Comparison

51CTO vs Sololearn

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

51CTO

This platform offers a vast library of free, practical video courses for IT professionals and students. Learn programming, certifications, AI, and more from industry experts to advance your career.

Highlights
  • 80,000+ free practical video courses
  • Covers 22 IT categories
  • Taught by 800+ industry experts
  • Focus on practical skills and career advancement
  • Suitable for students to experienced IT professionals
  • Offline learning support
Read full description

学AI,上51CTO学堂 注册即享8000+免费课程,覆盖AI Agent、AI应用开发、AI智能客服、AI视频与数字人、AI办公提效、Vibe coding、WorkBuddy等热门课程,海量数字化技能资源任你学。 51CTO学堂,1200万IT人的职业成长首选平台。深耕数智化人才培养二十多年,汇聚4000+位技术专家,打造30000+门精品课程。 8000+免费课,注册即学 无需付费,注册即可畅学超过8000门视频课程。另有2000+门会员专享课程,会员免费畅学,总有一门适合你。 两大学习产品,灵活选择 【视频课程】 8000+免费课、20000+付费课,涵盖AI Agent、AI应用开发、AI智能客服、AI视频与数字人、AI办公提效、Vibe coding、WorkBuddy等热门课程。支持随点随播、倍速学习、离线缓存,帮助你利用碎片时间高效成长。 【精品班】 51CTO精培(e.51cto.com)是一站式数字化技术认证与技能提升平台,覆盖AI智能体、AI开发、AI办公、AI安全、AI运维、AI研究生、华为认证、软考、PMP、信创认证等热门方向。 采用讲师+助教+班主任三位一体服务模式,配套AI题库、实验实操平台和个性化学习系统,通过“学-练-测-评”闭环学习,助力技能提升、认证备考与职业进阶。 课程全面覆盖热门赛道 涵盖AI智能体、AI开发与大模型、AIGC内容创作、企业AI落地、AI办公与职场提效、智能运维、软考认证等热门领域,紧跟行业技术迭代,实时更新大模型开发、RAG检索增强、Agent智能体、AIOps智能运维、AIGC落地实战等前沿课程。 为谁服务 无论你是在校学生、寻求转型的传统行业从业者、1-3年新锐IT人,还是资深工程师与极客爱好者,这里都有你的成长路径,一站式为你解决AI转型、技能升级、考证加薪、高薪就业等核心职场需求。 联系我们 使用过程中有任何问题,可在 “我的”—“在线客服” 中联系客服解决问题;或通过客服电话400-101-1651联系我们。 立即下载51CTO学堂APP,在AI时代,抢占数智化人才新高地!

About

Sololearn

Learn programming languages like Python, Java, and C# through interactive lessons and hands-on practice. This app offers bite-sized courses, coding challenges, and AI-powered support to help you build practical coding skills on the go. Join millions of learners worldwide advancing their careers and creating real-world solutions.

Highlights
  • Interactive coding lessons
  • Hands-on coding exercises
  • AI-powered coding support
  • Mobile code editor
  • Community support
  • Personalized learning paths
Features
Read full description

Start learning to code with Sololearn, the #1 app for learning programming on the go! Created by top educators and tech experts, Sololearn offers interactive lessons and hands-on practice in over 20 programming languages, including Python, JavaScript, SQL, Java, C#, and more. Join over 35 million learners worldwide building skills, advancing careers, and turning ideas into real-world solutions with Sololearn's community-driven, beginner-friendly courses. Ready to start your coding journey? What You Get with Sololearn • 4 Career Tracks & 20+ Full Courses – Dive into thousands of coding lessons and hands-on coding exercises, crafted in a bite-sized, engaging format. Ideal for future developers and coding enthusiasts alike! • Practice from Lesson One – Start coding right away with real-world projects, interactive coding games, and challenges that make learning fun. With engaging content in Python, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, SQL, and more, Sololearn helps you build practical skills from day one. • Code with AI from Lesson One – Begin your coding journey with AI-powered support. As AI becomes integral to development, Sololearn ensures you’re ready with skills all modern developers need. • Real-Time Support When You Need It – Stuck? Get help within minutes! Tap into our supportive community or ask Kodie, our in-app teacher, for instant, AI-powered guidance on any coding challenge. • Personalized Learning Just for You – Sololearn adapts to your pace, preferences, and skill level, tailoring a learning plan that fits you. Progress through coding lessons at your own speed with content customized to match your goals and learning style. • Code Anytime, Anywhere – Practice coding anytime with Sololearn’s mobile code editor. From Python to JavaScript and more, keep learning and coding wherever you are. • Powered by Learning Science – Sololearn strikes the perfect balance of theory and practice with spaced repetition, real-world challenges, and the right level of difficulty, all designed to maximize retention and make coding stick What 35M+ users love about Sololearn • Engaging, hands-on lessons for real-world coding • Learning made super easy • Wide variety of coding courses • Perfect for beginners & pros alike • Learn anywhere with mobile coding What the Media Says About Us - "A profound impact on millions of people's financial futures." – TechCrunch - "Hundreds of different quizzes and activities." – Forbes - "An enjoyable environment for infinite professional growth." – TechCrunch HOW DOES IT WORK? With Sololearn, you can start learning to code for free. However, to unlock access to all features, you’ll need to enable a free Pro trial. If you choose not to cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the trial, you will automatically be charged the price shown on the payment screen for your selected subscription period. Don’t worry—the App Store will remind you when your free trial is nearing its end. The Sololearn Pro subscription renews automatically at the end of each period (weekly, monthly, or yearly, depending on your choice) until you cancel. Canceling your subscription will disable automatic renewal, but you’ll still have access to all your Pro features until the end of the current subscription period. Looking for even more? Our Max subscription includes exclusive Learn AI content with 15 courses designed to boost your AI-driven skills. Master data analytics, data visualization, writing and brainstorming with AI, SEO optimization, and much more with cutting-edge tools to accelerate your growth. Please note: Deleting the app does not cancel your subscription. Terms of Use: https://www.sololearn.com/en/terms-of-use Privacy Policy: https://www.sololearn.com/en/privacy-policy/ Contact Us For any questions or suggestions on how to make your experience better, reach out to us at info@sololearn.com

Screenshots

51CTO3 screens
Sololearn4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: 51CTO at none against Sololearn's shown. 51CTO also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). Sololearn's advantage is review sentiment (70% vs 41%). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. 51CTO sells 23 one-off in-app purchases and Sololearn sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

51CTO ships an update fortnightly, Sololearn every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
51CTO versus Sololearn: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter51CTOSololearn
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.8 (82K ratings) — better
Positive reviews41.0% of reviews70.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings—82K — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size123 MB130 MB
Age rating17+4+
Developer北京无忧创想信息技术有限公司Sololearn Inc

Customer experience

51CTO

Written reviews39 reviews
Positive41.0%
Neutral2.6%
Negative56.4%

Sololearn

All ratings81,710 ratings
Positive96.1%
Neutral2.1%
Negative1.8%
Written reviews2,123 reviews
Positive70.1%
Neutral9.4%
Negative20.5%

Bugs and requests

51CTO

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Sololearn

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Incorrect test answers even when the code is correct
  • Inability to enter certain characters or syntax correctly
  • Lessons not saving progress properly
  • Landscape mode not supported on tablets
  • Frequent crashes or freezes

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add more advanced courses and content
  • Improve code editor and IDE functionality
  • Implement better explanations and feedback for incorrect answers
  • Add more programming languages like Lua
  • Improve search and navigation within the app
Show 1 more
  • Provide offline mode for learning

In-app purchases

23 purchases

51CTO

One-time23
  • 1金币$0.99
  • 6金币$0.99
  • 3金币$0.99
Show 20 more
  • 12金币$1.99
  • 18金币$2.99
  • 30金币$3.99
  • 25金币$3.99
  • 40金币$5.99
  • 45金币$5.99
  • 50金币$6.99
  • 93金币$12.99
  • 88金币$12.99
  • 98金币$14.99
  • 138金币$19.99
  • 158金币$22.99
  • 178金币$24.99
  • 208金币$29.99
  • 248金币$34.99
  • 298金币$39.99
  • 348金币$49.99
  • 448金币$59.99
  • 488金币$69.99
  • 998金币$149.99
12 purchases

Sololearn

Subscriptions12
  • Sololearn PRO Monthly3 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • SoloLearn PRO Monthly$6.991 Month
  • Sololearn PRO Monthly2 variants$12.991 Month
Show 9 more
  • SoloLearn PRO Annual3 Days trial$47.991 Year
  • PRO Annual (14 days trial)14 Days trial$47.991 Year
  • SoloLearn PRO Annual14 Days trial$59.991 Year
  • Sololearn PRO Annual14 Days trial$69.991 Year
  • SoloLearn PRO Annual$69.991 Year
  • Sololearn PRO Annual14 Days trial$79.991 Year
  • Sololearn PRO Annual7 Days trial$79.991 Year
  • Full access to AI courses7 Days trial$97.991 Year
  • Sololearn MAX14 Days trial$119.991 Year

Questions

Is 51CTO free?
51CTO is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sololearn free?
Sololearn is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do 51CTO or Sololearn have ads?
Sololearn shows ads; 51CTO does not.
Which is updated more often, 51CTO or Sololearn?
51CTO ships an update fortnightly, and Sololearn every 2 weeks. Most recently, 51CTO was updated on September 23, 2026 and Sololearn on September 25, 2026.

Other comparisons