Cherlock Code 🔎A look at the best online platforms to learn React for free in 2023.
If there’s any JavaScript library that has received a lot of love over the years it’s React.
I myself work with React daily, and I owe a lot of the skills I have gained on my programming journey to using and understanding React.
Developed internally by Facebook and later open-sourced, React has exploded in popularity due to its simplicity yet unmatched power.
When it comes to frontend development, React has transformed the way we build applications and therefore it’s a great tool to learn if you want to be able to create awesome and dynamic web apps.
There are dozens and dozens of resources available for learning React, and we’re going to look at the best free platforms to learn React today.
You’ve probably heard about React before, but before we jump in, let’s take a quick look again at some cool facts about React:
A Brief History of React
React was born out of Facebook's need for a faster and more modular front-end codebase. Their web app was growing complex, and the traditional MVC frameworks of the time were too slow and cumbersome.
Engineer Jordan Walke created a library called FaxJS that influenced React's design. The first version of React was implemented in 2011 and used on Facebook's News Feed. In 2013, React was open-sourced which kicked off its widespread popularity.
Since then, React has been maintained by Facebook and a community of developers. It has gone through steady releases with version 18 being the latest as of 2023.
Facebook uses React extensively in its web apps, and many major companies like Pinterest, Airbnb, and Uber have adopted React.
The Benefits of Learning React
So what exactly makes React so appealing to developers?
Here are some of its key benefits:
⚡️ Performance - React uses a virtual DOM to minimise costly DOM operations and maximise UI responsiveness. Apps made with React can handle complex data changes smoothly.
🧱 Modular Components - React promotes composing UIs from small, reusable components. This fosters clear code that is easy to test and maintain.
💪 Flexibility - React can be used for simple widget-like apps up to complex enterprise-level sites. React also pairs well with other libraries.
👥 Active Community - As one of the most popular open-source projects, React has great documentation and many developers contributing. Help is never far away!
How React Compares to Other Frameworks
The JavaScript ecosystem has a range of popular Frameworks. And although React is defined as a Library rather than a Framework, it is often compared to them.
Here's how React fits in:
Versus Angular - Angular provides a full MVC framework, while React is a library that only handles views. Angular has a steeper learning curve, while React offers more control.
Versus Vue - Vue has similarities to React in its component model and API. Vue provides a faster learning curve, while React offers more power and tooling.
Versus jQuery - jQuery manipulates the DOM directly making it prone to slow performance. React offers a cleaner, less error-prone approach to DOM interactions.
In general, for complex responsive UIs, React is a powerful option loved by developers.
Now let’s look at the top seven online resources where you can learn React for free in 2023:
#1 - The Official React Docs
The Official React Docs are a great entry point for learning React, introducing you to the fundamental concepts used in everyday React development.
The Quick Start guide is designed to provide a broad overview of React's core principles, including creating and nesting components, integrating markup and styles, and displaying data.
It also goes into other aspects such as rendering conditions and lists, responding to events, updating the screen, and facilitating data sharing between components, ensuring that you gain a solid foundation in the core concepts and knowledge you need to start building with React.
#2 - Codecademy
Codecademy’s Learn React course is a detailed guide designed to help you get started with building robust interactive applications using one of the most renowned JavaScript libraries.
This course walks through the foundational steps of beginning React development to crafting dynamic user interfaces.
It gives you all-round knowledge of React-specific concepts including JSX, components, state, props, and hooks, all pivotal for front-end or full-stack web development.
By taking this course, you will have a good understanding of React’s modular style and will solidify your understanding of other key concepts.
#3 - React Tutorial
React Tutorial offers a streamlined and interactive learning experience aimed at providing a deep understanding of React’s workings, not just its application.
It guides you through creating a modern, fully functional online supermarket shopping app integrated with Stripe, starting from the basics of React.
The course consists of short lessons intermixed with challenges and projects, allowing you to practice and absorb best practices systematically.
With 67 free lessons, challenges, and flashcards, you can get started into learning React and if needed there’s also an option to upgrade to a Pro account for further access to learning materials.
#4 - Scrimba
Scrimba's Learn React course is an engaging and interactive starting point designed explicitly for React beginners, providing an immersive learning experience with over 140 interactive coding challenges and the creation of eight dynamic applications.
The unique approach of Scrimba allows you to write React code directly within interactive screencasts, ensuring practical learning and retention.
The course is structured to avoid the pitfalls of "tutorial hell," emphasising muscle memory development through extensive interactive challenges, making it an effective learning journey to becoming proficient in React.
A personal favourite of mine, this course will give you a well-rounded understanding of modern React development, from basics to advanced concepts.
#5 - GeeksForGeeks
The Learn ReactJS tutorial from GeekForGeeks is a well-structured, beginner-friendly resource, that provides a broad range of knowledge suitable for all levels.
The tutorial progresses from fundamental concepts like virtual DOM, JSX syntax, and basic ReactJS components, advancing to intricate topics like React Hooks, Redux, and server-side rendering.
This enables you to gain the insights and confidence needed to build robust and modern web applications.
The tutorial has a structured approach, offering trackable learning progressions, explanatory articles for better understanding, and practical hands-on projects to reinforce each topic.
It covers a variety of chapters, incorporating basics, key concepts, components, advanced topics, practical tasks, and quizzes, to give you a holistic and interactive learning experience.
#6 - Simplilearn
Simplilearn’s ReactJS Tutorial is a step-by-step guide aimed at enabling you to understand the features of React, offering insights into its components, state, and much more, hence expanding your knowledge and sharpening your skills.
This tutorial goes through the advantages of using ReactJS, such as its capability to easily create dynamic web applications and facilitate effective code maintenance by reusing components.
You’ll learn the various applications of ReactJS, including the development of dynamic web and high-end UI mobile apps.
The tutorial also highlights concepts of React such as rendering subcomponents through HTML quotes and tags, and its capability to seamlessly transition from web to mobile application development.
#7 - Egghead
Egghead's Beginner's Guide to React is a carefully crafted course aimed at React beginners and anyone aspiring to establish a solid foundational understanding of React.
This 28-part course is uniquely structured to guide you from building basic applications to exploring more advanced, production-ready development environments, and finally deploying applications using services like Netlify.
It promises to give you a good understanding of React and its core concepts, preparing you to be able to tackle JavaScript challenges you may encounter in your development journey.
Bonus - YouTube Videos
With something as popular as React it’s no wonder there are plenty of useful video courses available on YouTube.
Here are a few of the best video tutorials for learning React on YouTube:
- Beginner's Tutorial for React JavaScript Library - by FreeCodeCamp
- Learn React With This One Project - by Web Dev Simplified
- React Tutorial for Beginners - by Programming with Mosh
In conclusion, there is no doubt that React has become a dominant force in front-end web development.
This popularity is driven by the benefits it offers like excellent performance, reusability, and active community support.
As this article has shown, there are numerous high-quality free resources available online for mastering React.
The official documentation provides the best starting point for grasping core React concepts. Interactive courses on platforms like Codecademy, Scrimba, and Egghead are great for reinforcing your skills with hands-on coding challenges.
Video tutorials on YouTube offer another engaging way to pick up React techniques. And helpful tutorials from sites like GeeksforGeeks and Simplilearn explore both introductory and advanced topics.
Whether you're a complete beginner or looking to level up your React abilities, this collection of free learning materials has something to offer.
Now that you understand React's capabilities and have a roadmap for learning it, you can start building the fast, powerful web apps that users love.
With consistent practice using these resources, you'll be on your way to becoming a React expert in no time.
Render yourself unstoppable with React!
From your fellow ever-growing dev,
Cherlock Code
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