Beyond ShortLesson

Where else to learn programming: platforms, docs and books

Trusted places to learn beyond ShortLesson: official docs, interactive platforms, courses, books and communities. Filter by topic and price.

The list only includes official sources: the platforms' own sites, documentation from the project authors and books from their publishers. No reuploads and no pirated copies.

Looking for a job? CVs, job boards and interview prep live in a separate list: Career resources

Learning resources

Topic
Price

51 resources

  • Udemy

    PlatformPaid per course

    A huge catalog of video courses by individual instructors on almost any technology.

    Quality varies by instructor: check ratings, last update date and reviews. Prices are often discounted.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: Udemy

  • Coursera

    PlatformFree tier

    Courses and specializations from universities and companies. You can audit materials for free, the certificate is paid.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: Coursera

  • edX

    PlatformFree tier

    University courses (including Harvard and MIT). Many courses can be taken for free without a certificate.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: edX

  • Frontend Masters

    PlatformSubscription

    In-depth video courses by practitioners on JavaScript, TypeScript, React, Node.js and web performance.

    One subscription for all courses. Some courses and the blog are free.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: Frontend Masters

  • Educative

    PlatformSubscription

    Text-based interactive courses with in-browser code, strong on system design and interview prep.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: Educative

  • Pluralsight

    PlatformSubscription

    A corporate video course platform for development, cloud and DevOps, with skill assessments.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: Pluralsight

  • Codecademy

    PlatformFree tier

    Interactive intro courses with in-browser code for people starting from zero.

    Basic lessons are free, career paths and projects need a subscription.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: Codecademy

  • Scrimba

    PlatformFree tier

    Interactive screencasts where you can edit code right inside the video. Good for frontend and React.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: Scrimba

  • Boot.dev

    PlatformFree tier

    Gamified backend learning: Python, Go, SQL, algorithms and hands-on projects.

    Reading the material is free, interactive exercises and projects need a subscription.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: Boot.dev

  • Prometheus

    PlatformFree tier

    A Ukrainian open online course platform, including IT, programming and digital skills.

    Most courses are free, the certificate may be paid.

    Languages: UKOpen the site: Prometheus

  • Projector

    PlatformPaid per course

    A Ukrainian school with live courses and mentors: frontend, backend, QA, design, DevOps.

    Paid courses with deadlines and mentor feedback.

    Languages: UKOpen the site: Projector

  • The Odin Project

    PlatformFree

    A free full web development curriculum: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Node.js, Ruby on Rails, with projects.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: The Odin Project

  • freeCodeCamp

    PlatformFree

    Free learning: an interactive curriculum, projects, articles and long-form videos on YouTube.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: freeCodeCamp

  • CS50 (Harvard)

    PlatformFree

    Harvard's intro to computer science: C, Python, SQL, web. Video lectures and problem sets are free.

    The certificate via edX is paid, the materials themselves are open.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: CS50 (Harvard)

  • ByteByteGo

    PlatformSubscription

    System design courses and diagrams by the author of the System Design Interview books.

    Part of the material is free (newsletter, YouTube), full courses need a subscription.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: ByteByteGo

  • System Design Primer

    DocumentationFree

    An open GitHub repository with system design notes, diagrams and interview questions.

    Very well known, but some examples are dated. Cross-check with current sources.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: System Design Primer

  • Hello Interview

    PlatformFree tier

    System design interview prep: walkthroughs of common problems and mock interviews.

    Core walkthroughs are free, mock interviews are paid.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: Hello Interview

  • LeetCode

    Interactive courseFree tier

    The best known platform of algorithm problems for technical interview prep.

    Some problems and solutions need a Premium subscription.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: LeetCode

  • NeetCode

    Interactive courseFree tier

    Structured problem lists (NeetCode 150) with video explanations for algorithm interview prep.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: NeetCode

  • Exercism

    Interactive courseFree

    Free exercises in dozens of programming languages with mentor feedback.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: Exercism

  • Codewars

    Interactive courseFree

    Short problems (katas) of varying difficulty for daily language practice.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: Codewars

  • HackerRank

    Interactive courseFree

    Problems in algorithms, SQL and programming languages. Many companies use it for screening tasks.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: HackerRank

  • SQLBolt

    Interactive courseFree

    Short interactive SQL lessons with exercises in the browser. A good start for beginners.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: SQLBolt

  • Learn Git Branching

    Interactive courseFree

    A visual interactive Git trainer: branches, merge, rebase, cherry-pick.

    Languages: EN, UKOpen the site: Learn Git Branching

  • MDN Web Docs

    DocumentationFree

    The main reference for HTML, CSS, JavaScript and web APIs with examples and compatibility tables.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: MDN Web Docs

  • web.dev

    DocumentationFree

    Articles and courses from Google on performance, accessibility and modern web capabilities.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: web.dev

  • javascript.info

    DocumentationFree

    A modern JavaScript tutorial from basics to advanced topics, also available in Ukrainian.

    Languages: EN, UKOpen the site: javascript.info

  • Python documentation

    DocumentationFree

    The official documentation, including a tutorial worth reading in full.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: Python documentation

  • Kubernetes documentation

    DocumentationFree

    The official documentation with concepts, interactive tutorials and how-tos.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: Kubernetes documentation

  • roadmap.sh

    RoadmapFree

    Visual roadmaps by role and technology (frontend, backend, DevOps, system design and more).

    It is a map of topics, not a course: find learning material separately.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: roadmap.sh

  • DOU Forum

    CommunityFree

    The Ukrainian IT community: discussions on careers, salaries, hiring and tools.

    Languages: UKOpen the site: DOU Forum

  • DOU Articles

    CommunityFree

    Articles by Ukrainian developers and managers, plus annual salary and market reviews.

    Languages: UKOpen the site: DOU Articles

  • DEV Community

    CommunityFree

    A developer community with articles, tutorials and discussions.

    Quality is uneven: check the date and author.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: DEV Community

  • Stack Overflow

    CommunityFree

    Questions and answers about specific errors and APIs. Search first, then ask.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: Stack Overflow

  • Fireship

    YouTubeFree

    Short dense videos explaining technologies in 100 seconds, plus ecosystem news.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: Fireship

  • Theo (t3.gg)

    YouTubeFree

    Opinions on the modern web stack: TypeScript, React, Next.js, tooling and trends.

    Strongly opinionated: treat it as a viewpoint, not the truth.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: Theo (t3.gg)

  • Hussein Nasser

    YouTubeFree

    Deep dives into backend engineering: databases, networking, proxies, HTTP, protocols.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: Hussein Nasser

  • TechWorld with Nana

    YouTubeFree

    Clear courses on Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD, Terraform and DevOps.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: TechWorld with Nana

  • Web Dev Simplified

    YouTubeFree

    Short explanations of JavaScript, React and CSS, plus practical projects.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: Web Dev Simplified

  • Traversy Media

    YouTubeFree

    Long hands-on lessons for beginners: web, Node.js, Python, crash courses.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: Traversy Media

  • ByteByteGo (YouTube)

    YouTubeFree

    Short animated videos on system architecture: caches, queues, databases, APIs.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: ByteByteGo (YouTube)

  • Designing Data-Intensive Applications

    BookOne-time payment

    Martin Kleppmann on how databases, replication, distributed systems and data streams work.

    The standard book on backend architecture, but it needs focus and time.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: Designing Data-Intensive Applications

  • Clean Code

    BookOne-time payment

    Robert C. Martin on readable code, naming and functions. A classic to read critically.

    Some advice is tuned to Java and an older style.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: Clean Code

  • The Pragmatic Programmer

    BookOne-time payment

    Andrew Hunt and David Thomas on professional developer habits, debugging and automation.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: The Pragmatic Programmer

  • System Design Interview (Alex Xu)

    BookOne-time payment

    Step-by-step walkthroughs of classic system design problems: rate limiter, URL shortener, chat, feed.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: System Design Interview (Alex Xu)

  • Grokking Algorithms

    BookOne-time payment

    An illustrated intro to algorithms and data structures for people put off by heavy math.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: Grokking Algorithms

  • Refactoring (Martin Fowler)

    BookOne-time payment

    A catalog of safe refactorings with explanations of when and why to apply them.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: Refactoring (Martin Fowler)

  • You Don't Know JS Yet

    BookFree

    Kyle Simpson on the deep mechanics of JavaScript: scope, closures, this, prototypes.

    Free to read on GitHub, printed editions are paid.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: You Don't Know JS Yet

  • JavaScript Weekly

    NewsletterFree

    A weekly digest of news, articles and tools from the JavaScript ecosystem.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: JavaScript Weekly

  • The Pragmatic Engineer

    NewsletterFree tier

    Gergely Orosz's newsletter on the industry, engineering careers, big tech and team practices.

    Some issues are free, the full archive needs a paid subscription.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: The Pragmatic Engineer

  • ByteByteGo Newsletter

    NewsletterFree tier

    Weekly system architecture breakdowns with diagrams.

    Main issues are free, some are behind a subscription.

    Languages: ENOpen the site: ByteByteGo Newsletter

Questionable platforms

These sites exist and people often ask about them, so we name them plainly. The author of ShortLesson does not recommend them and does not link to them.

What we mean

Coursehunter
A site that posts copies of paid courses from Udemy, Frontend Masters, Pluralsight and others without the authors' permission, often with a dubbed translation.
FreeCourseSite
Hands out paid courses through torrents and file hosts.
Telegram-канали «зливи курсів»
Channels and chats that post archives of paid courses and webinars, usually outdated and full of ads.
Складчини (group buy)
Forums where many people chip in for one course licence and share it further. Course licences do not allow this.
Торент-трекери з розділами курсів
Sections of general torrent trackers with video courses and books uploaded without the rights holder's consent.

Why it is risky

  • Malware in archives and installers.
  • Outdated or cut content with no updates.
  • No support, no certificate, no course community.
  • Account bans, and trouble at work if it is found.
  • Authors lose income and stop making new courses.

Legal alternatives

  • Free tiers and course audits on Coursera and edX.
  • Udemy sales, which run almost every month.
  • freeCodeCamp, The Odin Project, MDN and javascript.info, all free.
  • The YouTube channels listed above.
  • Student discounts, employer learning budgets and library access.
  • Free lessons on ShortLesson.

What the law says

Redistributing paid courses without the rights holder's permission is copyright infringement. It is illegal in Ukraine (the Law on Copyright and Related Rights) and in most countries.

Logos belong to their owners and are used for identification only. Icons: Simple Icons (CC0), Devicon (MIT).

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