When you’re just starting to learn how to build websites, you might not want to immediately dive head-first into a computer science degree program or coding bootcamp.
Maybe you’re not sure yet if coding is for you. Or perhaps you just want to learn the basics of HTML without getting too deep into advanced web design and development.
Whatever your reason, sometimes the best learning path starts with basic, no-frills web development tutorials.
But how do you know which ones are worth your time?
To answer that for you, I’ve scoured the web, reading, watching, and experimenting with every free HTML tutorial for beginners I could find.
The result? My hand-picked list of the best HTML tutorials you can access free-of-charge.
HTML – What Is It? What’s It For?
If you’re completely new to web development, the very first thing you need to learn is HTML, or Hypertext Markup Language.
When developers build projects for the web, HTML is the most important element in the process. That’s because HTML is essential to crafting the structure of web pages and sites.
Here, you’ll find my top picks for tutorials and websites to learn coding in HTML.
Best Free HTML Tutorials for Beginners
HTML For Beginners the Easy Way – HTML.com
This free HTML tutorial comes first for several reasons, but chief among them is that HTML.com provides such a great introduction to the language without getting lost in the weeds.
I also like that they take the time to discuss the importance of selecting a quality HTML text editor. Having a good text editor for HTML will make the learning process much smoother and less frustrating.
HTML For Beginners offers a ton of great information and tutorials on everything from the basics of HTML tags to HTML tables, and everything in between.
Introduction to HTML – Codecademy
Codecademy’s free Introduction to HTML course is another great option for those just getting started learning about HTML and computer programming.
This HTML tutorial provides quality written instruction, accompanied by step by step instructions for the code challenges in each lesson.
Even better, you can complete the coding challenges in the integrated code editor in Codecademy’s platform right inside your browser. This way, you can learn, practice, and see your code in action–all in one place!
freeCodeCamp
If you’ve done any investigation into coding tutorials–particularly no-cost options–you’ve no doubt heard about freeCodeCamp.
While freeCodeCamp offers some of the best free coding bootcamp courses on a variety of topics, by far the most popular is the Responsive Web Design Certification course, which includes a comprehensive education in HTML coding, as well as an introduction to CSS and mobile-responsive design.
With freeCodeCamp, you don’t get video tutorials or in-depth explanations. Rather, you learn by doing. That is, in most lessons, you get a brief explanation, an example, and a coding challenge. It’s up to you to use the resources at your disposal to make your code run as intended.
Perhaps the most appealing aspect of freeCodeCamp’s curriculum is the 100% free certificate of completion you receive upon passing the various challenges and projects. You can easily display your certification on LinkedIn to show off your new skills.
HTML Full Course: Build a Website Tutorial – freeCodeCamp
This video tutorial makes a big claim: it will teach you the fundamentals of HTML in 2 hours. The amazing thing is that, in most ways, this coding tutorial absolutely succeeds in its mission.
While it may take you longer than the 2-hour video run time to actually get through the tutorial, it’s still an excellent place to start learning to code.
The presenter, Mike Dane, is laid-back, easy to listen to and follow, clearly knowledgeable, and a great instructor.
If you’re a more visual learner or simply someone who prefers to follow along with a real instructor, this is definitely the place you should start when it comes to HTML tutorials.
w3schools.com
Last on my list–but certainly not least–is w3schools.com. It’s no secret that this rich resource is the first stop for many of the most experienced web developers when they have questions about HTML, as well as CSS, JavaScript, and a whole host of other coding languages and technologies.
The w3schools site is low on bells and whistles, but it’s packed with reliable and invaluable tools, reference libraries, and of course, free HTML tutorials. No matter what you’re looking for, this site should be one of your first stops.
Whether you want a complete HTML course that covers everything beginning to end or you’re more interested in a reference for one-off guides on every HTML topic and feature under the sun, you’ll find what you need here.
Which Free HTML Tutorial Will You Choose?
These days, there are more HTML and web development tutorials out there than you could count–some great, some not-so-great; some free, some costly–and the few I’ve listed here barely scratch the surface.
The important thing is that you find the resources that help you learn most effectively and keep you motivated when things get challenging. I hope you find just that with one or more of the options I’ve laid out here.
If you stick with the right course, tutorial, or bootcamp for your needs, it won’t take long for you to learn to code. And before long, you’ll be a confident web designer ready to jump into one of the excellent tech jobs that are cropping up faster than they can be filled!
