Ansible is the configuration-management and automation tool that turned tedious server setup into a few lines of readable YAML. Learn it well and you can provision infrastructure, manage configurations, and deploy applications across hundreds of machines from one playbook — which is exactly why it shows up in so many DevOps and systems job descriptions.
The good news for learners: the best Ansible courses are inexpensive, hands-on, and taught by working engineers. We checked each one’s current rating and last-updated date, dropped anything that has gone stale, and lined them up by where you are in your journey — from your first playbook to the Red Hat certification.
Last updated: June 2026. Written by Josh Hutcheson, OnlineCourseing editor. We verify every course is live and read its current ratings before recommending it. See our wider DevOps and infrastructure guides.
QUICK VERDICT
Bottom line: Start with Ansible for the Absolute Beginner — it is the most popular and most recommended Ansible course anywhere, and it is genuinely hands-on. Move to DiveIntoAnsible or Ansible Advanced when you want depth, and add the Red Hat certification only if a job specifically asks for it.
- Best for beginners: Ansible for the Absolute Beginner (4.5, 52,000+ ratings)
- Most comprehensive: DiveIntoAnsible — Beginner to Expert
- Best credential: Red Hat Certified Specialist in Ansible Automation (EX374)
- Typical cost: Udemy courses ~$13–$25 on sale; the Red Hat exam is separate (~$500)
- Skip if: you only need a quick concept overview — the free Ansible docs may be enough
The best Ansible courses at a glance
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| Course | Rating | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ansible for the Absolute Beginner | 4.5 (52,924) | 04/2026 | First-time learners |
| DiveIntoAnsible — Beginner to Expert | 4.6 (7,136) | 07/2024 | Going deep in one course |
| Ansible Advanced — Hands-On | 4.4 (10,486) | 09/2025 | Leveling up after the basics |
| Ansible for Network Engineers (GNS3) | 4.5 (4,587) | 01/2024 | Network automation |
Why learn Ansible?
Ansible’s appeal is that it is agentless and readable. There is nothing to install on the machines you manage — it works over SSH — and its playbooks describe the desired state in YAML that reads almost like plain English. That makes it one of the friendliest entry points into infrastructure automation, and a natural companion to Linux, Docker, and Kubernetes skills. For anyone moving toward a DevOps, SRE, or systems-engineering role, Ansible is one of the highest-leverage tools you can add, and it is far quicker to become productive in than most of the alternatives.
How we chose these courses
Ansible changes — collections, ansible-core, and new modules have reshaped it over the years — so freshness was a hard filter. We required hands-on labs over slide-driven theory, weighed rating volume heavily (a 4.5 from 50,000 students is a stronger signal than a 4.8 from 200), and checked the last-updated date on every course. One long-popular title was cut purely on age: a course last refreshed in 2015 cannot reflect how Ansible works today.
1. Ansible for the Absolute Beginner — best starting point
This is the course nearly everyone recommends first, and for good reason. From KodeKloud’s Mumshad Mannambeth, it teaches Ansible from zero through in-browser hands-on labs — you write real playbooks as you learn, rather than just watching. It carries a 4.5 rating from a remarkable 52,924 ratings and was updated in April 2026, making it both the most-reviewed and one of the freshest Ansible courses available.
If you are new to Ansible, start here and nowhere else. It covers inventory, playbooks, variables, conditionals, loops, and roles — everything you need to be genuinely useful — without assuming prior automation experience. At Udemy’s typical sale price it is an easy recommendation.
2. DiveIntoAnsible — Beginner to Expert — most comprehensive
When you want one course that takes you all the way, DiveIntoAnsible is the deepest single track on this list. It runs from fundamentals through advanced topics — templating with Jinja2, dynamic inventory, roles, and real-world project structure — with a strong lab environment to practice in. It holds a 4.6 rating from 7,136 ratings, the highest score among our picks.
It was last updated in mid-2024, so it is a little behind the beginner course on freshness, but the core material it teaches is stable and still entirely current. Choose it if you prefer to learn the whole tool in one structured, lab-heavy course rather than stitching together beginner and advanced classes.
3. Ansible Advanced — Hands-On — the natural step up
Once the basics are second nature, this KodeKloud follow-up to the beginner course pushes into the advanced features you need on real teams: custom modules and plugins, advanced templating, performance and strategy tuning, and patterns for managing complex environments. It earns a 4.4 rating from 10,486 ratings and was updated in September 2025.
Because it is built as a sequel to “Ansible for the Absolute Beginner,” the two pair together cleanly — take the beginner course first, then this one when you are ready to operate at a professional level. It is also good preparation for the more advanced parts of the Red Hat certification.
4. Ansible for Network Engineers (GNS3) — best for network automation
Network engineers have a specific use case for Ansible — automating switches, routers, and firewalls — and this course speaks directly to it. It pairs Ansible with the GNS3 network simulator so you can practice on virtual Cisco gear without buying hardware. It holds a 4.5 rating from 4,587 ratings and was updated in January 2024.
It is a niche pick — most learners want the general courses above — but if your work is in networking rather than server administration, it is the most relevant course here.
Ansible certification: the Red Hat path
If you want a credential rather than just skills, there is really only one name that matters: Red Hat, the company behind Ansible. The Red Hat Certified Specialist in Ansible Automation (exam code EX374) is the recognized industry certification, and it is a hands-on, performance-based exam — you automate real tasks in a live environment rather than answering multiple-choice questions.
It is also a step up in cost: the exam runs roughly $500, and Red Hat’s own training courses are priced for enterprises. The pragmatic route most people take is to learn with affordable courses like the ones above, then book the Red Hat exam directly once they are confident. We do not have an affiliate relationship with Red Hat, so we are recommending the exam purely because it is the credential employers actually recognize. Only pursue it if a role specifically asks for it — for many DevOps jobs, demonstrable Ansible skill matters more than the certificate.
Free ways to learn Ansible
You can get a long way without spending anything. The official Ansible documentation is genuinely excellent and includes a getting-started guide that walks you through your first playbook. Coursera’s guided projects on Ansible are another low-cost, hands-on option if you want a structured hour in a browser-based lab before committing to a full course. For most people, a free start plus one paid beginner course is the most efficient path to real competence.
Which Ansible course should you take?
Keep it simple. Brand new? Take Ansible for the Absolute Beginner — full stop. Want one course that covers everything? DiveIntoAnsible. Already comfortable and want professional depth? Add Ansible Advanced. Work in networking? The GNS3 course is your fit. Need the credential? Use any of the above to prepare, then sit the Red Hat EX374 exam. Whichever you choose, install Ansible and automate something real on day one — a couple of throwaway VMs or containers teach more than hours of passive watching.
Start with the beginner course →
What a good Ansible course should teach
Before you buy, check the syllabus against the topics you will actually use on the job. A complete Ansible course should cover:
- Inventory and connections — static and dynamic inventories, groups, and how Ansible reaches hosts over SSH.
- Playbooks and tasks — the core YAML structure, modules, and idempotency (running the same play safely twice).
- Variables, conditionals, and loops — the logic that turns static scripts into reusable automation.
- Templates (Jinja2) — generating config files dynamically from variables.
- Roles and collections — structuring playbooks so they scale and can be shared.
- Vault and secrets — handling passwords and keys securely.
If a course stops at playbooks and never reaches roles, templating, and Vault, treat it as an introduction rather than a complete path to job-ready skills.
Ansible vs Terraform, Puppet, and Chef
Ansible is often weighed against other infrastructure tools, and the distinctions matter when you decide what to learn. Terraform is the standard for provisioning cloud infrastructure — spinning up servers, networks, and managed services — whereas Ansible’s sweet spot is configuring machines once they exist. The two are complementary, and many teams use Terraform to build and Ansible to configure, so learning both is a common and valuable combination.
Puppet and Chef are Ansible’s closest configuration-management rivals, but both require an agent installed on every managed node and lean on their own domain-specific languages. Ansible’s agentless, YAML-based approach is the main reason it has become the most popular of the three and the easiest to pick up. If you are choosing just one configuration tool to learn today, Ansible is the safe bet — broader demand, gentler learning curve, and skills that transfer directly into a DevOps or platform role.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Ansible course for beginners?
Ansible for the Absolute Beginner from KodeKloud is the most widely recommended starting point. It teaches Ansible from scratch with hands-on browser labs, holds a 4.5 rating from over 52,000 ratings, and was updated in 2026.
Is there an official Ansible certification?
Yes. The Red Hat Certified Specialist in Ansible Automation (exam EX374) is the recognized industry certification, offered by Red Hat, the company behind Ansible. It is a hands-on, performance-based exam and costs roughly $500.
How long does it take to learn Ansible?
You can write useful playbooks within a few days of focused study, and reach a solid working level in two to four weeks. Ansible is one of the faster automation tools to become productive in because its playbooks are readable and it requires no agents on managed machines.
Do I need to know Linux before learning Ansible?
Basic Linux command-line comfort helps a lot, since Ansible is most often used to manage Linux servers. You do not need to be an expert, but knowing how to navigate the shell, edit files, and use SSH will make the learning curve much smoother. Our Linux courses guide is a good companion.
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