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Start free with 2 production projects — no card. Upgrade when you're ready to ship 15+ more on real stacks with senior code review.
Free
Build Your First System
Get your first real data system running. No credit card required.
No credit card · Free forever
- 4 foundation tracks fully unlocked — SQL, dbt, Python, Data Modeling
- 2 foundation projects fully unlocked — dbt warehouse + API ingestion
- Phase 1 preview of all Pro tracks + Pro projects
- 1 career path roadmap
- Community Discord access
- Senior code review
- Verifiable certificate of completion
- 1:1 mentor sessions
Pro
Become a Real Data Engineer
Build and operate production data systems — not tutorials.
$299/year billed annually
Cancel anytime · Expensable
- All 4 Pro tracks fully — Batch, Streaming, Data Quality, Platform
- 19 projects total — 17 Pro production projects (Iceberg, Spark, Flink, Kafka, Airflow, dbt) + 2 foundation projects from Free
- All 5 career paths with timeline + reading lists
- Phase 1 preview of Expert tracks + Expert projects (AI & Vectors, Staff Engineering)
- 1 senior code review per month
- Verifiable certificate of completion
- Receipts + learning-budget letter
- Full Expert tracks (AI & Vectors, Staff Engineering)
- 1:1 mentor sessions
Expert
Own AI & Platform Systems
Design, deploy, and operate production AI platforms at scale.
$499/year billed annually
Open enrollment · Cancel anytime
- Everything in Professional, plus:
- Both Expert tracks fully — AI & Vectors (RAG, agentic, LLM, MLOps) + Staff Engineering (system design, product thinking, leadership)
- All 30 projects — 2 Free + 17 Pro + 11 Expert (AI capstones + Staff Engineering capstones)
- 1 senior code review per month
- 1 × 45min 1:1 mentor session per month
- Private Slack with reviewers + alumni
- Early access to new projects
Start Your Subscription
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Teams · Enterprise
Level up your whole data team.
Volume discounts for teams of 5+. For 20+, we set up private cohorts with a dedicated reviewer, custom project tracks aligned to your stack (AWS / GCP / Azure / Snowflake / Databricks), and quarterly architecture reviews with a staff engineer.
- SSO (SAML / Okta / Google Workspace)
- Centralized billing + admin dashboard
- Custom project tracks for your stack
- Dedicated Slack channel + named reviewer
- Quarterly architecture reviews
- 5+Volume discount on Professional
- 20+Private cohort + dedicated reviewer
- 50+Custom curriculum + on-site workshop
Compare All Features
| Feature | Free | Professional | Expert |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you become | Beginner | Data Engineer | AI Platform Engineer |
| Projects | |||
| Production projects | 2 foundation | 19 (2 free + 17 Pro) | All 30 |
| AI capstones (RAG, LLM eval, agentic, LLM ingestion, predictflow) | — | Phase 1 preview | All 7 |
| Staff Engineering projects (event routing, A/B testing, playbook) | — | Phase 1 preview | All 4 |
| Early access to new projects | — | — | |
| Curriculum | |||
| Foundation tracks (SQL, dbt, Python, Data Modeling) | All 4 | All 4 | All 4 |
| Pro tracks (Batch, Streaming, Data Quality, Platform) | Phase 1 preview | All phases | All phases |
| Expert tracks (AI & Vectors, Staff Engineering) | — | Phase 1 preview | All phases |
| Career paths | 1 roadmap | All 5 | All 5 |
| Per-module quizzes | Foundations | ||
| Review & Mentorship | |||
| Senior code review | — | 1 / month | 1 / month |
| 1:1 mentor session (45 min) | — | — | 1 / month |
| Private Slack with reviewers + alumni | — | — | |
| Credentials | |||
| Verifiable certificate of completion | — | ||
| Admin | |||
| Receipts + learning-budget letter | — | ||
| Cancel anytime | — | ||
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between Free, Professional, and Expert?
Free unlocks 4 foundation tracks (SQL, dbt, Python, Data Modeling) and 2 foundation projects fully (dbt warehouse, API ingestion) — plus a Phase 1 preview of every Pro track and project. Professional ($29/mo or $299/yr) adds all 4 Pro tracks (Batch, Streaming, Data Quality, Platform) and 17 Pro production projects — 19 projects accessible total when you count the 2 foundation projects you keep from Free. Pro also includes all 5 career paths, a Phase 1 preview of Expert tracks/projects, 1 senior code review per month, and a verifiable certificate. Expert ($49/mo or $499/yr) adds both Expert tracks (AI & Vectors and Staff Engineering) — covering RAG, agentic, LLM pipelines, MLOps, vector DBs, system design, product thinking, and technical leadership — plus all 11 Expert projects (30 projects total), 1 senior code review per month, and 1 × 45min 1:1 mentor session per month with a staff/principal engineer.
How does this compare to bootcamps?
Our Expert plan ($499/year) gives you 30 production-ready projects with full source code for 1/12th the price of traditional bootcamps ($6,000–10,000). You get 80% of the practical value at 8% of the cost — and you keep your projects forever.
Can I try before I buy?
Yes. Free includes 4 foundation tracks (SQL, dbt, Python, Data Modeling) and 2 starter projects fully unlocked, plus a Phase 1 preview of every Pro and Expert track + project. No credit card required.
What's included in the projects?
30 projects total across 7 tracks, each with 4 progressive parts covering real-world production scenarios. Free unlocks 2 foundation projects fully. Professional adds 17 Pro production projects across the 4 Pro tracks (Iceberg, Spark, Flink, Kafka, Airflow, dbt) — so 19 accessible at Pro. Expert adds 11 more Expert projects — AI capstones (RAG, LLM eval, agentic, LLM ingestion, predictflow, AI inference, AI cost) and Staff Engineering capstones (event routing, A/B testing, access control, staff engineer playbook) — for 30 projects total. Every paid project ships with full source code and deployment guides.
Can my employer expense ai-de.net?
Yes — Professional and Expert subscriptions are designed to be expensable. We send a monthly receipt and a learning-budget letter you can attach to your reimbursement. If you need an annual invoice or different format, contact support.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel anytime in one click. You keep access through the end of your billing period, and any projects you've shipped remain in your account permanently.
Do you offer team or enterprise plans?
Yes. Volume discounts kick in at 5+ seats. At 20+ seats we set up private cohorts with a dedicated reviewer and custom project tracks aligned to your stack (AWS / GCP / Azure / Snowflake / Databricks). At 50+ we add custom curriculum and an on-site workshop. SSO (SAML / Okta / Google Workspace), centralized billing, and a named reviewer are included on all enterprise plans. Use the Talk to us button above to start a conversation.
What payment methods do you accept?
All major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex), Apple Pay, and Google Pay through Stripe. Enterprise plans support invoicing and ACH/wire transfer.
Do you offer student discounts?
Yes — students get 20% off Professional and Expert. Contact support with your .edu email or student ID for a discount code.
What if I'm not satisfied?
30-day money-back guarantee on Professional and Expert. If you're not satisfied, contact support for a full refund — no questions.
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