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Should I start with LeetCode or HackerRank?

Published in Coding Practice Platforms 4 mins read

For most aspiring coders, HackerRank is an excellent starting point, especially if you're building foundational programming skills, while LeetCode becomes indispensable for those aiming for technical interviews at top tech companies.

Ultimately, the choice depends on your current skill level and primary goals.

Understanding Your Goals

Before diving in, consider what you aim to achieve:

  • Are you a complete beginner looking to grasp programming fundamentals, syntax, and basic problem-solving?
  • Are you an intermediate coder wanting to solidify your understanding of data structures and algorithms?
  • Are you preparing for technical interviews at tech companies, needing to practice real-world interview questions?
  • Are you interested in competitive programming to test your speed and optimize solutions?

Why Choose HackerRank First?

HackerRank is often recommended for beginners and those looking to build a solid foundation due to its structured learning paths and gentler difficulty curve.

  • Smoother Learning Curve: HackerRank provides a smoother gradient of difficulty, making it highly suitable for beginners and intermediate coders. This gradual progression helps new programmers build confidence without being overwhelmed.
  • Foundational Skills: It offers dedicated tracks for various programming languages, algorithms, data structures, SQL, and even AI, making it a comprehensive platform for learning diverse coding skills from scratch.
  • Tutorials and Explanations: Many problems come with detailed tutorials and clear explanations, which are incredibly helpful for understanding underlying concepts.
  • Diverse Problem Types: Beyond core algorithms, HackerRank includes challenges in domains like SQL, databases, and even artificial intelligence, offering a broader exposure to different types of coding problems.
  • Certification: They offer certifications for specific skills, which can be a motivating factor and a way to showcase your proficiency.

When to Transition to LeetCode?

LeetCode is the go-to platform for anyone serious about preparing for technical coding interviews, especially for roles at top-tier tech companies.

  • Interview Alignment: LeetCode's problems are more challenging and are explicitly designed to align with real interview questions asked by companies like Google, Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft.
  • Broad Difficulty Spectrum: It offers a broad spectrum of difficulty levels, from easy to hard. While it has easy problems, its core strength lies in its medium and hard problems, which often require a deeper understanding of algorithms and data structures.
  • Focus on Data Structures & Algorithms (DSA): LeetCode is primarily focused on strengthening your Data Structures and Algorithms knowledge, which forms the backbone of coding interviews.
  • Optimal Solutions: The platform emphasizes finding optimal solutions in terms of time and space complexity, a crucial skill for competitive programming and interviews.
  • Active Community: LeetCode has a massive and active community that shares solutions, discusses approaches, and provides hints, creating a valuable learning environment.

Key Differences at a Glance

Feature HackerRank LeetCode
Difficulty Progression Smoother, gradual gradient (beginner-friendly) Broad spectrum (easy to hard), more challenging problems
Primary Focus Foundational skills, diverse problem domains Interview preparation, core Data Structures & Algorithms
Problem Types Wider variety (SQL, algorithms, AI, etc.) Primarily algorithm and data structure problems, system design
Learning Support Strong tutorials, conceptual explanations Community-driven solutions, performance optimization
Target User Beginners, intermediate coders Interview aspirants, experienced developers

Recommended Learning Path

A strategic approach often involves starting with HackerRank and then moving to LeetCode:

  1. Start with HackerRank:
    • Complete their "30 Days of Code" challenge to get comfortable with basic syntax and problem-solving.
    • Work through their "Algorithms" and "Data Structures" sections, focusing on easy and medium problems.
    • Utilize their tutorials to understand new concepts thoroughly.
  2. Transition to LeetCode:
    • Once you feel confident with basic DSA and can solve HackerRank medium problems with relative ease, start with LeetCode's "Easy" problems.
    • Gradually move to "Medium" problems, which form the bulk of interview questions.
    • Focus on understanding different problem patterns and optimal solutions.
    • If preparing for senior roles, tackle "Hard" problems and explore system design.

By combining the strengths of both platforms, you can build a robust programming foundation and effectively prepare for competitive programming challenges and demanding technical interviews.