Exercism vs LeetCode:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, LeetCode had more branded searches than Exercism among online coding platforms worldwide. LeetCode had about 3.4 million branded searches, while Exercism had 60,500. LeetCode made up 77.2% of all online coding platform searches we track, and Exercism accounted for 1.4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about online coding platforms, LeetCode appeared in two of the five answers and Exercism in one. LeetCode was mentioned before Exercism in every answer that named either.
Who do people search for more?
LeetCode, about 55 searches for every 1 for Exercism
Who does AI mention more?
LeetCode, mentioned in 2 of 5 answers, Exercism in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
LeetCode, named ahead of Exercism in 2 of 2 answers
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Top online coding platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, LeetCode was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Exercism was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. LeetCode was listed before Exercism in every answer that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
freeCodeCamp1st
Codecademy2nd
Harvard CS503rd- LeetCode4th
The Odin Project5th
Scrimba6th
Exercism7th
DataCamp–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- freeCodeCamp5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Codecademy5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Scrimba4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Harvard CS503 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- LeetCode2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- The Odin Project2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Exercism1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- DataCamp0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about online coding platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which online coding platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best online coding platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best online coding platform for learning to code?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“online coding platforms”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“coding lessons online”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Exercism or LeetCode more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Exercism and LeetCode by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight online coding platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for LeetCode, Exercism. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | LeetCode | freeCodeCamp | DataCamp | Codecademy | Harvard CS50 | Exercism | The Odin Project | Scrimba |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 63.7% | 8.6% | 7% | 12.8% | 2.7% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 1.4% |
| Nov 2025 | 63.5% | 8.5% | 8.5% | 12.8% | 2.3% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 1.1% |
| Dec 2025 | 67.2% | 9% | 6% | 11% | 2.5% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.2% |
| Jan 2026 | 68.1% | 9.2% | 5% | 11.2% | 2.5% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1% |
| Feb 2026 | 66% | 8.9% | 5.9% | 13.3% | 2% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 0.98% |
| Mar 2026 | 65% | 10.7% | 4.8% | 13% | 2% | 2.1% | 1.4% | 0.96% |
| Apr 2026 | 67.6% | 11.1% | 6.1% | 7.4% | 2.8% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 1.2% |
| May 2026 | 68.3% | 11.2% | 6.1% | 6.1% | 3.3% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.2% |
| Jun 2026 | 72.9% | 9.8% | 5.4% | 4.4% | 2.9% | 2% | 1.6% | 1.1% |
| Jul 2026 | 77.4% | 8.5% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 2.5% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 0.94% |
| Aug 2026 | 76.6% | 8.4% | 4.6% | 3.8% | 2.6% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 0.93% |
| Sep 2026 | 77.2% | 8.5% | 4.6% | 3.8% | 2.5% | 1.4% | 1.1% | 0.93% |
How has the Exercism and LeetCode comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- LeetCode was ahead of Exercism in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Exercism’s share of searches among online coding platforms worldwide moved from 2.1% to 1.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 74K to 60.5K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, LeetCode’s share of searches among online coding platforms worldwide moved from 63.7% to 77.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.2M to 3.4M.
How did search popularity change for online coding platforms worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, LeetCode gained share of searches among online coding platforms worldwide, from 76.6% to 77.2%.
Exercism’s share of searches among online coding platforms worldwide has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 2% to 1.4% in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Exercism’s and LeetCode’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among online coding platforms
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