Best Site for Interview Prep
Summary
The best interview prep site depends on whether you need coding interviews, system design, or behavioral. interviewing.io's anonymous mock interviews with real engineers is the most under-recommended option — practice on actual engineers from top companies without commitment. LeetCode dominates coding-interview practice. Exponent specializes in product management and data interviews. Pramp offers free peer-to-peer practice. AlgoExpert is the polished paid alternative for coding. Most listicles default to LeetCode but the mock-interview side of preparation gets underweighted.
Top 5 at a glance
| # | Site | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | interviewing.io | Anonymous mock interviews with real engineers from top companies | Paid practice; free with anonymous mode that can convert to real interviews |
| 2 | LeetCode | Coding question practice with company-tagged problems | Free tier with limits; LeetCode Premium for company tags |
| 3 | Exponent | Product management and data interview specialist | Subscription with free trial |
| 4 | Pramp | Free peer-to-peer mock interview practice | Free |
| 5 | AlgoExpert | Polished paid coding-interview curriculum | Subscription pricing |
Detailed rankings
interviewing.io
Anonymous mock interviews with real engineers from top companies
The default for serious coding-interview practice. The anonymous-with-real-engineers model is genuinely different from the alternatives.
Pros
- Anonymous mock interviews — interviewer doesn't know your identity, you don't know theirs
- Real engineers from FAANG-tier companies as interviewers
- Strong performances can convert to actual job opportunities
- Honest feedback after each interview
Cons
- Cost per session adds up for sustained practice
- Interviewer availability varies by time zone
- Best for senior coding interviews — less coverage of other formats
Price: Paid practice; free with anonymous mode that can convert to real interviews
Sources: interviewing.io
LeetCode
Coding question practice with company-tagged problems
The standard for coding-interview practice. Premium is worth it for serious job search. Pair with mock interviews for the live-practice component.
Pros
- Massive question library including company-tagged problems
- Active discussion forums for each problem
- Strong company-specific frequency lists on Premium
- Universal industry reference
Cons
- Premium required for the most useful features
- Question grinding can substitute for deeper learning
- Discussion quality variable
- Solo practice doesn't replicate live interview pressure
Price: Free tier with limits; LeetCode Premium for company tags
Sources: leetcode.com
Exponent
Product management and data interview specialist
The right pick for PM, data, and adjacent roles. LeetCode covers software engineering; Exponent covers the others.
Pros
- Strong PM and data role interview coverage that LeetCode doesn't address
- Mock interview features within the platform
- Frameworks for case-style and behavioral questions
- Strong community for these specific roles
Cons
- PM and data focus — not for software engineering coding interviews
- Subscription required for full content
- Smaller community than LeetCode
Price: Subscription with free trial
Sources: www.tryexponent.com
Pramp
Free peer-to-peer mock interview practice
The right pick when budget is the constraint. Quality below interviewing.io but the free price is unbeatable.
Pros
- Free peer-to-peer practice — you interview and get interviewed
- Matches you with another candidate at similar level
- Covers coding, system design, and behavioral
- Genuinely free with no upsell pressure
Cons
- Quality varies by peer match — less consistent than paid alternatives
- Scheduling friction with peer availability
- Both parties learning means feedback quality limited
Price: Free
Sources: www.pramp.com
AlgoExpert
Polished paid coding-interview curriculum
The right pick when you want curation over volume. LeetCode Premium often delivers similar outcome for lower cost.
Pros
- Curated 169 questions covering breadth efficiently
- Video explanations of every problem
- System design and behavioral expert add-ons
- Strong production quality
Cons
- Smaller question count than LeetCode
- Subscription-only — no free tier
- Marketing-heavy presence on YouTube and Reddit
Price: Subscription pricing
Sources: www.algoexpert.io
How we chose
- Realism — does the practice match the actual interview experience?
- Specialization — coding, system design, product management, data, behavioral require different prep.
- Free tier usefulness for evaluation.
- Question freshness — does the content stay current with what actually gets asked?
- Mock interview availability versus problem-solving practice.
- Anonymity option for users at sensitive career stages.
Frequently asked questions
How does interviewing.io's anonymous mode work?
You and the interviewer connect by username only. Neither sees real names or resumes. The interviewer evaluates purely on performance. Strong performances unlock real job interviews at top companies — the platform converts the practice into recruitment when performance warrants. The anonymity reduces interviewer bias and lets candidates practice without career risk.
How many LeetCode problems should I solve?
Quality over quantity. 200-400 well-understood problems across patterns beats 1000 grinded without learning. Focus on patterns — sliding window, two pointers, dynamic programming categories — rather than counting solved problems. Many users solve too many easy problems and not enough mediums.
Is interview prep worth paying for?
For coding interviews at top-tier companies where compensation starts at high six figures, yes — the ROI on $50-200 of preparation is typically very high relative to potential offer differences. For lower-pay roles, free resources (Pramp, LeetCode free tier, open-source guides) cover the basics.
How long should I prepare?
Software engineering coding interviews: 2-3 months of consistent practice for typical preparation. Senior roles: more system design preparation on top. PM and data: case-frameworks plus behavioral stories take 1-2 months. Don't expect to cram in two weeks.
What about behavioral interview prep?
Critical and underweighted. Most candidates over-invest in coding and underinvest in behavioral storytelling. Prepare 8-12 concrete stories using the STAR format that cover leadership, conflict, ambiguity, and impact. Exponent and similar have good behavioral content.