Compare
cracked.guide compared with other ways to learn
There is no single best way to learn computer science. These pages say plainly what each path is for and when it beats cracked.guide, with facts from each program's own pages.
| Path | Aims at | Cost | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| cracked.guide | Depth: interpreters, then Knuth | Free | 145 weeks, 8 to 12 h/week |
| OSSU | Breadth of a CS degree | Mostly free | About 2 years at 20 h/week |
| Teach Yourself CS | Nine subjects, a book each | Free guide | 100 to 200 h per subject |
| CS50x | Intro to CS | Free | About 11 weeks of material |
| NeetCode | Coding interviews | Free list, paid Pro | Weeks to months |
| Learn to Cloud | Cloud engineering career | Free | Self-paced |
| The Odin Project | Full stack web development | Free | Self-paced, months |
| Launch School | Software engineering, mastery-based | Paid | Mastery-based |
| Bootcamps | A first developer job, fast | Commonly $10,000+ | A few months |
| CS degree | Credential and breadth | Tuition | About 4 years |
- cracked.guide vs OSSUOSSU and cracked.guide compared: a free CS degree curriculum of online courses versus a dated 145-week path through interpreters and Knuth. Which to pick.
- cracked.guide vs Teach Yourself CSTeach Yourself CS and cracked.guide compared: nine subjects with one book and lecture each, versus one dated path through interpreters and Knuth.
- cracked.guide vs NeetCode roadmapThe NeetCode roadmap and cracked.guide compared: interview prep by pattern versus a deep path that keeps NeetCode 150 running two problems a week.
- cracked.guide vs Learn to CloudLearn to Cloud and cracked.guide compared: a free path to a cloud engineering career versus a free path to depth in interpreters and algorithms.
- cracked.guide vs CS50CS50 and cracked.guide compared: Harvard's free intro to computer science versus a 145-week deep path. Why CS50 first, and what comes next.
- cracked.guide vs The Odin ProjectThe Odin Project and cracked.guide compared: a free full stack web development curriculum versus a deep path through interpreters and Knuth.
- cracked.guide vs Launch SchoolLaunch School and cracked.guide compared: a paid, mastery-based software engineering school versus a free, dated path through interpreters and Knuth.
- cracked.guide vs Coding bootcampsA coding bootcamp and cracked.guide compared on cost, time, what you learn and what you get at the end, and who should pick which.
- cracked.guide vs A CS degreeA computer science degree and cracked.guide compared: credential, breadth, depth, cost and time, and how to close the gap without going back to school.
For the general question, read the self-taught CS roadmap.