Tools for beginners

New to coding? These tools are easy to learn, have free plans, and have lots of guides online.

A simple first stack

Write JavaScript, build the page with React and Vite, save your code on GitHub, and put it online with Vercel.

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Every tool for beginners

Each tool shows what it does and its price. Open one to see pros, cons and alternatives.

BootstrapFree

Frameworks

A CSS toolkit with a grid, buttons, forms, and navbars ready to use.

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ChatGPTEst. $20/mo

Chatbots & Assistants

OpenAI's chat app for drafts, debugging, and quick plans.

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DigitalOcean App PlatformEst. $5/mo

Platform as a Service

Git-based PaaS to build, deploy, and scale apps without managing servers.

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DigitalOcean DropletsEst. $4/mo

Cloud Hosting

Simple cloud VMs (Droplets) with predictable pricing from $4/mo.

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DockerFree

Server Tools

Package apps into containers so they run the same on your laptop and on a server.

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Express.jsFree

Frameworks

A minimal Node.js framework for building web servers and APIs.

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FigmaFree

Design Tools

A browser app for interface design, prototypes, and shared comments.

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GeminiEst. $20/mo

Chatbots & Assistants

Google's chat assistant, including images and files from a Google account.

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GitFree

Version Control

The version control system that records commits, branches, and history on your machine.

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GitHubFree

Code Collaboration

Git hosting with pull requests, issues, and Actions for public and private repos.

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JavaScriptFree

Languages

The language browsers run, and the language Node uses on the server.

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MongoDBFree

Databases

A document database that stores records as JSON-like documents instead of table rows.

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MySQLFree

Databases

The relational database behind a huge share of web apps and WordPress.

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NginxFree

Server Tools

Open-source web server, reverse proxy, and load balancer used in front of most production apps.

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Node.jsFree

Server Tools

JavaScript runtime for the server. Run apps, CLIs, and build tools outside the browser.

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NotionEst. $10/mo

Docs & Notes

Docs and wikis in pages you can share, nest, and edit together.

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PHPFree

Languages

The language behind WordPress and a huge share of the web.

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PM2Free

Server Tools

A Node.js process manager that keeps apps running, restarts on crash, and can cluster across cores.

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PythonFree

Languages

A readable language used for scripts, APIs, and data work.

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ReactFree

UI Components

A JavaScript library for building interfaces out of components.

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SQLiteFree

Databases

A SQL database stored in one file, with no server to run.

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VercelEst. $20/mo

Platform as a Service

Hosting that builds a preview URL for every Git push, especially Next.js apps.

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ViteFree

Build Automation

A dev server and bundler that starts fast and rebuilds as you save.

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How to pick your first tools

Pick tools with a free plan

You can learn and build without paying. Most tools on this page are free to start.

Start small

One language, one framework, and one place to host. Add more tools later.

Use AI to learn

ChatGPT and Gemini can explain errors and code in simple words.

Common questions

What should I learn first?

Start with JavaScript. It runs in every browser, and you can use it for the front end and the back end of an app.

Do I need to pay for tools?

No. You can start with free plans for almost every tool on this page.

What is the easiest way to put a website online?

Push your code to GitHub, then connect it to Vercel. Vercel builds and hosts small sites for free.

Not quite you?

See the tools for other kinds of builders.

Tools for vibe codersBuild apps with AI. Cursor, Lovable, Bolt, v0.Tools for pro developersProduction apps. TypeScript, Postgres, AWS.