Paid courses are great, but you can absolutely prepare for coding interviews without spending a dime. The free resources available today are incredibly high quality.
This guide covers the best free resources for every aspect of coding interview preparation.
| Area | Resource | Why It's Great |
|---|---|---|
| DSA Learning | NeetCode YouTube | Video explanations for 150+ problems |
| DSA Practice | LeetCode | 4,000+ free problems |
| Roadmap | Grind 75 | Customizable study schedule |
| System Design | System Design Primer | Comprehensive GitHub repo |
| Behavioral | Tech Interview Handbook | Complete free guide |
| Mock Interviews | Pramp | Free peer practice |
What it is: Free YouTube channel with video explanations for 150+ LeetCode problems.
Why it's great:
Link: youtube.com/@NeetCode
Also check:
What it is: The standard platform for coding interview practice.
Free features:
What's Premium-only:
Link: leetcode.com
What it is: Curated problem lists with customizable schedules.
Grind 75 features:
Link: techinterviewhandbook.org/grind75
What it is: Complete CS study plan created by a self-taught engineer who got into Amazon.
What it covers:
Link: github.com/jwasham/coding-interview-university
What it is: Open-source repository with everything you need for system design.
What it covers:
Link: github.com/donnemartin/system-design-primer
What it is: YouTube channel with beautifully animated system design explanations.
Topics covered:
Link: youtube.com/@ByteByteGo
What it is: Deep technical dives into databases, networking, and backend systems.
Covers:
Link: youtube.com/c/HusseinNasser-software-engineering
What it is: Free website covering all aspects of tech interview prep.
Behavioral content:
Link: techinterviewhandbook.org
What it is: Amazon's official LP page—essential for Amazon interviews.
Link: amazon.jobs/principles
What it is: Free peer-to-peer mock interview platform.
How it works:
Why it's great:
Link: pramp.com
What it is: Forum attached to every LeetCode problem.
Use for:
What it is: AI-powered Chrome extension for LeetCode hints.
Free features:
Link: leetcopilot.dev
Use for:
Warning: Don't use to cheat—use to learn.
| Week | Focus | Resource |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Basics | Coding Interview University |
| 3-6 | Core patterns | NeetCode YouTube + LeetCode |
| 7-10 | Grind 75 | Free roadmap |
| 11-12 | Mock interviews | Pramp |
| Week | Focus | Resource |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Grind 75 core | LeetCode + NeetCode |
| 3 | System Design | SD Primer |
| 4 | Mocks + Review | Pramp |
| Resource | Focus | Depth | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| NeetCode YT | DSA | High | Excellent |
| LeetCode Free | Practice | Very High | Excellent |
| Grind 75 | Roadmap | Medium | Excellent |
| SD Primer | System Design | High | Excellent |
| Pramp | Mock Interviews | Medium | Good |
| Tech Interview HB | All | Medium | Excellent |
Free is great, but consider paid if:
Best value paid options:
Can I really prepare for FAANG for free?
Yes! NeetCode + LeetCode + Grind 75 + Pramp covers everything except company-specific data.
What's the best free resource for beginners?
NeetCode YouTube for learning, Grind 75 for roadmap.
Is LeetCode free enough?
For most people, yes. Premium adds company tags and frequency data.
How many problems should I solve?
100-150 well-understood problems > 500 rushed ones.
You don't need expensive courses to prepare for coding interviews.
Essential free stack:
This combination covers everything you need for most tech interviews.
Good luck—now go get that offer!
LeetCopilot is a free browser extension that enhances your LeetCode practice with AI-powered hints, personalized study notes, and realistic mock interviews — all designed to accelerate your coding interview preparation.
Also compatible with Edge, Brave, and Opera
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