Two different products
Educative's Grokking the Coding Interview Patterns is a course: the page says it organizes "the entire coding interview around 28 fundamental patterns" and lists 1,125 lessons, 579 quizzes and about 85 hours, in C#, C++, Go, Java, JavaScript and Python. You read an explanation of a pattern, then solve problems that use it.
LeetCode is a problem bank with an online judge. Its Top Interview 150 study plan groups problems by topic, from Array / String and Two Pointers to 1D DP and Multidimensional DP, and lets you sign in to track progress. Premium adds extra content and tools on top of that bank.
| Educative (Grokking course) | LeetCode | |
|---|---|---|
| Core format | Text lessons with in-browser coding and quizzes | Problem statements, code editor and judge |
| Teaching | Explains each pattern before practice | Problems first; solutions and discussion alongside |
| Free access | Preview lessons; trial excludes interview prep courses | Study plan lists viewable; sign in to track progress |
| Paid price (30 Oct 2026) | Standard $59 a month or $149 a year (annual labelled 50% off) | Premium $35 a month (shown against $39) or $159 a year (shown against $299) |
| Mock interviews | Premium plan: 3 AI mock interviews a month | Premium: interview simulations with timed company questions |
| Refunds | Educative FAQ: no refunds | Check LeetCode's FAQ before subscribing |
What LeetCode Premium adds
None of these teach a pattern from scratch. They make practice more targeted once you know what you are practising.
- Company-specific interview questions, sortable by role, time or frequency.
- Premium content such as locked questions, Explore cards and premium solutions.
- Interview simulations: choose a company and get a timed question.
- Priority judging the page calls Lightning Judge, plus a debugger, autocomplete and unlimited playgrounds.
- Extra monthly credits for Ask Leet, its coding assistant.
How the topic lists line up
Comparing the two published outlines shows how naturally they pair. Most Grokking pattern chapters have a matching Top Interview 150 section you can use for extra drilling.
| Educative pattern chapter | Matching Top Interview 150 section |
|---|---|
| Two Pointers | Two Pointers |
| Sliding Window | Sliding Window |
| Intervals | Intervals |
| Modified Binary Search | Binary Search |
| Top K Elements; Two Heaps | Heap |
| Tree Depth-First Search; Tree Breadth-First Search | Binary Tree General; Binary Tree BFS |
| Backtracking | Backtracking |
| Dynamic Programming | 1D DP; Multidimensional DP |
| Trie | Trie |
| Hash Maps | Hashmap |
| Stacks; Matrices; Bitwise Manipulation | Stack; Matrix; Bit Manipulation |
Combined plans by interview timeline
Shape each week the same way: learn one or two patterns, solve their matching problems, then end the week with a mixed set drawn from earlier patterns so you must recognise the pattern yourself. Our interleaved practice guide explains why mixed sets matter.
| Time to interview | Educative | LeetCode | Cost at 30 Oct 2026 prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 weeks | Skip a new course | Free study plan: your two weakest sections, then mixed review | $0 |
| 6 weeks | One Standard month for pattern lessons in weeks 1-4 | Free problems from the matching section after each pattern | $59 |
| 6 weeks, company-targeted | One Standard month | One Premium month in weeks 5-6 for company questions and simulations | $94 |
| 3+ months | Standard annual if you will also use other courses | Premium yearly only if company tags matter | $149 to $308 |
Who should pick which
Educative does not refund subscriptions and excludes interview prep courses from its free trial, so check the free preview lessons of the Grokking course before paying. We have not tested either service; this comparison uses their public pages read on 30 October 2026.
- Pick Educative first if you freeze on new problems because you do not know where to start; the course teaches a decision framework before drilling.
- Pick LeetCode alone if you already recognise common patterns and need speed and volume.
- Add LeetCode Premium if you are targeting specific companies and want their tagged questions and timed simulations.
- Skip both paid tiers if your interview is in days; the free study plan is enough to rehearse.
Questions before you decide
Is LeetCode free?
Its study plans such as Top Interview 150 can be viewed without paying, and you sign in to track progress. Premium adds company-tagged questions, premium solutions and interview simulations for $35 a month or $159 a year as listed on 30 October 2026.
Do I need Educative Premium for Grokking?
The Compare Plans table shows Grokking courses with no exclusion mark on Standard. Premium adds AI mock interviews and projects; confirm the specific course before buying.
Can I try the Grokking course on Educative's free trial?
Educative's trial page said interview prep courses are excluded from the free trial offer. Use the free preview lessons instead.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- Educative: Grokking the Coding Interview Patterns course page Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Educative: Unlimited plans and Compare Plans table Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Educative: free trial page Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Educative: Subscription FAQ Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- LeetCode: Premium subscription page Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- LeetCode: Top Interview 150 study plan Accessed 30 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.