Honest side-by-side look at the platforms I've used.
| Platform | Best For | Cost | Time | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| freeCodeCamp | Structured curriculum | Free | 300+ hours | ★★★★★ |
| The Odin Project | Real dev environment | Free | 6–12 months | ★★★★★ |
| SoloLearn | Quick syntax | Freemium | 5–10 hrs | ★★★☆☆ |
| Scrimba | Interactive | Freemium | 10–20 hrs | ★★★★☆ |
| Platform | Best For | Cost | Difficulty | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TryHackMe | Beginners | $10/mo | Easy | ★★★★★ |
| HackTheBox | Intermediate+ | $14/mo | Hard | ★★★★☆ |
| PortSwigger | Web apps | Free | Medium | ★★★★★ |
| Platform | Best For | Cost | Cert Prep | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeremy's IT Lab | CCNA prep | Free | CCNA | ★★★★★ |
| Professor Messer | Network+ prep | Free | Network+ | ★★★★★ |
| Packet Tracer | Hands-on labs | Free | CCNA | ★★★★★ |
freeCodeCamp + Frontend Mentor is the best free combo for web dev. Jeremy's IT Lab is the best free CCNA course. TryHackMe is worth the $10/month for the guided experience.