With a median salary of over $120,000 per year, and a projected job growth of 25% within the decade, Software Development is not only an interesting, but one of the most lucrative careers to be in.
One important thing in this field, though – is to never stop learning.
So whether you’re looking to become a Software Developer from scratch, or you already have some experience and want to level up your skills, it’s a great idea to take an online course to get to the top of your Software Development game.
Software Development courses reviewed
There’s a wealth of resources out there to make you a better developer. To spare you the time of sifting through all those yourself, I’ve compiled a list of 8 of the best online trainings you could take. It won’t take long to scan through these reviews, and by the end you’ll have clarity about which course will fit your needs best.
Let’s go.
Who am I?
My name is John Sonmez, CEO of Simple Programmer. I have over a decade of experience as a Software Engineer and Software Consultant. I’ve created 50+ programming courses and written two best-selling books on career skills for Software Developers.
How I picked & rated the courses
- Relevance. We’ll be focusing on courses aimed at teaching or improving the core skills every Software Developer needs. I’ve left the Blockchain or Machine Learning specializations for another article.
- Depth & range of topics covered. I’ve chosen courses that provide the appropriate depth for you to dive into a topic and come out the other side with a new level of command over the skills taught in it. Alternatively, if you’re already familiar with a field of study, the training should allow you to learn some new concepts and deepen your existing expertise.
- Quality of instruction. Many online courses are of questionable quality, with instructors who are out to make quick money, instead of provide you the most valuable learning resource. I’m only recommending courses from established platforms, with experienced instructors, and many favorable reviews by their alumni.
- Beginner-friendliness. Almost all courses are accessible to complete beginners. If you’re more advanced, you can skip the introductory sections. But I want anyone to be able to start Software Development. An overly complicated online course stands in the way of that.
- Pricing. I’ve favored trainings that give you a lot of bang for your buck: You get extensive learning material at a low to moderate cost. Only the last course on the list, an online bootcamp for Software Developers, demands a higher investment (but in exchange for months of intensive training – which might make it worth it if you have professional ambitions as a developer).
The best courses to become a (better) Software Developer
Let’s get into the 7 courses offering you the most quality Software Development education at decent prices.
Full-Stack Engineer Career Path (Codecademy Pro)
The Full-Stack Engineer career path is a 51-course, 169-lesson beast of a specialization program. It takes 4-8 months to complete and will take you from coding beginner to someone proficient in full-stack programming.
Best for: Serious learners who want to master front-end and back-end fundamentals, as well as multiple frameworks and languages.
Prerequisites: Experience not strictly required (but it’ll cut down on your learning time)
Features:
- You’ll learn Web Development, Back-End Engineering (including how to work with databases), Data Structures and Algorithms, and more.
- Upon completion you’ll have created three different projects
- You’ll be able to acquire your Full Stack Engineering certificate.
Pros:
- Codecademy’s platform teaches the courses in a uniquely engaging & motivating way, with progressive code challenges, skill assessments, live coding environment, and more.
- Although it’s preparing you for a Software Engineering career, the monthly subscription will cost you much less than a typical online coding bootcamp
- The course contents are of high quality, having been created by a team of experienced Engineers. Codecademy has been a major website for over a decade and has taught tens of millions of students – it’s legit.
- You can try the course for free with a 7-day trial of Codecademy Pro
Cons:
- There’s few videos in the course, it’s mostly written explanations and hands-on coding prompts.
- It’s focused on being as practical as possible. With Codecademy, you learn programming concepts by applying them directly. If you’re looking for a Computer Science theory deep-dive, you’ll want to check out other resources (which I recommend you do in any case)
Verdict:
Taking into account practicality, content quality and price, Codecademy’s Full-Stack Engineer Career Path is a prime choice if you want to improve as a Software Developer, in an engaging learning environment, while spending only a moderate amount.
The Complete Software Engineering Bootcamp Path (NuCamp)
Looking for an immersive experience over multiple months to learn Software Development as fast and deeply as possible? Check out NuCamp’s Complete Software Engineering Bootcamp Path.
Best for: The most ambitious, who are ready to invest more time and money to seriously build their career.
Prerequisites: No experience required
Features:
- Four multi-month bootcamps in a row, teaching you everything from web development fundamentals, to back-end engineering with Python, to full-stack web & mobile development, to job-hunting skills.
- A total of 1,400 hours of lessons over the span of 11 months.
- Cohort-based with weekly group lessons so you build a connection to your peers and learn more effectively
- Includes 1:1 sessions with a mentor
Pros & Cons:
- Doesn’t stop at technical skills, but has a whole month dedicated to teaching you the best job-hunting strategy and tactics
- Within less than a year, it’ll turn you into a job-ready Full Stack Developer
- The immersive format is motivating and great for retaining what you’ve learned
- The investment, as with any Software Development bootcamp, is considerable
- The course uses JavaScript and Python – if you’d want to learn C++, C# or Java, it’s not the right resource for you.
Verdict: Out of all courses we’ve covered, this one is the most likely to get you a job as a Software Developer. The online bootcamp format means you’ll be learning much more intensively, with a lot of personal attention given to your development of technical and career skills. If you want to maximally push your career forward – and you don’t mind spending a good sum of money to do that – then check out the NuCamp bootcamp.
Accelerate Your Software Developer Career (Simple Programmer)
This is one of Simple Programmer’s flagship courses, aimed at giving you the career skills to become a highly paid Software Developer. It is unique in its focus not just on the hard skills you’ll need to pass coding interviews, but also on how to cultivate the behavioral attributes and job-hunting plan that make all the difference.
Best for: Developers looking to get a good job, a raise, or switch jobs to a higher paid one.
Prerequisites: Software Development fundamentals.
Features:
- The coding interview prep module. It gets into data structures & algorithms, programming language questions, object-oriented programming questions, and SQL & database questions. The course is teaching you the best approach to solving whiteboard coding problems.
- Behavioral interview questions – how to prepare for & answer them most powerfully.
- How to negotiate your salary and benefits.
- How to dress to impress as a Software Developer.
Pros & Cons:
- The focus on career skills and soft skills is much needed – most courses brush over this subject, even though it’s so important for getting the most offers to the highest-paying jobs you can.
- The video lessons give you patterns and a problem-solving approach you can apply to any coding question, even those you haven’t encountered before.
- This course doesn’t teach you how to code. Its goal is to help you make the most of your career if you’re already a learned Software Developer.
Verdict:
Get Accelerate Your Software Developer Career if you’re ready to focus on your job-hunting and interview skills, especially your soft skills. There’s many courses out there for improving your raw, technical programming ability – but few focus on these other crucial skills in enough detail. My course does, and I recommend you check it out if you’re in that phase of your Software Developer career.
Software Development From A to Z (Udemy)
Udemy’s courses are great if you want to dive into a topic without paying a whole lot of money. Nonetheless the value you get out of the most highly rated, video-based courses on their platform is usually considerable – as is the case with Software Development From A to Z.
Best for: Absolute beginners wanting an overview of what Software Development entails, and to take their first steps at coding in Python
Prerequisites: No prior experience required
Get started learning to code in Python
Pros & Cons:
- It’s a perfect introduction for beginners. The instructor really does start you out with the very basics. Everything is easy to understand. Yet you have a good idea what a Software Developer has to do daily after completing the course, and you’re well on your way to becoming one.
- It’s affordable. If you’re unsure whether you really want to become a Software Developer, which means you probably don’t want to spend a huge amount upfront for a multi-month developer bootcamp — you can take this course, pay only a small amount,, and re-consider after you’ve received this introduction to your potential new career.
Features:
- Introduction to Software Development methodologies: Agile vs Waterfall
- Introduction to Agile Frameworks (SCRUM & Kanban)
- Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming (OOP)
- Using UML to construct & visualize software programs
- Short introduction to Algorithms
- Web Developer module
- 129-page ebook included for free (sells on Amazon for $28.80)
- Private student community.
- Udemy’s solid 30-day money-back guarantee removes any financial risk you’re taking with the course. If halfway through you realize it’s not for you, or you end up not liking the content, you’ll be able to get a full refund without any fuss.
Verdict: I love how this isn’t a pure coding course (although you do get to learn Python’s concepts & syntax) – but it’s taking a higher-level view of what a Software Developer does and teaching you the concepts and methodologies you’ll need for this career.
How to Market Yourself as a Software Developer (Simple Programmer)
This is my best-selling course on one of the most impactful soft skills you can possess as a developer: The ability to market yourself like a pro. It has helped many a developer score jobs they thought unattainable – often while bypassing the standard process of applying to positions advertised on job boards.
Best for: Developers trying to maximize their value & visibility in the marketplace.
Prerequisites: You’re on your way to being, or already are, a Software Developer
Features:
- A module on building your brand as a developer.
- How to use social media to get your name out there.
- How to build an online developer portfolio and blog.
- How to craft the perfect resume.
- Advice from 11 successful Software Developers in interview format.
Pros & Cons:
- This is the most detailed course on developer marketing available on the internet.
- You’ll get priceless tips from those who’ve “made it” in Software Development (myself and other accomplished names in the field)
- The skills you’ll learn in this course will set you apart from millions of your competitors who focus 95% of their time only on the technical aspects of being a Software Developer.
- Again, my courses focus mostly on “soft skills”, this one in particular. It’s an all-in-one solution for your marketing as a developer – not for teaching you how to code. I recommend you pick one or multiple technical resources, and get How to Market Yourself as your guide to make the most money with the coding skills you’ve gained.
Verdict:
If you’re not shy to invest some money into promoting yourself as a developer – opening up new opportunities for lucrative jobs, business deals, even speaking engagements – How to Market Yourself as a Software Developer is the best resource teaching you how to achieve that.
Diploma in C# Programming (Alison)
If you’re planning on coding in C# during your Software Developer career, this compact course at the education platform Alison could be a great way to receive an introduction to the language, as well as quickly gain a certificate you can display on your website, social media, or your resume.
Best for: Would-be C# Developers with no or little programming experience.
Prerequisites: You don’t need to know anything about programming to begin this course
Pros & Cons:
- The course itself is free, you’ll only need to pay if you want to receive the actual diploma to show off online or print out
- Alison’s diploma is CPD-accredited, which means the training is certified to the highest professional standards
- The summaries at the end of each module are useful for revisiting what you’ve learned.
- The video lessons are engaging and easy to follow
- The course spans over only 3-4 hours of learning. It’s not enough to master C# programming, but makes for a short & sweet introduction to the language.
- Apart from the lesson summary, there’s no written material to refer back to – it’s all video.
Features:
- Learn about why or why not to use C#, it’s advantages and disadvantages.
- Guidance on how to install Visual Studio Code, a powerful IDE from Microsoft.
- Get to know important concepts and functionalities of the C# language.
- Follow along with the creation of a real-world application.
- A total of three assessments on the course contents. If you pass, you’ll be able to buy the certificate to add to your bio or resume.
Verdict: Alison’s courses are the quickest way to get a professional diploma in several Software Development topics. Along the way, you’ll get an introduction into the most important concepts and functions of your programming language of choice. I wouldn’t recommend the course if you’re a more advanced programmer, but if you’re a newbie, it’s a great option.
How to become a Senior Developer (Udemy)
How to become a Senior Developer is an interesting training that gives you clarity on the next steps to take in your developer career. It shows you which skills set advanced developers in leadership positions apart, and teaches you the right approach & mindset to get there yourself. Think of it like a career roadmap – one which could end up saving you a lot of trial & error.
Best for: Somewhat experienced developer or Software Engineering student looking to reach the next level
Prerequisites: Several years involvement with Software Development
Features:
- Writing error-free code.
- Effective debugging.
- The best approach to problem-solving.
- A compass for choosing the right path on your career journey.
- How you as a Software Developer can become more valuable to your team and in the marketplace.
- How to learn efficiently & be a more productive developer
Pros & Cons:
- With an Information Systems Engineering degree, 13 years of experience, and a current position as Director of Software Development, the instructor is highly qualified – and teaching you valuable lessons from the real world
- The course’s meta-approach is unique and something most Junior Developers can benefit from
- You get lifetime access to the course for a reasonable one-time payment
- With two total hours of video, this isn’t a comprehensive masterclass in Software Development. (It’s a high-level guide to help you on your path to becoming a Senior Developer).
Verdict: Recommended if you want to go beyond studying programming syntax, and start thinking more like a Senior Software Engineer. The career and productivity advice is valuable, too.
How to choose the perfect Software Developer course for yourself
Your ambition & goals
Some courses are less involved, some much more so: Are you looking to dip your toes into Software Development, or would you prefer a multi-month career deep dive? There’s short courses spanning a few hours, but also full-on online bootcamps – and anything in between. Depending on your motivation and your ultimate aim, a different training will be the right one for you.
Budget
As a rule of thumb, the courses that guarantee you a big leap forward in your Software Developer career will be more expensive. If you’d like to spend a low, one-off amount, look into the Udemy platform. Codecademy is somewhere in the middle with a reasonable monthly subscription fee. If both your ambition and budget are high, NuCamp’s Software Developer bootcamp could be for you.
Topic of focus
While there’s general coding courses out there, they’re still focused on a particular language. And you’ll find courses specializing in certain disciplines, like Data Analysis with Python, Game Programming in C#, or Web Apps with JavaScript, for example.
Learning preference
If you prefer video lessons over text-based learning, you can rule out some training platforms that focus on the latter. Some courses are more theoretical, others feature a live code editor to have you write your own programs as part of the learning experience.
Make sure to compare the courses in these regards to find the Software Development training that fits you perfectly.
