Pluralsight vs Codecademy | What is the best Platform to Learn Coding?
This is a classic article for our site, where we review a variety of educational resources. Today we will compare two programming learning platforms - the more popular Codecademy and its lesser known, but still competitor, Pluralsight. The comparison turned out to be interesting, so read to the end.
In our tradition, we will compare the quality and quantity of educational material, the target audience that these platforms are more aimed at, and also draw a conclusion about which platform is best for whom. So, let's begin.
Pluralsight
Pluralsight is an online platform that provides a range of technology and coding courses for professionals and individuals who are seeking to learn new skills or enhance their existing ones. With over 7,000 courses and assessments, Pluralsight offers a wide range of topics such as software development, IT operations, data analytics, and security.
Pluralsight - Courses (source)
One of the standout features of Pluralsight is its vast library of courses. The platform covers a wide range of topics and offers courses for all levels of expertise. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced coder, you will find a course that suits your needs. Additionally, the courses are taught by industry experts, ensuring that you receive quality instruction and stay up-to-date with the latest trends.
One of the standout features of Pluralsight is its vast library of courses. The platform covers a wide range of topics and offers courses for all levels of expertise. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced coder, you will find a course that suits your needs. Additionally, the courses are taught by industry experts, ensuring that you receive quality instruction and stay up-to-date with the latest trends.
On average, courses last about 3-4 hours. For some this is an advantage, but not for me. Personally, this duration is not enough for me, and if you start a new course, you will have to get used to the manner of narration of the new mentor. It all depends on you and how you perceive new information.
If I touched upon the shortcomings, then personally for myself I noticed one more - a slow player and the site as a whole. I did not understand in detail what this is connected with, however, my playback player constantly lagged. In addition, this player did not work with the AdBlock extension.
Pluralsight - Videoplayer
Another feature that sets Pluralsight apart is its interactive and engaging learning experience. The platform incorporates quizzes, assessments, and projects to help reinforce your knowledge and skills. Moreover, you can track your progress and receive feedback from instructors, which can be extremely helpful in identifying areas that require more focus.
Pluralsight also offers flexibility when it comes to learning. You can access the platform from anywhere, and the courses are available on-demand. Furthermore, the platform offers mobile and offline learning options, allowing you to learn at your own pace and schedule.
Pluralsight - Prices (source)
Those who have been reading us for a long time already know that we do not comment on the cost of subscribing to certain projects, because everyone decides for himself whether it is expensive or not. The Pluralsight case is no exception. Education here follows the same business model as Skillshare, which means you buy a monthly subscription and take as many courses as you like.
In my opinion, if you still decide to buy a subscription, it is better to buy an annual one - firstly, such a subscription is more profitable in terms of finances, and secondly, this way you will be motivated to study further, after a month, because you will already have paid quality source of information. Personally, this is how it works for me.
As a result, we get a platform that combines all the advantages of Skillshare (mentors are real experts) and Udemy (a wide variety of courses and educational material). I also recommend paying attention to their blog page. It seems to me that the material there is not at all for beginners, but sometimes useful material is published there for all levels of immersion in IT.
Pluralsight - Blog Posts (source)
Codecademy
Codecademy is an online learning platform that offers coding courses in various programming languages. It provides a user-friendly interface that makes learning to code easy and fun. The platform offers both free and paid courses, with the paid courses offering more advanced features and personalized learning experiences.
One of the standout features of Codecademy is its interactive learning system. Each course is designed to teach you how to code through a series of exercises that build on one another. As you progress through the course, you are given immediate feedback on your work and guided through any mistakes you make. This makes it easy to learn at your own pace and understand the concepts you are working with.
Codecademy - Interface
In general, the same training methodology exists, for example, Hacker Rank, so this is not something new and revolutionary. This form of training may not be suitable for everyone - someone prefers to watch video courses and perceive information better by ear, like me, and someone prefers to read the material more carefully and see the already written code in front of them. Here to each his own.
Another great feature of Codecademy is its community support. Users can ask questions and get help from other learners and experts on the platform. This makes learning to code a more collaborative experience, and allows users to connect with like-minded individuals who share their passion for coding.
Codecademy - Forum Page (source)
The very idea of the forum, by the way, is implemented very well. Developers from Hacker Rank also tried to implement a similar idea, but they did not succeed, and the forum turned into a collection of answers to the same tasks. Here you can get real help or a hint, if necessary.
In terms of course offerings, Codecademy has a wide variety of options available. From beginner-level courses in HTML and CSS to more advanced courses in Python and JavaScript, there is something for everyone. Additionally, the platform offers courses in data science, web development, and computer science, among other subjects.
Codecademy - Courses (source)
In the catalog of courses, you can choose both a hotel course that you want to take, for example, to learn how to solve a specific problem and task, or take the so-called career path, which will allow you to learn the profession in its entirety and more comprehensively. In general, it is implemented very conveniently and logically, but be prepared to pay for such courses.
We already wrote that we do not comment on the prices of platforms - it's up to you whether it's a lot or a little. However, here I would like to note that Codecademy has a so-called basic subscription plan - it is free, but, frankly, with a free subscription level, it will be difficult to learn something really new.
Codecademy - Prices (source)
The information available at the basic level of the account is no different from public tutorials and videos on YouTube, so you will have to buy a subscription anyway if you still decide to make your choice in favor of this platform. As you have already noticed, a monthly subscription here is more expensive than our current competitor. Whether it's worth it is up to you.
Conclusion
So, we talked about two programming learning platforms that I personally and my environment prefer. We have a lot of articles with reviews of other platforms, be sure to read them by searching on the search page or in the archive. As for today's competitors, the choice is entirely yours. Personally, I prefer Pluralsight. It is important for me to know whose course I am taking, and it is also important for me to be able to google a person who tells me new information - it is important for me to understand who he is in order to teach me - just an announcer who reads the text, or an expert who should be leveled up.