Encode: Learn to Code review: price, free version and privacy

Our verdict

Encode suits beginners who want a few minutes of real coding practice a day on their phone, at a lower price than most coding apps. If you want to build complete projects, learn in an editor on a computer, or avoid ads and tracking, it will feel limited.

What Encode: Learn to Code is

Encode teaches programming through short interactive lessons, quizzes and "complete the code" exercises. The developer says lessons take about 15 minutes a day and that you write real code from the first lesson in a built-in playground, with no setup. Main courses cover Python, JavaScript, HTML, CSS and SQL, with mini-courses in R, Swift, Java and the command line. Streaks, hearts and a certificate of completion add structure.

Who it suits

• Short daily coding lessons
• Absolute beginners

Strengths

• Five main languages plus mini-courses in R, Swift, Java and the command line, per the description.
• A built-in code playground, so there is nothing to install before you start.
• Short lessons the developer sizes at about 15 minutes a day.
• Simple pricing: two Encode Plus plans with the billing period in the name.
• Rated 4.8 from about 6,400 ratings and updated in September 2026.

Limits

• The age rating notes advertising, and the privacy label declares identifiers and usage data used for tracking.
• Lessons are short exercises around snippets, as the screenshots show, rather than full projects.
• The listing does not say what Encode Plus unlocks or how much is free.
• English only, per the listing.

What the free version does

The app is free to download, and the screenshots show hearts (lives) on lessons, a pattern usually tied to a free tier. The listing does not say which lessons or features need Encode Plus.

Price

On the US App Store in November 2026, Encode Plus (Monthly) is listed at $9.99 and Encode Plus (Annual) at $39.99. There is no lifetime option in the price list.

Privacy

The privacy label declares that identifiers and usage data may be used to track you across other companies' apps and websites. Contact info, your content, identifiers and usage data are linked to your identity.

What the screenshots show

The screenshots show a "Getting Started" lesson list (strings, numbers, joining strings, expressions) with a hearts counter, and a "complete the code" exercise filling in a Python print statement.