Codecademy vs Coursera: price and which to choose
Quick verdict
Codecademy teaches coding by doing — interactive lessons in the browser, a free Basic plan, skill paths on Plus and career paths with interview prep on Pro. Coursera Plus is a much broader catalog — thousands of courses from 350+ universities and companies, with unlimited certificates including Professional Certificates. Codecademy gives no refunds; Coursera’s annual plan has a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Option A
$39.99/moPro
Official price before tax: $39.99
Price checked
Also has a free plan: Basic
Codecademy price and plans
Option B
$59.00/moCoursera Plus Monthly
Official price before tax: $59.00
Price checked
Coursera price and plansWe compare plans with a similar purpose, whose features may differ; prices before sales tax; prices for other plans and periods are in the reviews.
Feature comparison
| Criterion | Codecademy | Coursera |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Coding and tech | Many subjects |
| Free option | Basic plan | 7-day trial (monthly) |
| Certificates | From Plus | Unlimited after trial |
| Interview prep | Pro | Not listed |
| Refund | No | 14 days (annual) |
Both are popular ways to learn to code in the US, but Codecademy only teaches coding and tech, while Coursera covers AI, business, technology and much more, mostly as video courses from universities and companies.
If you don’t want to read further
Learning to code hands-on, with interview prep — Codecademy. University-backed certificates across many subjects — Coursera Plus.
What really sets them apart
In each row, the last sentence matters most — what the difference means for you.
How you learn?
Codecademy
Interactive coding lessons, portfolio projects and code challenges.
Coursera
Courses from universities and companies, with hands-on labs and projects.
Typing code from lesson one — Codecademy.
Free option?
Codecademy
Basic is free with limited courses.
Coursera
A 7-day free trial on the monthly plan.
To learn for free over time, Codecademy Basic.
Certificates?
Codecademy
Certificates of completion from Plus; professional certifications on Pro.
Coursera
Unlimited certificates, including Professional Certificates, once the trial ends.
For certificates from known universities and companies, Coursera.
Career help?
Codecademy
Career paths, interview prep and a job-readiness checker on Pro.
Coursera
Professional Certificates aimed at specific jobs.
For interview practice, Codecademy Pro.
Refunds?
Codecademy
No full or prorated refunds for subscriptions; only exceptions through Support.
Coursera
14-day money-back guarantee on the annual plan.
Try Codecademy for free before paying for a year.
Where they don’t differ, even though it seems they should
This part is often more useful than the list of differences — it saves money for anyone who was about to pay for an imaginary advantage.
Monthly or annual
Both offer both; annual is paid up front.
A free way to try
Codecademy’s free trial of Plus or Pro and Coursera’s 7-day trial.
Hands-on projects
Codecademy’s portfolio projects and Coursera’s labs and projects from industry experts.
Which one fits whom
| Your situation | What to choose | On what condition |
|---|---|---|
| You want to start coding for free | Codecademy Basic | Limited courses at no cost. |
| You want a job in tech | Codecademy Pro | Career paths and interview prep. |
| You want university-backed certificates | Coursera Plus | Unlimited after the trial. |
| You want to learn more than coding | Coursera Plus | AI, business, technology and more. |
- Codecademy doesn’t refund subscriptions.
- Coursera’s trial is on the monthly plan only; annual has a 14-day refund instead.
- Coursera certificates are unlimited only after the trial ends.
- Codecademy career paths and interview prep are Pro-only.
Where the facts come from
Sources: codecademy.com and its Help Center, and coursera.org. Prices are in the price blocks on each service’s page.
Facts in the text checked: .
FAQ: Codecademy or Coursera
Other comparisons
The same products against other competitors, and other comparisons in the “Online courses” category.
Where their scores differ
Only criteria we’ve checked for both services and where the scores differ. Equal criteria and criteria without data aren’t shown here, because they add nothing to the decision.
If what matters most is — learning offline: Coursera Plus Monthly
Codecademy Pro: requires internet (1,0/5) · Coursera Plus Monthly: lessons can be downloaded (5,0/5)
If what matters most is — price compared with others: Codecademy Pro
Codecademy Pro: 19,99 USD/mo · when paying for 12 months (5,0/5) · Coursera Plus Monthly: 59,00 USD/mo (2,0/5)
If what matters most is — value of the certificate: Coursera Plus Monthly
Codecademy Pro: no external recognition (2,0/5) · Coursera Plus Monthly: recognized outside the platform (5,0/5)
If what matters most is — sharing with family: Codecademy Pro
Codecademy Pro: business plans only, priced per seat (3,0/5) · Coursera Plus Monthly: sharing isn’t allowed (1,0/5)
The scores and their weights are the same as in the reviews of both services. How we calculate
Comparison text updated: