This review aims to explore all key differences between NeetCode 150 and Blind 75—all from LeetCode’s question bank.
The purpose is to find out which one will be a better fit for you, no matter your level of experience in coding.
I’ll also talk about a better alternative to both question lists toward the conclusion, so stay tuned for that.
Alright, without further ado, let’s get into it.
NeetCode 150 vs. Blind 75 – Overview
In a nutshell, NeetCode 150 and Blind 75 are based on LeetCode and compile the interview questions that tech companies like Facebook, Apple, Amazon, and others ask the most.
It is expected that solving those questions will give you an idea of what to expect in the actual interview. Is that realistic?
Yes. The organizers have worked at Google and other tech companies as software engineers.
They have also participated in various recruiting processes in their respective companies and so have a lot of insider knowledge about how these companies set their interview questions.
That said, NeetCode 150 and Blind 75 are not exactly the same thing, and their differences go beyond their naming. That’s our next point of discussion.
NeetCode 150 vs. Blind 75 – Differences
Though highly similar, it is easy to tell NeetCode 150 from Blind 75 when you look at them from various angles, namely: the nature of interview questions, solutions, programming languages, coding, and community.
Let’s start with the nature of questions.
Interview Questions
The numbers tell us much here. NeetCode 150 has 150 questions which is twice the number of Blind 75’s questions.
More numbers here mean a broader scope, so if that’s your priority (most likely) NeetCode wins.
Another thing to note about the interview questions is that different people set them. The tech geek behind Blind 75 is Yangshun Tay, while NeetCode 150’s creator prefers to go by the nickname NeetCode.
One thing you will notice, whether it’s NeetCode 150 or Blind 75 you choose, is that there is no personalization feature.
That means you can’t set a schedule based on how much time you have to practice or create a custom plan by ranking topics in your preferred order. You can’t even pick questions by difficulty level.
Also, neither NeetCode 150 nor Blind 75 ranks the questions according to importance. So you have no idea which topics you should start with and which can be tackled later.
NeetCode 150, however, does allow you to check off questions you’ve completed. It can be a little memory aid that prevents you from repeating questions by mistake
Solutions
Both NeetCode 150 and Blind 75 give answers to all of their questions, just not in the same way.
Blind 75 takes you to LeetCode for its solutions. The problem is that most LeetCode’s solutions are user-submitted, meaning accuracy isn’t guaranteed.
NeetCode, however, provides video solutions to all of its questions. NeetCode himself provides all the explanations so you can rest assured of their validity.
You can also go to NeetCode’s channel for more video clarifications if unsatisfied with a question’s solution.
Programming languages
The programming languages for the solutions on NeetCode 150 and Blind 75 differ.
Remember how I said LeetCode users own most of the solutions on Blind 75?
A problem can have its solutions in various programming languages based on who uploads it. Still, it can be daunting to search the heap of solutions before finding a solution coded in your programming language.
NeetCode solves that problem by allowing you to select from 13 programming languages like Java, Python, Swift, et cetera. All the code solutions will automatically switch to your preferred programming language, saving you time and stress.
Community
NeetCode 150 and Blind 75 are part of much larger platforms, NeetCode Pro and LeetCode, respectively.
We are getting community support on both platforms. Needless to say, LeetCode has a much bigger platform than NeetCode, but you are not getting a poorer experience from the smaller community.
In fact, NeetCode’s community might be more relevant. The smaller size makes it less likely that your input will be lost among the crowd.
Besides, NeetCode himself is in the community as a leading expert, and he engages in discussions and community forums.
Neetcode Pro is a better upgrade
I have discussed extensively what sets NeetCode 150 and Blind 75 apart, and if you’ve been following closely, I mentioned under the community section that NeetCode 150 is a part of NeetCode Pro.
If you are using NeetCode 150 for your practice questions, chances are you are using it as embedded in NeetCode’s free version.
NeetCode 150 and Blind 75 (which is also embedded in the NeetCode free version) are great interview resources, hence I recommend a combination of the two. This is where NeetCode Pro comes in.
Interestingly, NeetCode Pro offers more.
Practice questions and their solutions are great, but they will only take you so far. If you rely on practice questions alone, you will limit your scope, and if you encounter something different enough in your interview, you might flop.
You know what will happen if you meet enough unfamiliar questions in your interview.
Practice questions are meant to test your skills, not teach you those skills—it is courses that give you those skills.
Speaking of premium courses, that’s the step up that NeetCode Pro provides.
NeetCode Pro offers high-value courses in the major domains that tech companies usually use for testing interview candidates.
They are:
- Algorithms and Data Structure for Beginners
- Advanced Algorithms
- System Design for Beginners
- System Design Interview
- Object-oriented Design Interview
All these courses contain explainer videos, articles, and solution source code.
The courses also contain workshops where you apply your coding skills to create working networks and systems like communication apps, file storage systems, games, and more.
In addition to that, you get an additional suite of coding challenges and Blind 75 solutions. There are 331 challenges in total, along with interview performance tests.
NeetCode Pro charges in two ways: an annual plan and a lifetime plan for $99 paid yearly and $129 paid once, respectively.
What I love about NeetCode Pro
I love many things about NeetCode Pro, but two stand out: the course quality and the living content.
The courses are well-baked. NeetCode has a way of breaking down complex concepts into simple bits. He teaches without giving that ‘I’m smarter than you’ impression. He makes you feel everything is simple.
It’s also great that NeetCode continues to update its courses and other resources to match up with current needs. He recently announced that he would be providing explanatory articles, and yeah, they are already dropping.
If you purchase the lifetime plan, you not only get the entire content present now. You will get all future updates as well. How much better can it get?
Wrapping Up
Blind 75 and NeetCode 150 (preferably for their video solutions) are helpful as interview prep resources, but only to a certain extent.
They will likely be your last resort when your interview day is so close, and you must brush up quickly on specific skills.
Barring that, and if you have much time left, you need to broaden your scope of preparation by paying for the bigger platforms, LeetCode or NeetCode, to be thoroughly groomed for the interview.
When you have to decide, I encourage you to go for NeetCode Pro instead and get real, actionable training.
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