Learn PLCs free
Free to start — no credit card required

Learn PLC Programming in Your Browser

A structured curriculum for students, working technicians, and certification candidates. Write ladder logic, run the simulator, get instant feedback — no installation, no licence keys, works on any laptop or Chromebook.

Free forever plan · 12 lessons · 8 PLC dialects · no install · no credit card

motor-start-stop · LadderRUNNING
|START───/STOP───( MOTOR )|
└─MOTOR(seal-in)
PASS7 / 7 test cases · seal-in, E-stop & welded-contactor checks

From the team behind plcprogramming.io — read by engineers worldwide

12
Curriculum Lessons
40+
Practice Scenarios
8
PLC Dialects
6
Interview Tracks

Everything on the Simulator

Structured enough to take a complete beginner to job-ready. Open enough for experienced programmers to practise any dialect or scenario they choose.

Atomic Curriculum

12 focused lessons that build from contacts and coils through timers, counters, and PID loops. Each lesson ends with graded practice rungs.

Sensor School

12 industrial sensors — proximity, photoelectric, pressure, temperature, flow — each with realistic animations showing how the physical signal translates into a PLC input.

Free Sandbox

Drop sensors and actuators onto a virtual panel, write any logic you like, and hit Run. No syllabus, no grading — just open-ended practice.

Fault Diagnosis

Broken scenarios — wiring faults, logic errors, wrong addresses — that you have to diagnose and fix. The same skill set employers test in interviews.

Coding Tutor

One scenario, eight dialects, 88 hands-on lessons. The same physical machine — motor start/stop, conveyor, tank fill — taught in the syntax your actual employer uses: Mitsubishi GX Works, Siemens TIA, Studio 5000, Omron Sysmac, Delta, Keyence, Panasonic, IEC 61131-3.

Wiring Tutor

11 wiring lessons + 8 fault-finding scenarios. Drag wires through a real panel layout — DIN rails, contactors, photoeyes, safety relays — and trace physical faults with a virtual multimeter. Get graded on every connection.

Interview Prep

6 interview tracks — Junior PLC Engineer, Maintenance Technician, Controls Engineer and more. Mock interviews with Q&A rounds and live scenarios. Pass to earn a downloadable certificate you can share on LinkedIn.

8 PLC Dialects

Switch between IEC 61131-3 Ladder, Allen-Bradley Studio 5000, Siemens STL, Delta, Mitsubishi GX Works, Omron Sysmac, Schneider Modicon, and IEC Instruction List — same logic, vendor syntax.

How it works

Three steps from opening the tab to running your first programme.

01

Pick a lesson or open the sandbox

Choose from the structured curriculum, load a fault-diagnosis scenario, or open a blank canvas and build whatever you need.

02

Write ladder logic or structured text

Type rungs directly in the browser editor. Switch between vendor dialects at any point — the underlying logic carries over.

03

Click Run — the simulator grades you

The virtual PLC executes your programme against the scenario inputs. You get pass/fail feedback, rung-level highlighting, and an explanation of any errors.

Who it’s for

One platform, three entry points — depending on where you are in your career.

Students

Learning PLCs at TVET college, university, or through a trade apprenticeship. The simulator gives you a safe environment to make mistakes and build intuition before you touch live plant.

  • No need to borrow lab equipment
  • Practise at your own pace, on your own schedule
  • Covers the IEC 61131-3 standard your course is based on

Working Technicians

Already on the floor doing maintenance or fault-finding, but want to move into programming. The Wiring Tutor bridges the gap, and the Fault Diagnosis module maps directly to what you already do every day.

  • Start with what you know — wiring and I/O
  • Progress to logic at your own pace
  • No employer or lab sign-off needed to practise

Job Candidates

Preparing for a PLC, controls, or maintenance interview. The Interview Prep tracks run full mock interviews with Q&A rounds and live scenarios. Pass and earn a downloadable certificate to share on LinkedIn.

  • 6 tracks — Junior PLC, Maintenance, Controls Engineer & more
  • Live scenario rounds, not just multiple choice
  • Downloadable PDF certificate on completion

Free to start

Open the simulator without a credit card. Upgrade when you need more lessons, more dialects, or cert prep packs.

Free
$0 forever

Lessons 1–6, sample scenarios, and the dialect comparison. No credit card.

Most complete
Pro
$29 /mo · $249/yr

Everything: all 8 dialects, AI Rung Assistant, fault injection, 6 interview tracks, and certificates.

Plus Hobby and Basic mid-tiers from $12/mo.

See full pricing and feature table

Questions, answered

Is it really free?+

Yes. The Free plan is free forever — lessons 1–6, sample scenarios and the dialect comparison, with no credit card. Paid plans unlock the rest of the lessons, all 8 dialects, fault injection, the interview tracks and certificates.

Do I need to install anything?+

No. The simulator runs entirely in your browser — no download, no licence keys, no lab equipment. Write ladder logic, hit Run, and the virtual PLC executes it against the scenario.

Which PLC brands and languages does it cover?+

Eight dialects: IEC 61131-3 Ladder, Allen-Bradley Studio 5000, Siemens (TIA / STL), Mitsubishi GX Works, Omron Sysmac, Schneider Modicon, Delta, and IEC Instruction List. The same logic carries across dialects so you can practise in the syntax your employer uses.

Will it run on a Chromebook or a low-spec laptop?+

Yes — it runs in any modern browser, including Chromebooks. Nothing is installed locally, so the spec of your machine barely matters.

Do I get a certificate?+

Pass an Interview Prep track — mock interviews with Q&A rounds and live scenarios — and you earn a downloadable PDF certificate you can share on LinkedIn.

Is it for beginners or experienced programmers?+

Both. The structured curriculum takes a complete beginner from contacts and coils through timers, counters and PID, while the open sandbox and fault-diagnosis scenarios give experienced programmers room to practise any dialect or scenario they choose.

Looking for offline reference templates? The Ladder Logic Code Pack — 20 copy-paste templates covering motor control, PID loops, safety interlocks, and more — is still available as an instant PDF download.

View the Ladder Logic Code Pack

Open the simulator now — it’s free

12 lessons, 40+ scenarios, 8 PLC dialects, Coding Tutor, Wiring Tutor, and 6 interview tracks. No installation, no licence key. Works in any modern browser.

Start Free — no credit card

Free forever plan · no credit card · runs in any modern browser

Start Free — no credit card