6 free and inexpensive sites teaching students to code

If you want to learn how to code, but in your own time and without it costing an arm and a leg, here are some useful resources.

In 2026, despite the rising popularity of vibe coding, there are a multitude of STEM-based careers that require employees to have strong, traditional coding skills. You may want to improve yours or even begin from scratch, but if you find that standard courses are costly or too time consuming, it can be a deterrent.

But fret not, because there are plenty of opportunities to develop coding, skills be it with personal or professional goals in mind – and they don’t have to drain your time or your finances. 

So, if you want to build on your programming skills, but aren’t sure where to go, the following six resources could be exactly what you are looking for. 

Codewars

Codewars is a site for the students and professionals who want to broaden their skills, but who also want to have a little fun along the way.

The platform aims to help learners “achieve mastery through challenge” via training with peers on code kata – small coding exercises – that continuously challenges. Users can sharpen their skills, go up in the ranks though the challenge board, engage with a broad community of fellow learners and receive instant feedback to determine if progress is being made.

You can even create your own challenges and questions and put them to the wider community. The creators aptly refer to the site as a coding dojo and whether you are a student or sensei, there is definitely something to be gleaned from Codewars. 

Exercism

UK-based Exercism describes itself as a platform focused on “building a place where anyone can learn and master programming for free, without ever feeling lost or stupid”. Students of all abilities can learn how to code in 83 different languages via articles, videos and project work, with the goal being to have fun and progress, without stress or competition.

The platform also offers a wide community of peers with which to collaborate and build friendships, as well as a wide network of mentors to guide the learning process. 

FreeCodeCamp

FreeCodeCamp is exactly what it sounds like. This free platform is a resource through which students can learn how to code via a collection of podcasts, videos, articles and interactive lessons.

The available curriculum is expansive, can be engaged with via a number of different spoken languages and comes with a free certificate of completion. There are available learning options for beginners all the way through to advanced students and engagement is solely at the discretion of the user.

LeetCode

If you are a professional or a recent graduate preparing for a job interview that will likely demand robust coding skills, LeetCode is the ideal resource to test yourself in advance. The free-to-use platform supports 14 popular coding languages and enables users to debug and write their own online projects.

Students can test their coding knowledge by answering some of the more than 4,300 questions available. Users can also engage with a wide community of peers, participate in contests, challenge themselves and earn rewards.

If you have some skills but are looking to hone them, with future career opportunities in mind, this is definitely the place for you. For those who want a broader experience, there is also a premium paid feature. 

The Odin Project

The Odin Project, which is a free open-source learning platform, is an ideal site for a student or professional looking to advance their coding skills. The goal is to empower students to embark upon a career that requires coding, particularly those looking to become developers, though it is open to anyone who wishes to use it. 

The platform offers a hands-on introduction to all of the essential tools you’ll need to build real, working websites and also offers information on what web developers actually do and the foundations they might need for advancing their education. “This project is designed to fill in the gap for people who are trying to hack it on their own but still want a high-quality education,” according to the site.

Programiz

Programiz’s mission is to create a space in which learners can learn how to program easily and at their own pace. The platform offers tutorials in a variety of languages, the browser is free to use and no installation is required.

Programiz claims to teach the skill of coding step by step, via the use of online compilers available in more than 20 languages and interactive lessons that offer a guided path to learning programming with practical code that runs in your browser. 

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