Our ranking methodology
This ranking of free coding bootcamps considers student and alumni feedback, trustworthiness, cost, job guarantees, and employment rates. We also checked the percentage of students who completed the program on time (within six months).
The order of bootcamps in the list was determined using a weighted average of the total review score and the total number of reviews it got. We prioritized review quality over quantity because we believe that student and alumni feedback reflects the quality of the bootcamp.
To get into this year’s rankings, a bootcamp’s program must have an outstanding instructor, curriculum, and career resources. We also evaluated programs that help students find post-graduate employment.
How much time do students and teachers spend one-on-one with each other? Is it true that students work with others to do pair programming? On average, how many hours per week must the student devote to coursework and class? These criteria also count, as well as the following:
- A free bootcamp has immersive full-time or part-time courses.
- It has at least four out of five stars and ten verified reviews from alumni or reliable third-party websites.
- A bootcamp can provide a job outcome that’s also mentioned at independent resources like CIRR.
The tech industry is growing, making it an appealing career choice for newbies and experienced professionals. As the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts, web developers will increase demand by 22% between 2019 and 2029. Given that a median income for such specialists is about $107,510, no wonder that free coding bootcamps have become widely popular:
Many in the tech industry make good money. Web developers, software developers, and software engineers work at tech giants like Facebook and Google. For these reasons, many people choose programming as a career, starting with coding bootcamps because of their affordability.
These schools frequently offer introductory free courses in addition to their expensive month-long programs. In this guide, you’ll find the overview of the best free coding bootcamps, with their pros and cons to consider before enrolling.
Ready to choose your free bootcamp for 2022?
What is a coding bootcamp?
Today, you don’t need a Bachelor’s degree in computer science, software engineering, or possibly math to become a software developer. Now it will be enough to attend and complete a coding program in a free bootcamp.
A coding bootcamp is a short yet intensive course designed to give you the skills you need to transition into a career as a programmer. Coding bootcamps are becoming increasingly popular due to the overwhelming demand for people with web development skills. They are available in various formats: full-time and in-person, part-time and online, and even self-paced.
There is no standard definition for what constitutes a “coding bootcamp,” and they can last from a few weeks or months to even a year. Some courses may include interactive teaching, submitting assignments, online quizzes, or instructional tutorials, while others may be more straightforward. Bootcamps promise assistance with the job search through training and connections with local colleges and universities.
A common distinction between coding bootcamps and web development courses is that they strive to teach you various programming languages to give you a working knowledge of the language rather than just one specific skill.
Coding bootcamps vs. bootcamp classes and training
Learners who want to pursue a specific career can benefit from attending bootcamps, which provide rigorous training. Students learn by doing as they complete real-world projects relevant to their studies. Most coding bootcamps take anywhere from 6-8 weeks to 4-6 months to complete.
On the other hand, specialized programs improve a specific skill. Coding courses fall into this category. Occasionally, universities will offer coding courses open to students who wish to participate.
Taking one of those courses can help a participant advance from a beginner to an intermediate or advanced skill level. The vast majority of these programs are delivered through an online learning platform, making them accessible from anywhere in the world.
Coding classes, which are similar to courses, serve as a great introduction to the world of programming and computer science. They are typically intended for those who want to strengthen their programming foundations or learn the fundamentals of the language. Students interested in coding but unsure of where to begin can benefit from taking an online course in the subject.
As for coding training programs, they are similar to bootcamps in some way: They are short-term education programs preparing students for a specific career path after graduation. Some coding training programs offer the opportunity to earn certifications that will help graduates improve their resumes.
These programs last a few weeks and are taught by instructors with years of experience. If you’re just getting started in a tech career, any of these programs will provide you with a fantastic opportunity for free coding instruction.
Pros and cons of free coding bootcamps
Pros:
- Free coding bootcamps are a low-risk way to see if coding is a career fit for you. By choosing a free coding bootcamp, you avoid the risk of losing money and time if it turns out to be unsuitable for you. Direct enrollment in a paid bootcamp requires a significant financial investment and months of study time.
- The majority of free coding bootcamps are self-paced and flexible. Students usually choose time to work through the material at their own pace rather than attending class sessions at specific hours and following a structured schedule. It means that applicants who work full-time, care for families, or go to school can participate in these programs too.
- Free coding bootcamp enables students to begin their studies without having to pay anything. Students are not required to make any financial commitments and can decide later if it’s worth spending thousands of dollars on further tuition.
Cons:
- The majority of free coding bootcamps do not provide live support. Such programs are self-paced, allowing students to access course materials at any time. However, students usually do not have access to the lecturers, advisors, or mentors that a paid bootcamp would provide.
- As a rule, free coding bootcamp only provide foundational training, not the in-depth one required to obtain employment. If aspiring coders choose this path, they may need to enroll in a more intensive bootcamp with advanced training later on or pay for advanced coding courses offered by other educational providers.
- Most free bootcamps do not provide job placement assistance or career counseling, while almost all tuition-based schools include these services as part of their program, which can help students get a good return on their tuition investment. Students who rely on free bootcamps, on the other hand, must prepare their job search materials and make industry connections.
How to choose a free coding bootcamp
Several factors can help you decide which free bootcamp to enroll in, and the majority of them revolve around your objectives. We’ll go over a few to give you a sense of what to expect.
Trustworthiness
Free coding bootcamp is ideal if you’re interested in stepping into the world of web development but aren’t sure if it’s the right path for you. These short, hands-on courses will allow you to dip your toes into the world of programming without plunging you right in.
Remember that the goal of a bootcamp isn’t just to get you as fluent in a language as quickly as possible but to get you ready to work as a web developer.
As far as a web developer’s job entails much more than just coding, make sure the free bootcamp you choose also covers other aspects of the job. It may include learning version control systems like Git, working with APIs, dealing with an Agile workflow, etc.
Program
Many argue on which web development languages are better than others. Python, Ruby, Java, HTML… Conduct your research into the high-demand skills in your city; don’t get stuck learning a language that no one is hiring.
Take some time to consider whether you want to focus on the frontend or the backend of websites, or if you’re going to do both, choose a full-stack option. Learning one language can also serve as a springboard for learning additional ones later in your career as a web developer.
Examine part-time vs. full-time options, as well as online vs. in-person. You may be able to devote three months to a full-time program, or you may need to work during the day and code on weekends. If you prefer to learn on campus, you’re limited to coding bootcamps nearby.
Format
Just because a bootcamp is free does not mean you need to accept any format they choose to introduce the subject to students. If merely watching video tutorials isn’t helping you remember what you’ve learned, you might benefit from a bootcamp that emphasizes “learning by doing” or hands-on learning. Some offer a plethora of educational materials to sift through, while others focus solely on getting you up and running with coding right away. Each has its own set of advantages and disadvantages, so determining which is best for your learning style is crucial.
Student feedback
Student feedback is one of the best indicators of how well a coding bootcamp will suit your needs. That’s not to say that it won’t have any negative reviews, but you can get a good sense of a bootcamp based on the feedback from its alumni.
Former bootcamp students can provide you with some of the most candid information. Try tweeting or emailing them to get new graduates’ opinions and see where they are in their careers.
Top 16 free coding bootcamps right now
The best free coding schools at a glance:
| Bootcamp | Level | Format | Courses | Employment rate |
| 42 School | All | Full-time, part-time, in-person | Front End Developer, Full-Stack Developer, Data Science, Mobile App Development | 81% |
| Ada Developers Academy | Women | In-person, online | Software Development | 86% |
| Revature | All | Full-time, In-person | Web Development | 89% |
| Recurse Center | All | Full-time, in-person | Web Development | N/A |
| Hack Reactor Basic Prep | All | Online and in-person | JavaScript Fundamentals | 87% |
| GA Dash | All | Online and in-person | Web Development | N/A |
| Resilient Coders | People of color | Online and in-person | Web Development | N/A |
| The Data Incubator | Advanced | Online and in-person | Data Science, Data Engineering, Data Analytics | 96% |
| Founders & Coders | All | Full-Time, In-person | Full-Stack Web Development | 85% |
| Kenzie Free | Beginners | Online, self-paced | Full-Stack Web Development | 86% |
| Correlation One | Minorities | Online | Data Science | N/A |
| Flatiron School Access Labs | Advanced | Online and in-person | Software Engineering, Web Development | 90% |
| SV Academy | All | Full-time, part-time, online | Technical Sales Fellowship | 95% |
| App Academy (Open) | All | Online, self-paced | Full-Stack Web Development | N/A |
| freeCodeCamp | All | Online, self-paced | Front End and Full-Stack Development | 79% |
| The Odin Project | All | Online, self-paced | Full-Stack Web Development | 91% |
42 School
42 School is a free 3- to 5-year coding education program for 18 to 30 years old individuals in Paris, France, and Silicon Valley, California. In 2013, businessman Xavier Niel launched and fully funded the program in Paris, France, to improve the country’s technology sector by developing more qualified technical candidates.
Project-based “peer-to-peer” learning is this school’s focus, and a series of rigorous tests precede admission. There are no teachers or traditional classes here. Instead, they use project-based and problem-based learning, as well as peer code review to create a close-knit learning community that is ready for the tech industry.
By assisting students with company projects and hosting professionals in guest lectures and career fairs, the school helps students make connections with tech companies. 42 School works with companies in the Bay Area, ranging from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses, to ensure their hiring needs are met.
Ada Developers Academy
Women and nonbinary people can attend Ada Developers Academy in Seattle for free. Its goal is to break down the barriers that prevent women and gender diverse adults from succeeding in technology and assist those who cannot afford a comparable software engineering education.
Their free coding bootcamp helps students prepare for the job market by teaching them how to write code, debug, and discuss it. A key aspect of web development that many bootcamps overlook is knowing how to communicate about it with others, whether they are colleagues, clients, or other teams.
Ada Developers Academy not only teaches Python, HTML, SQL, and JavaScript, but it also provides training in tech advocacy, such as diversity, inclusion, leadership, and advocacy work, to name a few. It is true across the tech industry, not just in corporate settings but also in the workplace.
Revature
Revature is a technology talent development firm that offers a 12-week full-time coding bootcamp that is entirely free and guarantees job placement after graduation. Revature provides a $250 travel stipend and 12 weeks of housing, a living wage, and books and training materials.
The company is the largest employer of technology talents in the United States and the preferred talent development partner for Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and leading systems integrators. The bootcamp has trained over 8,000 software engineers in 55 technical disciplines since its founding, recruited talent from 700 universities, and placed them in blue-chip companies across the United States.
It provides a path for qualified candidates with various experiences and educational backgrounds to achieve their full potential as technology professionals. Revature graduates work on cutting-edge, challenging, and rewarding software development projects all over the country.
Recurse Center
The Recurse Center, formerly known as Hacker School, is a programmer’s retreat in New York City that welcomes anyone, regardless of their experience level, to join their 12-week free and self-guided coding program. The concept is to bring together intelligent, hardworking, and adaptable people and provide them with the space and time to work on projects they love.
To apply and get enrolled, you’ll need to submit a written form at the website and go through two rounds of interviews. The first interview is solely to assess your cultural fit and gauge your interests, while the second is a technical pair programming interview with a Recurse Center facilitator. Open source projects come together during the program, and an extensive alumni network promises to keep the community together long after the three months are up.
Recurse Center provides a full range of career services, including job placement, negotiating advice, job search planning, and interview preparation.
Hack Reactor Basic Prep
Basic Prep is a free program offered by Hack Reactor. The course is what it says it is: an introductory course for beginners. Besides their in-person and online paid bootcamps, Hack Reactor offers two preparatory courses accessible to students who enroll in the program. The course material teaches the fundamentals of JavaScript through hands-on exercises.
To be accepted, every applicant for the 12-week and 36-week coding bootcamps must pass the Technical Admissions Assessment, which tests for intermediate coding competency. Both courses are of the same curriculum, which progresses from the fundamentals of software engineering to more complex problems.
Basic Prep from Hack Reactor is an excellent choice for anyone who prefers to work on their schedule with its self-paced format. The premium prep course, which costs $250, includes one-on-one, real-time support from teaching assistants throughout the course.
GA Dash
GA Dash is a project-based free bootcamp offered by General Assembly and based on their prestigious paid coding school.
This course covers everything from implementing e-commerce and email subscription forms to animating in JavaScript, writing if/else statements for games, and optimizing interactive elements for mobile. This attempt at realism makes it easier for students to apply what they’ve learned here to the challenges they’ll face in real-world coding situations.
By the time you graduate, you’ve acquired 82 different skills. It’s satisfying to see how much knowledge you’ve earned and how far you still have to go. Furthermore, all job seekers can learn which professional coding terms to include on their updated resumes.
Resilient Coders
This free 20-week coding bootcamp in Boston is similar to Ada Developers Academy. Resilient Coders’ bootcamps are for young people of color without a college diploma to bring more equity to the tech world. They recruit these people through hackathons (another hidden benefit of participating in such events), and the winners are taught core and soft skills in preparation for employment.
HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and various tools, libraries, and frameworks are among the core skills, focusing on vanilla JavaScript fluency—which we also recommend you learn. Additionally, during the bootcamp, you will learn soft skills for the profession, such as communication and time management, or how to complete your freelance work for a client. It gives you the total package, allowing you to work as an in-house programmer and a freelance web developer after graduation.
The Data Incubator
The Data Incubator offers a free code bootcamp for experienced programmers. Anyone with a Master’s or Ph.D. in math, science, engineering, social science, or within one year of receiving one, is eligible. The curriculum is designed to provide highly specialized skills to become genuine seasoned professionals.
It’s a seven-week intensive program known as a fellowship and entirely accessible to students. If an employer hires a fellow, they must pay a fee. Employers are those paying for tuition, and students are expected to find work within a year of finishing the program.
The Data Incubator has short modules on relevant data science topics, seminars with data scientist mentors, project development, and employer interviews. There are no technical requirements to apply.
Founders & Coders
This bootcamp is the only free coding school in the UK. It is a nonprofit community-interest company that teaches full-stack web development and provides a technical space for students to work on projects with the assistance of mentors.
Anyone over 18 and motivated is welcome to apply; no prior experience is required. To determine if prospective students are a good fit for the community, all applicants will participate in a 20-minute conversational interview. A 16-week full-time coding bootcamp is a part of this program.
Graduates of the bootcamp have the opportunity to work on real projects through Tech for Better, Founders and Coders’ nonprofit app development program. According to Founders and Coders, graduates are encouraged to take jobs with their employer partners, who will help cover the program’s costs or make a voluntary contribution to pay it forward after they graduate.
Kenzie Free
Kenzie Free is a no-cost introductory coding bootcamp for people just getting started with coding. It’s a free and self-paced program available online, providing potential programmers with the opportunity to learn from a top-tier bootcamp without making any financial obligations.
The bootcamp covers the fundamentals of HTML and CSS and provides an introduction to JavaScript later on. The mini-courses offered by Kenzie Academy allow anyone interested in coding to understand the subject better. Students gain hands-on experience and determine whether they want to pursue a career in technology or not, all for free.
Correlation One
Correlation One is a coding program known as Data Science for All (DS4A), partnering with significant employers worldwide to provide free training and career support to students and professionals who identify themselves as Black, Latin, female, or LGBTQ+, among other identities.
Their pioneering programs develop a more diverse global artificial intelligence ecosystem. The bootcamp is available online and lasts 13 weeks to complete.
They ensure that everyone has equal access to the data-driven jobs of the future. Correlation One hosts data science competitions, conducts rigorous data skills assessments, and provides data science education to increase data fluency among individuals and businesses worldwide.
Flatiron School Access Labs
Flatiron School is a well-known coding bootcamp with a prestigious reputation. It offers tons of courses, including those on web development, cybersecurity, data science, UI/UX design, and other tech topics. There are no fees for their introductory courses intended to assist you in gaining admission to some of the best coding bootcamps available today.
Access Labs broadens access to Flatiron School and increases opportunities in technology for people who would otherwise be unable to enroll in such programs. A total annual income of $35,000 or less is required of applicants, who must be 21-year-old or older at the start of the program, have a high school diploma or equivalent, and have the legal right to work in the USA permanently at the time of application. The program duration is 15 weeks, and it locates in Brooklyn, NY.
SV Academy
SV Academy is an online, tuition-free technical sales fellowship, teaching students how to be influential business development representatives. SV Academy’s remote 4-week program requires 40 hours of online instruction per week for the first four weeks, and their 12-week program requires around 20 hours per week for the first 12 weeks. During this time, participants will attend live classes, complete weekly assignments, meet with mentors and coaches, and gain practical job experience.
The application process includes a form, chats, assignments, and a final interview with role-playing scenarios. No prior business experience or perfect GPA is required to enroll. The employer pays for the student’s tuition.
SV Academy prepares and guides students for full-time jobs by matching their goals, personality, and skills with prospective employers. A year later, the SV Academy mentors and coaches will help students navigate the challenges of their first full-time job.
App Academy (Open)
Open is one of the free online coding bootcamps that provides students with full access to the App Academy full-stack web development curriculum but without the paid option’s structured and instructor-led learning. It contains over 1,500 self-paced hours of course materials and resources; thousands of people have got employment in programming and software development jobs after completing the program.
App Academy is a well-known bootcamp, and its free program includes the same curriculum as the paid ones. Full-stack coding skills and programming languages like JavaScript and Ruby on Rails are covered here.
Students can get help from the App Academy coder community by chatting online. Individuals who sign up for the free plan, on the other hand, are denied access to other services such as job placement, instructor support, and the alumni network.
freeCodeCamp
It is one of the free online coding bootcamps that offers a complimentary self-paced online training program with a 1,600-hour curriculum on JavaScript. It’s a nonprofit organization supported by donations and providing free coding courses and tutorials. It stands out regarding demographics: Approximately 80% of its community is over 25, and 20% of its students are female.
As the name implies, this online learning platform provides many free coding courses. These include certifications in APIs and Microservices, Frontend Development Libraries, and Machine Learning with Python.
After graduating from the course, students will receive a certificate to include in their resumes and LinkedIn profiles. They can also take a class on preparing for coding interviews and use the school’s online forum, GitHub, and Twitter to connect and network with other coders.
The Odin Project
The Odin Project offers a free, open-source coding course that is entirely online. Since its inception, it has assisted countless students in getting hired as developers and learning enough programming languages to work on their projects.
Founded in 2013 by Erik Trautman, The Odin Project is now sponsored by Thinkful, a new technology school that delivers structured and flexible education through the extensive network of industry experts, hiring partners, and online platform.
The Odin Project intends to teach new coders from the ground up, encouraging them to begin with an introductory course before moving to Web Development 101. A variety of tutorials and lessons are available here: HTML, CSS, Ruby, Rails, Git, and other topics are a part of the course’s curriculum. This free online coding bootcamp is excellent for beginners.
Frequently asked questions
Why choose a free bootcamp?
It’s a fast and sure-fire way to understand if you want to devote your life to coding or any other tech field. There are many ways to learn a subject or get a skill in the twenty-first century: While the most common career advice was “Get a degree in that field” before, the rules have changed for those seeking a career in technology now.
The rules are even more different in coding, where many professionals are self-taught. A certificate of accreditation isn’t essential here.
The biggest challenge is deciding on the best training path for you. If you want to learn web development but aren’t sure if it’s the right path for you, then free coding bootcamps are ideal. These short, practical free online courses allow you to dabble in programming without plunging you headlong.
What are the benefits of a free coding bootcamp?
Joining a free coding course has several benefits. The first is that you can learn to code in a short amount of time and don’t have to pay anything for a certificate of Software Engineer or Computer Science specialist.
Joining a coding bootcamp free can increase your chances of getting hired, which is one of the more practical benefits of such schools. It’s due to the current high demand for programmers. Other benefits of enrolling include greater career flexibility, multiple opportunities to leave your mark on the tech industry, or even launch your first tech startup after graduation.
What jobs can I get after a free bootcamp?
You can get standard computer coding jobs, both entry-level full-time and remote, but it is dependent on the program, your motivation, discipline, and hard work. Students cannot rely on an instructor or a schedule to keep them on track because free code programs are usually self-paced.
The majority of free bootcamps provide introductory classes and language-specific tutorials in addition to their core curriculum. If you’re ready for job training, you might want to consider attending a paid bootcamp. Bootcamps that charge a fee include career services such as job guarantees and financing options to assist you in your job search.
How much can I earn after graduation from a bootcamp?
It is reasonable to expect to earn a good income after graduating from a coding bootcamp. The average amount of money that specialists who have learned coding from a paid or free bootcamp get is more than $80,000 annually. So after graduating from any one of the best coding bootcamps available today, you can expect to earn at the very least this much money.
What is the best free coding bootcamp online?
Coding bootcamps frequently offer free introductory coding courses in addition to their expensive months-long programs. Free online bootcamps are often easier to find than in-person classes. The 16 coding bootcamps listed above are the best ones today. Anyone can enroll in these courses to learn programming basics. They can also help you decide if a bootcamp is right for you before you apply.
How to prepare for a coding bootcamp?
If you want to complete a bootcamp successfully and get a job in the tech field after graduation, then you need to devote time for preparation.
Many employers prefer certain bootcamps over others, and it’s critical to start your bootcamp with solid coding skills. This knowledge will help you during your first days and weeks in a bootcamp, as you will already have a basic understanding of core concepts. Clean up your social media profiles to improve your future job prospects. Also, identify your support system and ways to relax.
How long does it take to complete a free bootcamp?
Free camps can take a few weeks to six months to complete entirely and successfully. A coding course may require several weeks with at least five or so hours of study per day to complete. Coding classes are the shortest ones: Many of them can be completed in an hour, while others may take several days. Training programs also differ depending on the subject you’ll learn. The majority of coding courses are self-paced, which means that the time it takes to complete them is entirely up to the student.
Can a free bootcamp be an alternative to paid courses?
Yes, it is a viable option. Many authoritative bootcamps offer free introductory or prep courses to help people who are new to programming get up to speed before applying to their paid programs. These free programs are open to anyone who wants to learn the basics of programming languages.
They’re also an excellent way to see if a bootcamp is right for you before applying. However, do your best not to enroll in these free prep courses with unrealistic expectations of becoming an expert programmer in a matter of weeks. Stay realistic on what you can learn there and what the tech industry needs from specialists today.
Are free coding bootcamps worth it?
To understand that, please consider your long-term objectives: Are you sure you want to pursue a career in computer programming? The answer to this question is entirely up to you, the student. Suppose you want to enroll in a free coding program as a trial run before deciding whether programming or technologies, in general, are the right career choice for you. In that case, such introductory courses can be highly beneficial.
Final words
Changing careers and acquiring an entirely new set of skills can be intimidating. The best free coding programs, on the other hand, are the ideal solution because they provide an environment in which you can learn, experiment, make mistakes, and then learn from them, all without fear of being judged, under pressure, or spending money. They’re an excellent way for you to determine whether or not a career in web and software development is right for you without committing in such a way that your decision becomes irreversible.
We hope this guide has given you a better understanding of what to look out for and some potential free coding bootcamps to look into more thoroughly.