# AlgoDrill

13 Hacker News commenters recommended AlgoDrill and 12 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 1 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** Recommended for turning known algorithm patterns into fast recall through written step-by-step drills. Common caveat: the checker demands exact variable names and structure.

## Why people recommend it

- Builds fast recall of known patterns (2 comments): "AlgoDrill is built around taking patterns people already understand and turning them into something their hands can write quickly under pressure." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46204340)) "training pattern recognition and understanding at the same time" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46204180))
- Explains reasoning behind each pattern (2 comments): "Each step in the drills is tied to a first principles explanation, so the focus is on the reasoning behind the pattern, not trivia." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46204121)) "training pattern recognition and understanding at the same time" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46204180))
- Useful add-on to other practice (2 comments): "it was a nice add on top of my leetcode and codewars drills" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46205000)) "clean and useful for algorithm practice" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46205971))

## What people warn about

- Requires exact variable names and structure (6 comments): "The drill style approach seems helpful, but needing the variable names to exactly match threw me off." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46206026)) "please fix the variable names issue mentioned by other people here" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46219831)) "drilling the two sum problem requires the user name the hashmap prev_map, but I feel memorizing this sort of stuff detracts from the lesson." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46207749))
- Python only, no TypeScript or JavaScript (2 comments): "The thing I really don't like is the lack of TypeScript or at least JavaScript" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46204220)) "after registering I see that it's only Python at the moment" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46204710))
- Aggressive false urgency and sales tactics (3 comments): "it feels like clickbait and like a scammy ad to manipulate me into purchasing" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46204604)) "I understand that it's a sales tactic, but it's lying to your users worth it?" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46217717)) "Please stop with the false urgency and borderline lying to people" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46204833))
- Rote memorization over understanding (3 comments): "drilling the two sum problem requires the user name the hashmap prev_map, but I feel memorizing this sort of stuff detracts from the lesson." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46207749)) "Requiring such rote memorization is a hard pass for me" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46207243)) "found it kind of strange to do line by line recall" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46205148))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [LeetCode](https://hackerapproved.com/p/leetcode.md): 50 recommend
- [Project Euler](https://hackerapproved.com/p/project-euler.md): 45 recommend
- [Advent of Code](https://hackerapproved.com/p/advent-of-code.md): 31 recommend
- [Codecrafters](https://hackerapproved.com/p/codecrafters.md): 14 recommend
- [Exercism](https://hackerapproved.com/p/exercism.md): 6 recommend

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "AlgoDrill", https://hackerapproved.com/p/algodrill/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).