Best Coding Apps for Beginners 2021: Learn to Code on the Go
To find and secure a job in the tech industry, you must start from the basics and develop your coding skills. To do this, you can take advantage of coding apps, which offer interactive coding lessons and easy access on phones and other devices. If you don’t know which to download, this article covers the best coding apps you can use to learn how to code.
Why Should I Learn How to Code?
Coding is one of the most in-demand skills in the job market today, applicable to various tech fields like software programming, data science, and artificial intelligence. Indeed, it’s safe to say that computer literacy might no longer be a sufficient edge in the job market.
Coding skills help your job application stand out and open you up to job opportunities. Not to mention learning to code has also been known to improve problem-solving, interpersonal, and logical thinking skills.
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Fortunately, there are educational tools that can help you learn to code right from the comfort of your home at little to no cost. All you have to do to get started is download coding apps that guide you through the learning process.
15 Best Paid and Free Coding Apps 2021: Overview
There are numerous coding apps available on your phone’s mobile store created for a wide range of ages. Some are free, while others require you to pay a small fee to access their educational facilities and interactive games. Listed below are the best coding apps for Android and iOS devices.
| Coding App | Price | Available on Android | Available on iOS |
| Box Island | Free to $7.99 | Yes | Yes |
| Code Karts | Free to $4.99 | Yes | Yes |
| Codecademy Go | Free | Yes | Yes |
| CodeHub | Free | Yes | Yes |
| Cozmo Code Labs | Free | Yes | Yes |
| Encode | Free | Yes | Yes |
| Enki | $7.99/month | Yes | Yes |
| Grasshopper | Free | Yes | Yes |
| Khan Academy | Free | Yes | Yes |
| Mimo | $9.99/month, $79.66/year | Yes | Yes |
| Programming Hero | $9.99/ month, $39.99/year | Yes | Yes |
| Programming Hub | Free to $41.99/year | Yes | Yes |
| SoloLearn | Free Plan, Pro Plan at $12.99/ month or $69.99/year | Yes | Yes |
| SpriteBox: Code Hour | Free | Yes | Yes |
| Tynker | $60/3 months, $120/year, $180 unlimited access | No | Yes |
10 Best Coding Apps for Beginners 2021: In-Depth Review
Codecademy Go
- Price: Free
- Available on: Android, iOS
Codecademy Go provides an interactive platform to learn HTML, CSS, Sass, JavaScript, AngularJS, and other entry-level programming languages. Its programs are perfect for newbies because they do a great job of explaining new concepts. You can easily learn the syntax of a programming language through the mobile app.
If you’re an advanced coder, you can upgrade to Codecademy Pro for $39.99 a month or $239.99 a year. Students from specific colleges around the world can enjoy more than a 35 percent discount on Codecademy Pro.
CodeHub
- Price: Free
- Available on: Android, iOS
CodeHub offers a simplified platform to develop programming skills efficiently. Its multilingual interface was specially designed to teach students the basics of programming in English, Hindu, or Telugu.
Each course in CodeHub consists of 50 lessons of HTML and CSS divided across four chapters. This arrangement allows students to choose where to start the classes based on their skill levels or prior knowledge of programming.
Encode
- Price: Free
- Available on: Android, iOS
Encode is an attractive coding app for beginners who want to learn Python, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. The whole learning course is divided into several topics with interactive tutorials that engage students. The coding lessons are short, so you can take a lesson even with a busy schedule.
You can also upgrade to Encode Plus for $4.99.
Enki
- Price: Free trial and a premium plan that starts from $7.99/month
- Available on: Android, iOS
Enki has a friendly interface that guarantees an enjoyable learning experience to users. It has excellent content that’s accessible to beginners and advanced students alike. You can select from a wide range of courses such as Python, JavaScript, Webflow, Airtable, React, and Zapier.
Enki is one of the few coding apps for Android and iOS users that offers great value at no cost. That said, you can choose to subscribe to the premium plan for more lessons and additional features.
Grasshopper
- Price: Free
- Available on: Android, iOS, web browser
The Grasshopper app caters to app users who have little to no experience in coding and want to learn JavaScript. It walks you through the coding process by taking you through basic JavaScript concepts, allowing you to pick up essential programming knowledge before you get to advanced lessons.
It also rewards students with awards and certifications at various stages of learning. The Grasshopper programming app gamifies the whole learning process.
Khan Academy
- Price: Free
- Available on: Android, iOS
Khan Academy has been long recognized for its wide range of courses and online academic programs. The platform also offers courses in different programming languages like JavaScript, HTML, SQL, and CSS.
Students learn through videos, interactive characters, and an online scriptwriter or coder for practical hands-on learning. Assessment is built-in. After every lesson, students complete online coding exercises that test their understanding of the material and gauge their skill levels at every point.
Mimo
- Price: $9.99 per month, $79.66 per year
- Available on: Android, iOS
Mimo ranks as one of the popular coding apps, recognized for its bite-sized coding lessons. Its short yet informative lessons are great for people who have busy schedules. Currently, they offer a wide variety of courses, ranging from HTML and JavaScript to Python and Ruby.
Mimo’s straightforward teaching approach makes it easy to understand basic coding concepts. If you are having a tough time learning how to code, this app would be beneficial to you.
Programming Hero
- Price: $9.99 per month, $39.99 per year
- Available on: Android, iOS
Programming Hero offers an interactive way to learn coding by using fun visuals, real-world examples, built-in tutorials, and coding exercises. Users of this app can expect lessons on Python, HTML, JavaScript, Bootstrap, and CSS. Everything is explained in simple terms with an easy-to-use programming environment to put your learning into practice.
Programming Hub
- Price: Free to $41.99 per year
- Available on: Android, iOS
The Programming Hub app offers many free courses that are split into bite-sized coding concepts to make learning to code easy. Programming Hub has one of the most extensive pre-compiled programs, with over 5,000 programs in 20 programming languages. Users can also choose to take other technical courses like ethical hacking, SEO, artificial intelligence, and digital marketing.
Programming Hub has a limited free plan and a paid plan. Users interested in the paid plans have two purchasing options: VIP and PRO membership access. VIP access costs $5.99 for three months. PRO membership access costs $6.99 per month, $14.59 for three months, and $41.99 for a year.
SoloLearn
- Price: Free Plan, Pro Plan at $12.99 per month or $69.99 a year
- Available on: Android, iOS
SoloLearn is another learning app that offers numerous courses for a variety of programming languages. It takes you through a basic coding intro that involves actual coding in an easy-to-use programming environment. SoloLearn is excellent for coders of all skill levels.
It also has a social platform with an active online community where people can share their results and collaborate on their coding projects.
5 Best Coding Apps for Kids 2021: Build Your Coding Skills Early
With coding apps, kids as young as 5 years old can learn to code. Coding can help kids to develop their creativity and problem-solving skills in a way that’s fun and interactive. Here are some of the best coding apps for kids.
Box Island
- Price: Free to $7.99
- Available on: Android, iOS
- Age Group: 6+
Box Island is a coding game that introduces the fundamentals of coding to kids through several coding adventures. Kids have to employ basic coding logic, such as loops, pattern recognition, sequencing, and conditionals, to get through every challenge.
The first 10 levels of Box Island are free. After that, you can choose to buy the junior coder, skilled coder, and master coder subscription plans. Junior coder unlocks 20 levels for $2.99. The skilled coder plan unlocks 50 levels for $5.99, and the master coder plan can be unlocked for $7.99.
Cozmo Code Labs
- Price: Free
- Available on: Android, iOS
- Age Group: 6 – 17
Cozmo is a programmable robot controlled by the Cozmo Code Labs app on your mobile device. The app offers a platform that teaches coding and allows users to create mazes and obstacle courses for Cozmo in their homes. Kids can explore, organize, and express their ideas by coding with the Cozmo Code Labs.
While the app itself is free, you’ll need to pay $149.99 to purchase Cozmo the robot.
Code Karts
- Price: Free to $0.99
- Available on: Android, iOS
- Age Group: 4+
Code Karts is a racing game that introduces the basics of coding to kids through visual puzzles. Kids learn by completing a variety of puzzles to move their race cars to the finish line. These activities teach programming fundamentals and boost kids’ analytical skills, which will help them when they eventually start actual programming.
Play Code Karts without charge for 10 levels and then pay $0.99 to unlock the entire game.
SpriteBox: Code Hour
- Price: Free
- Available on: Android, iOS, and web browser
- Age Group: Kids of all ages
SpriteBox is a coding adventure game with challenging levels and visual puzzles. It teaches Java and Swift syntax in 20 levels. Kids learn to sequence commands in the actual code, change parameters, and use loops to solve problems.
Tynker
- Price: $60 per three months, $120 per year, and $180 for a lifetime plan
- Available on: iOS devices
- Age Group: 5 – 18
Tynker’s play-based learning allows kids to have fun while learning block-based coding before delving into an actual coding language. The app comprises over 60 award-winning courses, 4,100 teaching modules, and hundreds of built-in tutorials in JavaScript and Python.
Why Learn to Code with Coding Apps?
Coding apps offer a great introduction to programming through interactive games and lessons. They are a more informal means to learn coding without breaking your budget. You can go for free coding apps or unlock premium features on paid apps.
Coding apps are also versatile as they cater to newbies and experts alike. If you are just learning to code, coding apps are an excellent learning platform for you.
Coding Apps FAQs
Using coding apps for an hour or two per day can significantly improve your coding skills in about three to six months.
Yes, you can. There are tons of educational tools online made for anyone who wants to learn how to code. These include coding apps, coding courses, and coding articles, which are accessible for free or at little cost.
You do not need to be a whiz at math before you can learn to code. However, you will need to know at least basic mathematics.
Most of the coding apps mentioned above offer coding exercises to put learning into practice. You can also go back to retake the courses. If that doesn’t work, consider relaying your issues to the social community of coding app users to get results.
