Is NeetCode 150 Good?
(Honest Review)

Everyone recommends NeetCode 150. But is it actually good, or just popular? Here is an honest review of what it does well, what it misses, and who should use it.

Rida En-nasry
Rida En-nasryApril 20267 min read
Table of Contentsexpand_more
  1. TL;DR
  2. What NeetCode 150 Does Well
  3. What It Misses
  4. How It Compares
  5. Who Should Use It
  6. The Verdict
  7. FAQ

TL;DR

Yes, NeetCode 150 is good. It is the most comprehensive free DSA study plan available. 150 problems across 16 structured categories, free video solutions for every problem, and the broadest pattern coverage of any major list. The main gaps: no system design, no behavioral prep, no company-specific targeting. It is a strong DSA foundation, not a complete interview prep solution.

What NeetCode 150 Does Well

The Strengths

category

Broadest category coverage

16 categories

Including Greedy, Backtracking, and advanced Graphs. Blind 75 and Grind 75 cover ~10. No other free list matches this breadth.

play_circle

Free video solutions for every problem

150 videos

NeetCode's YouTube walkthroughs are clear, code-focused, and generally excellent. This is the single biggest advantage over other lists.

route

Structured roadmap progression

Easy to Hard

Logical progression from Arrays to 2D DP and advanced Graphs. Reduces the "what do I study next" anxiety.

tune

Right difficulty balance

71% Medium

16% Easy, 71% Medium, 13% Hard. Mirrors real interview distributions where most rounds test 1-2 Mediums.

layers

Includes Blind 75 as a subset

85.3% overlap

Do NeetCode 150 and you have effectively done Blind 75 plus 86 additional problems. No need to do both.

payments

Completely free

$0

Problem list, roadmap, and all video solutions are free. Compare to Educative ($59/mo) or AlgoExpert ($99/yr).

What It Misses

NeetCode 150 is a DSA list. It does not claim to be complete interview prep. But it is important to be explicit about what it leaves out, because many candidates treat it as their entire preparation.

1

No system design

FAANG interviews include system design rounds for mid-level+. NeetCode 150 has zero coverage here. You need separate preparation.

2

No behavioral preparation

Amazon has 14 leadership principles. Meta tests for impact and collaboration. These are pass/fail gates that NeetCode 150 cannot help with.

3

No company-specific targeting

NeetCode 150 does not tell you which problems to prioritize for Google vs Amazon vs Meta. Each company has different topic biases. Our analysis shows coverage ranges from 29% (Google) to 39% (Amazon).

4

No time estimates per problem

Unlike Grind 75, NeetCode 150 does not include expected solving time for each problem. This makes it harder to plan study sessions and set realistic schedules.

5

No mock interview practice

Solving problems alone is fundamentally different from solving them while explaining your approach to an interviewer. NeetCode 150 builds knowledge but not performance.

How It Compares to Alternatives

Blind 75

NeetCode 150 is strictly better. It includes 85% of Blind 75 plus 86 more problems in 6 additional categories.

Grind 75

NeetCode 150 has broader coverage. Grind 75 has better scheduling tools. Use Grind 75 if short on time, NeetCode 150 if you have 6+ weeks.

LeetCode Premium

Different purpose. LeetCode Premium gives company-tagged problems. NeetCode 150 gives structured learning. Use NeetCode 150 first, then LeetCode Premium for company-specific practice.

Educative / Grokking

Grokking teaches patterns conceptually. NeetCode 150 teaches by doing. Grokking costs $59/mo. NeetCode 150 is free. Most candidates do not need both.

Striver's SDE Sheet

Similar scope (~190 problems). NeetCode 150 has video solutions and a cleaner roadmap. Striver's sheet is popular in India and covers some topics NeetCode skips (like matrix chain multiplication).

For detailed problem-by-problem comparisons, see our Blind 75 vs NeetCode 150 and NeetCode 150 vs Grind 75 articles.

Who Should Use NeetCode 150?

check

Anyone with 6+ weeks before their interview

Enough time to complete the list and build real pattern fluency.

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Self-learners who benefit from video explanations

The YouTube walkthroughs are the best free resource for understanding solutions.

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People who want comprehensive DSA coverage

No other free list covers 16 categories with this depth.

close

People interviewing in less than 3 weeks

Not enough time. Do Grind 75 or Blind 75 instead.

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People who only need system design prep

NeetCode 150 is purely algorithmic. It will not help with system design rounds.

The Verdict

NeetCode 150 is the best free DSA study plan available. It has the broadest coverage, the best video solutions, and a clean structure. It is not perfect: it lacks system design, behavioral prep, company targeting, and time estimates. But for what it sets out to do (teach you DSA patterns for coding interviews), nothing free beats it.

The optimal approach: use NeetCode 150 as your DSA foundation. Then supplement with company-specific practice for your target employer, system design study, behavioral prep, and mock interviews to build performance under pressure. For the full post-NeetCode game plan, read What to Do After NeetCode 150.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is NeetCode 150 free?expand_more

Yes. The full NeetCode 150 problem list, roadmap, and YouTube video solutions are completely free. NeetCode also offers a paid Pro tier with additional features, but the 150-problem list and all video explanations are free to access.

Is NeetCode 150 better than LeetCode premium?expand_more

They serve different purposes. NeetCode 150 is a curated study plan that tells you which 150 problems to do and in what order. LeetCode Premium gives you access to company-tagged problems, solution explanations, and premium-only problems. Many candidates use both: NeetCode 150 for the study plan, LeetCode Premium for company-specific practice.

How good is NeetCode 150 compared to other lists?expand_more

NeetCode 150 has the broadest category coverage of any popular study list. It covers 16 categories compared to Blind 75's ~10 and Grind 75's ~10. It is the only major list with dedicated Greedy, Backtracking, and advanced Graph sections. The tradeoff is time: it takes roughly 85-100 hours compared to 40-50 for the 75-problem lists.

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