15 Best Free Coding Bootcamps in 2026

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median salary of $146,869 for software developers in 2024, with 17% projected job growth through 2034. The average paid coding bootcamp costs $13,584 (Course Report 2025), but you do not need to spend a dollar to start a career in tech. Fifteen programs now offer legitimate paths to employment at $0 upfront cost.

Free bootcamps operate on three distinct funding models. Truly free platforms like freeCodeCamp and The Odin Project are open-source and donor-funded, offering unlimited access with no repayment obligation. Grant-funded programs like Per Scholas, Year Up, and NPower receive corporate and philanthropic funding to train students at no cost, typically including career services and job placement support. ISA (Income Share Agreement) programs like App Academy charge nothing upfront but require a percentage of your post-graduation salary, typically 15-17% for 24-36 months after you earn above a threshold.

Each model has trade-offs. Truly free programs offer maximum flexibility but minimal career support. Grant-funded programs deliver structured training with placement services, but admission is competitive and availability varies by city. ISA programs provide the most intensive, bootcamp-style experience, but graduates may pay $25,000-$31,000 over the repayment period. For a detailed cost analysis across all program types, see our bootcamp cost guide. If you are weighing bootcamps against a traditional degree, our computer science degree programs guide covers the full landscape.

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Truly free bootcamps charge nothing upfront, nothing afterward, and have no hidden fees. They are funded by donations, open-source communities, or university endowments. The trade-off is that most provide no career services, no mentorship, and no structured schedule. Success depends entirely on your self-discipline and ability to build a portfolio independently.

freeCodeCamp is the largest and most comprehensive option, with 3,000+ hours of interactive curriculum covering everything from basic HTML to machine learning with Python. The platform is entirely browser-based and requires no software installation. Each of the 15 certification tracks requires building 5 projects, which means a student who completes even 2-3 tracks will have 10-15 portfolio projects to show employers. freeCodeCamp publishes transparent alumni outcome data and has documented over 40,000 graduates landing developer jobs.

The Odin Project takes a different pedagogical approach. Instead of guided tutorials, students read documentation, research solutions, and build projects from scratch. This "learning by doing" method produces developers who can problem-solve independently, a skill that employers consistently rank as more valuable than framework knowledge. The full-stack JavaScript track covers HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Node.js, React, and MongoDB. The Ruby on Rails track is an alternative for those interested in backend-heavy roles.

CS50 from Harvard is the world's most popular introductory computer science course, taught by David Malan. The 12-week curriculum covers C, Python, SQL, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and foundational CS concepts including algorithms, data structures, and memory management. It is available free on edX and YouTube. A verified certificate costs $149 but is not required. CS50 provides a stronger theoretical foundation than most bootcamps, making it an excellent starting point before specializing in web development or data science.

MIT OpenCourseWare offers the most academically rigorous free option, with complete university-level computer science courses including Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Using Python (6.0001), Mathematics for Computer Science (6.042J), and Introduction to Algorithms (6.006). These courses are used in MIT's actual degree program and provide depth that no bootcamp can match. The materials include lecture videos, problem sets, and exams with solutions. MIT OCW is best for learners who want to build deep CS fundamentals or are preparing for technical interviews at top companies.

Grant-funded bootcamps are the best-kept secret in tech education. These programs cost $0 to students because corporations, foundations, and government agencies fund the training. In return, graduates fill entry-level tech roles at sponsoring companies. The key advantage over truly free platforms: grant-funded programs include live instruction, structured schedules, career services, and employer connections that dramatically improve job placement outcomes.

Per Scholas is the most established grant-funded tech training organization in the US, operating since 1995 with 15+ campus locations. Programs span IT Support (CompTIA A+ prep), Cybersecurity (CompTIA Security+ prep), Software Engineering, and Cloud Administration (AWS). Corporate funders include Google, Barclays, BNY Mellon, and Citi. Per Scholas reports 80%+ job placement rates and average starting salaries above $50,000. Admission requires a technical aptitude assessment and interview, with priority given to individuals from underserved communities.

Year Up operates a unique model that combines 6 months of classroom instruction with a 6-month corporate internship at companies like JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, LinkedIn, and Salesforce. The program is free to students aged 18-29. Participants receive a weekly stipend during training and a paid internship in the second half. Year Up reports that 80%+ of graduates are employed or enrolled in postsecondary education within 4 months of completion. The internship component is the differentiator: many graduates receive full-time offers from their internship employers.

NPower provides free 16-22 week training in IT and cybersecurity for young adults (18-25) and military veterans. Operating in New York, New Jersey, Texas, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, and California, NPower includes CompTIA certification preparation, hands-on labs, and career coaching. The program focuses on underserved communities and reports strong placement rates in IT support and junior cybersecurity roles.

Resilient Coders is a 14-week software engineering bootcamp based in Boston that trains young adults from communities of color for careers in tech. The program is entirely free, includes a living stipend during training, and provides extensive post-graduation career support. Resilient Coders has a strong employer network in the Boston tech ecosystem and emphasizes building production-quality web applications during the program.

Pursuit (formerly Coalition for Queens) operates a 12-month software engineering program in New York City. While technically structured as an ISA (12% of salary for 36 months after earning $60K+), many students qualify for scholarships that eliminate the ISA entirely. Pursuit reports 90%+ placement rates and focuses on placing graduates at mid-to-large tech companies. The 12-month duration allows deeper coverage of computer science fundamentals, system design, and professional development than shorter programs.

Income Share Agreements (ISAs) are the most misunderstood funding model in tech education. The pitch sounds compelling: pay nothing upfront and only pay after you land a job earning above a salary threshold. However, the total cost of an ISA can exceed the sticker price of a paid bootcamp. Before signing an ISA, you need to understand the math.

App Academy ISA Terms: $0 upfront. After landing a qualifying job earning $50,000+ per year, you pay 15% of your gross salary for 36 months. On the average bootcamp graduate salary of $70,698 (Course Report 2025), that equals $10,605 per year, or $31,814 total over 3 years. App Academy caps total ISA payments at $31,000. In comparison, App Academy's upfront tuition is $17,000, meaning the ISA costs approximately $14,000 more than paying upfront.

Lambda School (BloomTech) ISA Terms: $0 upfront. You pay 17% of gross salary for 24 months after earning $50,000+. On a $70,698 salary, that equals $12,019 per year, or $24,037 total over 2 years. Lambda caps payments at approximately $30,000. Lambda's upfront tuition is $30,000, making the ISA comparable in total cost but spread over 2 years of payments.

Pursuit ISA Terms: $0 upfront for the 12-month program. You pay 12% of gross salary for 36 months after earning $60,000+. On a $70,698 salary, that equals $8,484 per year, or $25,451 total. Pursuit's higher salary threshold ($60K vs $50K) and lower percentage (12% vs 15-17%) make it the most favorable ISA among major programs. Many Pursuit students also qualify for scholarships that reduce or eliminate ISA obligations.

ISA Red Flags to Watch For: Be cautious of programs with ISA percentages above 17%, repayment periods longer than 36 months, salary thresholds below $40,000, or no payment cap. Verify that the ISA includes a termination clause (payments stop after a set number of months regardless of total paid). Ask whether the ISA transfers if you change jobs. Legitimate ISA programs publish their terms publicly and provide clear, written agreements before enrollment.

The Bottom Line on ISAs: ISAs remove the upfront financial barrier, which makes them valuable for students who cannot afford tuition. However, they are not "free." If you have savings or access to a loan at reasonable interest rates, paying upfront is almost always cheaper. ISAs are best viewed as a financing option, not a free program.

Free bootcamps remove the financial barrier to entry, but they raise the discipline barrier. Without tuition on the line, dropout rates for self-paced programs are significantly higher than paid bootcamps. Here is how to maximize your chances of landing a developer job through a free program.