JavaScript (JS) rose to the top in 2020 as the most in-demand IT skill for developers. Front-end web development, full-stack developer, and web marketing manager are just a few of the roles you could land with JavaScript under your belt.
What makes JavaScript important is it allows you to create dynamic web pages. Working with your site’s HTML and CSS, controls each element’s behavior and makes them interactive, for example in submission boxes, CTAs, e-commerce item management, or displaying animated graphics.
E-commerce, home pages, blogs – nearly every web page you see is dependent on JS code to work and wonder.
Therefore, we’ve compiled a list of the best online JavaScript courses, so you can get coding in JavaScript!
Whether you’re an aspiring developer or curious passerby, join us as we outline what to expect from each course, highlight their strengths, and help you figure out which online JavaScript course is best for you.
- See also: If you want to learn Go, we’ve ranked the best Go courses.
What Makes a Great JavaScript Development Course?
Coding is an exciting skill to learn, but committing to a traditional computer science degree can be daunting. Online learning offers a fun and engaging way to learn those skills without the dry lectures (or price tag).
An intro JS course alone should provide a foundation that allows you to think critically about JavaScript and how to problem-solve — and for that to happen, the course must be engaging.
Therefore, the best online JavaScript courses have:
- Interactive learning: Watching someone lecture how to code is not an effective way of learning. Practicing code and interacting with your chosen programming language is the best way to get experience and gain the conceptual understanding necessary to apply code.
- Solid Foundation: An intro course should cover all the basics, from how the code was developed to how it’s used today. A strong foundation helps you interact with the programming language and sets you up for success when it comes to developing your skill later on.
- Extra Resources: The best JavaScript intro courses have extra resources you can use while learning. For example, informative blogs that elaborate on the lesson’s topics are fantastic resources that make learning tricky content easier.
We understand some students enjoy a more hands-off learning experience, so we’ve also included more relaxed lecture-based options.
1. Qvault – Overall Best Course for JavaScript
- Price: $6 per month for all courses – Start coding here
Why It’s the Best Online JavaScript Course
- A beginner-friendly introduction to JavaScript
- Learn by coding: navigate through Qvault’s challenges and code real parts of projects
- Free to try out, then $6 / month for access to all courses
- Active community to help you with any coding problems
Cons
- Not for those who prefer lecture-based learning over interactive
Built with beginners in mind, Qvault’s Intro to Coding With JavaScript course starts by breaking down the nature of coding to give you a solid foundation for your potential career. Then, you’re immediately practicing real JavaScript code as you take on more and more advanced coding challenges within Qvault’s lesson program — from basic syntax and variables to arrays, functions, objects, and more!
The course is split up into two parts, 6 sections total. Understanding that coding can be intimidating for beginners starting out with JavaScript, Qvault takes you through each lesson in a way you’ll understand — bringing the subject to life as you code basic parts of games in familiar ways, complemented by multiple-choice questions to keep your knowledge sharp.
Qvault’s goal is to provide an accessible platform for anyone to learn computer science, with the first 6 lessons in every course completely free to access. You can take the entire course curriculum for free, but you’ll need to upgrade to a Pro plan to get access to feedback on your code and unlock the Cheat button that helps you if you ever get stuck — costing just $6 a month.
And then once you’ve finished Qvault’s online JavaScript course, you’re ready to progress onto their computer science courses in Go, Python, algorithms, cryptography, and much more!
Another main benefit is access to Qvault’s active Discord community, where you can post any questions you have about any lessons you’re stuck on, or get advice on which language to master next, or your next coding project!
We recommend Qvault for everyone, but especially those who want the flexibility to learn as much as they want in an exciting and engaging way.
2. FreeCodeCamp – Best Free Online JavaScript Course
Pros
- Free courses
- Huge library of language intro courses
Cons
- Not suited for those looking for guided learning
- Will need to learn practical application elsewhere
Nothing feels as good as free resources, and that’s exactly why FreeCodeCamp sits happily at spot number 2.
With previous members going on to secure jobs at Google and Spotify, this non-profit platform stays free from donations from grateful graduates — continuing to offer access to coding tools that once required elite degrees.
With over 6,000 tutorials, there’s plenty to keep you learning once you’ve completed your free online JavaScript courses.
FreeCodeCamp is fully YouTube integrated, so you can learn from in-depth amazing videos wherever you are. This Intro to JavaScript video is just shy of 4 hours and covers all the basics including variables, different actions and commands, arrays, and functions. It goes well with their online JavaScript course composed of over 20 lessons.
To practice JavaScript coding techniques, you’ll need to download an outside software, and for help, use the community forums as this is a completely self-taught resource.
We recommend FreeCodeCamp to anyone looking to see if coding is for them, or already have a working knowledge of the industry, as you won’t have any guidance to assist you. It’s also great for those strapped for cash or those who learn better without assistance.
3. Udemy – JavaScript lectures
Pros
- Often has sales on courses
- Variety of courses to choose from
Cons
- Anyone can write a course for Udemy
- Have to purchase each course you choose
Udemy has long been popular for learning new skills. With access to courses across a broad range of industries, it’s an easy place to settle into, no matter what you’re trying to learn.
They have a variety of introductory JavaScript coding courses, so look around for what you like, but their most popular is The Complete JavaScript Course 2021 by Jonas Schmedtmann – a full-stack web developer and top-rated coding educator on Udemy.
It’s praised for its exciting style of teaching, but you can’t practice in the program. However, it does offer guidance on how to download outside software and practice along with the videos.
The course is composed of 21 sections and 314 lectures, covering everything from the fundamentals to the deployment and application of functions.
While the option to explore different styles to find the course that best suits your needs is a huge plus, the downside is anyone can post a course on Udemy. Meaning, you may not always get 100% accurate material from proven experts — so you’ll have to do your own research before paying for any JavaScript course.
Overall, Udemy’s been a great tool for thousands of people and often has sales going on, like their new student deal! And if you miss it, they always come back, so if you’re tight on money, wait a little longer and you can probably snag a deal.
We recommend this for those who want a lecture-based intro to JS course and are not concerned with exploring other lessons.
4. Coursera – Good JavaScript Crash Course
Pros
- Complete your intro course and project in as little as two hours
- Download free interactive experience
Cons
- Not a course you can build on
- Only available in North America
Are you looking for something fast, easy, and straight to the point? Then Coursera’s Intro to JavaScript: The Basics is the answer for you.
Less of a lecture, it’s more of a 2 hour and 10-minute guided project, the course walks you through 7 step-by-step sections covering scripts, variables, and functions. And at the end, you should have a functions performing script.
The course does not provide the full background needed to progress to more advanced learning, so it’s strictly for practice.
Coursera is known for its university-backed degrees and certifications that come with their advanced courses, but these are more expensive. Regardless, there are a fair number of free Coursera Project network classes, like the one above.
This is an easy resource for those who are purposefully looking for a fun trial run using JavaScript.
5. Treehouse – Great JS Course for Serious Beginners
Pros
- Free Trial
- Offers an in-house “Techdegree”
Cons
- Focus is on their track packages
- Pricier than other options at $199 per month
If you’re done playing games and want to get serious about learning to code and breaking into the industry, then Treehouse offers the perfect starter pack.
Their JavaScript Basics course is 234 minutes long and is made up of 4 sections. You’ll learn where, when, and why JavaScript is used, its basic functions, and how to troubleshoot. You’ll also complete practice challenges at the end of the course.
This course and the following advanced ones come with a free trial and a $20 monthly subscription.
But the real magic is in their “track” programs and Techdegree, which are a dedicated series of courses that prepare the student for a tech career. So, instead of taking one-off intro JavaScript courses, you join a “track”, and from there you take portfolio-building courses that end with you being a viable entry-level web developer, data scientist, or whatever career path you decide to focus on.
The individual courses are useful and provide valuable information, but to take the most advantage of the website, we recommend it for those dead set on becoming developers and using the track program — but be prepared to spend upwards of $199 a month.
6. Codecademy – Most Flexible JavaScript Course
Pros
- Free but need a $20/$40 per month Pro subscription for some parts
- Student discount
Cons
- Not as in-depth as other courses
Codecademy is a nice mixture of the track programs from Treehouse but the random assortment of lessons like FreeCodeCamp.
Their Intro to JavaScript course is a 30-hour course made up of 14 lessons, however, you only have access limited parts without a Pro subscription. But that’s enough to let you get a feel for whether or not it’s the course for you.
Throughout you’ll learn the basics like variables, conditionals, and arrays, all while using the latest JavaScript syntax. You’ll complete side projects and quizzes along the way that you must pass to receive the course certificate.
Overall, the course focuses more on the different uses of the language rather than building a foundation of how to apply it.
You can do the individual lessons, but the Codecademy emphasis is on their career track lines that essentially preps you to enter a dev-ops role, as opposed to developing your extra skills.
You can’t go wrong with this platform as it is loved by millions, but we recommend this for those who already have an idea of what they want to do. If you want a more interactive environment and wallet-friendly choice, then we recommend sticking with Qvault.