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Course Review

Python, Flask, and SQLAlchemy

App Academy Open

Here is our in-depth review of Python, Flask, and SQLAlchemy, based on hours of rigorous testing and evaluation.

Updated: September 6, 2023

Bottom Line

Solid free option for learning professional-grade Python web development.

This Course is Great For

  • Novice Programmers
  • Learning Without Videos
  • Frequent Practice

Fast Facts

Python, Flask, and SQLAlchemy

Python, Flask, and SQLAlchemy

App Academy Open

By Various Authors

πŸ’° Free πŸ•— 40 hours
πŸ‘©β€πŸ’» Readings, Quizzes, Exercises, Solo Projects

#3 in The Best Online Courses for Learning Python Web Development in 2024

With App Academy Open, you have free access to the curriculum used in App Academy’s Full Stack Software Engineering program. In the program, the curriculum is supplemented by live instruction, with practice projects designed for pair programming. Here, you’re on your own to work through the material, but the organization of material and the frequent practice are similar.

The material is a collection of text-based explanations of core concepts, with frequent quizzes to check for understanding. Each section is supplemented by short projects where you apply your knowledge in a real world setting. And ultimately, the material culminates in a robust capstone project.

Unfortunately, with this free curriculum, you don’t get feedback on your capstone project, and if you get stuck at any point, you’ll need to go hunting for help. App Academy Open does have a Discord community, but your mileage may vary, especially since the Python curriculum comes late in the program, as one of the more advanced sections.

Before You Buy

App Academy recommends moving through all the material sequentially, and the Python and Flask material comes near the end of the curriculum. It was created for a target audience that has already learned foundational and intermediate JavaScript, foundational and intermediate HTML, Node and Express, Data Structures and Algorithms in JavaScript, React, and Web Security concepts. While the Python and Flask curriculum doesn’t really overlap with those topics, it assumes this prerequisite knowledge and a fairly well-rounded programming baseline, so if you aren’t already solid on those topics, you may want to consider a different resource that starts with more programming foundations.

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Full Stack Developer Nanodegree

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#1 in The Best Online Courses for Learning Python Web Development in 2024

The best self-paced Python course money can buy. It's expensive, but well worth the cost for the quality of instruction and the quality of feedback on your work. The emphasis on practice exercises and real-world hands-on projects are standout features.

Read Our Full Review

CS50 Web Development with Python and JavaScript

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πŸ‘©β€πŸ’» Videos| Projects

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The gold standard for online courses provides the best way for programmers to learn basic Python and how to build web apps with Django and PostgreSQL.

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Build Python Web Apps with Flask Skill Path

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πŸ’° $29.99 per month πŸ•— 10 weeks at 10 hours per week
πŸ‘©β€πŸ’» Readings| Coding Challenges| Quizzes| Guided Projects| Solo Projects

#3 in The Best Online Courses for Learning Python Web Development in 2024

A solid option for learning to build web applications with Python and Flask, with engaging hands-on practice and a few challenging projects.

Read Our Full Review

Why You Should Trust Us

Our course reviews are conducted by a team of technical professionals, course developers, and lifelong learners.

The lead of this project, Brian Green, has worked in developer education since 2009. He built the content development teams at Pluralsight and Udacity, implementing quality standards and tutorials to improve course quality and working with hundreds of authors to create courseware. Most recently, he built the product team at App Academy. As of writing, he estimates he has spent nearly a year of his life taking or reviewing online courses, on topics ranging from Web Development, Networking, Server Administration, DevOps, Cybersecurity, Machine Learning, and Artificial Intelligence.

How We Tested

Evaluation Criteria

We reviewed this course using the following criteria:

  1. Outcomes: The course needs to cover the essentials for someone to start working with Python in a professional capacity or on a professional-grade project. That means covering the right topics and not going beyond the scope of the course objectives.
  2. Learning Features: Real skill development happens with fingers on keys, particularly for learners moving from novice level. We looked for courses with more than just videos; exercises and projects were essential.
  3. Production Quality: The course should include polished and professional course materials. In 2024, the table stakes of even an average course are professional video production, uniform sound levels and noise-free audio, and course materials that are free of typos. Videos should also be captioned and transcribed.
  4. Real World Application: A great course teaches you enough to work on a production application. We looked for examples and best practices from professional experience, not just basic examples of how something works on a toy application.
  5. Support and Community: Learning is better together! We promote courses with thriving communities and rapid, helpful support for learners, and tend to rate courses lower if they lack community or if the community isn't valuable.

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