ByteByteGo vs Udemy: Which Is Better for Learning System Design in 2025?

Hello guys, System Design is one of the most important skills for software engineers aiming to crack FAANG-level interviews, build scalable systems, or transition into senior engineering and architecture roles. At the same time, its also one of the skill which is hard to master, but with so many platforms claiming to be the best place to learn System Design, the real question is: where should you invest your time and money in 2025 — ByteByteGo or Udemy?

Both platforms are excellent, but they’re built for slightly different learners and career goals. ByteByteGo , founded by Alex Xu (author of System Design Interview — An Insider’s Guide), is laser-focused on System Design and visualization-based explanations.

Udemy, on the other hand, is a massive learning marketplace that offers dozens of high-quality System Design courses, often taught by ex-FAANG engineers, and sold at a fraction of the price during frequent sales.

In this article, I’ll break down the strengths and weaknesses of both ByteByteGo and Udemy, compare their pricing models, and share some of the best Udemy System Design courses in 2025 that can complement or even replace ByteByteGo.

ByteByteGo: Visual Learning for System Design

ByteByteGo  is best known for its clean, diagram-driven explanations of complex System Design topics. Their content is structured into newsletters, YouTube videos, and the premium ByteByteGo membership platform.

Strengths of ByteByteGo

1. Visual-first explanations – ByteByteGo diagrams are industry-famous. They simplify distributed systems, load balancing, caching, and database sharding into digestible graphics.

2. Focused content – Unlike general platforms, ByteByteGo is dedicated purely to System Design, software architecture, and backend scaling concepts.

3. Updated for modern systems – With new articles on AI system design, microservices, event-driven architectures, and serverless computing, ByteByteGo keeps up with industry shifts.

4. High-quality authorship – Alex Xu and his team are credible voices with experience at top tech companies.

Weaknesses of ByteByteGo

1. Subscription pricing – Access to full content requires a subscription (~$189/year). While worth it for serious learners, it may feel expensive compared to Udemy’s $10-$15 course deals.

2. Narrower learning paths – ByteByteGo is fantastic for system design only. If you also want to cover low-level design, coding interviews, DevOps, or cloud certifications, you’ll need additional platforms.

3. No hands-on practice – The focus is on conceptual understanding and diagrams, but you don’t get structured coding projects or real interview-style practice questions.

By the way, if you always wanted to join ByteByteGo then now is the best time because they are offering 50% discount on their annual and lifetime plan, which means you can get the lifetime plan for just $499 compared to $999 U.P, this is the best deal you can get. 

I have known Alex for 4 years now and he hardly offer any discounts and that's why I took the lifetime plan so that whenever he updated the website and add new content and increase the price, I can get them for free. 

Here is the link to join ByteByteGo with discount - 50% OFF on ByteByteGo Lifetime plan

Udemy: Affordable and Diverse Learning

Udemy is a global online learning platform where instructors create and sell courses across every imaginable topic — from coding and cloud to design and business. 

When it comes to System Design, Udemy has become a goldmine of affordable, high-quality courses created by seasoned engineers.

Strengths of Udemy

1. Massive variety – You’ll find System Design courses ranging from beginner-friendly introductions to advanced low-level design deep dives.

2. Affordable pricing – Thanks to frequent sales, most Udemy courses can be bought for $9.99–$15, making them far cheaper than ByteByteGo.

3. Top instructors – Many System Design courses are taught by ex-FAANG engineers and bestselling authors like Frank Kane, Tim Buchalka, and Colt Steele.

4. Lifetime access – Once you buy a course, you keep it forever — unlike ByteByteGo, which requires a recurring subscription.

5. Hands-on approach – Many courses include coding exercises, design problems, and real-world examples.

Weaknesses of Udemy

1. Quality varies – Since Udemy is open to all instructors, some courses aren’t as polished as ByteByteGo’s curated content.

2. Less visual storytelling – While diagrams exist, they often don’t match the simplicity and polish of ByteByteGo illustrations.

3. Overwhelm of choice – With so many courses available, it can be hard to pick the right one without guidance.

And, if you want to join multiple Udemy courses, you can also consider getting a Udemy Personal Plan which for $30 give you access to more than 26000 top rated Udemy courses. This plan provides best value, especially if you are a constant learner and want to learn multiple skills. 

They are also offering 25% discount now for your first year when you purchase an annual plan, which means if you always wanted to join Udemy, join it now.

Here is the link to Join Udemy with discount - 25% OFF Udemy Personal Plan 

Pricing: ByteByteGo vs Udemy

Here is a detailed comparison of ByteByteGo and Udemy for learning System Design and Software Architecture in 2025

Feature	ByteByteGo	Udemy
Pricing Model	Subscription (~$199/year)	One-time purchase, often $10–$15 per course
Lifetime Access	No (subscription-based)	Yes (buy once, keep forever)
Content Focus	System Design & Architecture only	System Design + Coding + Cloud + More
Visual Diagrams	Industry-leading	Depends on instructor
Breadth	Narrow but deep	Broad, multiple learning paths
Best For	Learners who want visual explanations and curated depth	Learners who want flexibility, affordability, and variety

Here is a also a nice diagram highlighting these differences

Best Udemy Courses to Learn System Design in 2025

If you decide Udemy is the right fit for your budget and learning style, here are some of the top-rated and most effective System Design courses you can start with:

1. System Design Masterclass (2025)
   A complete and updated course tailored for 2025 interview questions, covering everything from load balancers to AI-driven systems.

2. Mastering the System Design Interview by Frank Kane (Ex-Amazon)
   Taught by Frank Kane, who brings years of Amazon experience to help you break down complex interview problems.

3. Mastering System Design: From Basics to Cracking Interviews
   Great for beginners who want structured learning from the ground up.

4. Software Architecture & Design of Modern Large Scale Systems
   Focuses on architecture principles, scaling strategies, and system trade-offs.

5. Rocking System Design
   A fast-paced, interview-focused course designed for cracking FAANG-level system design rounds.

6. Low Level System Design, Design Patterns & SOLID Principles
   Perfect for engineers preparing for Low-Level Design (LLD) interviews.

7. Software Architecture & Technology of Large-Scale Systems
   For developers who want to step up into architect roles.

8. The “BigTech” System Design Interview Bootcamp
   Simulates real BigTech interviews with structured frameworks and mock problems.

By the way, if you decided to join multiple System Design courses on Udemy then you can also consider to take Udemy Personal Plan which provides better value because for $30 a month, you get access to 26,000 top rated Udemy courses. 

Which Should You Choose in 2025?

While both Udemy and ByteByteGo are great platform and you can use both to better prepare for System Design and Coding Interview, if you had to choose between them, here is your quick guide to do so

• Choose ByteByteGo  if:
  You prefer visual-first explanations, want curated expert content, and don’t mind paying a premium subscription for focused depth.

• Choose Udemy if:
  You want affordable, flexible, and diverse learning paths, including both high-level and low-level design, coding prep, and interview-focused material — all with lifetime access.

For most learners, a blended approach works best: use ByteByteGo for visual intuition and combine it with one or two Udemy courses for structured, hands-on interview preparation.

If you’re looking for a practical next step, I recommend starting with System Design Masterclass (2025) on Udemy, then complementing it with ByteByteGo’s diagrams for visual reinforcement like this Payment System Design diagram:

That's all in this review of ByteByteGo vs Udemy for learning System Design in 2025. I have joined multiple courses on Udemy as well as take lifetime membership of ByteByteGo as I liked both the platform but I will be honest with you that I don't make full use of my subscription as I lack time.

Though, whenever I want to learn anything from any platform, I do so without any friction or hassle. For example, if I like a course on Udemy, then I just go and join, watch a couple of lessons to learn the concept I want and then move on.  Same with ByteByteGo. 

Other System Design and Coding Interview and Resources you may like

• 16 Best Resources for System Design Interview Prep
• Is DesignGuru’s System Design Course worth it
• Why AlgoMonster is best platform for DSA Prepration in 2025
• ByteByteGo vs NeetCode vs Educative? which one is better?
• DesignGurus.io Review 2025 — Is it worth it?
• Is ByteByteGo a good place for Coding interviews?
• 3 Free Books and Courses for System Design Interviews
• Should you join ByteByteGo to learn System Design?
• Is System Design Interview RoadMap by DesignGuru worth it?
• Is Exponent’s System Design Course worth it?
• Is OOP Design Interview — An Insider Guide worth it?
• ByteBytego vs Exponent? which one is better?
• ByteByteGo 50% OFF? Should you Join?
• 10 Reasons to Learn System Design in 2025
• Is Exponent Good Place for Coding Interview Prep?
• 6 Best System Design and API Design Interactive Courses
• Top 5 System Design YouTube Channels for Engineers
• How to prepare for DSA for coding interviews?
• 3 Places to Practice System Design Mock interviews
• Is Designing Data-intensive application book worth reading?

All the best for your Coding Interviews, if you have any doubts or questions, feel free to ask in the comments.

P. S. — If you just want to do one thing at this moment, join ByteByteGo and start learning Coding patterns and System Design Concepts and practice coding interviews you will thank me later. It’s one of the most comprehensive resource for coding interview now.