The best courses for learning web development [2021]
Curious what web development courses you should take?
Here are my recommended courses and online curriculum based on my own experience and research. There are both free and paid options, depending on your budget.
Hope you enjoy!
A note on affiliate linking: Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means that if you purchase through them, I’ll get a commission from the company. It’s a great way that you can support Coder Coder at no extra cost to yourself! You can read more on my disclaimer page.
Zero to Mastery Academy
Zero to Mastery Academy is created by Andrei Neagoie, one of the highest rated coding instructors on Udemy. Andrei now has his own course platform with courses covering full-stack web development, JavaScript, Python, React, and even freelancing and coding interviewing. The benefit is that you pay a monthly or yearly fee to get access to every single one of the courses on the ZTM platform.
Andrei is excellent at explaining complex topics, and I highly recommend checking out his Complete Web Developer bootcamp course that takes you from beginner to advanced topics in web development.
freeCodeCamp.org
If you’re curious about learning to code, but are looking for a free option, FreeCodeCamp is a great place to get your feet wet. It’s a self-paced online bootcamp for full-stack web development– and it’s completely free!
FreeCodeCamp is the brainchild of Quincy Larson, a teacher-turned-engineer. His mission is to make learning to code accessible to anyone, anywhere in the world.
The tech stack that they teach includes HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React.js, Node.js and mongoDB. In addition, the website has a great message forum for students where you can ask questions on the assignments.
The bootcamp itself is text-based with online quizzes, which may be a drawback for some. But they also have an amazing YouTube channel with video tutorials if you like learning through video.
JavaScript and React courses by Tyler McGinnis
Tyler McGinnis has a deep understanding of JavaScript and React, and is also a really good teacher. He explains concepts in a thoughtful way, and doesn’t rush through the material. Tyler has a membership subscription model, where you pay monthly or yearly for access to all his courses. He has 8 in-depth courses that will take you from learning modern JavaScript through React, React Hooks, Router, and Redux. It’s a one-stop shop if you want to develop deep skills in the React ecosystem.
Check out Tyler McGinnins’ courses here.
JavaScript and CSS courses by Wes Bos
Wes Bos is one of the most well-known JavaScript teachers online. He has a teaching style that is really engaging and not at all boring, and he also does a great job explaining concepts. Some of his courses are free, and others are paid.
Here are some of his most popular courses:
JavaScript 30 by Wes Bos
One of Wes’ most well-loved courses is the free course called JavaScript 30. With over 8 hours of video tutorials, JavaScript 30 will show you how to build 30 different projects. These projects include cool tools like a virtual drum kit, custom video player, and a whack a mole game.
One caveat is that it may be a bit advanced for complete newbies to JavaScript. However, if you have some basic skills already, JavaScript 30 will enable you to build some great projects. And it’s free!
Check out Wes Bos’ JavaScript 30 course here.
CSS Grid by Wes Bos
Another free course by Wes Bos on one of newest topics in web development right now– CSS grid. Like his other courses, Wes does a great job of explaining all the ins and outs of CSS grid using clear screencasts. At just under 4 hours devoted to this one topic, it’s a brief but very concentrated course. And again, it’s free!
Check out Wes Bos’ CSS Grid course here.
React for Beginners by Wes Bos
React.js has been dominating the JavaScript framework in recent years. It’s one of the most in-demand web development skills currently. If you haven’t learned any of the JS frameworks yet, Wes’ React for Beginners course is a great place to start.
At around 5 hours of course content, it takes you through all the steps in building a real-world React app. As the name suggests, this course won’t take you through more advanced concepts. But it will give you a very in-depth look if you’re just starting out.
Check out Wes Bos’ React for Beginners course here.
Freelancing courses by John Morris
Want to work for yourself as a freelancer? You might be interested in John Morris’ courses. In his courses on Skillshare, John walks you through the steps on your road to being a freelancer, as well as how to build an UpWork profile.
One perk of Skillshare is that they let you sign up for a free trial, and go through as many courses as you want during that period. As long as you are careful to cancel your subscription before the trial ends, you can check out a ton of courses for free!
Check out John’s course with a free 2-month trial of Skillshare Premium.
Freelancing bundle by Study Web Development
Want to build your own web development business as a freelancer? Kyle Prinsloo of Study Web Development has a collection of super in-depth resources that will walk you through the process of starting and launching your business.
It comes with a 140-page ebook, website templates you can use for your client work, helpful checklists, and client proposal and invoice templates. If you’re serious about being a freelancer, check this bundle out.