Best Resources to Learn Web Development Basics [Free]

It’s no secret that one of the best skills you can acquire today is web development. Even just the basics can open new doors of opportunity for your career.

Instead of watching Netflix or hanging out with your buddies, just dedicating 30 minutes per day to learning web development consistently could easily allow you to gain the knowledge you need.

If you’re wondering whether it’s possible to learn web development basics from home for free, the answer is yes! In this article, we have offered valuable insights that will help you to figure out the web development basics from home. Read on to learn more.

Where Can I Learn Web Development Basics for Free?

The internet has thousands of websites promising to teach you how to learn web development basics from home for free. But riddled with inconsistencies, most of the sites present a confusing learning journey. Here, we discuss five websites that systematically provide free web development courses.

• Codeacademy: This online learning place provides an interactive environment where you can write code and test it online. They have beginner coding classes for mark-up languages like HTML and CSS and ten other back-end programming languages (Ruby, Python, Java, JavaScript, etc.). They also provide SQL basics for databases.
  
  
• W3Schools: W3Schools is the largest web developer site. It is extremely extensive from basics to the niche, they cover it all. Their lessons are straightforward and well structured with clear instruction. It’s easy to use, they help you learn from multiple angles, theoretical and practical. There are even explanations, examples and you can try “topics” out for yourself and see what happens.
  
  
• Practicum by Yandex: Practicum is one of the newer platforms for learning web development. The 20-hour intro course is completely free and designed for those who haven’t yet decided on a career path and want to try their hand at web development. We’ve found its clean design and intuitive UX to be the best out of the listed resources – which makes it very enjoyable to use. The course focuses on the basics of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. You get 24/7 support to help you overcome roadblocks and you can even join their Slack community from additional assistance and collaboration.

• Mozilla Developer Network: Created by the developers of the Mozilla Firefox browser, this website teaches you web development from sketching to hosting. It uses articles and tutorials during explanations.
  
  
• Coursera: Coursera provides more than 3,500 courses from universities around the globe. You can learn web development as well as the basics of computer science. While learning is free, you must pay to get a certificate.
  
  
• Khan Academy: If you prefer being guided by an expert when learning web development, Khan Academy is the right resource for you. It provides videos and audios by experts. They also present you with an interactive screen for writing code and showing code output in real-time for free.
  
  
• MIT OpenCourseWare: Presenting over 100 courses curated by masters of tech (MIT), this resource takes you beneath the surface of web development. It has self-guided beginner courses as well as graduate courses.
  
  
• HTML5 Rocks: Created by Google, this platform offers a wide range of tutorials and articles on all manner of web development topics. This learning platform is not only intended for beginner audiences, but it’s also intended to help intermediate and advanced developers.

Aside from the above six websites, there are many others that offer free web development courses. Be sure to compare different sites to find the one that you like. 

How Can I Learn Web Development On My Own?

Web development is a craft – you learn it by doing rather than reading about it.

To learn web development on your own, understand that its divisions are front-end and back-end.

The front end part requires knowledge in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, while the back-end requires heavy-weight languages such as PHP, Python, Ruby, C++, among others. Tutorials and online courses from the sources we discussed can help pick up the basics.

After following a tutorial and getting the basics, follow the following steps:

• Imagine a web project that interests you. It can be anything – a login system, pets’ websites. Use your tutorial knowledge to try building it.
• Mess up and find solutions. Sources of solutions are diverse, including videos, tutorials, and Stack Overflow. Remember, solving problems is the fastest way of learning.
• Once your project is complete, learn to use a framework. In frameworks, everyday web development tasks like signup, login, and database connections come implemented. There are frameworks for PHP, JavaScript, and Python. You can also use a CMS such as WordPress.
• Take on another project. Use the same framework or learn a new one. Be sure to be working on something interesting to keep yourself motivated. Do not be shy to ask questions on online developer forums.

Is Web Development Hard? How Long Will It Take To Learn Web Development?

Web development is neither hard nor easy. To pivot it to the smooth side, understand web development core concepts. Understand how front-end works through HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, then proceed to the back-end.

The time taken to learn web development basics from home varies from person to person. Experts agree that if you dedicate four hours per day, you can learn web development in three to four months.

However, experienced web developers have years of learning. If you want to be a pro web developer, you should be ready to commit yourself to years of training – like our awesome team of web experts!

What’s the Difference Between UI/UX Design & Web Development?

The difference between a UI/UX design and web development is pretty simple.

UI/UX design is much more focused on the visual & aesthetics elements of a website and physically creating those elements – whereas web development is the creation and manipulation of the code that allows the website to operate in the way that you want it to.

Artistic and creatively oriented people tend to be better suited for UI/UX design whereas people drawn to problem solving and logic are web developers.

Is HTML Worth Learning?

Yes is the most straightforward answer.

While HTML was a mark-up language for static web pages in the past, improvements in HTML5 has given it many uses. Every website uses HTML. Some phone and desktop apps, custom software, smart TVs, and games use HTML and CSS. If you are planning to get into a career focused on UI (User Interface), HTML is a must-have. 

Web development entails creating beautiful interfaces that retain users. Since CSS and JavaScript rely on the mark-up language, HTML is the most valuable thing you can learn in web development.

Start Building Your Web Development Career

If you’re a good self-learner and were born with coding sense, then there is no limit to what you can do as far as web development is concerned. You can learn to create stuff like websites, games, and mobile apps while at the comfort of your home and at your own pace.

Over 380 websites go online every minute.

Web development is a vast, growing field that requires new talent. With resources on how to learn web development from home for free increasing, it’s easier than ever to get started. Start learning web development basics from home for free today!