If you need to practice coding interview questions, you’ve probably come across AlgoExpert.io.
AlgoExpert gives you a comprehensive overview of 100 of the best programmer interview questions in nine different languages: JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Swift, Kotlin, C++, Java, C# and Go.
You type out your answers in a code-execution environment and get 70+ hours of video explanations to help you understand the core principles behind each question. This content comes directly from AlgoExpert co-founder and CEO Clément Mihailescu, a software engineer who passed coding interviews at Google and Facebook.
In this AlgoExpert review, we’ll cover what it is, topics taught, pricing, main features of the platform, content quality, what past students think, etc. Visit the AlgoExpert website and get 15% off with our AlgoExpert promo code ltcwm.
Disclosure: I’m a proud affiliate for some of the resources mentioned in this article. If you buy a product through my links on this page, I may get a small commission for referring you. Thanks!
Table of Contents
- Topics Taught
- Pricing
- Features of the Platform
- Ease of Use
- Content Quality
- What Past Customers Think
- Who AlgoExpert is Recommended For
Final Thoughts: Is AlgoExpert Worth It?
AlgoExpert Review: the TL;DR
Is AlgoExpert worth it? Before we dive into the full AlgoExpert.io review, here’s a quick pros and cons list you can use to quickly decide if it’s right for you.
Pros of AlgoExpert
- 100 coding interview questions to practice for your technical interview
- 70+ hours of code walkthroughs from experienced software engineer Clément Mihailescu, who walks you through problems step by step and can help you learn about different approaches you can take
- Solutions in 9 coding languages
- Access to a crash course in data structures
- Interactive code editor
- Soft skill interview tips from the experts
Cons of AlgoExpert
- You need to start with basic programming knowledge; AlgoExpert is not meant to teach you how to code
- The coding walkthrough portion of AlgoExpert videos is only filmed in Python
- No refunds
- No lifetime access: if you stop paying, you lose access
- There is no community aspect (i.e., no forums to ask other coders/instructor for help with a coding problem)
- You can find similar material for free online (e.g. there are code walkthroughs you can watch on sites like YouTube)
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Full AlgoExpert Review
Now, let’s get deeper into what you can expect when you use AlgoExpert.io.
Topics Taught on AlgoExpert
AlgoExpert is geared toward helping you master the information you need to succeed in a coding interview. You’ll get content covering:
- Coding interview questions
- Interview tips from experts
- Data structures crash course
- Advice for behavioral interviews
- Binary search trees, linked lists, strings, Big O notation, and more
- How much memory an algorithm uses and how fast it runs
AlgoExpert Pricing
Please note that pricing listed below may change in the future!
AlgoExpert is an annual subscription service. You’ll pay $99 for 1 year of access to AlgoExpert.io alone. For $129 a year, you can add a subscription to SystemsExpert, which prepares you more specifically for systems design interviews.
Get 15% off your AlgoExpert subscription price with discount code ltcwm.
Features of the AlgoExpert Platform
👩💻 100 coding questions spanning 14 categories and 5 difficulty levels.
📹 70+ hours of video explanations with two-part code walkthroughs for every coding question.
🏆 Certificate of completion: Completing all AlgoExpert questions earns you a certificate of your coding-interview preparedness.
✔️ 3 curated assessments: To reflect what a real day of coding interviews might look like.
9️⃣ Solutions in 9 programming languages: JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Swift, Kotlin, C++, Java, C# and Go.
💻 Code execution environment so you can practice directly on the AlgoExpert website and check your solutions against their test cases without having to go back and forth between your problem page and code editor. Also allows you to turn off syntax highlighting to help you simulate a whiteboarding interview.
👨🏫 A crash course on data structures with 13 modules totaling nearly 5 hours of video content. Gives you the foundational knowledge to tackle any algorithm question.
💡 Interview tips from the experts to help you stand out from other software engineers. Topics include: problem-solving ability, communication, culture fit, etc.
🙌 Access to a few free videos and coding questions to try out the platform.
❤️ 30% loyalty discount after your first year using the platform.
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AlgoExpert Ease of Use
Everyone has different workspace preferences, but you can take a look at the AlgoExpert coding interface/workspace here. Some users report that the interface/workspace feels a little busy/too much going on. Others find it easy to navigate once you understand where everything is.
When browsing through the library of coding questions, you can filter by difficulty (e.g., easy, medium, hard), category (e.g., arrays, binary trees, graphs, heaps), or sort them randomly so you never know what to expect. You can “star” questions if you want to bookmark them, mark them as completed with a strikethrough, etc.
Within the code editor, you can:
- Change the light theme (light or dark mode)
- Time yourself with the built-in stopwatch
- Change the layout (quad vs. tri layout)
- Change the editor font size
- Change the programming language
- Change the syntax highlighting theme
When you click on a coding question, you’ll go through a simple process:
- See the coding interview question/prompt
- You can open up a few hints via a dropdown if you need help getting started
- Write your solution in the code editor and run it
- You can toggle over to the tab “Our Solution(s)” to see AlgoExpert’s answer and then toggle over to the “Video Explanation” tab to see the code walkthrough
Overall, AlgoExpert is easy to use, but can feel a bit busy/overwhelming when you’re first getting started.
AlgoExpert Content Quality
One benefit of using paid learning resources is that you can usually expect a high level of quality. That’s certainly the case with AlgoExpert. You’ll enjoy well-produced, high-quality coding interview prep content. 1080p videos boast crystal-clear audio and are strategically divided into two parts to give you the most comprehensive explanations to questions.
Code walkthroughs show Clément Mihailescu writing out solutions on both a virtual whiteboard and code editor. They’re clear and easy to see, follow, and understand.
What Past AlgoExpert Customers Think
The AlgoExpert site has a page featuring reviews from past customers. Here are a few samples:
Nick, Rotational Engineer at Facebook:
“AlgoExpert succeeds in a key area that other similar platforms fail by putting an emphasis on explaining the thought-process of each question. I’m not the type who wants to try and memorize 500 questions in hopes that my interview questions are ones that I have seen before – I want to really understand the concepts and patterns that would help me solve ANY question. AlgoExpert and SystemsExpert do a superb job of providing in-depth explanations of the patterns and thought that you should use to arrive at the correct solution, no matter the algorithm or design problem. I put my time and trust in AlgoExpert and I now have a job at Facebook to show for it. Highly recommended!”
Alex, Software Engineer at Google:
“AlgoExpert was the backbone of my technical coding interview preparation. It allows you to efficiently work through the most common variations of problems asked by top-tier companies without having to spend hours ‘battling’ an algorithm only to come up with an inefficient or incorrect solution. There are a lot of resources available for repetition, but AlgoExpert differentiates its product by providing the ‘how’ and ‘why’ in clear and concise videos. Developing a deeper understanding of how to approach these problems is better than trying to memorize lines of code. I highly recommend AlgoExpert.”
Elana, Software Engineer at Bloomberg:
“The video explanations and detailed code examples on AlgoExpert have changed the way I approach coding problems. It has been an incredible asset during my career journey and I highly recommend it to anyone preparing for the job market.”
Who AlgoExpert is Recommended For
You’re most likely to benefit from using AlgoExpert if you fit one of these categories:
- Someone facing their first programming interview / hasn’t had one for a long time and needs to brush up
- Software engineers who have less experience in data structures and algorithms and want to get up to speed with them
- Possibly overwhelmed by the idea of tech interviews and doesn’t know what to expect; doesn’t know what to do to prepare
- Enjoys video explanations and likes to see step-by-step solutions
- Those who want to improve their problem-solving skills
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AlgoExpert Alternatives
It’s always a good idea to explore what else is out there so you can make an informed decision. Here are some other coding prep resources similar to AlgoExpert — both free and paid.
LeetCode: Basic tier is free. 1,000+ coding questions. Has a peer competition and scoring component. Supports 14 popular coding languages. No video explanations.
Interview Cake: Course style. $29. 50+ hours of practice questions and readings. Read my review here.
Grokking the Coding Interview: Interactive interview prep course for aspiring FAANG (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix) engineers. Explains the 16 patterns for coding questions. $79. Comes with challenges, lessons, coding environment, etc.
Interview Camp: Weekly live sessions and 60+ hours of self-paced online content to help you learn tried and tested, real-life techniques for conquering coding interviews. $250/year for all of the above + a private Slack community for added support.
Codewars: A community where people solve programming puzzles known also as “katas”. It is highly gamified, so users earn ranks and honors for completing coding problems. Higher level coding problems.
HackerRank: Mostly targeted at companies hiring developers, but has a developer-oriented side too. For example, it includes Interview Preparation Kit, curated challenges and tips based on learnings from 1000+ companies to help you prepare for your upcoming interviews. Plus, lots of practice problems to work through. Free for coders to use.
Pramp: Pairs you with a peer to conduct mock coding interviews with each other. You and your peer will interview each other for 30-45 minutes. Helps you master the art of interviewing through live practice. Free of cost.
Coderbyte: Library of 300+ coding challenges. You can discuss solutions with the community. Over 10 programming languages supported. Access to solution guides with a subscription membership. $35/month or $150/year.
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AlgoExpert Review Final Thoughts: Is AlgoExpert Worth It?
AlgoExpert is a great option, but it isn’t the best one for everyone. If you’re looking for a community aspect where you can ask and answer questions about your code solutions, you might want to look elsewhere. This also isn’t for people just starting out on their coding journey.
In short, independent learners who enjoy detailed, tutorial-style video explanations will appreciate AlgoExpert. It’s great for someone with prior coding experience who’s ready to start job-hunting and wants to be interview-ready.
If you sign up for AlgoExpert, make sure to use AlgoExpert coupon code ltcwm for a 15% discount!