DataCamp Review (May 2024): My Honest Experience

Do you want an in-depth first-person experience DataCamp review? 

I have taken the “Introduction to Python” Class from DataCamp, and here is my experience using the platform, its best features, pricing, and where it could improve.

Let's get into the details, shall we?

DataCamp Review: Overall Verdict

If you are exclusively looking for Data Science and AI classes, DataCamp is one of the best options. DataCamp presents itself as one of the top players in online learning platforms, particularly in these fields.

With its interactive courses from various topics and hands-on lab/project approach, it strives to make learning programming languages and data science skills accessible to everyone.

My overall verdict on DataCamp is 4.5/5. 

It could improve its acknowledgment certification upon course completion and upgrade it to accredited certificates, which would have more value for Portfolios and CVs.

DataCamp Review: What is DataCamp?

This is for those who are new to online learning and searching for the right platform to upskill. Here is a quick introduction to DataCamp. Simply put, DataCamp is an online learning platform like Coursera or Skillshare. But what makes it different? 

DataCamp specializes in programming and AI courses. DataCamp is a premium online learning platform with the motto: Assess, Learn, Practice, and Apply. 

As you can guess, they not only give you access to resources and teach them effectively but also give you assignments to practice and apply your skills, ensuring a complete learning experience.

The platform specializes in technical and data-based courses, including programming languages, AI, and data science. With over 480 courses, you will likely find what you are looking for if you want to learn a course in this niche. 

In my experience learning Python on the platform, the courses were interactive, small, and easy to digest. Overall, they also provided a certificate of completion that can be useful in profiles and CVs. 

Currently, 13 million students from 180+ countries have used DataCamp as their preferred learning platform, showing its popularity worldwide. 

That being said, now let's compare its features. 

DataCamp Review: Pros and Cons

DataCamp Review: Detailed Discussion of Best Features

Now that you have an overview of what DataCamp brings let's get into the nitty-gritty of the platform. Here, I have picked up six platform features I absolutely loved and deserve a shoutout for in this DataCamp review. 

User Interface and Learning Experience

When you search for Datacamp and enter their website, you will be greeted with a vibrant, engaging website. Signing up for the platform is a breeze; you simply need to click the Sign in for Free button to get going. Everything you need to learn about the platform and its offerings is displayed on the Homepage. This includes:

• Course Catalog
• Resources 
• Pricing

Once you create a FREE account, you will find a Main Dashboard with easy access to all features on a left-sidebar. This includes:

• My Progress
• My Bookmarks
• Career Tracks
• Skill Tracks
• Courses
• Practice
• Project 
• Assessment

One of the best features of this is how easily accessible everything is and how you can manage everything from a unified dashboard. 

The best feature was their course filter options and Tracks, which you can select according to your liking to find suitable courses. 

Also, since I had purchased an annual subscription to the platform, I found Personalised Insights at the end of 2023, showing me the details of the courses I had taken and my projects and achievements. 

In terms of User Interface, DataCamp is unbeatable and gets a 5/5 rating. 

Interactive Courses and Coding Exercises

Now, let's go to the details of the courses they provide. DataCamp currently hosts 484 courses spanning ten topics: 

• Data Engineering
• Data Analysis
• Software Development
• Data Preparation
• Data Manipulation
• Probability & Statistics
• CloudAI & Machine Learning
• Data Visualization
• Applied Science 
• Reporting

Each class is bite-sized, spanning a couple of hours, and includes exercises and practice projects to help you apply your skills. DataCamp's interactive coding exercises allow learners to practice programming concepts in real time within their web browser. 

This hands-on approach promotes active learning and helps improve understanding of the subject. One of the exclusive features of DataCamp is its Code Alongs option. You can code with an expert in a shared Workspace, solve problems, and learn together. However, this is a Premium feature, and you have to sign up for a Premium account and take a shot!

I rate DataCamp a solid 4.8/5 in this category.

Skill Tracks and Career Tracks

DataCamp provides an exceptional learning experience with its exclusive Skill and Career Tracks. If you are entirely new to the field and do not know where to begin, DataCamp has your back. These well-designed learning paths are customized to match your objectives, whether mastering a programming language or building a career in data science. 

DataCamp has various Career Tracks, each with an expertly curated list of courses and a defined Learning Path with Certification. These are the available Career Tracks to choose from:

1. Data Analyst
2. Associate Data Scientist
3. Python Developer
4. R Developer
5. Quantitative Analyst
6. Statistician
7. Machine Learning Scientist
8. Data Engineer
9. SQL Server Developer
10. Data Scientist
11. Machine Learning Engineer
12. Associate Data Engineer

If you are looking for Skill Paths, there are multiple options. The most common ones are:  

1. R Programming
2. Data Visualization
3. Data Manipulation
4. Statistics Fundamentals
5. Python Fundamentals
6. Time Series
7. Finance Fundamentals
8. Machine Learning Fundamentals
9. Text Mining
10. Shiny Fundamentals
11. Big Data
12. Tidyverse Fundamentals
13. Network Analysis
14. Supervised Machine Learning
15. Interactive Data Visualization
16. SQL Fundamentals
17. Statistics Fundamentals
18. Marketing Analytics
19. Statistical Inference
20. Intermediate Tidyverse Toolbox
21. SQL Server Fundamentals
22. Image Processing
23. Google Sheets Fundamentals
24. Python Toolbox
25. Analyzing Genomic Data
26. Big Data with PySpark
27. Python Programming
28. Data Skills for Business
29. Marketing Analytics
30. Keras Fundamentals
31. Natural Language Processing
32. Finance Fundamentals
33. Tableau Fundamentals
34. MLOps Fundamentals
35. AI Fundamentals
36. Julia Fundamentals
37. OpenAI Fundamentals
38. Deep Learning
39. ChatGPT Fundamentals
40. Alteryx Fundamentals

With DataCamp, you can be confident that you're on the right track toward achieving your goals and acquiring the knowledge necessary to master any new language or skill anytime you want.

Because the platform has focused on making the courses readily accessible to all their learners, I rate it a 5/5 in this category.

Projects and Challenges

The platform includes a variety of projects and challenges that enable learners to apply their skills to real-world problems. These projects provide valuable experience and help build a portfolio for showcasing expertise to potential employers. They have over 150 projects you can browse through and apply your skills. 

Browse through their categories to learn more. 

Learning Community and Competitions

At DataCamp, you will find a vibrant learning community where learners can connect with their peers, engage in meaningful discussions, and seek assistance from instructors and fellow learners. They also host regular tests and competitions that foster community engagement and provide exciting rewards. In the Premium Plans, you also have a dedicated Slack channel to interact with peers and instructors. 

This sense of community enhances the learning experience and provides valuable support that can help you achieve your goals. Join DataCamp today and learn from experts in a collaborative environment!

DataCamp for Instructors

As much as I have loved the platform for students, it is also a perfect opportunity for instructors to teach on DataCamp in this detailed DataCamp review. Creating an Instructor account is FREE on DataCamp. All you need to do is visit their website, search for the DataCamp Instructor page, and view the Content they are hiring for. You can apply for their audition if it matches the content you want to teach. 

If you are clear, you are advised to create 10-15 hours per week for courses that are over by 10-12 weeks. 

You can also earn from DataCamp by a percentage of the Revenue Share generated yearly and an amount negotiated in the audition as a Content Completion. It's easy to set up an account on DataCamp and start earning on the platform. 

DataCamp Review: Pricing and Offers

DataCamp currently has two kinds of subscription plans for their users:

1. Free Basic Plan with one free first class from all Premium courses and FREE introductory courses. 
2. Premium Plans start at $13/month and are billed annually.

Here is a comprehensive comparison of their Premium plans.  

Features	Basic	Premium	Teams	Enterprise
Price	FREE	$13 /month billed annually	$13 /month billed annually	Custom Pricing
Access	1 person	1 person	2 and above	Large Teams
First Class of Every Course	Included	Included	Included	Included
Access to 484+ course library	Not included	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
All cheat sheets	Included	Included	Included	Included
All tutorials	Included	Included	Included	Included
Career and Skill tracks	Not Included	Included	Included	Included
Custom Skill Tracks	Not included	Not included	Not Included	Included
Learn on mobile	Limited	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Skill Tests	Included	Included	Included	Included
Certification	Not Included	Included	Included	Included
Job-Related Programs	Not Included	Included	Included	Included
Professional profile	Included	Included	Not applicable	Not applicable
Portfolio Analysis	Included	Included	Not applicable	Not applicable
DataCamp Listed Job Application	Included	Included	Not applicable	Not applicable
Live code-alongs	Included	Included	Included	Included
Competitions	Included	Included	Unlimited and bespoke	Unlimited and bespoke
Practice Sessions	Limited	Included	Included	Included
Coding projects	Limited	Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited
Slack community	Not Included	Included	Included	Included
Priority Customer Support	Not Included	Included	Included	Included
Admin dashboard	Not included	Not Included	Included	Included
License management	Not included	Not Included	Included	Included
Team performance reports	Not included	Not Included	Included	Included
Skill Matrix	Not included	Not included	Not Included	Included
Single Sign-On (SSO)	Not included	Not included	Not Included	Included
LMS/LXP integrations	Not included	Not included	Not Included	Included
Dedicated Customer Success Manager	Not included	Not included	Not Included	Speak to Sales
Co-branded landing page	Not included	Not included	Not Included	Teams of 20+
Discounts	–	50% Sale 2024	50% Sale 2024	–

As of May 2024, you also have a 50% discount if you wish to take the Learn Data and AI Skills courses, where you can get classes for $150/year instead of $300. You can avail yourself of the offer by clicking on this link, which is active only for a limited time. 

Also, if you are a student, you are eligible for their exclusive 50% discount offer. You can get a 50% student discount on 1,500+ hours of DataCamp courses with the Premium student plan—available all year!

So what are you waiting for? Get Datacamp courses now!

DataCamp Review: Is DataCamp worth it?

Here is a summary of what I have found in Datacamp. The platform is easy to use and navigate. The courses were accessible and easy to understand and were taught by experts, thus never compromising on quality. I had projects and labs to apply my skills and enjoy the platform's community engagement features. 

If you are looking exclusively for a platform to learn Data science courses or AI, then I highly recommend it. With the 2024 50% Sale, this is the perfect opportunity to grab the platform at a discount. 

But if you are looking for a platform to learn other topics, then I suggest looking for alternatives like:

• Coursera
• eDX
• Udemy 
• LimdekIn
• CodeAcademy, etc.

The only area for improvement is that they need to introduce accredited certification like other online platforms. Apart from that, I highly recommend DataCamp to anyone wanting to start their coding journey. 

Final Thoughts on DataCamp Review

That's all you need to know about DataCamp, my friends! It is a well-rounded platform for learning data science or AI courses, and it is worth your investment. If you are still not convinced, you can sign up for the platform for free and try it for free before upgrading to a premium plan anytime you want. 

(The 50% discount is available for a limited time only! Hurry if you want to take advantage of the offer now.)

Until Next Time, 

Happy Learning!

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