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DataCamp vs Codeacademy: An Overview
Coding is here to stay and its a skill that nearly every sector needs in one form or another. And if you don’t have time to attend in-person classes, there are a number of eLearning options available, DataCamp and Codeacademy being two of the top platforms.
Both eLearning websites have been around for a relatively long time and to date have helped thousands of students achieve their coding career goals.
In this DataCamp vs Codeacademy review, we look at course options, pricing, structure and certifications so that you know where to begin learning online.
DataCamp vs Codeacademy: Who Is It For?
DataCamp
Data science has always been DataCamp’s primary focus and today, the platform is one of the top resources for courses on SQL, R, and Python.
DataCamp is right for you if you have a particular interest in a career in data science. It’s also a top choice for students who prefer an interactive learning experience and want access to real-life projects that they can use to practice and showcase their skills.
Codeacademy
Codeacademy has a much wider offering for those looking to pursue careers as developers. ThiseLearning site is not just for data scientists but those who want to use different coding languages to create an array of platforms and products.
Whether you are starting out or you already have some knowledge of coding, Codeacademy offers courses for students of every level. It’s also a top choice for learners who don’t necessarily have a lot of spare time for studying.
DataCamp vs Codeacademy: Types of Courses Offered
DataCamp
Courses and projects on DataCamp are organized according to technology and specific skills. In terms of technology, course categories include:
- R
- Python
- SQL
- Git
- Shell
- Spreadsheets
- Theory
- Scala
- Tableau
- Excel
- Power BI
When it comes to skills, here is some of what you can expect:
- Data Manipulation
- Data Visualization
- Reporting
- Machine Learning
- Probability & Statistics
- Importing & Cleaning Data
- Applied Finance
- Programming
- Other
- Case Studies
- Management
- Data Engineering
While most of these categories are straightforward and include precisely the type of courses you’d expect to find on this site, some require a bit more explanation.
Management is a business-oriented category that currently only offers a handful of courses, including Data-Driven Decision Making for Business and Marketing Analytics for Business.
The Other category contains some interesting courses on very specific subjects that combine data science with non-IT fields like gene identification, gene expression, and demographics. There’s even a course on DataCamp course creation.
Codeacademy
Codeacademy has organized its courses in a similar way. You can browse available courses according to language and skill.
The coding languages offered on the site include:
- HTML & CSS
- Python
- JavaScript
- Java
- SQL
- Bash/Shell
- Ruby
- C++
- R
- C#
- PHP
- Go
- Swift
- Kotlin
Some of the specific skills you can expect to learn on Codeacademy include:
- Web Development
- Data Science
- Computer Science
- Developer Tools
- Machine Learning
- Code Foundations
- Web Design
- Game Development
- Mobile Development
- Data Visualization
- Interview Prep
- Cybersecurity
- Math
- For Business
- Beta Catalog
You will notice that there are a number of skills that don’t fall under the coding umbrella, including interview prep, math, and business. As for the Beta Catalog, this houses content that’s currently in development and available for early access.
DataCamp vs Codeacademy: Pricing & Refunds
DataCamp
DataCamp has several pricing packages divided into Personal and Business plans.
Personal plans are geared towards individual learners. There are three packages in this category:
- Free
- Standard
- Premium
Standard and Premium plans are billed annually and cost $12.42 and $33.25 per month, respectively.
Each plan can be considered an upgrade of the previous one. With the Free plan, learners have a limited selection of course materials and can only access the starting chapters for each course. This plan also comes with fewer practice projects and exercises.
An upgrade to the Standard plan will grant you access to additional lessons, all practice tasks and assessments, and live coding sessions. The Standard plan opens up the options to take classes via the mobile app and participate in chat.
The Premium plan unlocks all of the platform’s features and comes with priority support.
The business plan provides training for organizations and their teams. Unsurprisingly, this category doesn’t feature a free option. Instead, there are two plans, each billed on annual basis:
- Professional
- Enterprise
The price of the Professional plan is $25.00 per month, while for “Enterprise, the fee will be determined according to the time spent learning.
There’s an additional plan that doesn’t involve any fees and is intended exclusively for educators. It’s called DataCamp for Classrooms and provides free access for students to practice their coding skills.
Codeacademy
Codeacademy is a subscription-based site with three plans:
- Basic
- Pro
- Teams
The Basic plan is free, albeit with a somewhat limited choice of courses. On the positive side, all resources, tools, and content for the available courses are accessible immediately. However, if you want to experience more of what the platform has to offer, it would be best to switch to Codeacademy Pro.
Upgrading to the Pro plan gives you access to all Codeacademy courses, which unlocks the full potential of the platform. Pro members are privy to real-world practical projects, course exercises and quizzes, and other exclusive content. Opting for this plan, which costs $19.99 per month, and is billed annually, will also make you eligible to receive a certificate upon completing a course.
Finally, the Teams plan is intended for organizations who wish to provide IT training for their team members. The price for this plan will depend on the number of participants and businesses will receive a quote upon request. It’s worth noting that a minimum of five people must take part in courses under the Teams plan.
DataCamp vs Codeacademy: Enrollment & Usability
DataCamp
You can register for DataCamp using an email address and password or your LinkedIn, Facebook, or Google account. After the registration, you’ll be able to start using the Free plan immediately or opt for a paid plan.
When it comes to using the platform to find courses and projects, the extensive site menus make the process very straightforward. Browse for courses according to the technology you’re interested in or the specific skill you want to learn. Each course page explains who you will be learning from and what you can expect to learn at every stage – this detailed information will help you decide whether a course truly is right for you.
Codeacademy
Codeacademy lets you sign up using just an email and password or, alternatively, by connecting with your LinkedIn, Facebook, Google, or GitHub account. You can then start exploring the courses available under the Basic plan or subscribe to Codeacademy Pro.
All of the courses on this platform can be accessed via the catalog menu. Once you select a category, you’ll see the latest and featured courses and resources first. Filter the course options according to the technology you’re interested or select a specific skill to see what’s on offer. You can also clearly see from the search results which courses are better suited to beginners and intermediate coders – no need to click on each course individually.
Each course page outlines the syllabus, prerequisites required to enroll, and how long the course will take you.
DataCamp vs Codeacademy: Course Structures
DataCamp
DataCamp courses are made up of video lessons, projects, and assignments that test what you’ve learnt.
There are also career track courses, focused on preparing learners for career advancements, and skill track courses, which provide deeper insights into specific subjects. Career tracks are longer and cover a wider range of skills required for a particular profession. On the other hand, skill tracks are shorter due to their narrower scope and greater depth. The length of each track will depend on the subject that’s covered.
Upon completion of a track, a certificate of completion is issued. However, that’s only the basic certificate. You can also get a professional DataCamp certificate that might carry more weight with potential employers, but this will require signing up for a paid plan.
Codeacademy
Codeacademy courses are designed with interactivity in mind. Besides the standard video material, each course also includes projects and articles.
Skill and career tracks also exist here, although the site calls them Paths. Regardless of naming, the two structures function as expected. The career paths are geared towards job opportunities and career-building, while the skills paths are intended for learners looking to hone a specific skill. Unfortunately, there is no obvious way to tell how long each path takes.
You can get a Codeacademy certificate once you complete a path or individual course, although this won’t be the case with all available courses. There are no certificates that require additional assessment.
The Verdict
You should now have a much clearer idea of which of these platforms are right for you based on your specific learning and career goals. DataCamp is more oriented towards data science-related subjects, while Codeacademy has a stronger focus on coding. The good news is that regardless of your goals, both sites are relatively affordable when compared to similar sites.
Possibly the greatest difference between the two sites is certification. Although DataCamp is in the lead with its option of advanced assessed certificates, it’s worth noting that certifications from both platforms are recognized by top employers.
So, where will you start learning to code?