Learning to program doesn’t have to be expensive. There are countless free resources available online to help you master coding, whether you’re a beginner or looking to advance your skills. Here’s a curated list of the best free resources to learn programming:
1. Interactive Coding Platforms
These platforms offer hands-on coding exercises and projects to help you learn by doing.
A. freeCodeCamp
- Features: Offers interactive coding challenges, projects, and certifications in web development, data science, and more.
- Languages: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, SQL, and more.
- Website: freeCodeCamp
B. Codecademy (Free Tier)
- Features: Interactive coding lessons and quizzes. The free tier covers basic courses in various programming languages.
- Languages: Python, JavaScript, Java, SQL, and more.
- Website: Codecademy
C. Khan Academy
- Features: Offers beginner-friendly courses in computer programming and computer science.
- Languages: JavaScript, HTML/CSS, SQL.
- Website: Khan Academy
D. The Odin Project
- Features: A full-stack web development curriculum with projects and a supportive community.
- Languages: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Ruby, Ruby on Rails.
- Website: The Odin Project
2. Video Tutorials and Courses
These platforms offer free video tutorials and courses taught by industry experts.
A. YouTube
- Features: Thousands of free programming tutorials and courses.
- Popular Channels:
- Traversy Media (Web development)
- Programming with Mosh (Python, JavaScript, etc.)
- freeCodeCamp (Full-stack development)
- Academind (Frontend and backend development)
- Website: YouTube
B. CS50 by Harvard University (edX)
- Features: A free introductory course to computer science and programming.
- Languages: C, Python, SQL, JavaScript.
- Website: CS50
C. MIT OpenCourseWare
- Features: Free access to MIT’s course materials, including computer science and programming courses.
- Languages: Python, Java, C, and more.
- Website: MIT OpenCourseWare
3. Coding Challenges and Practice Platforms
These platforms help you improve your coding skills through challenges and competitions.
A. LeetCode
- Features: Coding challenges and interview preparation for software engineering roles.
- Languages: Python, Java, C++, JavaScript, and more.
- Website: LeetCode
B. HackerRank
- Features: Coding challenges and competitions in various domains like algorithms, machine learning, and databases.
- Languages: Python, Java, C++, SQL, and more.
- Website: HackerRank
C. Codewars
- Features: Solve coding challenges (called “katas”) and compare solutions with others.
- Languages: Python, JavaScript, Java, C#, and more.
- Website: Codewars
4. Open Source Learning Resources
These platforms provide free access to programming books, documentation, and tutorials.
A. MDN Web Docs (Mozilla Developer Network)
- Features: Comprehensive documentation and tutorials for web development.
- Languages: HTML, CSS, JavaScript.
- Website: MDN Web Docs
B. W3Schools
- Features: Tutorials and references for web development technologies.
- Languages: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, SQL, Python, and more.
- Website: W3Schools
C. GitBook
- Features: Free programming books and guides on various topics.
- Languages: Python, JavaScript, Java, and more.
- Website: GitBook
5. Community-Driven Learning Platforms
These platforms offer community support and collaborative learning opportunities.
A. GitHub
- Features: Explore open-source projects, contribute to repositories, and learn from others’ code.
- Languages: All major programming languages.
- Website: GitHub
B. Stack Overflow
- Features: A Q&A platform where you can ask questions and learn from experienced developers.
- Languages: All major programming languages.
- Website: Stack Overflow
C. Reddit
- Features: Join programming communities like r/learnprogramming, r/webdev, and r/Python for advice and resources.
- Website: Reddit
6. Specialized Learning Platforms
These platforms focus on specific programming languages or domains.
A. Python.org
- Features: Official Python documentation and tutorials.
- Website: Python.org
B. JavaScript.info
- Features: A modern JavaScript tutorial covering basics to advanced topics.
- Website: JavaScript.info
C. SQLZoo
- Features: Interactive SQL tutorials and exercises.
- Website: SQLZoo
7. Mobile Apps for Learning Programming
Learn to code on the go with these free mobile apps.
A. SoloLearn
- Features: Interactive coding lessons and a supportive community.
- Languages: Python, JavaScript, Java, C++, and more.
- Website: SoloLearn
B. Enki
- Features: Daily coding workouts and personalized learning paths.
- Languages: Python, JavaScript, SQL, and more.
- Website: Enki
C. Grasshopper
- Features: A beginner-friendly app for learning JavaScript through puzzles and games.
- Website: Grasshopper
8. University and MOOC Platforms
These platforms offer free courses from top universities and institutions.
A. Coursera (Free Courses)
- Features: Free courses from universities like Stanford, MIT, and Google.
- Languages: Python, Java, C, and more.
- Website: Coursera
B. edX (Free Courses)
- Features: Free courses from institutions like Harvard, MIT, and Microsoft.
- Languages: Python, Java, C, and more.
- Website: edX
C. Udacity (Free Courses)
- Features: Free courses in programming, data science, and web development.
- Languages: Python, JavaScript, SQL, and more.
- Website: Udacity
9. Blogs and Tutorial Websites
These websites offer free tutorials, articles, and guides on programming topics.
A. Medium
- Features: Programming tutorials and articles written by developers.
- Website: Medium
B. Dev.to
- Features: A community-driven platform for sharing programming knowledge.
- Website: Dev.to
C. CSS-Tricks
- Features: Tutorials and guides for frontend development.
- Website: CSS-Tricks
10. Additional Resources
- Google’s Python Class: A free Python course for beginners. Link
- Eloquent JavaScript: A free online book for learning JavaScript. Link
- Automate the Boring Stuff with Python: A free book for learning Python through practical projects. Link