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ZAM Academy vs MentorCruise: which coding mentor is right for you?

The short answer

Choose MentorCruise if you already know what you want to learn and want to pick your own mentor from thousands of specialists, each with their own plan and price. Choose ZAM Academy if you are a beginner who wants to be matched with a mentor, follow a roadmap built from your starting point, and get your code reviewed on one platform, starting with two free classes.

ZAM Academy is one of the two options on this page, so we are not neutral. That is why it says when MentorCruise is the better choice and quotes only MentorCruise's own published figures, checked on 9 November 2026.

Get your free roadmap

Two private classes, no card. Updated 11 November 2026 by Azzam Makki, founder of ZAM Academy.

The short version

Two ways to get a coding mentor.

MentorCruise

A marketplace: you choose from thousands of mentors.

MentorCruise lists 6,700+ mentors across many fields, software engineering among them. You browse profiles, choose a mentor, and each mentor sets their own monthly plan and price. MentorCruise reports an average mentor rating of 4.9 out of 5.

Suits: people who know what they want to learn, or want a specialist
Cost: about US$120 – 450/mo · ≈ RM 488 – 1,832/mo for software mentorship, set by each mentor
Format: monthly plans you can switch or cancel any time

ZAM Academy

A mentorship programme: you are matched and given a path.

ZAM Academy is 1-on-1 coding mentorship for beginners. You are matched with one mentor from a team led by Azzam Makki, who builds a roadmap from where you are now and reviews the code you write. Everything runs on one platform: the roadmap, your projects, code review, progress tracking and Zami, an AI tutor, between sessions.

Suits: beginners who have tried learning alone and stalled
Cost: three monthly plans (Guided, Accelerator, Career Pro), no contract
Format: two free private classes first, then a plan your mentor recommends

How it starts

Choosing a mentor vs being matched with one.

On MentorCruise you are the one choosing. You browse mentor profiles and choose the one whose background fits your goal. That freedom is the point: if you want a senior engineer from a particular company, or someone who knows a niche stack, a large marketplace is the best place to find them. The quality of your month depends on the mentor you pick, and you can switch if the fit is wrong.

At ZAM you describe your goal, level and weekly hours, and you are matched with a mentor from the team. The first free class is a diagnosis of where you are; the second is a real coding session with feedback. Your mentor then builds your roadmap and recommends one plan. If you are a beginner, this saves you from judging mentors on skills you cannot yet assess.

What a month includes

What you get each month.

On MentorCruise, each mentor defines their own plan, so a month varies from mentor to mentor. Check the plan on the profile you are considering. ZAM's plans are fixed and published:

Guided

2h 40m of private sessions a month

2 hours 40 minutes a month: 4 private 40-minute sessions (about one a week), plus the weekly group Q&A clinic.

Accelerator

6 hours of private sessions a month

6 hours a month: four private 90-minute sessions (about one a week), plus the weekly group Q&A clinic. Send code for review as often as you like.

Career Pro

18 hours of private sessions a month

18 hours a month: twelve private 90-minute sessions (about three a week), plus the weekly group Q&A clinic, with deeper code reviews done the way tech companies do them.

Which to choose

When each one is the better choice.

Choose MentorCruise if

You know what you need and want to pick who teaches it.

A marketplace is strongest when you can judge a mentor yourself.

You already code and want help with a specific stack, interview or career move
You want a mentor from a particular company or industry
You want the widest choice of people and prices

Choose ZAM Academy if

You are starting from zero, or you have stalled before.

A programme is strongest when you do not yet know what you need.

You want someone to decide the order you learn things in
You want your own projects reviewed, not just your questions answered
You need sessions around a job, in your time zone, evenings and weekends included
You want to try two free private classes before paying anything

Price

How the cost compares.

MentorCruise software mentors publish monthly plans of roughly US$120 – 450/mo · ≈ RM 488 – 1,832/mo, according to MentorCruise's own pages (checked 9 November 2026). The price depends on the mentor, so two people on MentorCruise can pay very different amounts for different amounts of time.

ZAM Academy's three plans and current prices are on the pricing page. They differ in mentor time and review depth, not in the platform: every plan includes the roadmap, Zami AI and the weekly group Q&A. Every student starts with two free classes, and new students have a 14-day refund window on their first paid plan. Neither ZAM nor any honest mentor can promise you a job.

Questions

Common questions, answered plainly.

Is ZAM Academy a MentorCruise alternative?

Yes, for beginners learning to code. MentorCruise is a marketplace where you choose a mentor in almost any field. ZAM Academy is a coding mentorship programme where you are matched with a mentor and follow a roadmap built for you.

Which is better for a complete beginner?

ZAM Academy is built for that case: your mentor sets the order of topics and reviews your projects, so you do not need to know what to ask for. MentorCruise also has beginner-friendly mentors, but you choose and judge them yourself.

How much does MentorCruise cost?

Each mentor sets their own monthly price. For software mentorship, MentorCruise's own pages show roughly US$120 – 450/mo · ≈ RM 488 – 1,832/mo (checked 9 November 2026). Check the plan on the mentor's profile for what a month includes.

How much does ZAM Academy cost?

There are three monthly plans, Guided, Accelerator and Career Pro, with current prices on the pricing page. You start with two free private classes and no card, and your mentor then recommends one plan.

Can I choose my own mentor at ZAM Academy?

You are matched with a mentor from the team led by Azzam Makki, based on your goal, level and schedule. If something is not working, tell us; that is what the free classes are for, before you pay anything.

Can I use both?

Yes. Some people learn the fundamentals with a programme like ZAM, then book a specialist on a marketplace later for a specific interview or stack. They solve different problems.

Keep reading

Start with two free classes

Try two free private classes before you choose anyone.

The first class maps your goal, level and weekly hours. The second is a real coding session with feedback. Then your mentor recommends one plan, and you decide.

Plans from US$59/month on Guided. Compare plans