Scrimba vs SoloLearn: Which Is Better for Learning to Code?

Per Harald Borgen -

Scrimba and SoloLearn both call themselves interactive. Both have a real free tier. Both show up when someone asks for the best way to learn to code. Open them side by side, though, and they feel like two different products built for two different moments in your day.

That difference is the whole story. SoloLearn is a phone-first, gamified app built for five-minute bursts of practice, where you tap through bite-sized lessons and answer multiple-choice questions (SoloLearn). Scrimba is a desktop platform built on the "scrim," an editable screencast where you pause the instructor and type straight into their code. They are not better and worse versions of the same thing. They are different categories: SoloLearn gives you quick exposure to coding concepts, and Scrimba builds the kind of real skills a web-development job actually requires. The honest question is not "which app do I install?" but "do I want to tap through concepts on my phone, or write real code toward a career?"

This comparison weighs both on format, course depth, career outcomes, certificates, and price, then gives you a clear pick by goal.

Scrimba vs SoloLearn: which should you choose?

Choose Scrimba to build real, job-ready web-development skills by writing code. Choose SoloLearn for casual, gamified practice and a gentle first taste of coding on your phone.

It comes down to who you are right now. If you are serious about becoming a developer, you want interactive practice, a structured route to hireable skills, and a portfolio you can show. If you mostly want to fill commute minutes with streaks and quick wins, a mobile app fits the moment better. Most of the confusion in this matchup comes from judging one platform by the other's strengths.

Scrimba vs SoloLearn at a glance

Dimension Scrimba SoloLearn
Learning format Editable screencasts, write real code in the browser Mobile-first, gamified, multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank
Primary device Desktop and laptop Phone-first, also on web
Instructors Named instructors (Bob Ziroll, Per Harald Borgen) Algorithmically structured, no named instructors
Focus Web development: frontend, fullstack, backend, AI Broad intro: Python, web, data, mobile, AI literacy
Career paths 4 structured paths, MDN partnership Course tracks, no path mentorship
Certificates Completion certificates, free even on free courses Certificates on all plans, including free
Starting price $24.50/mo (annual) $5.83/mo (annual)
Best for Career changers and serious web learners Casual learners and mobile practice

Prices verified June 2026. Both figures are the annual rate; both platforms also offer free tiers and run periodic discounts.

How do Scrimba and SoloLearn compare?

Scrimba and SoloLearn differ most on format, depth, career support, and price. Scrimba wins on interactive practice, web-development depth, and a path to a job; SoloLearn wins on mobile convenience, breadth of intro topics, and a lower price.

One pattern holds across every dimension below: SoloLearn is designed to introduce you to coding, and Scrimba is designed to take you all the way to building real software.

Learning format: real code vs tap-to-answer

Scrimba's scrim format records the instructor's keystrokes instead of pixels, so you can pause any lesson and start editing the code directly in the browser. Watching and doing happen on one screen, on a full keyboard, in real files. The video player is the editor.

SoloLearn works the way a mobile game does. Lessons are short, you answer multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions, and a "Hearts" system gives you a limited number of mistakes before you have to wait or upgrade (SoloLearn). Daily streaks and XP keep you coming back. It is genuinely well-built for what it is: a few minutes of practice between other things.

The gap shows up in what each interaction trains.

Tapping the right answer is recognition. Typing code from a blank editor is production. Only one of those is what you do on the job.

The familiar trap, watching or tapping through lessons for months and still not being able to build anything, comes from never leaving recognition mode. Scrimba makes writing code the default action in every lesson, not a quiz you pass afterward.

Course depth and what you actually build

SoloLearn covers a lot of ground at the surface. Its catalog spans more than 20 courses across Python, web development, data, and mobile, plus a set of AI-literacy courses, and the lessons are deliberately bite-sized (SoloLearn). That breadth is great for sampling. It is less suited to going deep enough on any one track to build a real project end to end.

Scrimba goes the other way: narrower focus, more depth, real things you ship. The free Learn React course alone runs 15.1 hours and ends in capstone projects, and the MDN-built Learn JavaScript course has you build four projects, including a browser extension and a mobile app. The structured Frontend Developer Path chains those skills into a zero-to-hireable route. You leave with a portfolio, not a streak.

That depth matters because of how working developers actually got there. Most learned by building, often self-taught, rather than by passive review (Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2025). Projects are the thing that turns concepts into skills.

Career outcomes and certificates

This is where the category split is sharpest. Scrimba is organized around four career paths (Frontend, Fullstack, Backend, and AI Engineer), and its Frontend Developer Path is built in partnership with Mozilla and aligned with the MDN Curriculum (MDN). Completion certificates are free, even on free courses, and the real output is a set of portfolio projects backed by a 75,000-plus member Discord community.

SoloLearn offers course certificates on every plan, including the free one (SoloLearn), and has a large community forum. What it does not offer is a structured path from beginner to job-ready, or the mentorship and project work that go with one. It is built to introduce you to coding, not to walk you to a developer role.

The stakes are worth naming. Software developers earn a median of about $133,080 a year, with employment projected to grow roughly 15% between 2024 and 2034 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). For web roles, what most hiring managers actually weigh is a portfolio of real projects, which is exactly what Scrimba's path-based, project-heavy format produces.

Pricing and free access

SoloLearn is the cheaper option at every paid tier. According to its pricing page, PRO costs $12.99 per month billed monthly or $5.83 per month billed annually, and the AI-focused MAX plan runs $9.96 per month annually, adding the Kodie AI tutor and an embedded AI practice playground. The free plan limits mistakes through the Hearts system but still lets you earn certificates.

Scrimba costs more and includes more. Its free tier has about 25 complete courses with certificates, and Pro is $24.50 per month on the annual plan ($294 per year) or $49 monthly, with discounts available through regional pricing and student rates (Scrimba).

So the price gap is real, but it reflects a product gap. SoloLearn's lower bill buys gamified mobile practice. Scrimba's higher one buys interactive screencasts, named instructors, and a route to employment. Both run promotions, so exact figures move, but the structure holds.

Who should choose SoloLearn?

SoloLearn is the better fit for phone-first, casual learning. Pick it if you want to:

  • Practice in five-minute bursts on a commute or between meetings.
  • Find out whether coding clicks for you before committing real time.
  • Stay motivated by streaks, XP, and a game-like loop.
  • Spend as little as possible on a paid plan.
  • Sample broad topics, including AI-literacy courses, alongside coding basics (SoloLearn).

If that describes you, SoloLearn does its job well, and there is no need to overspend on something heavier.

Who should choose Scrimba?

Scrimba is the better fit for anyone whose goal is to actually become a web developer. It suits career changers who need a structured path from zero to hireable, self-taught beginners who learn by building rather than tapping, and junior developers leveling up in JavaScript, React, or fullstack. The interactive scrim format, the MDN partnership (MDN), the free complete courses, and the project-based career paths all point at the same outcome: real skills and a portfolio. If you are targeting frontend, fullstack, backend, or AI engineering specifically, this is the platform built for that finish line.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Scrimba or SoloLearn better for beginners?

Both work for beginners, but differently. SoloLearn is gentler for a first taste, with short mobile lessons and quizzes. Scrimba is better once you want to write real code and build projects, since you edit the instructor's code directly in the browser from the start.

Can you get a coding job with SoloLearn?

SoloLearn builds fundamentals and gives you certificates, but it has no structured career path, mentorship, or project portfolio. On its own it is rarely enough for a developer role. Pair it with a project-based, desktop platform that takes you from basics to job-ready skills.

Is SoloLearn or Scrimba cheaper?

SoloLearn is cheaper at every paid tier, from $5.83 per month annually to $9.96 for the AI MAX plan. Scrimba Pro is $24.50 per month annually. Both have free tiers, though Scrimba's free courses are full-length and Scrimba includes career paths the SoloLearn plans do not.

Does Scrimba have a mobile app like SoloLearn?

No. Scrimba is browser-based and desktop-first by design. The scrim format relies on a full keyboard and screen so you can edit real code inside each lesson. SoloLearn is phone-first, built for tapping through short lessons on the go.

Can I use SoloLearn and Scrimba together?

Yes, and they complement each other. SoloLearn is handy for quick mobile review and keeping a daily habit, while Scrimba is where you sit down for focused desktop sessions and build real projects toward a career.

Key Takeaways

  • Scrimba is desktop-first with editable screencasts where you write real code; SoloLearn is mobile-first and gamified.
  • SoloLearn suits casual, on-the-go practice; Scrimba suits career-focused, project-based learning.
  • Scrimba focuses on web development with four MDN-aligned career paths (MDN); SoloLearn offers broad intro coverage across 20-plus courses (SoloLearn).
  • Both offer free certificates, but SoloLearn is cheaper at every paid tier ($5.83 to $9.96 per month annually) while Scrimba Pro is $24.50 per month annually (Scrimba).
  • Software developers earn a median of about $133,080 a year with roughly 15% projected growth through 2034 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
  • Choose SoloLearn for mobile fundamentals; choose Scrimba to build job-ready web-development skills.

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