MDN Web Docs
Worth it
Confidence: High
MDN is the free, industry-standard reference for HTML, CSS, and web APIs . every web developer should have it open.
Comparison
MDN Web Docs lands on Worth it, and Codecademy lands on Depends.
MDN is the free, industry-standard reference for HTML, CSS, and web APIs . every web developer should have it open.
Start free if you're an absolute beginner wanting structured, interactive lessons . multiple sources say it works well for that.
| Compare | MDN Web Docs | Codecademy |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Worth it | Depends |
| Best for | Web developers needing canonical reference docs | Absolute beginners learning to code |
| Who it's not for | Non-technical buyers . this is raw documentation, not a tool | Experienced devs . Reddit critics find exercises too basic |
| Privacy | No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed; only a minor scanner flag on cache headers.10 | No major public breaches found in reviewed sources; Open Bug Bounty lists reported vulnerabilities marked patched. |
| Support quality | Community documentation, no support channel evidence | Trustpilot cites customer service and billing complaints. |
| Public sentiment | Users overwhelmingly treat MDN as the essential web reference, though a vocal minority finds it dense for beginners.⁴ | Beginners often praise the structured interactive lessons, while detractors call Pro overpriced, shallow, and backed by weak support.13 |
| Biggest gotcha | MDN Plus is a paid add-on; core docs stay free . don't pay unless you need extras² | Trustpilot users complain about subscription billing and customer service responsiveness13 |