‘LeetCode is dead’ debate

A HackerRank-backed push to move hiring beyond LeetCode puzzles set off a fresh fight online, and developers answered by swapping more LeetCode tools, not fewer. (hackerrank.com) HackerRank’s recent writing argues that “real-world” assessments are replacing abstract algorithm drills, citing its 2025 Developer Skills Report and a survey of 13,372 developers in 102 countries. The company says 66% of developers prefer practical challenges and 96% say problem-solving should matter more than memorization. (hackerrank.com) The same report says 71% of developers still grind LeetCode to prepare for interviews, and 77% say the assessments they face do not reflect the skills needed for the job. HackerRank also says 42% cite assessment prep as their biggest hiring challenge. (hackerrank.com) LeetCode is a practice site built around timed coding problems, usually on arrays, graphs, and dynamic programming, the kind of patterns that show up in software interviews. Its paid tier includes company-tagged question sets, which has helped turn interview prep into a market for spreadsheets, GitHub lists, and browser add-ons. (leetcode.com, github.com) That market stayed active as the debate spread. GitHub’s topic page for “leetcode-company-wise-questions” listed 11 public repositories this month, including one repository with about 3,500 stars that says it contains company-wise questions updated through February 2026. (github.com, repos.ecosyste.ms) Browser tools are filling the same demand. BetterLC, a Chrome extension that says it unlocks LeetCode company tags for free, showed about 8,000 users this month on the Chrome Web Store. Another extension, LeetCode Company Lists Exporter, pitches CSV exports so candidates can track questions, notes, and refreshes as LeetCode updates its catalog. (chromewebstore.google.com, chromewebstore.google.com) HackerRank is not arguing that coding tests disappear. Its current interview-prep guides tell candidates to show how they use artificial intelligence tools, review generated code, and keep communicating their reasoning during assessments. (hackerrank.com, hackerrank.com) The company’s sales pitch is that hiring teams should test code quality, debugging, collaboration, and job-specific tasks instead of only puzzle recall. HackerRank says it serves more than 2,500 customers and a community of more than 26 million developers, which gives that argument reach even when developers reject the “LeetCode is dead” phrasing. (hackerrank.com, hackerrank.com) The result is not a clean break with the old system. Companies are adding practical and artificial-intelligence-assisted interviews, while candidates are still collecting company-tagged LeetCode lists and drilling the patterns those interviews have rewarded for years. (hackerrank.com, github.com)