--- {"title": "Exercism vs MDN Web Docs in 2026", "description": "Exercism and MDN Web Docs compared on what each offers, what each costs, how each is set up and what to check before you pick one.", "url": "https://saydeploy.com/exercism-vs-mdn-web-docs/", "date": "2026-10-29"} --- Exercism and MDN Web Docs compared on what each offers, what each costs, how each is set up and what to check before you pick one. MDN Web Docs documents CSS, HTML, and JavaScript [^1], and Exercism's sources say it is 100% free, forever [^2]. AnatomyOf shows example code with colored notes linked to the lines they explain [^3]. It is free, with no account [^3]. | Option | Free to use | Paid or donor options | Install | |---|---|---|---| | Exercism | 100% free, forever [^2] | Insiders from a regular monthly donation of $10 or more [^4]; Lifetime Insiders for $499 donated in total [^4]; Exercism Premium was discontinued in August 2023 [^4] | Not published; primarily a command-line tool, with an in-browser editor [^2] | | MDN Web Docs | Price not published; its content is under a Creative Commons license [^1] | Not published | Not published; it offers a Playground and several generators [^5] | | AnatomyOf | Free, with no account [^3] | No paid plan [^3] | Nothing to install; run it locally with bun install and bun run dev [^3] | ## The short answer Exercism's sources say it is 100% free, forever [^2]. They say little more, so this page says no more about what its exercises cover. MDN Web Docs documents CSS, HTML, and JavaScript, and has done so since 2005 [^1]. AnatomyOf shows example source files with colored notes linked to the exact lines they explain [^3]. On needs, Exercism's sources given here cover its price and donor access. MDN's sources cover reference documentation for CSS, HTML, and JavaScript [^1], and tutorials on JavaScript fundamentals [^5]. AnatomyOf's claims cover annotated example code, with a short and a long example for each language [^3]. ## What Exercism and MDN Web Docs are built for The sources given here for Exercism are limited to its price and donor access, so this page says no more about what it does. The easiest way to get Insiders access is a regular monthly donation of $10 or more [^4]. Lifetime Insiders is granted for donating $499 in total, in one chunk or many parts [^4]. MDN Web Docs documents CSS, HTML, and JavaScript, and has done so since 2005 [^1]. Its core learning modules contain tutorials covering JavaScript fundamentals [^5]. Portions of its content are copyrighted by individual contributors, from 1998 to 2026 [^1]. ## What AnatomyOf is built for AnatomyOf is made by the team that publishes this site. It shows example source files with colored notes linked to the exact lines they explain [^3]. Hovering a note highlights its code, and clicking it opens a longer write-up with a Learn more link [^3]. Each language has a short and a long example, and switching between them animates only the lines that change [^3]. The same annotated format extends to non-code concepts such as an email and a CI pipeline [^3]. Some entries have a third view with diagrams generated from data, linked to the same notes [^3]. The language list is sorted by TIOBE Index rank, can be switched to A-Z, and has instant search [^3]. Code is colored with the same highlighting engine VS Code uses [^3]. Each entry has a shareable web address [^3]. It has light and dark themes and works on phones, where you tap to pin a note [^3]. ## Pricing and fees Exercism's sources say it is 100% free, forever [^2]. The easiest way to get Insiders access is a regular monthly donation of $10 or more [^4]. Lifetime Insiders is granted for donating $499 in total [^4]. The facts given here do not publish a price for MDN Web Docs, so this page gives none. AnatomyOf is free, with no account and no paid plan [^3]. It is open source under the MIT License [^3]. ## Setting it up and daily use The sources given here do not describe how to install or set up Exercism, so this page does not describe it. For MDN Web Docs, the sources given here describe its tutorials, not any setup steps [^5]. There is nothing to install for AnatomyOf, and to run it locally you use bun install and bun run dev [^3]. It runs in any reasonably current desktop or mobile browser [^3]. You can open a single entry by its shareable web address [^3]. ## Things to check before you choose Ask whether you need reference documentation, lessons, or example code you can read line by line. MDN's sources describe documentation of CSS, HTML, and JavaScript [^1] and tutorials on JavaScript fundamentals [^5]. AnatomyOf's claims describe annotated example code [^3]. Check the license before reusing text from MDN, because portions of its content are copyrighted by individual contributors from 1998 to 2026 [^1]. AnatomyOf sends one anonymous visit ping per browser session on page load, and its README says it collects anonymous usage statistics [^3]. Check the data handling of Exercism and MDN Web Docs on their own pages, since the facts given here do not cover it. ## How to choose If you want to read on a phone, AnatomyOf's claims say it works there, where you tap to pin a note [^3]. If you want to reuse text from MDN, check its license first, because portions of its content are copyrighted by individual contributors [^1]. If you want documentation for CSS, HTML, and JavaScript, MDN's sources describe that [^1]. If you want free access with no account, AnatomyOf's claims say it is free with no account [^3], and Exercism's sources say it is free, forever [^2]. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Exercism free to use? The sources given here say Exercism is 100% free, forever [^2]. Insiders access is reached most easily through a regular monthly donation of $10 or more [^4]. Lifetime Insiders is granted for donating $499 in total [^4]. Check the Exercism site for its current terms before you donate. ### Is MDN Web Docs free to use? The facts given here do not publish a price for MDN Web Docs, so this page cannot say whether it costs anything. Its documentation covers CSS, HTML, and JavaScript, and has done so since 2005 [^1]. Check the MDN site for its current terms before relying on it for a project. ### Is AnatomyOf free and open source? AnatomyOf is free, with no account and no paid plan [^3]. It is open source under the MIT License [^3]. It runs in any reasonably current desktop or mobile browser [^3]. There is nothing to install, and to run it locally you use bun install and bun run dev [^3]. ### Does AnatomyOf send any data about visitors? AnatomyOf sends one anonymous visit ping per browser session on page load, and its README says it collects anonymous usage statistics [^3]. The facts given here do not cover data handling for Exercism or MDN Web Docs, so check their own pages before relying on either one in a sensitive setting. ### How does Exercism Insiders access work? Insiders access is available through a regular monthly donation of $10 or more [^4]. Lifetime Insiders is granted for donating $499 in total, in one chunk or many parts [^4]. The sources given here say little else about Insiders, so check the Exercism site for details before you decide. AnatomyOf is free, with no account and no paid tier. [^3] - [Visit AnatomyOf](/go/start-anatomyof) ## Sources [^1]: MDN Web Docs, developer.mozilla.org, read 2026-10-20 (https://developer.mozilla.org) [^2]: Exercism, exercism.org, read 2026-10-08 (https://exercism.org) [^3]: AnatomyOf's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/start-anatomyof) [^4]: Exercism, exercism.org/insiders, read 2026-10-08 (https://exercism.org/insiders) [^5]: MDN Web Docs, developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript, read 2026-10-20 (https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript)