75 problems or 150? The neetcode 150 vs blind 75 debate comes down to a simpler question than most people realize. Does doubling the count double your readiness?

And if 75 were enough, why did someone make an expanded version?

What Blind 75 Covers (and Why It Became the Standard)

Blind 75 started as an anonymous post on the Blind app in 2018. A tech worker shared a curated list of 75 LeetCode problems they considered the minimum viable set for coding interview preparation. The list spread because it answered a question nobody else had answered clearly: what's the smallest set of problems that covers the most ground? It landed on 75 problems across roughly 14 pattern categories:

The original curator picked problems that surface the most commonly tested patterns at FAANG companies. Each one represents a pattern or sub-pattern, not a standalone puzzle. The list doesn't include multiple problems from the same sub-pattern because it's optimised for coverage, not repetition.

Blind 75 became the default recommendation because it gave a concrete answer to "where do I start?" when no other consensus existed. Before this list, the standard advice was "just solve more problems." Not particularly helpful if you don't know which problems matter. Eight years later, it's still referenced weekly across Reddit, Blind, and Discord servers. The original curation was that good.

Blind 75 doesn't include teaching, though. The list assumes you already know how sliding window works, what two pointers means, and when dynamic programming applies. It gives you the problems. The learning is your responsibility.

What NeetCode 150 Adds to Blind 75

NeetCode 150 is Blind 75's direct descendant. Created by a former Google engineer who runs one of the largest DSA YouTube channels (500K+ subscribers), it keeps every problem from the original list and adds 75 more. The additions aren't random padding. They fill specific gaps:

NeetCode 150 also comes with something Blind 75 never had: video walkthroughs for every single problem. Each video walks through the logic and shows the implementation. If you learn better by watching someone reason through a solution before attempting it yourself, the videos matter.

NeetCode also organises the 150 problems into a roadmap on neetcode.io that groups them by topic and suggests an order. It's not a complete learning path with prerequisite ordering, but it's a clear improvement over Blind 75's flat list format. The trade-off is time. 150 problems take roughly twice as long as 75. If you're three weeks from an interview, that matters. Three months out, it probably doesn't.

NeetCode 150 vs Blind 75: The Overlap and the Differences

Every problem in Blind 75 appears in NeetCode 150. The overlap is 100% in one direction. NeetCode 150 is a strict superset. The comparison between the two lists is straightforward on its own. It gets more interesting alongside other resources.

Striver's SDE Sheet covers 180+ problems with a different philosophy altogether: broader coverage, written explanations instead of videos, and a strong focus on the Indian tech interview market. Codeintuition takes a different path entirely, with 450+ problems across 16 courses that teach pattern identification before problem-solving.

Blind 75 and NeetCode 150 optimise for minimal time to maximum pattern exposure. Striver's SDE Sheet extends that exposure further. Codeintuition optimises for pattern understanding before exposure. They're aimed at different stages of preparation.

One number that often gets overlooked: the overlap between NeetCode 150 and Striver's SDE Sheet is roughly 40-50 problems. An engineer who completes both isn't solving 330 unique problems. They're solving closer to 250, with significant redundancy in core patterns like two pointers, BFS/DFS, and basic DP.

What Both Lists Miss

Take Valid Anagram, a problem that appears on both Blind 75 and NeetCode 150. It's categorised under "arrays and hashing." You solve it, check it off, move on. But neither list teaches you why this is a counting problem and not a sorting problem.

Both work. Counting runs in O(n) with O(1) space (fixed alphabet). Sorting runs in O(n log n). Counting is better, and the reason connects to a deeper pattern: whenever a problem asks about frequency equivalence between two sequences, counting is the defining signal. Knowing the solution to Valid Anagram doesn't build that identification skill. Recognising the trigger across dozens of problems you haven't seen does.

def is_anagram(s, t):
    if len(s) != len(t):
        return False
    count = [0] * 26
    for i in range(len(s)):
        count[ord(s[i]) - ord('a')] += 1
        count[ord(t[i]) - ord('a')] -= 1
    return all(c == 0 for c in count)

Blind 75 and NeetCode 150 both have this gap. They're good at defining which problems to solve. They don't address how to build reasoning that transfers to problems not on the list. NeetCode's video walkthroughs help you understand individual solutions, but understanding a solution after watching it and constructing one cold are different skills.

The research on spacing and interleaving backs this up. Varying your practice across problem types builds stronger long-term retention than blocked practice on one pattern at a time. But spacing alone doesn't solve the identification problem. You also need explicit training on the triggers that connect a problem's constraints to its solution pattern. Neither list gives you that.

After completing either list, some engineers find that identification is the remaining gap. Several platforms address this differently. Codeintuition's counting pattern identification lesson shows what explicit trigger training looks like. AlgoMonster uses template-based recall with spaced repetition. Grokking groups problems by pattern category for implicit exposure. The right next step depends on what completing the list revealed about your specific gaps. For how pattern mastery fits into a full preparation path, see how to master DSA.

Picking Based on Where You Are

The right list depends on where you are in preparation, not on which one has more problems.

If you checked the first three, Blind 75 is your list. It's the fastest path to broad pattern exposure with the lowest time investment.

If you checked the first four, NeetCode 150 is your list. It covers the same ground as Blind 75 plus the gaps that matter most, with video support for every problem.

Neither list is wrong. Doing both sequentially isn't useful since NeetCode 150 already contains all of Blind 75. It comes down to time budget and whether you value the video walkthroughs.

So Which List Should You Follow?

Short on time? Blind 75. Have the weeks and want deeper coverage with video support? NeetCode 150. An engineer who completes either list with real understanding of the underlying patterns, not just memorised solutions, is well-positioned for technical interviews at most companies.

That Valid Anagram example is worth sitting with. Both lists include it. Both let you check it off. Neither teaches you that "frequency equivalence" is the structural trigger, or that the same trigger appears in dozens of problems you'll never see on any curated list. The list gets you started. What you do with the patterns underneath determines where you end up.