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Learning to Code Doesn’t Have to Be Expensive — Learn With These Free Apps

Staff Writer

Updated June 29, 2017

Apple recently released a new curriculum aimed at high school and community college students who want to learn how to develop apps using the programming language Swift.

The full-year course is available as a free download in iBooks if you’d like to check it out.

If you’d like to learn to program but not necessarily in Swift, there are loads of apps on the market that let you learn right from your mobile phone or tablet.

These 10 apps are free, though some offer additional content for a one-time or subscription fee.

Programming Apps for iOS

These are all available in the iTunes Store.

Cargo-Bot

If you’re completely new to programming, you’ll want to get a good grasp of the basic concepts before getting into the nitty-gritty of coding. This app helps you get there by wrapping the concepts into a fun game to play on your iPad.

Hopscotch

Compatible with iPhones and iPads, this app is a winner with parents. It’s great for helping kids learn how to code by teaching them to create their own game. It’s also a good go-to app for adults who are new to the world of programming.

Learn to Code With HTML

If you’ve dreamed of designing and creating your own webpage, this is the app for you. Take a few interactive courses on your iPhone or iPad, then dive in to create a unique webpage to call your own.

Swifty

If you’re interested in developing apps for macOS, iOS, watchOS in Swift, but you don’t attend a school offering Apple’s new curriculum, here’s another option. Swifty helps you learn the language in bite-size lessons that are perfect for completing on your iPhone or iPad when you only have a few minutes to spare.

Javvy: Learn to code in Java

If you want to specifically learn the programming language Java, then grab Javvy for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. It starts you off with the basics and gradually ramps you up to understanding advanced concepts like modifiers and classes.