Treehouse is an online learning platform focused primarily on technology subjects such as coding and web development. The platform offers only 300+ courses which, compared to other e-learning sites out there, is a very low number of options. However, what makes Treehouse different and worth your consideration is the fact that its courses are made by in-house tech experts with years of experience in the field.
With that said, we are going to dive deeper into what Treehouse offers in hopes to help you determine whether this platform is worth your time and money. With courses in web design, mobile development, and web development, Treehouse offers plenty of room for you to develop career-advancing skills. Let’s dive into this Treehouse Review!
Table of Contents
What is Treehouse?
As we just mentioned, Treehouse is an online technology school with a little over 300 courses on technology and related topics. The courses on this platform are taught by experts who provide relevant insights into the real-life experience and actual knowledge and skills needed to advance in a tech career. Although it offers a lower number of courses compared to many platforms out there, Treehouse has earned its spot at the top of the list of some of the best tech learning sites out there.
Why? Because they offer affordable and self-paced courses that are taught by people with relevant experience. Many platforms out there allow anyone to sit down and put together a coherent course. This method results in content that’s of lower quality compared to the content you’d get in a course taught by an actual full-time web developer or tech geek. If you’re curious about what Treehouse has to offer, sign up for their 7-day free trial and give it a shot!
How Does it Work?
Treehouse has made it easy to get started and sign up for their learning courses. What makes them different is that they personalized the initial experience with a simple quiz that you can take on the Treehouse homepage. After answering a couple of questions about what kind of learning experience you’re looking for, the platform will recommend the right courses and programs for your specific needs.
Not many online learning platforms offer a personalized experience like this one, which gives Treehouse extra points in our review. Naturally, you don’t have to take the quiz if you already know what you’re looking for. There are 23 different subjects you can choose from, all revolving around technology topics such as Android, Java, Computer Science, and more. You can use the platform’s search bar and filter features to find the ideal course for you. Each course has a brief description and details that will help you determine whether that’s the right choice or not.
Treehouse Features
Let’s take a brief look at the different features Treehouse has to offer:
Treehouse Tracks
Perhaps one of the most innovative features on Treehouse is the Treehouse Tracks or guided pathways that bring together the best and most popular courses in one category. If you’re looking to learn specific skills for a job role or master a coding language, the Tracks make it easier to find courses suitable for your needs.
In a nutshell, a Treehouse Track is a combination of best-curated courses that teach you a particular skill or topic in detail. You’ll find popular Tracks highlighted on the platform, which makes it easier for new users to find content without having to put together a curriculum of courses for themselves. If you’re not looking for any specific course or topic, just scroll through the Tracks and you’ll find inspiration on what you could learn about next.
Treehouse Community
Something we liked about Treehouse is that it offers a community on top of all the e-learning courses available on the platform. As soon as you open up Treehouse and sign into your account (yep, you need to be signed in for this feature), you will find the Community tab in the header at the top.
The Community is a place where users ask questions, provide answers, and share their thoughts and feedback publicly among all other users on the platform. You can hop into this section if you have questions about a specific course or part of the platform, or if you just want to connect with like-minded individuals who might be taking courses in the same subjects as you are. Either way, it’s a cool feature to have!
Treehouse Free Trial
On top of getting access to the community hub, with each Treehouse subscription, you will get a 7-day free trial, meaning your account won’t be billed until this period is over. This gives you more than enough time to play around the platform and see what Treehouse has to offer. You can also cancel your subscription at any time, including the free 7-day trial period.
Hence, if you don’t like what you get and you decide to cancel the plan within the first 7 days, you will not be billed for the subscription. However, keep in mind that once you submit a payment, you won’t be able to get refunds on this platform. Not the most ideal situation but that’s just how it is.
The Treehouse Quiz
Another interesting thing that you won’t find on many other platforms is the Treehouse Quiz, which you can take upon creating an account on Treehouse. If you’re completely new to coding, design, or other tech topics, the Treehouse quiz is going to help you find your way to the best beginner-friendly courses.
All you have to do is answer a couple of simple questions and you’ll receive recommendations and highlighted tracks to help you get started on Treehouse. This feature is what makes the platform so intuitive and suitable for beginners in the tech or e-learning space.
Filters and Descriptions
If the Treehouse Quiz doesn’t point you to the kind of courses you were hoping to find on the platform, you can set out to find those courses on your own. Use the simple Treehouse search feature and don’t forget to adjust the filters to get the best results. The filter on the right-hand side of the search bar features 4 options.
What’s great is that you can sort the results based on the time they were added, alphabetical order, and difficulty. Once you narrow down your search to several courses that match your criteria, use the course descriptions to learn more about the content and structure of each course. This will help you ensure that you’re investing in an eLearning program that will benefit you.
Treehouse Trailer
The Treehouse trailers are one of our favorite features on the platform because they allow you to take a peek at what’s offered on the other side. Every course on the platform has a trailer that you can watch before signing up and making any payments.
That way, you can get a feel for the instructor’s style of teaching, as well as the material offered in the course. After all, it’s always good to know what you can expect when making online purchases, especially when it’s something as important as education. On top of the trailer, you’ll get to read about the instructor who’s behind the course, which is also important to look into before spending any money.
Interactive Learning
Treehouse is big on interactive learning, as that is the best way to engage students and guarantee a positive outcome when taking an online learning course. Every course on the Treehouse platform features quizzes and coding challenges that will help you memorize the materials by implementing what you learn.
Remaining engaged while studying online is crucial for information retention, as it is much easier to drift away and get distracted when you’re learning self-paced on your own. Keep in mind that each instructor is responsible for creating materials and quizzes for their course. Hence, there is no set structure when it comes to such interactive features. Each instructor adapts the content to their students’ needs and requirements.
Free Resources
Treehouse offers free resources to anyone who might be interested in getting a job in tech. The Tech Explorer’s Toolkit is sent out through their mailing list twice a month and it includes resources specifically designed for tech employees or those aspiring to start working in tech.
Joining the mailing list is completely free, even if you’re not subscribed to one of the platform’s subscription plans. Just head over to the ‘free resources’ section on their website and sign up for the mailing list to receive valuable info straight into your inbox.
Offline Video Viewing
Perhaps the most convenient feature on Treehouse is the material download feature. Namely, you can download your course materials for offline learning so you can take advantage of situations where you get some downtime to invest in learning (such as travel or daily commute).
However, keep in mind that the offline video viewing feature is only available for Courses Plus subscribers, which allows them to download videos directly from the site. If you were looking for a reason to upgrade your membership, this could be it!
Group Membership
If you’re a member of a larger group or company where everyone could benefit from a Treehouse subscription, you will be happy to know that the platform offers group membership discounts. However, group plans are not listed on the website so you most likely won’t find them right away.
However, if you scroll all the way down to the Q&A section, you will find a link to fill out the group membership discount application form. After you do so, a team member from Treehouse will reach out to follow up and offer you a unique price for the entire group. That way, companies, schools, and other organizations can provide great education to their teams without spending too much money on separate monthly subscriptions.
What Type of Courses are Offered on Treehouse?
Individual users can access Treehouse’s programs broken down into three areas: Courses, Courses Plus, and TechDegrees. Courses are designed for those looking to start building their coding and design skills. This is an entry-level catalog of courses that feature challenges and quizzes designed to take the learning experience to the next level.
Then there is the Courses Plus subscription for those who already have the base knowledge in said technology topics and want to level up their skills. This subscription gives users access to everything that’s available in Courses, along with additional materials and the ability to download materials for offline use. Lastly, the platform offers Techdegrees for those interested in launching a career in the tech space.
Techdegree programs include curated curriculum and projects, along with reviews and access to an exclusive community on Slack where you can network with like-minded individuals and get feedback for your work. This kind of structure allows you to choose how much access you want when it comes to Treehouse services.
It is important to address that Treehouse also features a plan for Teams of two or more people. This includes curated courses and a custom program that is aligned with your team’s learning goals. If you’d like to set up a Treehouse Teams plan, you have to discuss it with their customer support, as there is no specific pricing set for this type of plan.
Here are some of the most popular courses on the platform:
Front End Web Development – This course, also known as a Treehouse track, is a beginner-friendly web development course that features 56 hours of quality content. It covers HTML, CSS, and Javascript as the three most common coding languages out there.
Beginning Python – As the name suggests, this course features 16 hours of educational content about Python for beginners. This programming language is taught through 10 video courses featuring industry experts.
Introduction to HTML and CSS – This is one of the shorter beginner courses that last only 134 minutes but covers everything you need to know to start working with HTML and CSS. You will learn the basics of web development with Treasure Proth, an education professional with experience in this field.
CSS Layout Basics – This is a beginner’s course that teaches you the basic layout of CSS and web design methods. It is taught by Guil Hernandez and lasts 170 minutes in total, which is enough to cover the basics and prepare you for more advanced courses.
Full Stack Javascript – Lastly, the full stack Javascript course is a longer one consisting of 45 hours of content that goes in-depth on Java programming. The course covers the basics and main functions of Javascript, which is a programming language used for creating user experiences on most big websites. This track consists of 27 courses taught by different in-house instructors.
9 Key Decision-Making Factors
User-friendliness & learning interface – Score 4 / 5
Treehouse has made it easy to set up an account and start browsing for courses. The overall interface is quite user-friendly and intuitive. However, it might take some time for you to find the information you’re looking for. Still, once you find the right course for your needs, it won’t be difficult to understand the learning interface and figure out how things work.
Convenience – Score 5 / 5
When it comes to how convenient it is to use the Treehouse learning platform, there’s nothing to complain about except the fact that you need to enter your credit card to sign up for a free trial. However, that’s not that big of a deal when you take into consideration all the positive sides such as the fact that all three plans allow for flexible and self-paced learning. On top of that, you can opt for higher paid plans to unlock offline learning, which takes convenience to the next level.
Quality of content – Score 5 / 5
As far as the quality of content goes, Treehouse features course content that’s made in-house at the company’s studio in Orlando, Florida. Their production team works with full-time instructors who dedicate all their time and focus to creating quality content for the platform.
No wonder why the course content looks way more professional than courses on platforms such as Skillshare or Udemy. There’s no doubt that you’ll get clear results after completing the course, although the outcome will depend on your involvement in the content.
Available platforms – 3 / 5
It’s always a good thing to be able to access course content across multiple platforms or devices. Unfortunately, that’s not the case with Treehouse because this platform does not have a mobile application.
However, you can access the courses via desktop or laptop using any of the popular browsers. Naturally, you can access the platform on a mobile device via the browser but the user experience won’t be nearly as good as it is on a desktop.
Official certifications – 2 / 5
Unfortunately, Treehouse does not offer any kind of certificate for Courses and Courses Plus. In most cases, e-learning platforms offer a completion certificate even for their most basic courses but that’s not the case with Treehouse, which is why we gave them a low score of 2 out of 5. It would’ve been the lowest score if they didn’t have completion certificates for Techdegrees, but they do!
Yep, if you want a certificate from Treehouse, you need to sign up for and complete one of the Techdegree programs to get there. However, keep in mind that these certificates are not accredited or in any way associated with higher educational institutions.
Types of courses – 5 / 5
Treehouse features courses on technology subjects and, as we’ve mentioned in the types of courses section, they break down their courses into three subscription plans. Hence, you can opt for the basic Courses plan, Courses Plus, and a Techdegree, which gives you access to multiple courses tied into one educational program.
Overall, courses on Treehouse feature a combination of video learning content and textual material, along with occasional quizzes and tests to test your knowledge. Only the Techdegree type of program features the final exam you need to take to get your certification.
Instructors – 5 / 5
What makes Treehouse stand out among other e-learning platforms out there is the fact that their instructors are in-house, meaning they are fully employed teachers and experts in technology subjects. With that said, you can expect the highest quality when it comes to instructors on this platform.
Given that they are in-house staff, each instructor is fully dedicated to their courses and students, making this platform slightly more attractive than its competitors. Keep in mind that instructors on Treehouse have full responsibility for creating all of the course content, including videos, quizzes, and downloadable resources.
Payment methods – 3 / 5
When it comes to their payment system, Treehouse has got a nice infrastructure set up so you shouldn’t worry about any administrative or payment-related issues. You can pay for your subscription using any debit or credit card including Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. To make things even more convenient, Treehouse accepts PayPal payments as well.
However, there are two things you should keep in mind when purchasing a Treehouse tech degree or subscription program – the payments can be made in US dollars only and there are no refunds for any purchases. Yep, that’s the reason we had to bring the score down to 3 because the platform does not offer any refunds whatsoever.
Customer support – 4 / 5
Last but not least, Treehouse offers decent support and an entire support page that you can use to find answers to your questions. The page features their Community and Knowledge Base filled with frequently asked questions and answers. Although this helps them minimize the number of inquiries they get on repeating topics, having a support representative speak with you is much less frustrating than having to go through a bunch of questions.
That’s why Treehouse has made its support email available to anyone who might have any questions. You can reach them at help@teamtreehouse.com or message them via the Contact Support tab on the website. Keep in mind that there are no live chat or phone contact options with this support team.
Treehouse Pros & Cons
To help you determine whether Treehouse is the right platform for you, we’ve compared its services to general standards in the eLearning market. As a result, we made a pros and cons list to outline the positive and negative sides of the platform’s service. Here it is:
Pros:
- Niche focused platform
- Courses based on real-life projects
- High-qualityty content made by in-house experts
- Interactive and career focused
- 7-dayay free trial available
- Self-paced learning programs
Cons:
- Only 300+ courses available
- Credit card required for the free trial period
- No accredited certification
Who is Treehouse For?
Treehouse is designed for tech professionals and anyone who wants to develop or advance their tech skills. Given that the platform only features tech-related courses, it is primarily geared to folks in this sector.
Whether you’re looking to pick up programming as a hobby or you’re aiming to build a career out of it, Treehouse will help you get the foundational knowledge to step foot into the industry.
It features courses taught by real experts in the field and course materials such as on-demand videos, quizzes, challenges, and workshops as well. Overall, if you’re looking for a platform that offers tech-focused educational materials, this is it! Naturally, you can find tech-related courses on Coursera, Udemy, and other similar platforms.
However, what makes Treehouse different is that its platform is focused on tech only, which makes them a more reliable source for those who are just learning the ins and outs of programming and web development.
How Much Does Treehouse Cost?
Now, to answer the most anticipated question – how much does Treehouse cost? As we’ve explained above, Treehouse features three subscription plans: Courses, Courses Plus, and Techdegree. Each of those is paid on a recurring monthly basis and includes access to all courses on the platform (with Courses Plus and Techdegree offering additional features as well.
Here’s the pricing for each:
- Courses: You will pay $25/month
- Courses Plus: You will pay $49/month
- Techdegree: You will pay $199/month
If you’re looking for simple yet informational courses, the cheapest subscription will be enough to cover your needs. For a few extra features such as offline material viewing, choose the Courses Plus plan.
However, if you’re in it to win it check out Treehouse’s Techdegree programs which consist of multiple courses focused on related topics. The Techdegrees also include quizzes, coding exercises hands-on projects, workshops, and direct collaboration.
Each Techdegree requires you to take a final exam at the end of the curriculum to get your final score. That’s what makes this subscription plan feel like more of a traditional learning structure, as opposed to Courses or Courses Plus where you can take any course you want at your own pace.
However, back to pricing, it is important to address that Treehouse offers a 7-day free trial that gives you access to everything on the platform for free. At the end of the trial, you can choose whether or not to subscribe. Keep in mind that you will have to enter credit card details to activate the trial, although your card won’t be billed until you decide to purchase a subscription.
Similar Platforms to Consider
Before you take out your credit card and purchase one of Treehouse’s subscription plans, keep in mind that there are other options on the market, especially when it comes to technology-related courses. EdX is one of those options that’s worth considering mainly because they offer accredited certifications at the end of each course.
EdX is partnered with well-known educational institutions such as Harvard and Berkeley University. Their courses are taught by experienced professors, which explains how they’re able to provide accredited certification. If you aim to get a valid certificate at the end of an online course, then definitely check out EdX.
Another platform that offers accredited certificates and features a lot of tech courses is Coursera. Ranked as one of the top online learning platforms out there, Coursera has over 23 million users around the world, and for a good reason. They offer truly good quality content and there’s no doubt that you’ll find some great technology courses on there.
If you’re looking for a platform that features courses taught by world-class teachers, Coursera is a good option. Just keep in mind that some of their courses cost upwards of $2,000 and you’ll even find programs worth up to $50,000. What gives Treehouse an advantage over these platforms is that it’s far more affordable yet still features courses taught by experts in technology fields.
Is Treehouse Worth It? Final Thoughts
Let’s summarize what we’ve learned in this Threehouse review so far! It’s an online learning platform that features courses on web development and design. It is made primarily for professionals and aspiring professionals in the tech industry. Now, is Treehouse worth your time and money?
Based on all the Treehouse reviews we’ve seen so far, the platform is pretty decent considering how affordable its monthly membership is. If you’re curious about what you can get for as little as $25 per month, sign up for their free trial and give it a shot.
Overall, Treehouse offers a user-friendly interface and a decent library of quality content. Although it only features a little over 300 courses, it’s safe to say that the content on the Treehouse e-learning platform is better than average.
If you’re planning to start a career in technology or web development, learning on Treehouse for $25 per month is a much better plan than binge-watching free YouTube videos and learning content without any structure or coherence.
To wrap it all up, we recommend giving Treehouse a shot and, if you’re not happy with what you get, you can always cancel the free trial to avoid paying for a subscription. You won’t be disappointed though!