Source-backed analysis8
Review basis
Research-based review: the AppDuo Editorial Team compiled it from official pages, documentation, app stores, press and user feedback, without hands-on testing. Every claim links to a source with the date it was checked.
8 reference sourcesInformation updated Nov 11, 2026
How we review
Codecademy Review
Interactive in-browser coding lessons, strongest for beginners
By AppDuo Editorial Team · Fact-checked
- Web
- iOS
- Android
On this page
Decide at a glance
Our verdict
Codecademy suits beginners who want hands-on exercises in the browser, and the free plan lets you try it first. The trade-offs are an English-only interface, in-app prices well above web prices, and a cluster of billing and cancellation complaints on Trustpilot.
Best for: Beginners learning programming, SQL, Python or web development
Skip it if: People who need fast, multi-channel customer support
Pros
- Free Basic plan and the Codecademy Go mobile app
- High app ratings: 4.8/5 on the App Store, 4.9/5 on Google Play
- Pro adds career paths, certification paths and technical interview prep
Cons
- Trustpilot score of 2.4/5, with many reviews citing unexpected renewals and refund difficulty
- In-app prices are well above the website prices
All pros and cons · Who is it for?
More pros
- AI Learning Assistant and builder tools that work from natural-language prompts
More cons
- English-only interface
- Some Trustpilot reviewers report content errors and broken exercises
Best for
- Learners who prefer interactive exercises over video lectures
Skip it if
- Learners after deep advanced material or a non-English interface
Experience & key features
Codecademy is an online coding-education platform founded in 2011 by Zach Sims and Ryan Bubinski and based in New York. It has belonged to Skillsoft since April 2022. Its homepage lists skill areas such as AI, data, coding and cybersecurity.
Per the pricing page, the free Basic plan has limited courses. Plus unlocks full courses and skill paths, certificates of completion and portfolio projects. Pro adds career and certification paths, interview prep, code challenges and professional certifications. The AI Learning Assistant is on every plan, with limits on Basic and Plus.
Listed web prices: Plus is US$14.99/month or US$11.99/month billed annually; Pro is US$19.99/month or US$15.99/month billed annually. On the US App Store the in-app prices are US$29.99 (Plus) and US$39.99 (Pro) per month, so subscribing on the web is cheaper. No VND prices were found. Team plans have no public price and require a quote.
Codecademy fits beginners, especially those who learn by doing exercises. Learners wanting deeper courses or a multilingual interface should look at Coursera, Udemy or edX. Read the renewal terms before paying yearly, since Trustpilot carries many complaints on that point.
Screenshots
Plans & pricing
Prices last verified Nov 11, 2026
Basic
PersonalFree
Free: limited courses, a limited AI Learning Assistant and the mobile app. No skill paths, certificates or interview prep.
Plus
Personal$14.99/mo
$11.99/mo billed yearly
Per the pricing page: full courses and skill paths, certificates of completion, portfolio projects and personalised practice; assessments and the AI Learning Assistant stay limited; 3X builder credits. Annual plans include one live workshop. In-app it costs more: US$29.99/month on the US App Store.
Pro
Personal$19.99/mo
$15.99/mo billed yearly
Everything in Plus, plus career and certification paths, technical interview prep with an interview simulator, code challenges and professional certifications; 6X builder credits. Annual plans include one live workshop. US$39.99/month on the US App Store.
- Free plan limits
- The free Basic plan includes limited courses. The pricing page offers free trials of Plus and Pro without stating their length.
- Free trial
- No free trial
Cancellation & refunds
The pricing page states no refund policy; it only links to the Help Center and Terms.
Privacy
The privacy policy (updated 11 July 2024) says Codecademy collects data users provide, device and usage data, and data from third parties such as data brokers and social networks. It says it does not generally sell data in the traditional sense, but it works with ad networks including Google and Facebook and will comply with the CCPA if that activity counts as a "sale". Access and deletion requests, a Do Not Sell link for Californians and GDPR rights are described. It gives no specific retention periods and does not address how AI systems process personal data.
Codecademy alternatives
8.3/10Khan Academy
A nonprofit's free K-12 course library, with the Khanmigo AI tutor
7.4/10Coursera
University and company courses with certificates and online degrees
Controversies & incidents
Issues documented by the press, regulators, courts or the vendor itself. Every item is sourced; unproven claims are labelled as allegations. Last researched: Nov 11, 2026
- Medium impactAllegedBilling ·
Auto-renewal and refund complaints on Trustpilot
On Trustpilot, many reviewers say they were renewed on annual plans unexpectedly or found refunds hard to obtain. These are user claims not established by any authority.
Read the full account
As of November 2026, Trustpilot shows 2.4/5 from 1,478 reviews, only 34 of them from the past 12 months. The most frequent complaint theme is billing and cancellation: unexpected annual renewals, charges after cancelling and refused refunds; one reviewer says cancellation only takes effect at the next renewal date. Trustpilot notes the company has not recently invited reviews, so the sample may not be representative, and the star breakdown (62% five-star) does not match the 2.4 score. Codecademy replied to 43% of negative reviews. No lawsuit or regulatory ruling on the matter was found.
Vendor response
On Trustpilot, Codecademy replies to 43% of negative reviews, typically within two weeks. No broader company statement on these complaints was found.
Sources:Trustpilot: Codecademy
Frequently asked questions
Is Codecademy free?
Yes. The Basic plan is free, with limited courses and a limited AI assistant. Per the pricing page, skill paths, certificates and interview prep need a paid plan.
What is the difference between Plus and Pro?
Plus gives full courses, skill paths and certificates of completion. Pro adds career and certification paths, interview prep and code challenges. On the web, Pro costs US$5/month more than Plus on monthly billing.
Does Codecademy have a Vietnamese interface?
No. The App Store listing shows English only, and no source mentioning a Vietnamese interface was found.
Is it cheaper to subscribe in the app or on the web?
By list price the web is cheaper. Plus annual is US$11.99/month on the web versus US$178.99/year (about US$14.92/month) on the US App Store; Pro annual is US$15.99/month versus US$239/year (about US$19.92/month).
Review evidence & sources8
Scores
- Ease of use
- 7.5
- Features
- 7.5
- Value for money
- 6.5
- Performance
- 7.0
- Support
- 5.5
- Privacy & security
- 6.5
Why this score
Interactive in-browser lessons and a mobile app, but the App Store lists English only.
Why this score
Broad catalogue, skill and career paths, certificates, interview prep on Pro and an AI assistant; some Trustpilot reviewers report content errors and broken exercises.
Why this score
Web prices run from US$11.99/month (Plus, annual) to US$15.99/month (Pro, annual), but in-app prices are much higher and there are auto-renewal complaints.
Why this score
No performance data or major outage was found; the score rests mainly on high app-store ratings, with little technical evidence.
Why this score
Trustpilot shows replies to 43% of negative reviews, typically within two weeks; several reviewers say they struggled to reach a person.
Why this score
Access, deletion, GDPR and CCPA rights exist, but data is gathered from third parties, ad networks are involved and no retention period is given.
What users say
- App Store (Codecademy Go)4.8/5 · 38,000
- Google Play (Codecademy Go)4.9/5 · 40,200
- Trustpilot2.4/5 · 1,478
Sources
- Vendor-providedCodecademy pricing pageNov 11, 2026
- Vendor-providedCodecademy homepageNov 11, 2026
- Vendor-providedCodecademy privacy policy (updated July 11, 2024)Nov 11, 2026
- storeApp Store listing: Codecademy GoNov 11, 2026
- storeGoogle Play listing: Codecademy GoNov 11, 2026
- review-siteTrustpilot: CodecademyNov 11, 2026
- Community-reportedWikipedia: CodecademyNov 11, 2026
- pressSkillsoft completes acquisition of Codecademy (press release, 2022-04-05)Nov 11, 2026
Specs & compatibility
- Developer
- Skillsoft (Codecademy, LLC)
- Headquarters
- United States
- Launched
- 2011
- Category
- EducationDevelopment
Capabilities
- Mobile app
- AI features
Platforms
- Web
- iOS
- Android
Interface languages
- English
Support
- Help center
Change history
- Company.Skillsoft completed its acquisition of Codecademy.
- Company.Skillsoft announced it would acquire Codecademy for about US$525 million in cash and stock, per Wikipedia.
- Price.Launched the paid Codecademy Pro; per Wikipedia it cost US$39.99/month or US$239.88/year.
Full change history (5)
- Company.Raised a US$10 million Series B.
- Launch.Zach Sims and Ryan Bubinski founded Codecademy.
About the author
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