Is LeetCode worth doing?

Yes, LeetCode is definitely worth doing, especially if you are preparing for technical interviews, looking to improve your problem-solving skills, or aiming to strengthen your knowledge of algorithms and data structures. It is one of the most widely used platforms by developers to sharpen their coding abilities, and its relevance to coding interviews at top tech companies makes it an essential tool for many.

1. Why LeetCode is Worth Doing

a. Great for Interview Preparation

• Coding Interviews Focus: LeetCode is known for offering problems similar to those asked in coding interviews at top tech companies like Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft. By practicing on LeetCode, you get used to the types of questions that are frequently asked in these interviews.
• Real-World Relevance: Many of the problems on LeetCode are not just theoretical but represent real-world coding challenges that interviewers expect you to solve efficiently.

b. Vast Problem Library

• Huge Selection of Problems: LeetCode has over 2,000 problems that cover all essential topics like arrays, linked lists, graphs, dynamic programming, binary trees, and more. The problems range in difficulty from Easy to Hard, making it possible to improve gradually.
• Comprehensive Coverage: The problems on LeetCode span different difficulty levels and topics, allowing you to start with easier problems and work your way up to the more challenging ones.

c. Strengthens Algorithmic Thinking

• Builds Problem-Solving Skills: LeetCode helps you develop a problem-solving mindset that is crucial for technical interviews. Solving these problems regularly enhances your ability to think critically, break down complex challenges, and develop efficient solutions.
• Optimization Focus: LeetCode problems encourage you to find optimal solutions, teaching you how to optimize your code for time and space complexity, which is an essential skill in coding interviews.

d. Helps Improve Speed and Accuracy

• Time Management: Regularly solving problems on LeetCode will help you become faster and more accurate at solving algorithmic challenges. This is especially useful when preparing for timed coding interviews or competitive programming contests.

e. Active Community and Resources

• LeetCode Discuss: The platform has an active community where users share their solutions, discuss problem-solving strategies, and provide insights. You can learn different approaches to solving the same problem, which helps improve your coding abilities.
• Learning from Others: Reviewing solutions from other users allows you to see alternate approaches and understand how to optimize your code for better performance.

f. Weekly and Biweekly Contests

• Coding Contests: LeetCode hosts weekly and biweekly contests where you can test your skills under time pressure. These contests are a great way to simulate a real interview environment, and they also allow you to compete against a global pool of developers.

g. Interview Simulations

• Interview-Like Environment: If you subscribe to LeetCode Premium, you can access the mock interview feature, which simulates a real coding interview. This helps you practice solving problems under timed conditions, similar to what you'll experience in actual interviews.

2. When LeetCode Might Not Be Worth It

a. If You’re Not Preparing for Interviews

• Interview-Centric Problems: LeetCode is heavily focused on coding interviews. If you are not planning to go through the interview process at a tech company, the platform’s focus may not align with your goals.

b. If You’re a Complete Beginner

• Steeper Learning Curve: If you’re new to coding, you might find LeetCode’s problems to be quite challenging at first, especially the Medium and Hard problems. You may want to start with platforms like HackerRank or freeCodeCamp to build up your fundamentals before tackling LeetCode.

c. Not Focused on Other Fields Like Web Development

• Lack of Web Development Focus: If you're looking to build web applications or mobile apps, LeetCode doesn’t cover topics like front-end development or back-end frameworks. Its main focus is on algorithms, not application development.

3. LeetCode Free vs. Premium

a. Free Version

• Access to Most Problems: The free version of LeetCode gives you access to hundreds of problems across all difficulty levels, making it sufficient for most users who are preparing for interviews.

b. Premium Version

• Company-Specific Problems: LeetCode Premium provides access to company-specific problem sets (e.g., problems asked by Google, Amazon, Facebook, etc.), which are especially useful if you're targeting specific companies.
• Official Solutions: Premium users get access to official solutions with detailed explanations, which can be valuable for learning efficient problem-solving techniques.
• Mock Interviews: Premium also offers a mock interview feature that simulates real interview environments.

If you're preparing for interviews at top tech companies and want to get the most out of LeetCode, the Premium version could be worth the investment.

4. LeetCode vs. Other Platforms

a. LeetCode vs. HackerRank

• LeetCode: Best for coding interview preparation, especially for top-tier tech companies. Problems are more focused on real-world algorithmic challenges.
• HackerRank: More beginner-friendly, with a broader focus on basic programming concepts, SQL, and other languages. It's great for building a foundation before moving to LeetCode.

b. LeetCode vs. Codeforces

• LeetCode: Ideal for technical interview prep. It’s less time-sensitive and allows for more practice at your own pace.
• Codeforces: Best for competitive programming, with a greater emphasis on speed and algorithmic challenges during timed contests.

5. Conclusion: Is LeetCode Worth Doing?

Yes, LeetCode is definitely worth doing if you're serious about improving your coding skills, especially for technical interviews. It offers an extensive library of problems, contests, and an active community that supports learning and growth. Regular practice on LeetCode can significantly improve your problem-solving skills, helping you succeed in coding interviews at top tech companies.

If your goal is to become a better programmer, especially in terms of algorithms and data structures, LeetCode is a fantastic resource. Just remember that consistency is key—solving a few problems each day will go a long way in preparing you for coding interviews or improving your coding abilities.