If you’re brand new to the world of coding and web development, it makes sense to start by teaching yourself using all the free coding resources online.

By taking advantage of these resources as you learn to code for free, you can discover what you like and don’t like before investing money into a certain coding language or set of courses. Once you've gone through enough free coding lessons to find that direction, you'll be able to channel your passion to continue learning coding online most efficiently.

However, there are so many free coding resources and classes and books to choose from. How do you know which are the best places to learn coding online?

Well, I did some research to save you the time! Here are 71 of the best websites to learn coding for free–from simple coding tutorials to full free online coding courses. To make things easier, I broke these coding resources down based on topic. Use the table of contents below to jump around.

Disclosure: I’m a proud affiliate for some of the resources mentioned in this article. If you buy a product through my links on this page, I may get a small commission for referring you. Thanks!

Don't miss this list of 71 places where you can learn to code…for *free*.

Click To Tweet

General
YouTube Channels
Blogs
The Command Line
Git and Github
HTML and CSS
JavaScript
WordPress

Python
Ruby
Data Science / Analysis
Machine Learning
Cybersecurity
Mobile App Development
UI/UX Design

Please note: all information, topics taught, etc., have been taken at time of updating (July 2018) and are definitely subject to change. Thanks!

Start coding now

Stop waiting and start learning! Get my 10 tips on teaching yourself how to code.

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

General

1. Codecademy

Codecademy is where most people who are new to coding get their start learning programming online, and its reputation is well-deserved. The platform revolves around interactive learning; that is, you read a little, type your code right into the browser, and see results immediately.

What free coding lessons they offer: HTML & CSS, JavaScript, PHP, Python, Ruby, Angularjs, The Command Line, and more

2. freeCodeCamp

This free online coding school teaches coding first through an established curriculum (approx. 800 hours total), then by giving you hands-on experience working on projects for nonprofits. It's perfect for learners who want to learn code online by getting practical, hands-on experience that will do some good and look impressive on a resume.

Free coding certifications on offer: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, data visualization, DevTools, QA testing, Node.js, React, jQuery, and more

3. Coursera

Coursera is one of the best places to learn to code for free, with its professional and versatile course options. The site is a large online course library where classes are taught by real university professors. All courses are free of charge, but you have the option to pay for a “Coursera Verified Certificate” (prices range between $30-$100) to prove course completion. Sometimes paying for a certificate also grants access to content not available in the free versions. Coursera also offers “Specializations,” which are collections of courses on a specific topic, typically with a capstone project at the end.

What free coding courses they offer: Many (far beyond your basic coding/computer science topics)

4. edX

EdX is an open-source higher education program governed by MIT and Harvard, making it another high-caliber resource where you can learn to code for free online. The site offers 107 great courses under the “computer science” category, teaching various coding languages.

Free programming courses offered: Java, C#, Python, and many more

5. Codewars

Codewars offers a fun and unique way to learn coding. With a martial-arts theme, the program is based on challenges called “kata.” Complete them to earn honor and progress to higher ranks. This is a fun way to learn programming online if you're motivated by a little gamification!

Coding challenges they offer: CoffeeScript, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, Java, Clojure, and Haskell

6. GA Dash.

This is General Assembly’s free online learning platform. It's entirely project-based–you build a “project” with each walkthrough–making it ideal for those who like to get hands-on while learning to code online.

They are one of the very few free coding resources that have a course on how to build a Tumblr theme from scratch. Read my review of it here.

What free coding projects they offer: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, responsive design

7. Khan Academy

Khan Academy offers tons of subjects (as their front page says, “You can learn anything”), including many on computer programming. A few courses are offered for younger kids, too–so the whole family can learn to code for free!

Coding resources they offer: JS, HTML/CSS, SQL, much more

8. MIT OpenCourseware

Competition to get into MIT may be stiff, but accessing their course material online has no tuition or minimum SAT score. They maintain an online library of every subject they teach, with no account required for access; just browse for a course and start reviewing the material. Yep…you can learn programming for free at MIT. What a world.

Courses offered: Many

9. The Odin Project

Modern-day warriors can set sail for learning to code with the Odin Project. It's made by the creators of Viking Code School—a premier online coding bootcamp—and the Odin Project is their free, open-source version. While you learn to code for free with their programming tutorials, you can check in for support from other students using the online chat group!

Topics available: HTML, CSS, JavaScript & jQuery, Ruby programming, Ruby on Rails

10. Udacity

Udacity offers individual free coding courses, as well as “nanodegrees” that train you for specific careers like front-end web developer or data analyst. Course materials are free, but nanodegrees require a tuition fee.

What free tech programs they offer: Many (not just coding)

11. SoloLearn

SoloLearn is a social platform where anyone can learn to code. It's different than other course providers because it's mobile-based: learn coding on the go, on any device. With bite-sized lessons, achievements to unlock and interactive quizzes, it makes learning to code fun, and it's free to download.

Coding lessons they offer: Many

12. The Code Player

A compilation of video-based online coding tutorials to help you walk through a process from start to finish. Good for learning code online with “smaller” projects/tasks one at a time.

Free coding tutorials available: HTML5, CSS3, Javascript, Regex, JQuery

13. Bento.io

Their mission is to inspire people to become programmers by making code accessible, affordable, and fun. Given that they offer over 200 topics, anything you've been thinking about learning, you can find here.

Web development tracks to choose from: Many

14. Udemy

They offer both paid and free courses. Note that on Udemy, courses can be created by anyone, so make sure to read reviews. Coupons can also be easily found, too, and sales are frequent. Check out their development courses here.

Free coding courses they offer: Many

15. Code.org

Code.org provides learning materials specifically dedicated to increasing the rates of female and minority students entering computer science careers. Their free coding courses are designed for K-12 students, but can be useful to all ages. Start out with their quick Hour of Code tutorials, or build projects in lab courses.

Coding courses offered: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, block programming

16. Scotch.io

This free coding website covers lots of topics related to web development and workflow. The platform features short courses, tutorials, guides, blog posts, and videos.

Free coding resources available: Angular, node.js, laravel, Sublime Text, and more.

17. Hackr.io

This isn't a platform itself, but it's a great list of community-curated programming resources. Simply search for the language you want to learn and you’ll get a list of the best online courses, tutorials, and books recommended by coders.

Free coding lessons they offer: None, but they recommend many

18. W3Schools

Perfect for beginners, W3Schools is the world’s largest web developer site, offering free coding tutorials and reference materials for learning just about every aspect of web programming. You can also test your skills with quizzes and complete coding exercises using their online editor.

What free coding tutorials they offer: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, SQL, PHP, jQuery, and more

19. Coderbyte

Learn to code by doing it! Coderbyte teaches you the basics of popular programming languages and lets you build up your new skills using their library of 200+ coding challenges and solutions.

Free coding coding challenges: JavaScript, Ruby, Python, HTML, CSS, Node.js, and more

20. Microsoft Virtual Academy

Microsoft Virtual Academy’s Learning Paths are curated free coding courses designed to help you build valuable skills through video tutorials, demos, assessments, and more. You’ll also get access to free e-books, helpful downloads, and a community support forum.

Free learning paths available: MEAN stack, SQL, Azure, ASP.NET, HTML

21. Edabit

Edabit is “like Duolingo for learning to code,” offering bite-sized coding challenges that simulate what programming is like in the real world.

Topics their challenges cover: Java, JavaScript, PHP, Python, C#, C++, Ruby, Swift

22. Launch School Open Book Shelf

Written to supplement Launch School’s software engineering curriculum, these free books will help you learn the basic foundational building blocks of popular languages.

What free coding topics they cover: Git and GitHub, the Command Line, Ruby on Rails, SQL

Table of Contents

Start coding now

General

YouTube Channels

Blogs

The Command Line

Git and GitHub

HTML and CSS

Want to get better with HTML?

JavaScript

WordPress

Python

Want to master Python?

Ruby

Data Science / Analysis

Machine learning / AI

Cybersecurity

Mobile App Development

UI/UX Design

Conclusion

Start coding now

Get the perfect website layout in 27 steps