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MDN Web Docs VS Codecademy

Compare MDN Web Docs VS Codecademy and see what are their differences

MDN Web Docs logo MDN Web Docs

MDN Web Docs is an evolving learning platform for Web technologies and the software that powers the Web, including:

Codecademy logo Codecademy

Learn the technical skills you need for the job you want. As leaders in online education and learning to code, we’ve taught over 45 million people using a tested curriculum and an interactive learning environment.
  • MDN Web Docs Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-24
  • Codecademy Homepage
    Homepage //
    2024-05-01

MDN Web Docs features and specs

  • Comprehensive Coverage
    MDN Web Docs offers extensive documentation on web technologies, covering HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and more, making it a valuable resource for developers.
  • Community Driven
    Content on MDN is contributed and reviewed by a community of developers and experts which ensures a high level of credibility and up-to-date information.
  • Free Access
    MDN Web Docs is completely free to use, making it accessible to a wide audience, from beginners to experienced developers.
  • Multi-Language Support
    MDN offers documentation in numerous languages, which helps non-English speakers access the information they need in their preferred language.
  • Practical Examples
    Many MDN articles include practical examples and demonstrations that help users understand how to implement various web technologies.

Possible disadvantages of MDN Web Docs

  • Varied Depth
    While some areas of the documentation are very comprehensive, others might lack depth and detailed explanations, potentially requiring users to seek additional resources.
  • Navigation Complexity
    The vast amount of information and sometimes complex site structure can make it challenging to navigate and locate specific topics quickly.
  • Technical Jargon
    MDN articles can sometimes involve technical jargon which might be challenging for beginners to fully understand without additional research or prior knowledge.
  • Asynchronous Updates
    While MDN is generally up-to-date, there can occasionally be delays in updating documentation following rapid changes in web standards or browser implementations.

Codecademy features and specs

  • Interactive Learning
    Codecademy provides interactive coding lessons that allow users to write code directly in the browser and receive instant feedback, which can enhance learning and retention.
  • Wide Range of Courses
    Codecademy offers a variety of courses across several programming languages and topics, including web development, data science, and computer science, catering to a diverse set of learners.
  • Beginner-Friendly
    The platform is designed with beginners in mind, offering step-by-step instructions, guided projects, and comprehensive explanations to help new learners get started with coding.
  • Flexible Learning Paths
    Codecademy provides learning paths and career tracks that guide users through a series of courses to build specific skills or prepare for certain tech roles, offering a structured learning experience.
  • Community Support
    Codecademy has a strong community forum where users can ask questions, share knowledge, and collaborate with other learners, providing additional support and motivation.
  • Certificate of Completion
    Upon finishing courses or career tracks, learners receive a certificate of completion, which can be added to their resumes or LinkedIn profiles to showcase their achievements.

Possible disadvantages of Codecademy

  • Limited Free Content
    While Codecademy does offer some free courses, many advanced and specialized courses are locked behind a Pro subscription, which may be a barrier for some users.
  • Lack of Deep Dives
    Some users may find that Codecademy's courses do not go into great depth on advanced topics, which might require learners to seek additional resources to fully master certain subjects.
  • Dependence on Interactive Environment
    Codecademy's reliance on an in-browser coding environment means that learners may not gain experience setting up and using real-world development tools and environments.
  • Pro Subscription Cost
    The cost of Codecademy Pro can be relatively high for some learners, which may be a drawback considering that there are other platforms offering similar content at different price points.
  • Periodic Updates and Bugs
    As with any online platform, Codecademy occasionally has bugs or requires updates that can impact the user experience or temporarily disrupt learning.
  • Assessment and Quizzes
    Some users have noted that the assessments and quizzes may not be as challenging as they could be, potentially limiting the evaluation of a learner's true understanding.

MDN Web Docs videos

Contribute to MDN Web Docs

Codecademy videos

Should You Sign Up For CodeCademy?!

More videos:

  • Review - FreeCodeCamp vs CodeCademy | Which One is Better? Which One Should You Learn With? | Ask a Dev
  • Review - Is Codecademy Good? [REVIEW]

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to MDN Web Docs and Codecademy)
Online Learning
2 2%
98% 98
Education
3 3%
97% 97
Online Education
5 5%
95% 95
Online Courses
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare MDN Web Docs and Codecademy

MDN Web Docs Reviews

We have no reviews of MDN Web Docs yet.
Be the first one to post

Codecademy Reviews

10 Pluralsight Alternatives & Competitors (2024) – Our Picks
Codecademy emphasizes programming and helps users understand coding with hands-on practical projects. It is a beginner-friendly platform offering 15 programming languages in more than 20 categories. Codecademy provides free resources like videos, cheat sheets, documents, and PDFs. It offers a skills path if one wants to get job-ready. It has a supportive and active community...
10 Best Treehouse Alternatives in 2024
Comparing all the features, pros, cons, and pricing of these Treehouse alternatives, Codecademy turns out to be ideal for coding learners. This online platform offers courses for beginners, intermediates, and advanced learners. Here is the list of reasons that Codecademy is the best Treehouse alternative:
Top 11 Coursera Alternatives 2024
Community support: Students at Code Academy are part of a tight-knit community where they may interact with instructors, classmates, and subject matter experts alike.
Source: freshlearn.com
14 Best Free and Paid Coursera Alternatives For Creators (2024)
Codecademy promotes themselves as a place for beginner coders to learn the basics of programming for free but they do offer a Pro version of the platform that students need to pay for. The platform also offers a Codecademy Creator Program that pays instructors for their work.
How to Learn Coding in 2024: 18 Great Ways to Do It
With its students including the mayor of NYC, Michael Bloomberg, Codecademy made a name for itself with its Code Year that drew in a large portion of its one million users.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Codecademy seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 113 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

MDN Web Docs mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of MDN Web Docs yet. Tracking of MDN Web Docs recommendations started around Jul 2023.

Codecademy mentions (113)

  • Career Transition at 31: How I Became a Front-End Developer
    However, a little research was enough to dispel that misconception. Yes, there was a technical aspect to programming, but most developers weren't doing complex calculations all the time. So, my preconceptions faded away and turned into great curiosity and interest. I started studying JavaScript, HTML, and CSS on YouTube and also studied on Codecademy platform. - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
  • How to start learning web development for free
    Codecademy is a freemium platform with high-quality content.  Their courses range from web development to data science, and are interactive and text-based. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Scratch is Addictive: How to get rid of your Scratch addiction
    If you really have decided to become the next Guru on Scratch then you should learn at least one real programming language like JavaScript. I found this JavaScript course very useful: https://learnjavascript.online/. You can also learn Java and Python on codecademy.com. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Recommend a website to learn a programming language
    Codecademy.com makes use of a similar approach to the one you mentioned in order to teach JavaScript (and HTML and CSS), giving immediate feedback for the code you write on your browser (except that it uses the browser, as mentioned, instead of an IDE). Source: almost 2 years ago
  • I want to learn how to program
    Codecademy offers interactive coding courses for various programming languages, including Python and JavaScript. It provides a hands-on learning experience and offers a free trial to get started. codecademy.com. Source: almost 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing MDN Web Docs and Codecademy, you can also consider the following products

W3Schools - W3Schools is a web developers information website, with tutorials and references on web development...

Free Code Camp - Learn to code by helping nonprofits.

Udemy - Online Courses - Learn Anything, On Your Schedule

Tutorialspoint - Simply Easy Learning At Your Fingertips Tutorials Point is a leading Ed-Tech company providing the best learning material on technical and non-technical subjects. Learn from free tutorials, premium courses, and eBooks all in one place.

Coursera - Build skills with courses, certificates, and degrees online from world-class universities and companies

SoloLearn - Learning has never been this social and accessible for so many!