Hi, I’m Brian, a former senior software engineer and now industry mentor at Pathrise. I have worked with hundreds of software engineers to help them land their dream jobs in tech. Check out my article where I compare Leetcode vs HackerRank.
- Similarities and differences between LeetCode vs HackerRank
- Topics offered on LeetCode vs HackerRank
- Prices for LeetCode vs HackerRank
- Ratings and reviews of LeetCode vs HackerRank
- Alternatives to LeetCode vs HackerRank
- How do LeetCode vs HackerRank compare to Pathrise?
Similarities and differences between LeetCode and HackerRank
LeetCode and HackerRank are popular platforms for software engineers who are looking to practice for their technical interviews.
Similarities
- Users can filter by topic and skill level.
- Both services offer an in-browser coding window so users can solve problems directly on the site.
- Companies use both LeetCode and HackerRank to find qualified developers through sponsored challenges, leader boards, and discussion sections.
- LeetCode & HackerRank have additional support through articles (LeetCode) and tutorials (HackerRank) for users who need help on certain topics.
Differences
- Many companies use HackerRank as their main assessment tool for technical screenings and remote interviews.
- HackerRank offers certification challenges, which gives users the ability to certify their expertise in specific skills. Some challenges are in problem solving, Java, React, Python, and Javascript.
- LeetCode has mock interview sessions that users can participate in to mimic the environment and experience of a technical screen with a company.
- Users currently looking for a job can use the job board offered by HackerRank.
- The discussion board on LeetCode is a very robust space for users and experts to discuss optimal solutions, varying approaches, and anything else related to software engineering.
Topics offered on LeetCode and HackerRank
Both LeetCode and HackerRank offer a variety of topics for software engineers to practice including the following and much more:
- Arrays
- String
- Math
- Trees
- Binary search
- Hash tables
- Breadth first search
- Linked lists
Prices for LeetCode and HackerRank
There are some free questions and solutions on LeetCode. But, for the most part, a subscription is necessary in order to fully make use of the service. Users can subscribe to a monthly package for $35 per month (down from $39). Alternatively, they can choose the annual package for $159 per year (down from $299). Premium users have access to more questions, solutions, more accurate company problem sets, and question sorting by prevalence.
For users, HackerRank is free. They make their money from the companies that use their platform to assess candidates. Users need to sign up for a profile in order to access the questions.
Ratings and reviews of LeetCode and HackerRank
LeetCode has become the most common place for candidates to practice software engineering interview questions. Moreover, the vast majority of reviews are positive. People praise LeetCode specifically for the organization and tagging of their questions. In addition, people appreciate the solution articles provided and the robust discussion board.
HackerRank users enjoy working through the problems on the platform, but some feel that they are too much like puzzles and not enough like the real work that a software engineer will do. People have also felt that their solutions are too narrow and they do not leave room for different types of answers to the questions, which can prove frustrating for people who want to practice and learn new ways to solve a problem.
Alternatives to LeetCode and HackerRank
If you decide not to use LeetCode or HackerRank to practice for your software engineering interviews, there are a fair number of similar services that you can use:
- A good alternative is AlgoExpert, which has practice questions that cover a variety of interview topics.
- Created by a former Google software engineer, Interview Cake is a study tool that teaches people the right way to think about technical questions so they do well in interviews. Read more about Interview Cake in our review.
- Coderbyte hosts an online editor and offers tens of thousands of user solutions. Learn more about Coderbyte in our review.
- Similarly, Edabit also hosts online editors and provides access to tens of thousands of user solutions.
- CodinGame, Codewars, CodeSignal, and Code Kata use challenges to gamify interview practice problems.
- If you are looking to participate in mock interviews with software engineers at top tech companies, you should check out Interviewing.io. Learn more about Interviewing.io in our review.
- Similarly, Pramp and Gainlo are interview prep tools that allow software engineers to conduct mock interviews with their peers.
- Daily Coding Problem is a newsletter that sends 1 practice interview problem directly to your inbox each day. The questions are free, but users must subscribe to access the solutions.
- Finally, software engineers who use Ruby on Rails can check out RubyTapas, which has challenges in that language.
How do LeetCode and HackerRank compare to Pathrise?
LeetCode and HackerRank are platforms on which software engineers can practice technical interview questions, discuss solutions with others, and learn more in-depth about these topics. Practicing the types of questions you will see on an interview in a similar environment to the one you will be tested is a great way to prepare for these sessions and go in with confidence.
Pathrise is a full service organization that works with job-seekers on each step of their search. We place a lot of emphasis on technical interview preparation through workshops, pair programming, and 1-on-1 sessions, but we also work with fellows on every other component, including resume optimization, cold emailing, behavioral interviewing, and negotiation. We highly recommend aspiring software engineers make use of a service like LeetCode or HackerRank as an added element to prepare for upcoming interviews.
Pathrise is a career accelerator that works with students and professionals 1-on-1 so they can land their dream job in tech. With our tips and guidance, we’ve seen our fellows interview scores double.
If you are interested in working 1-on-1 with any of our mentors to optimize your job search, become a Pathrise fellow.
Apply today.
