freeCodeCamp vs Harvard CS50:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, freeCodeCamp had more branded searches than Harvard CS50 among online coding platforms worldwide. freeCodeCamp had about 368,000 branded searches, while Harvard CS50 had 107,000. freeCodeCamp made up 8.5% of all online coding platform searches we track, and Harvard CS50 accounted for 2.5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about online coding platforms, freeCodeCamp appeared in all five answers and Harvard CS50 in three. freeCodeCamp was mentioned before Harvard CS50 in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
freeCodeCamp, about 3 searches for every 1 for Harvard CS50
Who does AI mention more?
freeCodeCamp, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
freeCodeCamp, named ahead of Harvard CS50 in every answer
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Top online coding platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, freeCodeCamp appeared in all five answers. Harvard CS50 was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. freeCodeCamp was listed before Harvard CS50 in every answer.
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 freeCodeCamp or Harvard CS50 more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for freeCodeCamp and Harvard CS50 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 freeCodeCamp, Harvard CS50. 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 freeCodeCamp and Harvard CS50 comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- freeCodeCamp was ahead of Harvard CS50 in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, freeCodeCamp’s share of searches among online coding platforms worldwide moved from 8.6% to 8.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 301K to 368K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Harvard CS50’s share of searches among online coding platforms worldwide moved from 2.7% to 2.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 96.2K to 107K.
How did search popularity change for online coding platforms worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
Estimated monthly branded searches for freeCodeCamp worldwide rose 22.3% over 12 measured months, from 301K to 368K in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Harvard CS50 worldwide rose 11.3% over 12 measured months, from 96.2K to 107K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using freeCodeCamp’s and Harvard CS50’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.
freeCodeCamp
1 branded search term
- freecodecamp
Harvard CS50
2 branded search terms
- cs50
- harvard cs50
Other head-to-heads among online coding platforms
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