You’ll have access to countless features that will help you grow your business.

Full E-Commerce Capabilities 

Thinkific customers have sold more than $200 million worth in courses. You’ll be able to build your confidence as a course instructor with pre-built course review, curriculum, and other sections – plus, you won’t have to worry about things like design. Thinkific will provide you with premade themes and customization elements that you can hone to fit your brand. 

You will also have full e-commerce capabilities. There are flexible pricing options to fit every size and you can take advantage of Thinkific’s many e-commerce options to build and promote your course. You can offer things like membership sites and subscription courses to give students more ways to learn  – or you can boost the sales of your courses with coupons and promotional features like free trials and upsells.

Site Functionality 

Thinkific is remarkably easy to use. You can create an entirely new site with the platform or you can link to your existing site for a totally seamless experience.

It’s meant to be easy to use  – you don’t have to be a website developer to use this platform, but if you are, you can still access HTML and CSS to your heart’s content.

Discussion Forums & Student Support

With Thinkific, students can learn the way they want. Not only does this course builder allow you the freedom to create courses that are enjoyable and engaging, but it also offers helpful features like unlimited replays of course material and discussion forums – both of which can be invaluable tools in providing students with the support and the answers to questions they might be seeking.

You can make it easy for your students to check in with you. Communication is simple with Thinkific robust, data-centric platforms. Not only will you receive detailed information on the students in your cohorts, but you’ll also be able to encourage your students with automated check-ins.

Advanced Marketing Tools

Thinkific offers plenty of advanced marketing tools so that you can not only build an engaging class, but will also have the resources you need to sell it to your customers, too. You can reward affiliates for sharing your courses or even create targeted email campaigns that will message the right people at the right time.

Although Thinkfiic offers many of its own built-in advanced marketing tools, it also offers users the ability to integrate their courses with their favorite business tools. Throughout all of this, you’ll receive hands-on support for ad tracking and analytics with advanced data tracking services and programs like Facebook and Google Adwords.

Onboarding Support

A final feature of Thinkific that’s worth mentioning is the extensive amount of onboarding support you will receive. You’ll receive plenty of assistance in getting your courses set up with any plan, but if that’s not enough, you can also purchase an onboarding package. 

The pricing structure for these plans varies, starting at around a one-time fee of $450, but they can be worth it if you really want to know what you are doing when creating classes on Thinkific.

Thinkific Pricing Model

There are several Thinkific pricing structures for you to choose from. The pricing plans include the free plan, the basic plan, the pro plan, and the premier plan. We’ll walk you through all the pricing plans to give you a better idea of what each of these pricing options offers. 

The free plan, as you might expect, costs nothing. You’ll be able to test-drive Thinkific and enroll an unlimited number of students in three courses. You can offer quizzes and surveys and you’ll enjoy free content hosting and instant access to your funds. 

You’ll notice in several Thinkific free plan reviews that the basic plan is perfect for beginners. You’ll be able to create unlimited courses and enroll an unlimited number of students.

You’ll also have access to coupons, the ability to offer refunds and other forms of customer service, drip content, affiliate reporting, and more. You’ll get a custom domain, email integrations, Zpaier triggers – and you can even manually enroll students and manage exports.

It’s everything you ever dreamed of in an online course creation platform – and then some. You’ll be able to create as many online courses as you’d like and stay updated on student progress the whole time. 

Interested in a pro subscription? This one costs $99 per month. You’ll get all the same features of the basic plan plus two site admin accounts, five course admins and authors, the ability to create private and hidden courses, and advanced course pricing options. 

You will also be able offer bundles and memberships along with course certificates. You’ll get advanced customization abilities, priority support, and the ability to offer communities and assignments. 

With the pro membership, you can even host live lessons with Zoom capabilities! Without a doubt, Pro is the most popular membership chosen by Thinkific users.

The final membership to consider is the premier membership. This one is for more advanced customers who are interested in making their online course offerings more of a business. You’ll get all the features of re prom membership and you’ll pay just one flat fee of $499 per month.

You can create unlimited courses and offer them to an unlimited number of students. You’ll get five site administrator accounts, 15 group analysts, and a whopping 50 course authors or admins. You’ll have a single sign-on and enjoy access to an onboarding package, too. 

One final option for you to consider as you’re comparing plans? If you have a pro or premium plan, you can add on a growth package. The growth package will let creators access additional high-powered features to help you scale up your business as you grow.

There are also additional plans available to companies and high-volume customers. 

Support

Thinkific offers excellent customer service. You can cancel, upgrade, or change your account whenever you want. 

Plus, since you don’t need to enter your credit card details to get started, it’s easy to become a Thinkific user quickly. You can try out the platform without paying a cent to figure out whether it’s right for you. While creating your courses, you’ll have access to all the support you need from the helpful team at Thinkific, reachable by both phone and email.

The Advantages (Pros) of Thinkific

Ownership of Content

When you create an online course on Thinkific, you will always own your student data and your content. Thinkific does not market to your students and you will have the ability to export your data whenever you’d like. 

There’s no need to pay for a separate web host with Thinkfiic, either. Everything is fully hosted on Thinkific and secure hosting and e-commerce are both included. 

Payment Methods

Another helpful feature of Thinkifici? Its many payment methods – this is a pro that refers both to the company’s ability to accept a variety of one-time payment methods from course creators as well as from their students. 

With Thinkific and its many payment plans, you can receive payments via direct integration from both Stripe and PayPal. It’s easy to receive either an ongoing or one-time payment from your payment processor of choice. 

It’s also easy to offer students services like processing refunds. Although Thinkific does not offer direct refunds to course creators, it’s not complicated for you to issue your own.

Full e-commerce payment processing is included in every Thinkific plan. You can accept all major credit cards with a simple, secure checkout process – and you’ll enjoy instant access to your funds in your account. Even an SSL certificate is provided to make sure all of your information is secure. 

The Thinkific pricing structure is great for students and teachers alike, offering many payment plans and options for people of all kinds. 

Ease of Use 

Thinkific is one of the easiest online course creation platforms to use with full onboarding support. You’ll be able to work with a team in a one-on-one fashion to help you meet your goals quickly and efficiently. 

With plus and premier plans, an initial, personalized onboarding call is included. All members also receive a launch preparedness review and other training that can help you get started seamlessly. 

Built-in Security and Tech Features

There are several other built-in security features to be considered with this platform, too.

For one, you’ll enjoy secure cloud hosting and daily backups. SSL certificates are included and the platform has a 99.9% uptime rate with 24/7 monitoring. You don’t have to worry about constantly checking back to make sure your course is up and running – Thinkific has folks who will take care of that for you.

Plus, all updates are automatic – you won’t have to worry about missing a beat.

The Disadvantages (Cons) of Thinkific

Some Thinkific course reviews mention the following disadvantages of the platform. 

Not the Best Affiliate Program

Something you will see in many Thinkific course reviews is that the affiliate program is, unfortunately, lacking in several ways. Many course instructors say that the program is hard to monitor, lacking an easy-to-access dashboard that will help you turn students into affiliates. 

Others complain that you can’t host the course landing or sales pages on a WordPress website – you have to create a redirect in Thinkific. This can be frustrating for people who want more seamless functionality in their courses. 

Tricky Quiz Features

Other course creators have complained about the challenging nature of the quiz features in the platform. Although it’s easy to set up a quiz that has right and wrong questions and answers, it is not so seamless if you are trying to do more of a self-assessment style of quiz.

Limited Number of Themes

Although Thinkfiic does take some of the guesswork out of creating your own online course, offering numerous themes and design templates for you to take advantage of, the downside to this platform is that there are only a set number of themes – and these might be too limiting for some folks. 

It’s a great place to start, but you may find that you have to do quite a bit of additional customization to get the ball rolling. 

Not as Many Community Features

Last but not least, some users have complained about a perceived lack of community features on Thinkific. There aren’t any live events, community options, Q&A sessions, in-person coaching, or anything else of that nature. There’s also no integrated support for your sales funnel 

If you really want to expand your course content into a more community-focused platform, you may have to look elsewhere – but this tends to be a relatively uncommon complaint from users, especially those who are new to online course creation. It only becomes problematic as instructors look to do more with their occurrences. 

Thinkific Alternatives

There are several Thinkific competitors you might want to consider as you are building your online courses. 

One of the newest is Mighty Networks. This website is known as an all-in-one course and community platform, allowing you to deliver online courses as content-only courses, online courses with dedicated course communities, and even courses that are delivered live. Because of this, you’ll have lots of flexibility in how you offer your classes. 

Another alternative is Teachable, this one a bit more well-known in the online education space. Teachable provides you with all the resources you need to make your online courses. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have integrated email, so you will still need an email provider like MailChimp or ConvertKit for this kind of feature.

A final alternative is Kajabi. This platform is known for its state-of-the-art business and marketing tools. It is also an all-in-one platform, allowing you to employ more sophisticated marketing tools for email campaigns, polls, and other features.

You can even make optimized marketing landing pages and waitlist features! However, out of these four options, it’s also the most expensive to use – this can be prohibitive for people who are just getting started.

Conclusion

Bloggers are always looking for the best platform to host their blogs and sell their courses, and one of the newest options is Thinkific. Hopefully, this review of Thinkific has proven to you why it could be worth checking out.

FAQ

Is Thinkific legit?

Thinkific is a legitimate company. Founded in 2012, this company is new, yet is already making its mark when it comes to online course creation. Read any Thinkific course review and you’ll find minimal complaints about this platform.

Is Thinkific free?

Thinkific has several payment plans that you can choose from. There is a free version, including a free trial program, but even its basic plan is not an expensive option, allowing you access to the best features without having to pay a fortune.

How long is the Thinkific free trial?

There are two “free” payment plans on Thinkific to consider. One is a totally free plan, costing nothing to get started. You’ll be able to access everything you need to start making, selling, marketing, and promoting your classes. It has all the basic integrations long with PayPal/Stripe support. You can access all of your funds, too, but you will be expected to pay a relatively high 10% transaction fee. 

The free trial on Thinkific is available when setting up a subscription price. This is less for you than it is for your students, allowing enrollees to access all of your content for a limited period of time. You can also offer a free preview, which will let you make specific lessons totally free for an indefinite period. 

How many courses are on the Thinkific free plan?

If you decide to purchase the free plan, you can build and offer up to three courses for your students. 

How much is Thinkific monthly?

That depends on which membership plan you choose. A monthly subscription might cost anywhere from nothing for a free plan to up to $499 per month for a premium plan.

Is Thinkific a LMS?

Yes. Thinkific is a cloud-based learning management system, or LMS, that will allow you to create, sell, and market your online courses.