What are people saying?

Please email us at info@realpython.com if you’d like to add your testimonial to the list. Cheers!

Real Python Logo

Testimonials

Three years later and I still return to my Real Python books when I need a quick refresher on usage of vital Python commands.

— Rob Fowler / @BlueGator4

When we initially had the idea of starting the company Export Abroad, web development was such a foreign concept to me. I was using python in an academic setting and have used the Real Python courses and blog posts to shape a lot of what we do. So I figured it is only right to also use the courses to train our summer interns. Thank you!

— William Hakizimana / @willyhakim

Thanks @realpython I used your wordcount app as guideline to build http://catelus.com which is now cashflow positive!

— Armen Suny / @armenls

Real Python is an awesome resource for the budding developer. Not only will you learn Python, you will learn how to use it as you build practical and functional web-based applications that increase in complexity throughout the course. The series introduced me to the power of Flask, demystified Django, and got me thinking of development as craftsmanship.

I floundered for a long time trying to teach myself. I slogged through dozens of incomplete online tutorials. I snoozed through hours of boring screencasts. I gave up on countless crufty books from big-time publishers. And then I found Real Python. The easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions break the big concepts down into bite-sized chunks written in plain English. The authors never forget their audience and are consistently thorough and detailed in their explanations. I’m up and running now, but I constantly refer to these books for guidance.

Get Real Python and get your hands dirty quickly so you spend less time in the abstract and more time making real applications. You could waste weeks, maybe months, groping in the dark for this information on your own. Or you could buy the series and get started today. It’s worth every penny. Are you still reading my testimonial? What are you waiting for? That app isn’t going to build itself.

— Jared Nielsen / @jarednielsen

I have a year’s worth of Python scripting under my belt, everything from ‘Hello World’ to scripts that I now can’t live without at work (that myself and colleagues use). Despite my reasonable basic knowledge of working with Python there have been two areas that have mystified/scared me the most - databases and web apps. Since reading the Real Python courses, I now find myself using databases more and more instead of just storing something in a CSV or dare I say, in memory! I’ve also made a few small web apps and plan on extending one that is mentioned in course two on sentiment analysis.

The authors of the courses have NOT forgotten what it is like to be a beginner - something that many authors do - and assume nothing about their readers, which makes the courses fantastic reads. The courses are also accompanied by some great videos as well as plenty of references for extra learning, homework assignments and example code that you can experiment with and extend.

I really liked that there was always full code examples and each line of code had good comments so you can see what is doing what.

I now have a number of books on Python and these are the only ones I have actually finished cover to cover, and they are hands down the best on the market. If like me, you’re not a programmer (I work in online marketing) you’ll find these courses to be like a mentor due to the clear, fluff-free explanations! Highly recommended!

— Craig Addyman / @CraigAddyman

Honestly, throughout this whole process what I found was just me looking really hard for things that could maybe be added or improved, but this tutorial is amazing! You do a wonderful job of explaining and teaching Python in a way that people like me, a complete novice, could really grasp.The flow of the lessons works perfectly throughout. The exercises truly helped along the way and you feel very accomplished when you finish up the course. I think you have a gift for making Python seem more attainable to people outside the programming world. This is something I never thought I would be doing or learning and with a little push from you I am learning it and I can see that it will be nothing but beneficial to me in the future!

— Shea Klusewicz / @shea_kluse

The Real Python series is a great resource for beginner and intermediate Python programmers. I found the first course to be a good introduction to Python programming. The second course focuses on web programming with various little recipes for web scraping and working with web APIs. The latter portion of the book talks about Python web frameworks, like web2py, Flask and Django.

I recommend these courses for beginners in Python and for those interested in getting into Python’s web frameworks!

— Mike from The Mouse Vs. The Python

I discovered Real Python a few weeks ago, and immediately bought it. Even though I only needed it for the web development part, I found all the courses easy to follow - which is rare, as most tutorials are dense and boring, and it seems, written for the writer than anyone else. The authors’ of Real Python, on the other hand, are firmly aware of their audience. I wish I would have found the course earlier. Much earlier.

— Shantnu Tiwari / Future author of Python for Science and Engineering

I love the book because at the end of each particular lesson there are real world and interesting challenges. I just built a savings estimator that actually reflects my savings account - pretty neat.

— Drew Prescott / @iamPrescott

One aspect of the Real Python series that may not get as much attention as the content itself is the service offered by its creators. Notice in the forums how personalized responses are given. This highlights how the courses have been crafted - for the user. In all the material it feels as though instruction is not broadcast to the masses, but instead shared in a way that is comfortable and almost personal.

The creators of Real Python care that users are able to understand, learn, and practically apply the Python language.

— Jeremy Gilmore / @_jgilmore

What I found great about the Real Python courses compared to others is how it explains things in the simplest way possible. A lot of courses, in any discipline really, require the learning of a lot of jargon when in fact what is being taught could be taught quickly and succinctly without too much of it.

The courses also do a very good job of keeping the examples interesting.

I particularly found the web scraping tutorial to be great; I felt like I was doing some actual programming instead of toying around with it and just printing, “Hello world”.

— Stephen Grady / @LenoMagnus

I have really enjoyed the Real Python courses you gifted me.

— Nathan Nichols / @natsamnic

As a practice of what you taught I started building simple scripts for people on my team to help them in their everyday duties. When my managers noticed that, I was offered a new position as a developer. I know there is heaps of things to learn and there will be huge challenges, but I finally started doing what I really came to like.

Once again - MANY THANKS!

— Kamil

Thanks! I got to read the first 3 chapters of the course the first time it was available and I was totally hooked. I’ve been trying to learn Python by myself and it is totally challenging and just like what the intro in your course stated: YES, it is hard to find a good course. To add to that, your course is the best that I have used.

— Abby

Just wanted to say thanks! I’ve tried using another tutorial but it was very convoluted and difficult to understand – this is much more straightforward! I really liked it! The best part is the practical application. I had no idea Python was this much fun. I literally built a number of websites from ground up and am in the process of launching my first MVP. Best Kickstarter ever.

— Ryan

The courses … are … awesome!!!

The best way to learn Python without killing yourself is Real Python!!

— Stavros Anastasiadis / @AnastasiadisSt

I’m in the middle of the first course now. I love it! The wording is casual, easy to understand, and makes the information flow well. I never feel lost in the material, and it’s not too dense so it’s easy for me to review older chapters over and over. I’ve looked at over 10 different python tutorials/books/online courses, and I’ve probably learned the most from Real Python!

— Thomas Wong / @thomascwong

Real Python Course 3 - Advanced Web Development with Django - tackles complex subjects yet it’s still easy to follow. The course was just recently updated, which is a nice touch as it just adds another layer to learning. If they continue adding updates, keeping the content fresh like a living book, it will soon be a masterpiece.

— Nahuel Lattessi / @nlattessi

I just went through Course two, and I must say that I am hooked. I just did a PHP course, but Flask is way cooler! Looking forward to Django!

— Andreas Weber / @spiderweb62

I finished the first course in January 2014, the second in March, and now I’m halfway through the third. I love how they feed into one another. These courses are better thought out than any other online coding course I have taken. Thanks for not taking any shortcuts and making a great product!

— Justin Kalish / @KalishJustin

I discovered Python 1.3 years ago because I wanted to learn something new. At the time it wasn’t clear how it would help me career-wise (at that point I was mainly a database developer), but, long story short, I now work with Python every day as I analyze huge amounts of data with Hadoop.

Python is like a Swiss Army knife: It can be used in a variety of industries - from data analysis to web development to biology and even music!

Real Python can help you get started in the universe of Python. The courses follow the 80/20 principle, which is a great approach for learning new things. I started learning Python through Code Academy and then moved on to the first Real Python course. By the time you finish the second course, you will see just how beautiful Python is, especially if you’ve worked with something like PHP in the past.

The developers behind Real Python are very helpful, and very prompt to answer emails.

— Teodor-Bogdan Barbieru

I have really enjoyed RealPython so far. I am the type of learner that if the structure of how to do something, the basics and the building blocks so to speak, is laid out in front of me, then I can take that and combine it with other building blocks to create something unique, and more complex. For me, RealPython helps do that by teaching how to build decorators or Django code structure, for example, and simple use cases. Once you have the foundation down, you can go and build your own stuff.

I’ve been using Python for two years, and my skills have increased over time. I’ve been able to do this by constantly trying to learn new concepts, of OOP programming for example, and different Python coding strategies like decorators or list comprehensions. I will then go out and build my own stuff. Once I get tired of implementing the same coding concepts, and want to do something new and better, I’ll go back to the drawing board and learn more coding. This cycle has helped me retain what I’ve learned and keep growing. Reading what RealPython has to say, like their blog and books, will help you achieve this.

— Aaron Lelevier / @AronYsidoro

I have been hard at work on Course 2 and am learning quite a lot. I have gone through chapters 1-17 (With small exceptions for the chapters on automated deployment and BDD, though I have been reading up on BDD! I also need a break from Flask for now.) I have just completed my Flask Task List and I am eager to get started with Web2py.

The exercises were challenging and have taught me a quite a lot about using a web framework. I went through the book line by line, doing all the homework assignments along the way, and built the app exactly to spec. I was honestly surprised at the depth of the project, and I must commend you for being so thorough in your teaching. I must also say that this method of learning is probably the one I am best suited for. Deploying an app of this scale is larger in scope than most of the things I have done prior, and to have finished it feels like a nice accomplishment.

The project was difficult enough to make me think I’d never be able to figure out how to fix things when something went wrong, at points (this isn’t necessarily bad!) But, as it turns out, with some vigilant “Googling” and “Stack-Overflowing” anything is possible. I know more now about unit testing and Test Driven Development than I ever did.

Thank you.

— Evan R. Schleinkofer / @eschleinkofer

I loaded the courses onto my kindle and am reading through the first few chapters right now, and I want to let you know that I have already found this extremely helpful! I really like the pacing and how you are not afraid to dive in a little deeper into concepts when explaining them. This will be awesome as a resource guide for me as I progress through some of the more difficult concepts.

— K. Mansuri / @supermansuri

Best course on Python. Very pedagogical. Well done. Thanks a lot!

— Joachim Hagege / @JoachimHagege

After reading the first Real Python course I wrote a script to automate a mundane task at work. What used to take me three to five hours now takes less than ten minutes!

— Brandon Youngdale / @yosoytbone

I’ve gone from 0 to building web apps with your course after struggling with other guides for months and not learning anything. Thanks so much for the effort you put into everything.

— Daniel Ternyak

Ready to purchase? Jump back to the course packages