Skip to main content

Scrimba vs freeCodeCamp

freeCodeCamp is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by Quincy Larson in 2014. The entire curriculum plus 11 certifications cost zero dollars (Wikipedia). Scrimba is a Norwegian startup selling an interactive video format where you stop the instructor mid-sentence and edit the code they just typed.

This is not "which is better." It is three decisions about how you study.

Last reviewed: May 2026. Pricing and curricula change. Verify on freecodecamp.org/learn and scrimba.com/our-pricing.

The three decisions that actually matter​

1. Paid-but-interactive, or entirely free. Scrimba Pro is a real subscription (see scrimba.com/our-pricing for the current rate). freeCodeCamp is donation-funded. If budget is the gate, start with freeCodeCamp.

2. Project-driven, or lesson-driven. Each freeCodeCamp certification ends with 5 required projects you build from a blank editor, gated on passing automated tests (certifications overview). Scrimba embeds projects inside lessons, which is gentler but less of a blank-canvas test.

3. How much weight you put on the certificate. That is the argument learners have most often, covered below.

The Verdict

It depends on budget and study style

freeCodeCamp wins on cost (truly $0), breadth (11 certifications including data analysis, info security, and ML), and project-by-doing rigor. Scrimba wins when reading text drills exhausts you faster than the lessons teach you, and when you want a human voice walking through React, AI, or modern JS while you type.

Pros

  • freeCodeCamp: 100% free, 11 certifications, project-gated
  • freeCodeCamp: huge community (forum, Discord, study groups)
  • Scrimba: pause-and-edit video makes React click for visual learners
  • Scrimba: focused web dev and AI curriculum, less to wade through

Cons

  • freeCodeCamp: no live instructor voice on most tracks
  • freeCodeCamp: certifications carry limited weight with employers (see below)
  • Scrimba: Pro subscription required to unlock career paths
Try a Scrimba scrim (no signup) (opens in a new tab)

This comparison table may scroll horizontally on smaller screens.

Scrimba versus freeCodeCamp feature comparison
FeatureScrimbafreeCodeCamp
CostFree tier + Pro subscription100% free, donation-funded nonprofit
Teaching formatInteractive video scrims (pause and edit)Text lessons + browser test runner
Instructor voiceYes (Bob Ziroll, Per Borgen, others)Text-first; separate YouTube channel for video
Certifications4 career path certificates11 certifications, ~300 hrs each, 5 projects each
Project rigorProjects embedded in lessonsBuild from blank editor; tests must pass
TopicsReact, JS, TS, Python, AI, cybersecurityWeb, Python, data analysis, info security, ML
CommunityPrivate Pro DiscordForum, Discord, local study groups, 9M YouTube subs
Best forVisual learners on React and AISelf-starters comfortable reading specs
Claim 20% Off Pro (opens in a new tab)Visit freeCodeCamp (opens in a new tab)

What freeCodeCamp actually covers​

The curriculum is 11 certifications, each roughly 300 hours, each requiring 5 projects (freeCodeCamp certifications): Responsive Web Design, JavaScript Algorithms and Data Structures (a new v9 launched December 2025 with a sit-down exam, news post), Front End Development Libraries (React, Redux, Sass), Data Visualization (D3), Relational Databases, Back End and APIs (Node, Express, MongoDB), Quality Assurance, Scientific Computing with Python, Data Analysis with Python, Information Security, and Machine Learning with Python.

Scrimba does not cover this surface area. No D3, no info security cert, no ML certification. If those are what you need, freeCodeCamp is the only one of the two in the conversation.

The certification debate​

This is the recurring argument on Reddit, HN, and the freeCodeCamp forum. Do hiring managers care about a freeCodeCamp certificate? Short answer: not much, but they care about what you built to earn it.

A 2025 hackr.io review puts it plainly: "the certificate will not likely get you a job or impress an employer ... the portfolio projects will be more valuable than its certificates" (hackr.io review). The DEV.to thread "Is a freeCodeCamp Certificate Worth It?" lands in roughly the same place: the certification proves you sat through the work; the 5 finished projects prove you can ship (DEV.to). The freeCodeCamp forum's own advice on resume listings is pragmatic: lead with the projects and treat the cert as a footnote (freeCodeCamp forum). The newer Full Stack Developer path drew the same mixed reception on Hacker News in late 2024 (HN discussion).

What carries freeCodeCamp graduates into jobs is the project portfolio and public GitHub history, not the cert. Scrimba's career path certificates sit in the same spot. Neither is a credential the way a degree or AWS exam is.

The "no instructor voice on most tracks" point is the trade you are actually making with freeCodeCamp: you give up hand-holding and a narrated debugging walkthrough in exchange for cost-free credentialing and the kind of blank-editor practice employers notice. Whether that trade is worth it depends on whether you stall when you cannot see someone else stuck on the same bug. If you do, the Scrimba free tier covers the same React surface area with a human voice at zero cost.

Curriculum comparison: React​

This is the one place where format makes a sharp difference.

freeCodeCamp's React track lives inside Front End Development Libraries. Read instructions, write code, pass tests. The 5 capstones (Random Quote Machine, Markdown Previewer, Drum Machine, Calculator, Pomodoro Clock) are blank-editor builds with no instructor. If you finish, you have shipped 5 React apps from scratch.

Scrimba's Learn React (15.1 hours, free) is Bob Ziroll on video, built with Mozilla MDN. You pause and edit the code he just wrote. Gentler on first-timers because the abstractions (state, effects, custom hooks) get a human voice while you type. The capstone is a Meme Generator.

If "ship 5 React apps with nothing but tests guiding you" sounds energizing, freeCodeCamp. If "I need someone to explain why useEffect ran twice" sounds like you, Scrimba.

Two different theories of learning​

Quincy Larson runs the freeCodeCamp Podcast, which restarted in 2023 and now publishes weekly (podcast playlist). The recurring theme across his interviews is consistency over cleverness: show up, build the project, publish it, repeat for a year. The platform does not try to make you feel fast; it tries to make you finish.

Scrimba optimizes for the opposite: reducing friction between "I see the concept" and "I have typed the concept." Both legitimate, different shapes.

Using both, low-risk sequence​

Most learners run them in parallel. This order keeps your spend at zero until the paid format has proved itself:

  1. Start freeCodeCamp Responsive Web Design. Free, project-gated, no decisions to make.
  2. When you hit JavaScript Algorithms and Data Structures and want a human voice, open Scrimba's free Learn JavaScript with Bob Ziroll alongside it. Still no card needed.
  3. Try Scrimba's free Learn React (15 hours, 357 lessons, free in full) before deciding whether to pay for anything.
  4. Only upgrade to Scrimba Pro if step 3 clicks and you want the Frontend or AI Engineer career path on top.

That sequence keeps your cash at zero until the format has earned the next step.

Once Scrimba Free has clicked, Pro unlocks the career paths

Use our partner link for 20% off the Pro plan. Cancel from billing settings at any time.

Claim 20% Off Scrimba Pro (opens in a new tab)

Related Guides

Next step

Best Free Courses

Blog
Last updated on