The short list
These are the resources we could verify from official pages. Prices were checked on 30 October 2026; the struck-through prices on both paid sites show that promotions change often.
| Resource | Type | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tech Interview Handbook | Free guide | Free | Curated question lists including Grind 75, interview prep guidance, algorithm cheatsheets, resume guide and behavioral questions |
| LeetCode (free) | Problem bank | Free | Free questions and articles |
| LeetCode Premium | Problem bank plus extras | $35 a month (shown against $39) or $159 a year (shown against $299) | Premium questions and solutions, company-grouped questions, company mock assessments, debugger, autocomplete |
| Educative Grokking the Coding Interview Patterns | Pattern course | In Educative plans; Standard $149, Premium $199, Premium Plus $249 a year on sale | 1125 lessons, 579 quizzes, 28 coding patterns, 17 AI mock interviews listed on the course page |
| System Design Primer | Free system design guide | Free | Study guide by timeline, sample questions with solutions, Anki flashcard decks |
| Educative Grokking Modern System Design Interview | System design course | In Educative plans | 220 lessons across 52 modules, 147 quizzes, 10 AI mock interviews, a 14-lesson free module |
Free resources that cover more than you expect
The Tech Interview Handbook describes itself as free, curated technical interview preparation for busy engineers. It includes the Grind 75 question list, coding interview best practices, algorithm cheatsheets, a resume guide and behavioral questions. Its README also promotes paid courses, so treat those mentions as advertising.
LeetCode's FAQ confirms a free tier of questions and articles, with Premium adding exclusive questions on top. For system design, the System Design Primer is an open-source GitHub repository with a study guide that scales by how much time you have, sample interview questions with discussions and diagrams, and spaced-repetition Anki decks.
When paying makes sense
Pay for a specific gap, not for reassurance. LeetCode Premium's main extras are company-grouped questions, which LeetCode says it compiles from user surveys asking whether people saw a question in a real interview, plus timed company mock assessments. Those matter most in the last weeks before an interview at a company you know.
Educative fits a different gap: you can solve problems but do not see the pattern behind them. Its Grokking patterns course teaches 28 patterns with explanations and quizzes, and Premium adds 3 AI mock interviews a month (7 on Premium Plus). Our Grokking guide covers whether that course is worth it in detail.
| Paid option | Monthly | Annual | Pay for it if |
|---|---|---|---|
| LeetCode Premium | $35 | $159 | You have a target company and want its tagged questions and timed simulations |
| Educative Standard | $59 | $149 | You want written pattern lessons with in-browser exercises |
| Educative Premium | $99 | $199 | You also want AI mock interviews (3 a month) and projects |
| Educative Premium Plus | $129 | $249 | You want 7 AI mock interviews a month, an expert interview coach and Cloud Labs |
Match resources to your interview stage
For a week-by-week schedule built around one course, use our 12-week coding interview study plan rather than stacking several subscriptions.
| Stage | Goal | Free option | Paid option worth considering |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refresher (weeks 1 to 2) | Recall data structures and complexity | Tech Interview Handbook cheatsheets | None needed |
| Pattern learning (weeks 3 to 6) | Recognize problem types quickly | Grind 75 list worked by topic | Educative Grokking patterns course |
| Timed practice (weeks 7 to 10) | Solve unseen problems under time pressure | LeetCode free questions with a timer | LeetCode Premium simulations or Educative AI mock interviews |
| Company-specific (final 2 weeks) | Practice likely questions for one employer | Community question lists | LeetCode Premium company-grouped questions |
| System design (senior roles) | Structure a design answer | System Design Primer and its Anki decks | Educative Grokking Modern System Design Interview |
Budget plans and who should skip paying
- $0: Tech Interview Handbook plus LeetCode free questions plus the System Design Primer. Enough for many candidates with time to practice.
- About $35: one month of LeetCode Premium in the final weeks before a specific company's interview.
- About $149 to $199: a year of Educative Standard or Premium on sale if you need structured pattern lessons or mock interviews over several months.
- Skip paying if you already solve most medium problems in time and have no target company yet.
- Skip paying for both at once unless you will use company-tagged questions and pattern lessons in the same weeks.
- Check refund terms first: LeetCode says a cancelled subscription stays active to the end of the period, and Educative's FAQ says it does not refund cancelled subscriptions.
Questions before you decide
What is the best free coding interview prep website?
For a free start, combine the Tech Interview Handbook, which includes the Grind 75 list and cheatsheets, with LeetCode's free questions and the open-source System Design Primer.
Is LeetCode Premium worth it?
It is most useful near an interview with a known company: Premium adds company-grouped questions compiled from user surveys and timed company mock assessments. It cost $35 a month or $159 a year on 30 October 2026.
Should I buy Educative or LeetCode for interview prep?
Educative suits learning the patterns behind problems through written lessons; LeetCode suits high-volume practice and company-specific questions. Many candidates need only one, depending on their gap.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- LeetCode: Premium subscription page and FAQ Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Educative: Grokking the Coding Interview Patterns course page Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Educative: Grokking Modern System Design Interview course page (includes founder biography) Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Educative: Unlimited plans, prices and Compare Plans table Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- GitHub: Tech Interview Handbook (yangshun/tech-interview-handbook) Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- GitHub: The System Design Primer (donnemartin/system-design-primer) Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Educative: Subscription FAQ Accessed 30 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.