Hi, I’m Lada — Content Project Manager at Hyperskill.
One of the questions we get a lot from our students is: “Which Python course should I start with?”
It's a fair question. We have several Python courses, and yes, they overlap. Each one focuses on different goals and project types, but many topics show up across multiple courses. The good news? If you've already completed a topic in one course, it automatically counts toward another. So you're never redoing work.
Whether you're starting from zero or building on what you already know, you can choose any course and move at your own pace. The main difference is how deep you want to go — and what skills you need right now.
Here's how to figure out which Python course fits you best.
Quick Comparison
| Course | Best For | Project Examples | What You’ll Learn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Python Fundamentals with Practical Projects | Complete beginners | Bill splitter / Chatbot | Variables, loops, functions, PyCharm basics |
| Python Core | Learners ready to go deeper | Password hacker / Flashcards | OOP, data structures, testing, multithreading |
| Python Developer | Career switchers | Code analyzer / Web scraper / Translator | Databases, web tech, Docker, design patterns |
| Python Backend Developer with Django | Future backend devs | Service center / HyperSchool | Django REST, Redis, deployment, testing |
| Python with Algorithms for Tech Interviews | Interview prep | Sorting tool / Password checker / PageRank | Classic algorithms, problem-solving |
Note: Each course includes more projects than shown here — these are just some highlights.
The Courses
Python Fundamentals with Practical Projects
CV-ready skills: Python, PyCharm, Git, debugging, functions, data types, control structures, basic problem-solving.
This is where you should start if you've never coded before.
You’ll learn the basics — variables, data types, loops, conditionals, functions, and error handling — and get comfortable with PyCharm, a popular Python development tool.
You’ll also build small projects like a bill splitter for your next group dinner or a chatbot that could help customers on a website.
Perfect if: You've never written a line of code.
What learners say:
"It is a great course with a strong theoretical focus and excellent practical assignments and projects that will help you develop your skills through hands-on experience." — Oleksii Savenko
"I came into this without a single piece of information about Python, besides knowing it's a programming language. This course was great for teaching and mastering not only the basics but also building on those basics as a foundation to actively solve problems and create projects. I liked how the problems weren't too long or overwhelming, and that I didn't have to read a novel or watch multiple hours of videos to learn a topic." — Fahad Rahu
Python Core
CV-ready skills: Object-oriented programming, data structures, algorithms, testing (unittest/pytest), multithreading, version control, code architecture.
Once you're past the fundamentals, Python Core takes you deeper into the language.
Beyond basic syntax, you'll explore algorithms, data structures, object-oriented programming, and testing. You'll also dive into advanced topics like multithreading and become familiar with essential tools, including Jupyter Notebook, PyCharm, and GitHub.
This course is great for building a solid foundation so you can choose your path later — whether that's backend development, data science, or something else.
The projects here show that you understand not just syntax, but how to structure code properly. That's what hiring managers look for when they review portfolios.
Perfect if: You know basic Python and want to understand how things work under the hood.
What learners say:
"I have learned essential Python programming concepts, including syntax, data processing techniques, and object-oriented programming principles. This course has significantly improved my ability to use standard and third-party libraries to enhance code functionality and efficiency. Additionally, I have gained experience in implementing automated tests to ensure code quality." — Evgenii Morgunov
Python Developer
CV-ready skills: Database design (SQL/NoSQL), web scraping, REST APIs, Docker, ORM (SQLAlchemy), design patterns, performance tuning, automation.
This course assumes you already understand Python syntax and want to see how it fits into real projects.
You'll expand on core Python knowledge and explore the broader ecosystem around it. The course covers databases (SQL, NoSQL, MongoDB), web technologies (HTML, CSS, Requests, BeautifulSoup), design patterns, performance optimization, and developer tools such as Docker and SQLAlchemy.
You’ll build projects like a static code analyzer (to catch bugs in your own code), a memorization tool (to help you study or learn new languages), and a multilingual online translator (that works a lot like Google Translate). They’re real applications that you can showcase in job interviews or use to demonstrate your technical skills.
Perfect if: You want to work as a Python developer and need to understand the full development workflow.
What learners say:
"5 stars because this was the course with the most practical applications that I have ever done." — Thomas Buchberger
"During this course, I learned both basic and advanced features of the Python programming language. I gained experience in problem-solving and code development through challenging and interesting projects." — Andrei Raugas
Python Backend Developer with Django
CV-ready skills: Django, Django REST Framework, ORM design, Redis, Pytest, deployment, REST APIs, database optimization, authentication, production best practices.
If you want to build web applications, this is the course that gets you there.
Django is a popular Python framework for backend development, and this course covers it thoroughly. You learn Django's ORM, templates, and admin interface, but also the ecosystem around it: APIs with Django REST Framework, caching with Redis, testing with Pytest, and deployment best practices.
By the end, you'll have full-stack Django applications in your portfolio — real web apps with databases, APIs, and proper testing. That's exactly what companies want to see when they're hiring backend developers.
Perfect if: You're aiming for backend developer roles.
Python with Algorithms for Tech Interviews
CV-ready skills: object-oriented programming, data structures, algorithms, testing (unittest/pytest), multithreading, version control, code architecture.
In this course, you'll learn the essential theory of algorithms and data structures, understand time-complexity analysis, and develop algorithmic thinking — a crucial skill for developers preparing for technical interviews.
The course shows how various real-world algorithms work and how to implement them in Python. In the graduate projects, you'll implement classic algorithms from scratch and even build your own version of PageRank — the algorithm Google used to figure out which web pages are most important.
Perfect if: You're preparing for technical interviews or want to write more efficient code.
What learners say:
"This track has good projects to sharpen and practice your thinking skills with a good number of well-known algorithms."
Which One Should You Pick?
Start with Python Fundamentals if you're new to programming entirely.
Move to Python Core if you know the basics but want to understand how professional developers think and work.
Choose Python Developer if you're looking to switch careers and need a comprehensive view of the development workflow.
Go with Python Backend Developer with Django if you specifically want to build web applications and APIs.
Pick Python with Algorithms for Tech Interviews if you're preparing for job interviews or want to level up your problem-solving skills.
The nice thing about our approach is that these courses are all connected. The topics overlap and your progress carries over — so you don’t have to go through the material twice.
Along the way, you’ll build real projects you can add to your GitHub and show to potential employers.
No course will teach you everything. But our courses give you enough practical experience and portfolio pieces to grow as a developer and build skills that last.
Top comments (0)