The five apps side by side
| App | What’s free | Cheapest paid plan | Certificates | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sololearn | Every course, on phone and web | $5.83 a month billed yearly | Free | Short lessons on your phone, without paying |
| Mimo | First sections of each course, phone only | $9.99 a month billed yearly | Paid plans | Guided projects inside the app |
| Codecademy | Intro lessons only | $14.99 a month billed yearly | Paid plans | A big course catalog on a computer |
| freeCodeCamp | Everything | Free (it runs on donations) | Free | Long, project-based study that costs nothing |
| Coddy | Courses, with a daily energy limit | $14.99 a month, or $119.99 a year | Yes | Trying lots of languages in small challenges |
All five have iPhone and Android apps and also work in a browser, except that Mimo’s web version needs its Max plan.
What each one is like
Sololearn
Short lessons where you write and run code, on your phone or in a browser. Every course is free to take, and so are the certificates. The catalog covers Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Java, C, C++, C#, SQL, HTML and CSS, plus more than 20 courses on AI. The free plan has limits: 5 Hearts that refill over time, and some ads. Guided projects exist in the web courses but not in Python. Start with Python, JavaScript, SQL or web development.
Mimo
Also built around short daily lessons, with longer guided projects on its paid plans. The free plan only covers the first sections of each course and only works on a phone. The web version, and unlimited projects, come with Max at $24.99 a month billed yearly. We compared the two in detail in Sololearn vs Mimo.
Codecademy
The best-known paid option, with a large catalog and lessons that run in the browser. It works best on a computer. The free Basic plan gives you introductory lessons only. Projects, quizzes and certificates need Plus, which is $14.99 a month billed yearly or $29.99 month to month. Career paths are on the more expensive Pro plan.
freeCodeCamp
A nonprofit, and free all the way through: courses, projects and certifications. You earn a certification by building its projects and passing the tests. It takes more time and more patience than the others, and it’s mostly reading and building rather than quick exercises. There is a free phone app, but it is really made for a computer.
Coddy
Small coding challenges across more than 20 languages, with streaks and XP. You can do a lot for free, but a daily energy limit ends longer sessions. Plus removes the limit for $14.99 a month or $119.99 a year, and Pro adds an AI tutor.
Coding apps like Duolingo
If you like how Duolingo works, three of these apps will feel familiar. Sololearn, Mimo and Coddy all use short lessons, a daily streak and XP to keep you coming back. Sololearn is often called the Duolingo of coding.
The big difference from a language app is what you do in a lesson. You don’t pick from a word bank. You type code, run it and see whether it works.
How to choose
- How much do you want to pay? If the answer is nothing, it’s freeCodeCamp or Sololearn.
- Phone or computer? For a phone, Sololearn, Mimo or Coddy. For a computer, freeCodeCamp or Codecademy. Sololearn works on both.
- Quick lessons or long projects? For a few minutes a day, Sololearn, Mimo or Coddy. For long projects, freeCodeCamp, or Mimo and Codecademy on paid plans.
Whichever you pick, the app matters less than showing up most days. Try one for a week. If you’re still opening it, stay with it.
Common questions
What is the best free app to learn coding?
freeCodeCamp and Sololearn are the two where you can finish whole courses without paying. freeCodeCamp is free all the way through, certificates included, and suits longer sessions on a computer. Sololearn’s courses are free on your phone and on the web, in short lessons. Its paid plans remove limits and add extras.
Can I really learn to code on a phone?
Yes, for the basics. Short lessons and small exercises work well on a phone, and Sololearn, Mimo and Coddy are all built for that. Once you start building bigger things you’ll want a computer and a real keyboard.
Is there a Duolingo for coding?
Several apps work the way Duolingo does, with short lessons, a daily streak and XP. Sololearn, Mimo and Coddy are the closest. The difference from a language app is that you write and run real code.
Which app is best for learning Python?
All five teach Python. Sololearn’s Python Developer path has 59 lessons and 34 coding challenges. Mimo’s Python path adds guided projects on its paid plans. freeCodeCamp teaches Python through longer projects, for free.
Do these apps give certificates?
Sololearn and freeCodeCamp give them for free. Mimo and Codecademy include them in paid plans. Coddy gives one for each course you finish. None of them is an accredited qualification.
Can an app get me a developer job?
No, and no app will. They teach you the basics and get you coding a bit every day, which is a good start. Employers also want to see things you have built yourself, so start a project of your own once you’ve finished a course.
Try Sololearn for free
Try the first Python lesson. It takes a few minutes and you don’t need a card.