Founded in late 2013, DataCamp is an educational platform that offers courses for data science and programming enthusiasts. In this DataCamp review, we’ll take a closer look at the company, its courses, and its pricing.
The global data market is expected to double in size within the next few years, so the demand for data science experts will inevitably grow. Whether you’re looking to enter the world of data science or further improve your knowledge of the subject, DataCamp may be a perfect solution.
Pros & Cons
Pricing Plans
Basic Plan
Free
A sample of all offers
First chapters accessible
Three sets of coding tasks
Business Plan
$25
Billed monthly, per member
Professional plan
Enterprise plan
Negotiable Price
Standard Plan
$149.04
Billed annually
Access to all the courses and tracks
Unlimited number of coding tasks
Unlimited skill assessments
Premium Plan
$399
Billed annually
Standard plan features
Over 180 coding projects
Access to the Oracle, Tableau, and Power BI content
DataCamp is a massive open online course (MOOC) platform which specializes in the field of data science. The platform has had more than 7 million learners from more than 180 countries, many of them leading tech companies looking to improve their teams’ skills. Some of the companies using DataCamp include Intel, eBay, Google, PayPal, and Uber.
DataCamp Course Reviews
The platform currently offers more than 300 courses, covering topics ranging from programming and data engineering to machine learning and applied finance. Among other things, students can learn how to use spreadsheets to analyze data, visualize data without the need to have any coding skills, and perform A/B testing to answer probability questions.
DataCamp’s courses primarily focus on the following programming languages:
- Python
- R
- SQL
DataCamp Python Review
Python is one of the most commonly used programming languages nowadays. It’s the language of choice of world-famous platforms such as Google, YouTube, Instagram, and Reddit. It should thus come as no surprise that Python courses are among the most popular on the platform.
Because Python isn’t that complicated to master, more and more students with no programming experience are opting to learn it. The DataCamp Introduction to Python course is particularly popular, with more than 2.7 million learners so far. Taught by the company’s own data scientist Hugo Bowne-Anderson, this four-part course includes 11 lectures and 57 practical exercises.
In this course, you’ll first hear about the basics of Python before learning how to manipulate lists using this programming language. After that, you’ll learn how to use packages and more complex functions. Finally, you’ll have a chance to practice your skills using Python-based tools to explore datasets.
DataCamp R Review
R is a language typically used in statistical software development and data analysis. For this reason, it’s the go-to choice of many data miners and statisticians. With this programming language, you can manipulate data structures like data frames, matrices, and vectors.
DataCamp offers many courses on R programming, but their Introduction to R is certainly the most popular. More than 1.7 million students have attended this six-chapter course so far. Created and taught by DataCamp’s co-founder Jonathan Cornelissen, the course comprises 62 practical exercises to help students understand all the benefits of working with this language.
DataCamp SQL Review
SQL is a database language primarily used to communicate with relational databases – tables filled with raw data in need of processing. Companies such as Uber, Netflix, and LinkedIn use this language to manipulate, analyze, and extract data from their vast databases. This, in turn, allows them to better understand their customers and make more informed business decisions.
DataCamp’s Introduction to SQL is a great place to start with this language. Created by the company’s product manager Nick Carchedi, this four-part course consists of 41 exercises that will help you hone your newly acquired SQL skills. Seeing as 55.8% of data analyst jobs have SQL database knowledge among their key requirements, this course could seriously boost your career prospects.
How Does DataCamp Work?
Like all online learning platforms, DataCamp allows you the flexibility of learning, taking the courses, and doing the exercises at your own pace.
Once you’ve registered an account, you’ll have to fill out a survey about yourself and your programming preferences. After that, you get to choose the language you want to learn – R, Python, or SQL. Finally, there’s a skill assessment test you can take to find out which course is the ideal place for you to start.
If you don’t have any prior experience with your chosen language, you can start with one of the introductory courses reviewed above. Apart from individual courses, DataCamp offers two useful features: Career Track and Skill Track.
DataCamp Career Track Review
The Career Track feature comprises several collections of courses compiled by certified industry experts. They’ve picked these courses to help students master the skills necessary for starting a career in a specific field.
There are currently 14 career tracks on the platform. For example, there’s a Data Scientist track with 19 courses total, which should take you about 76 hours to complete. Similarly, there’s a 62-hour Python Programmer track with a total of 16 courses.
DataCamp Skill Track Review
Like Career Track, the Skill Track feature is also made up of course collections curated by experts. However, rather than getting you ready for a career in a specific field, these programs focus on individual skills. As such, they comprise fewer courses and take less time to master. DataCamp’s skill tracks include a 12-hour Data Visualization track (3 courses), a 20-hour Data Manipulation track (5 courses), and a 30-hour Applied Finance track (7 courses), among others.
DataCamp for Business Reviews
If you’re a business owner looking to upgrade your team’s skills, DataCamp offers two packages designed specifically for this purpose:
Professional–Designed for small teams of 5+ users, this plan gives you access to all the courses, tracks, and practices. You also get to assign admin roles to your team members, track everyone’s progress, and create custom assignments. This plan doesn’t include the platform’s Oracle, PowerBI, and Tableau content.
Enterprise–Ideal for larger teams of 25+ users, this package includes all the perks of the Professional plan, along with access to Tableau, PowerBI, and Oracle courses. You can also create custom tracks, export your team’s data to Excel sheets, and work with one of the company’s success managers.
DataCamp Certification
Although many people enroll in online courses for the sake of knowledge, most like to have some proof of their effort, which they can later show to an employer.
While neither DataCamp nor its courses are certified, you’ll receive a free Statement of Accomplishment for every course and track you complete on the platform. These statements alone might not help you land a better-paying job, but they’ll certainly look good on your resume.
To download or share your certificates on LinkedIn, go to your Dashboard, and click on the Completed tab. There, you’ll see the list of all the courses and tracks you’ve finished and the option to access the Statement of Accomplishment for each of them.
DataCamp Instructors
If you want to teach on DataCamp, you need to meet several requirements. First of all, you must be an expert in your field and be passionate about sharing your knowledge and experience.
Before you get started, you’ll work with one of DataCamp’s Curriculum Leads, who will help you map out and record a short introductory video. If the powers that be like your video and what you have to offer to students, you’ll get the green light to start creating your first course.
When creating their first course, DataCamp instructors have to offer something new, something that students can’t find on the platform already. So if the topic you’re teaching has already been covered, think of how you can approach it in a new and interesting way. There are no rules as to how long it will take you to prepare your first course. The platform suggests setting aside 10–30 hours over the course of up to two months to create and record your lectures. That should give you enough time to make sure your materials are up to par.
DataCamp Review: Ease of Use
Creating an account on DataCamp is as simple as it gets. Apart from using your email and password, you can make the process faster by signing up with your LinkedIn, Google, or Facebook account. You’ll then be asked to choose your preferred language and take an assessment test, as explained earlier.
DataCamp’s website is very well-designed and easy to navigate. Hovering over the Learn option at the top of the screen opens a drop-down menu with the list of most popular courses, tracks, and instructors. Click on See All in any of these categories, and you’ll see the full list, which you can filter by subject and technology (in the case of courses and tracks).
DataCamp Pricing and Plans
For all individuals looking to hone their programming skills, DataCamp offers three options:
Free–This plan is just a sampler of what DataCamp has to offer. With it, you can access the first chapters of each course, three sets of coding tasks, and one skill assessment.
Standard–The most popular plan on the platform, Standard gives you access to all the courses and tracks. You can also solve an unlimited number of coding tasks and take as many skill assessments as you want. All this will cost you $149.04 per year, which comes down to $12.42 per month.
Premium–If you opt for Premium, your DataCamp subscription will include everything you’d get with the Standard plan, plus a set of more than 80 coding projects. You’ll also get access to the platform’s Oracle, Tableau, and Power BI content. This will cost you $399 per year, or $33.25 per month.
If you choose one of DataCamp’s business plans, here’s how much it’ll cost you:
Professional–With this plan, you’ll pay based on the number of members your team has. For each team member, you’ll have to pay $25 per month.
Enterprise–This plan’s price varies based on your team’s size and the number of hours you want to subscribe to. For the exact rate, you’ll have to contact DataCamp.
While DataCamp’s business subscription plans are billed monthly, individual plans are billed annually. This means that your credit card will be charged for the full annual price at the beginning of your subscription. All subscriptions renew automatically, so your credit card will be charged again on the same date the following year. If you don’t want to extend your subscription, you’ll have to cancel it before the next billing date. The platform often has discounts and special offers, so it’s always best to visit their website for the most accurate price information.
What Is DataCamp’s Refund Policy?
Because DataCamp is a subscription-based service, you can’t ask for a refund for any part of the subscription you haven’t yet used. If you want to end your subscription, you can go ahead and cancel it. However, rather than receiving a refund for the days or months you have left on your current plan, your account will stay active until the end date of your subscription.
DataCamp Online Ratings
If online reviews are anything to go by, the platform’s users seem to be very happy with it. On G2, DataCamp holds an average rating of 4.4/5 based on 42 user reviews. What’s more, students have awarded the platform’s ease of use a very high 9.4/10 rating, which is higher than average for online learning platforms (9.1). They cite the well-structured courses, numerous hands-on practices, and the two track features as some of DataCamp’s best qualities.
DataCamp’s ratings on SwitchUp are equally impressive: the platform averages 4.5/5 based on 59 reviews. Users are mostly impressed with the platform’s selection of introductory courses, which helped them become familiar with the programming languages of their choice before further improving their skills. They also point out that the course materials are very up-to-date, allowing them to immediately put to practice all the new skills they’ve acquired on the site.
DataCamp Pros and Cons
Let’s take a quick look at the pros and cons of using DataCamp to acquire and upgrade your programming skills.
Pros
Simplicity – In addition to the platform’s clean and intuitive design with well-organized information, the registration process is very simple. With the assessment test you’re asked to take as soon as you register, it’s very easy to find the perfect course for you.
Engaging lessons – DataCamp’s courses usually combine video lectures and reading materials with practical exercises. This ensures that students stay engaged throughout the course while also giving them an opportunity to practice their skills.
Certifications – All students receive DataCamp certificates for each completed course or track. While employers don’t officially recognize these certificates, they can help strengthen your resume and improve your chances of finding a job in the tech field.
Pricing – The platform’s pricing policy is very straightforward, and there are no hidden fees. When you visit the website, click on the Pricing tab at the top of the page, and you’ll see the most up-to-date pricing information.
Cons
Only the first chapter for free users – Most online platforms offer a selection of free courses or at least give you the option of auditing a course for free. With DataCamp, you can only access the first chapter of a course as a free user.
DataCamp Alternatives
While DataCamp is certainly not the only online learning platform out there, it stands out from the rest because of its niche approach. Rather than offering thousands of courses on a variety of topics, the platform focuses exclusively on programming.
Platforms like Udemy, Udacity, and Coursera, among others, also offer courses in programming. But by narrowing down its focus to R, SQL, Python, and a few other languages, DataCamp wants to ensure that its students are getting the best education possible in this specific field.
DataCamp Review: Value for Money
DataCamp has quickly positioned itself as one of the leading online learning platforms in the field of data science. Although it doesn’t offer any entirely free courses, its pricing plans are very reasonable, especially if your goal is to upgrade your programming skills and improve your career prospects.
With its well-organized and well-presented course materials, numerous practical exercises, and many useful DataCamp projects, this platform is ideal for those who want to not only learn new skills but also put them to practice immediately.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a newbie, a tech professional, or a business owner. If you want to make your first steps in the world of data science, upgrade your existing skills, or help your team stay up-to-date with the latest technologies, DataCamp is definitely worth your time and money. Also, you can always check some other coding bootcamps.