Sometimes folks get confused and wonder, are Boot.dev’s programming courses really free?
First of all, the simple answer is yes, all of the content on Boot.dev is free. That means that all the lesson explanations, the explainer videos, and the starter code is free. You can get all of it (not just the first few chapters, or the first course) without ever becoming a paid member.
So why pay? 🔗
Now obviously, we do offer memberships, so if all the content is free, what are you paying for? Put simply: interactivity. Our interactive features are only free for the first several chapters of each course so that you can try before you buy. After that, you’ll go into read-only mode if you don’t become a member. If you’re not a member, you’ll lose these kinds of features:
- Chatting with Boots (AI tutor)
- Lesson submission and verification
- Progress tracking
- Solution viewing
- Spellbooks (interactive cheat sheets)
- Achievements, xp, and quests
- Certificates of completion
If that sounds interesting to you, you can become a member now!
We’re one of the only learning platforms like this 🔗
I felt like I needed to write this article because a lot of folks get rightfully confused about our business model. Most educational sites have “free content” and “paid content”, with all the interactivity we’ve baked into Boot.dev, we’ve realized we can take a very different approach. For our students who can afford the membership, the interactivity is such a big productivity and quality of life boost that they tend to pay, even when the content itself is all free.
Why subscriptions? 🔗
Due to the nature of the interactive features (AI chats in particular, but also a bunch of other stuff), we have ongoing costs to host and maintain Boot.dev. Lifetime purchases just don’t really make sense in that paradigm.
What if my company wants to pay? 🔗
We have team plans available if you and your coworkers want to all sign up under one billing account. If you’re looking for a solo subscription, but your company has a L&D stipend, you can also easily get it expensed.
Can I give a membership as a gift? 🔗
Yup! You can purchase one-time gift codes here. They are not recurring subscriptions, so you won’t be charged again after the initial purchase. However, the access granted via the code does expire at the end of the period that you paid for. Gift codes can be redeemed here.
