Best AWS Courses Online in 2026 (Ranked & Reviewed)

Last updated: October 2026. Written by Josh Hutcheson. See our review methodology.

AWS is the largest cloud platform, and most people who learn it are working toward a certification. This guide is built around that: which course gets you each credential, which free official courses are worth your time, and which hands-on courses teach specific skills such as serverless. We checked every course on its live listing on 17 October 2026, read the exam details and prices on AWS’s own certification pages the same day, and read recent r/AWSCertifications threads from people who passed.

See our top pick on Udemy →

The best AWS courses at a glance

Ratings, review counts and update dates as shown on each listing on 17 October 2026. Coursera shows no update date; “Live” means open for enrollment that day. Coursera ratings are averages across the courses in each program.

How we picked

AWS revises its exams often, so currency came first: every certification course here was updated in October 2026 and covers the live exam version. We also weighed hands-on practice, instructor track record, ratings at scale, and whether each pick maps to a real goal (a certification or a concrete skill). We read every exam fact on AWS’s own pages rather than repeating older guides. We earn a commission on some links; it never changes the order, and we include free AWS resources that earn us nothing.

1. Best first certification: AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (Stephane Maarek)

Stephane Maarek is the instructor most AWS candidates use, and this is the standard preparation for the foundational Cloud Practitioner exam. On 17 October 2026 it had 4.7 stars from 296,685 ratings and 1,386,386 students, 14.5 hours of video, and an October 2026 update for CLF-C02. It covers core services, the shared responsibility model, pricing and billing, security and architecture basics, with practice questions.

The exam costs $100 and runs 90 minutes, according to AWS’s certification page. It suits anyone entering AWS, technical or not, and gives you the vocabulary for everything that follows.

Best for: beginners and non-technical roles. Watch for: if you already work in IT, you can skip straight to pick 2.

View the Cloud Practitioner course →

For the exam itself (domains, scoring, retakes) see our AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner guide. Still choosing a cloud? Our AWS vs Azure comparison covers market share, free tiers and certification paths.

2. Best career certification: AWS Solutions Architect Associate (Stephane Maarek)

The Solutions Architect Associate (SAA-C03) is the AWS certification employers mention most, and Maarek’s course is the one most people use to pass it: 4.7 stars from 299,601 ratings and 1,354,439 students, 27 hours of video, updated October 2026. It goes deep on EC2, S3, VPC networking, databases, high availability and the design trade-offs the exam tests, with hands-on demonstrations throughout.

The exam is $150, with 65 questions in 130 minutes. A candidate who earned five AWS certifications in a year summed up the most common recipe on r/AWSCertifications in May 2026: Maarek’s course plus Tutorials Dojo practice sets. Maarek also sells six SAA practice exams (4.5 stars, 22,183 ratings) if you want them from the same source; Tutorials Dojo sells its own sets directly.

Best for: developers and IT staff aiming for cloud roles. Watch for: it assumes basic AWS familiarity, so do pick 1 or pick 3 first if AWS is new to you.

View the Solutions Architect course →

3. Best free official introduction: AWS Fundamentals (Coursera, by AWS)

Built and taught by Amazon Web Services, this three-course specialization is the best free-to-start introduction to the platform. On 17 October 2026 it had 4.8 stars across 6,875 course reviews and 324,037 learners. It covers core services, security, migration and serverless basics. AWS’s single course AWS Cloud Technical Essentials (4.8 stars, 6,343 reviews, 442,518 learners) is a shorter alternative.

You can preview Coursera courses free; a subscription or course fee adds graded work and the certificate, and Coursera offers financial aid. It is foundational rather than exam-specific, so pair it with picks 1 or 2 for the exam.

Start AWS Fundamentals on Coursera →

4. AWS Skill Builder: the official free and paid training

AWS’s own Skill Builder offers more than 1,000 free learning resources, including more than 900 self-paced digital courses and free exam-readiness courses. A paid subscription, $29 a month or $449 a year for individuals on 17 October 2026, adds instructor-led video courses, hands-on labs and more. It is the most authoritative source, though most learners find a single Udemy course easier to follow end to end.

Adrian Cantrill’s courses at learn.cantrill.io are another option r/AWSCertifications regularly praises for teaching depth; recent commenters note that some of his demos show an older console. We earn nothing from Skill Builder, Tutorials Dojo or Cantrill.

5. A second Solutions Architect course: Neal Davis

If Maarek’s fast pace does not suit you, Neal Davis of Digital Cloud Training teaches the same SAA-C03 syllabus more slowly, with 23.5 hours of video. 4.6 stars from 23,049 ratings and 126,109 students, updated October 2026.

View Neal Davis’s course →

6. Other AWS certifications and the courses we would use

Developer Associate (DVA)

Maarek’s Ultimate AWS Certified Developer Associate: 4.7 stars from 124,707 ratings, 31.5 hours, updated October 2026. The exam is $150, 65 questions in 130 minutes. It is changing: AWS says registration for DVA-C03 opens on 27 October 2026 and the last day to take DVA-C02 is 30 November 2026. Check the course page for which version it covers before you buy.

CloudOps Engineer Associate (SOA)

The exam formerly called SysOps Administrator is now the CloudOps Engineer Associate (SOA-C03). Maarek’s SOA-C03 course has 4.7 stars from 22,566 ratings and 25 hours of video, updated October 2026.

Solutions Architect Professional (SAP)

Maarek’s Ultimate AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional: 4.6 stars from 26,628 ratings, 16.5 hours, updated October 2026. Zeal Vora’s Professional course (4.7 stars, 3,026 ratings, 45 hours) is a longer alternative. The exam costs $300, with 75 questions in 180 minutes. AWS says registration for the updated SAP-C03 opens on 27 October 2026, and the last day to take SAP-C02 is 16 November 2026. If you plan to sit the exam after mid-November, prepare for SAP-C03 and read the new exam guide on AWS’s SAP page.

AI, machine learning and data

For the AI Practitioner, Maarek’s AIF-C01 course (4.7 stars, 53,693 ratings). For the Machine Learning Engineer Associate, Frank Kane and Maarek’s MLA-C01 course (4.6 stars, 6,158 ratings). For the Data Engineer Associate, Frank Kane’s hands-on course (4.6 stars, 14,092 ratings). All three were updated in October 2026. See our AWS AI Practitioner and AWS Data Engineer guides for the exams.

7. Best for serverless: AWS Serverless APIs and Apps (Academind)

Maximilian Schwarzmüller’s course is a practical introduction to building serverless APIs and web apps with Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB and Cognito. 4.8 stars from 14,465 ratings and 97,668 students, 7.5 hours. Its last update was November 2024, so expect some console screens to differ; the architecture it teaches is unchanged.

View the serverless course →

8. For DynamoDB: AWS DynamoDB, The Complete Guide (dated)

Riyaz Sayyad’s course is still the most thorough DynamoDB course on Udemy (4.7 stars from 2,891 ratings, 16.5 hours) and its data-modeling lessons hold up. But it was last updated in November 2019, so it predates several DynamoDB features and console changes. Use it for single-table design and partition-key thinking, and check the current AWS documentation for anything operational.

View the DynamoDB course →

More structured paths: Coursera and Pluralsight

AWS’s Cloud Solutions Architect Professional Certificate on Coursera is a guided program with 4.8 stars across 7,131 course reviews and 125,220 learners; Coursera estimates about two months at 10 hours a week. Pluralsight’s SAA-C03 path bundles 5 courses, 6 labs and about 49 hours with practice exams, and suits teams that already have Pluralsight access.

The AWS certification ladder in 2026

From AWS’s certification pages on 17 October 2026, which also list an AI Business Strategist exam in beta. Prices are in US dollars before tax. AWS certifications are active for three years.

For most people the path is Cloud Practitioner (optional if you already work in IT), then Solutions Architect Associate, then a second Associate or a Professional exam matched to your role. Hands-on practice matters as much as the course: the exams reward people who have used the services.

Can you learn AWS for free?

Yes, further than most people expect:

• AWS Skill Builder: more than 1,000 free resources, including free exam-readiness courses.
• AWS Free Tier: new customers now get up to $200 in credits ($100 at sign-up and up to $100 more for exploring services) to use over six months on the free plan. This replaced the old “12 months free” model, so older guides are out of date.
• Coursera previews and financial aid on AWS’s own courses.
• AWS documentation. Commenters on r/aws repeatedly say AWS’s docs are unusually good once you pick a service and follow the links.

One practical tip from r/AWSCertifications: when you practice in your own account, set a billing alarm and keep a low spending limit so a forgotten resource cannot run up a large bill.

What AWS learners on Reddit recommend

• Maarek plus practice exams. The most common passing recipe in r/AWSCertifications posts.
• Learn by building. Set up a VPC with public and private subnets, an EC2 instance and a NAT gateway yourself; the console makes far more sense after you have done it once.
• Cloud Practitioner, then Solutions Architect. The usual order for exam-focused learners.
• Do not skip the hands-on. Several experienced members argue that certifications without project work do not get people hired, so build something alongside the course.

A 10-week plan: from zero to Solutions Architect Associate

How to choose an AWS course

• Completely new: pick 3 free, then pick 1.
• Want a job in cloud: pick 2 and a practice exam set, plus a project.
• Developer: the Developer Associate course and the serverless course.
• Operations or support: the CloudOps Engineer course.
• Data or AI: the Data Engineer, Machine Learning Engineer or AI Practitioner courses.
• Prefer official content: AWS Skill Builder and AWS’s Coursera programs.

Start the Solutions Architect course →

Frequently asked questions

What is the best AWS course?

For most people, Stephane Maarek’s courses on Udemy. His Cloud Practitioner course had 4.7 stars from 296,685 ratings and his Solutions Architect Associate course 4.7 stars from 299,601 ratings on 17 October 2026, both updated that month. To learn free from AWS itself first, take the AWS Fundamentals specialization on Coursera or the free courses on AWS Skill Builder.

Which AWS certification should I get first?

The Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02) if you are new to the cloud or work in a non-technical role: it costs $100 and takes 90 minutes. If you already work in IT, many people skip straight to the Solutions Architect Associate (SAA-C03), the certification most cloud job listings mention. It costs $150 and has 65 questions in 130 minutes.

Are AWS courses free?

Many are. AWS Skill Builder offers more than 1,000 free learning resources, including the official exam preparation courses, and Coursera lets you preview AWS’s own courses. Paid options such as Udemy courses (about $15 on sale) and Skill Builder’s subscription ($29 a month or $449 a year for individuals) add labs, practice exams and structure.

How much does an AWS certification cost?

On AWS’s exam pages on 17 October 2026: Cloud Practitioner $100, Associate exams such as Solutions Architect and Developer $150, and Professional exams such as Solutions Architect Professional $300. Prices exclude taxes and vary with exchange rates outside the United States.

Is the AWS Solutions Architect Professional exam changing?

Yes. AWS says registration for the updated SAP-C03 opens on 27 October 2026 and the last day to take SAP-C02 is 16 November 2026. The Developer Associate exam is also changing: registration for DVA-C03 opens 27 October 2026 and the last day for DVA-C02 is 30 November 2026. Check that any course you buy covers the version you will sit.

Does the AWS Free Tier still give 12 months free?

Not in the old form. AWS’s Free Tier page now offers new customers up to $200 in credits: $100 when you sign up and up to $100 more as you explore services, usable over six months on the free plan. Set a billing alarm anyway, and delete resources when you finish a lab.

How long does it take to get AWS certified?

Cloud Practitioner takes two to four weeks of part-time study for most people. Solutions Architect Associate usually takes one to three months, depending on your IT background and how much hands-on practice you do. AWS certifications are active for three years.

Is an AWS certification worth it?

It is worth it as proof of structured knowledge, especially for career changers and for jobs that list it. Candidates on r/AWSCertifications report that certifications helped them get interviews, while others stress that projects and hands-on experience matter more for actually getting hired. The best outcome is both: a certification plus two or three projects you can explain.

Do you need an IT background to learn AWS?

Not for the Cloud Practitioner, which is designed for beginners including non-technical roles. The Associate exams assume comfort with networking, Linux and basic scripting. If you are new to IT, start with Cloud Practitioner and a Linux course.

Related guides

• Best cloud certifications
• Best cloud computing courses (AWS, Azure and Google Cloud)
• AWS Solutions Architect certification guide
• AWS Developer certification guide
• AWS DevOps certification guide
• AWS machine learning certification guide
• Best Microsoft Azure courses
• Best Google Cloud courses
• Best DevOps courses
• Best Linux courses
• Best Kubernetes courses

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