15+ Best Kotlin Courses and Certifications Online in 2023
Google officially announced its support for Kotlin in 2017.
Kotlin has since then drastically risen in popularity above other programming languages for mobile app development such as Java, with many top companies adopting it into their technology stacks.
As a result, Kotlin is one of the most important languages to learn today, no matter if you’d like to pursue a career in Android app development or simply want to build apps for your business.
To kickstart your app-building journey, uncovering the best Kotlin courses online with a soft learning curve is important.
Aside from being officially supported, Kotlin also reduces the coding work for us developers. Functionalities that would previously require huge code templates, you can now easily implement with a few lines of Kotlin code.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through the best Kotlin courses and tutorials online to learn in 2023, so you can build quality, native apps for Android.
Let’s get started.
1. The Complete Android Kotlin Developer [Udemy]
With 17 apps to build, this tutorial is one of the best Kotlin courses on Udemy to enhance your portfolio.
Some benefits of this Kotlin course include:
- You get to build real-world, online applications, namely Facebook, Twitter, and Pokémon clones, so you gain basic and practical app-building skills.
- Safety tips on mobile app security testing tools hackers use, and how you can avoid third-party reskinning for the apps you build.
- Pointers on integrating Android hardware like light sensors, to create an engaging app that is responsive to environmental factors e.g. playing music upon light exposure.
This is a very comprehensive 27-hour Kotlin course, which is a lot more tasking than most tutorials. However, that’s because it is packed with tons of bonus content, making it the best Kotlin course online if you’d like to become a complete Android developer.
2. Kotlin for Java Developers [Coursera]
With a little Java experience, transitioning into Kotlin will be a piece of cake for you. This course teaches by focusing on Java interoperability.
Here’s how this Kotlin course will smoothen the move:
- Plenty of good exercises and excellent assignment support by JetBrains to hold your hand throughout, from Java basics to advanced concepts.
- An overview of corner cases regarding Java operability, making this one of the best Kotlin courses on Coursera to learn how you can use Kotlin with Java frameworks.
- Tips on using Kotlin for not only front-end app development but also backend processes such as server-side development.
While you may experience some trouble keeping up with the accent, the audio quality is generally very good. Nonetheless, the subtitles and transcriptions can come in handy if you run into any audibility problems, and you can also use the forum to get instructor support.
3. Kotlin Essential Training [LinkedIn Learning]
Filled with shortcuts on working with Kotlin variables and functions, this Kotlin training will teach you how to be an efficient Kotlin developer.
Course highlights include:
- Learning how to build simple command-line programs before moving on to complex projects, making it one of the best Kotlin courses online for beginners.
- Using the best Android app development tools in 2023, such as IntelliJ IDEA, which offers a rich set of features to accelerate the building process.
- Pointers on how to deal with common code bugs and also handle timed-out tasks. This is therefore the best Kotlin course on LinkedIn Learning for debugging.
Some of the exercise files can be problematic to download at times. However, if you encounter such problems, one simple way to fix this is by switching to a different browser and you should be able to download the files.
4. Android App Development Masterclass Tutorial using Kotlin [Udemy]
If you’d like to write functional apps for both new and old versions of Android, this Kotlin masterclass will show you how to get it done.
By the end of the course, you’ll be able to:
- Write Android apps using Kotlin in a way that even older versions of Android can tap into the latest features of the constantly-updated AppCompact library.
- Gain the SQL database knowledge you need to incorporate web services into your apps. As a result, this is one of the best Kotlin courses on Udemy for bonus content.
- Tap into vital Android framework aspects by building a huge range of apps, including YouTube and Flickr Browser apps.
Android Studio has changed quite a bit compared to the version used in this class. However, that shouldn’t be a dealbreaker as it is still the best Kotlin course online when it comes to foundational Kotlin programming principles.
5. Create an Android App with Kotlin [Coursera]
Mixing the fundamentals of Kotlin with traditional Android development basics, this Kotlin training will set you on your way to creating your first simple app.
Ultimately, you’ll learn how to:
- Use the Appetize emulator to run app demonstrations and testing directly through your browser without having to install third-party software on your PC.
- Being a highly practical tutorial, this is one of the best Kotlin courses online to gain hands-on Android app development skills.
- Create a quiz game using Kotlin, and learn how to manage the game state to validate user input, among other key concepts.
Before you sign up for the class, you’ll need to complete a registration process on Appetize.io to gain access to the emulator. The good news is that this is still one of the best Kotlin courses on Coursera as the process is free and short, so you can straight away get into the course.
6. Kotlin for Java Developers [LinkedIn Learning]
For Java developers looking to make the switch to Kotlin, this course is a great option to build on what you already know for an easy transition.
Some course highlights include:
- Lessons on Kotlin and Java interoperability, and how to call Java libraries from Kotlin and vice versa to make your app development process easier.
- Incredible instructor support that’ll come in handy if you hit a roadblock when discussing advanced Kotlin features such as DSL construction.
- Simple tips on setting up your Kotlin programming environment in IntelliJ IDEA across multiple platforms you may want to use.
You’ll need familiarity with Java or any C-based programming language to qualify for the class. The good news is that, if you fit these requirements, this is one of the best Kotlin courses on LinkedIn Learning to build on your underlying knowledge to build Android apps without learning everything from scratch.
7. Kotlin for Java Developers [Udemy]
Are you a Java developer looking to learn Kotlin?
If so, it’s possible you might have wondered whether Kotlin or Java is better for Android development, and this Kotlin training teaches how to leverage the best of both.
Some course highlights include:
- An excellent teaching style and course structure with ample challenges. Consequently, this is the best Kotlin course online for applied learning.
- Best practices on mixing Kotlin and Java in the same project, for a good headstart in Android app development.
- A detailed exploration of Kotlin syntax and its differences from Java conventions. This is therefore the best Kotlin course on Udemy to learn about avoidable pitfalls of this interoperability.
This is not an actual Android app development course per se, because you don’t get to build any apps. However, it’s an important prerequisite to using what you already know as a Java developer to master Kotlin programming.
8. Programming Fundamentals in Kotlin [Coursera]
This Kotlin tutorial will show you how to become an Android developer with basic building skills.
At the end of the course, you’ll be able to:
- Understand and explain the basic syntax of Kotlin
- Create control flow patterns using conditionals and loops
- Learn OOP and Kotlin basics and that you can easily transfer into iOS app development if you’d also be interested in building these types of apps.
9. Intermediate Kotlin for Android Developers [LinkedIn Learning]
For intermediate Android developers looking for a step up, this may be the right Kotlin course to supercharge your development skills.
Some course highlights include:
- Learning how to tap into Anko, a Kotlin library that will enable you to achieve big with small code. It is therefore the best Kotlin course online for efficient coding.
- Good coverage on Kotlin Android Extensions overview, and how to use this plugin to conveniently access views in the layout XML.
- Learning to use Lambadas and higher-order functions to eliminate redundancies in your code.
The downside is that you need basic familiarity with Kotlin, such as knowing how to create functions and variables, to take this course. However, it remains one of the best Kotlin courses on LinkedIn Learning because the instructor offers a few Kotlin refreshers throughout the training.
So you won’t have trouble following along even if you are a complete beginner.
10. Kotlin for Beginners: Learning Programming With Kotlin [Udemy]
Koltin encompasses OOP concepts you can take into any programming class.
This Kotlin training teaches basic object orientation principles for tapping into the latest Android app development trends in 2023.
It is one of the best Kotlin courses online because it:
- Receives excellent support, with almost every student question answered in the discussion forums, so you’re guaranteed a great learning experience.
- Has been backed by the official Kotlin website as one of the best Kotlin courses on Udemy for Android development, among other purposes.
- Contains several coding exercises, where you’ll learn how to work around app-building challenges to write efficient Kotlin code.
Unfortunately, the course is overdue for an update, so some of the feature descriptions may not be entirely accurate. Even so, the Kotlin basics it teaches transcend these deprecation problems, and you get OOP knowledge behind Java, C++, and Swift.
11. Write a Mini Reservation Application with Kotlin [Coursera]
If you’d like to make an airline reservation system, this course offers practical Kotlin knowledge applicable across various industries.
Some course highlights include:
- A hands-on approach to building, beginning straight from the IDE installation as you build your reservation system line-by-line alongside the instructor. This is therefore one of the best Kotlin courses on Coursera for practicality.
- Learning how to use Lambda expressions to write compact code concisely, so you can learn how to program efficiently.
- Working with higher-order functions to reduce the amount of redundancy in your code and improve its readability.
Being a practical Kotlin course from start to finish, you may feel that the theory could have been expounded on a little more. But then again, applied learning is always the most effective way to understand the Kotlin language to build functional Android apps.
12. Kotlin for Android: Best Practices [LinkedIn Learning]
For efficient pointers on Kotlin programming from experienced professionals, this may be the right training for you.
It is a contender for the best Kotlin course online because you get to:
- Train on how to use EditorConfig for a huge development project, and maintain a consistent style of coding no matter which team member is working on what feature.
- Learn to work with the Elvis operator to provide null safety and avoid the dangers of null references, therefore improving your Kotlin productivity.
- Learn how to use Android KTX extensions to improve the readability of your code and make it easy to follow.
Unfortunately, instructor support is in short supply here. However, with the supplementary resources on offer, and a helpful student-driven discussion forum, this is still one of the best Kotlin courses on LinkedIn Learning as you should still be able to derive full value from this course.
13. The Complete Android 12 & Kotlin Development Masterclass [Udemy]
Would you like to build apps for Android 12?
It doesn’t matter if you’d like to build a healthcare app, or some other industry-specific application, this tutorial will give you the foundation to build it all.
The course covers:
- Development of a weather and Trello app for the latest version of Android (12), making this the best Kotlin course on Udemy if you’d prefer the most recently updated tutorial.
- Use of third-party libraries such as Gson and Retrofit to speed up your app development process.
- Building APIs to fetch live data from the internet, enabling you to provide real-time information to your users.
While the videos can be overly long at times, they provide high value as the instructor explains concepts in great detail. As a result, this is one of the best Kotlin courses online if you don’t have prior coding experience.
14. Learn Object-Oriented Programming with Kotlin [Coursera]
If you’ve ever wanted to get into object-oriented programming (OOP), then Kotlin offers an excellent and easy-to-learn language to get you started.
Ultimately, you’ll be able to:
- Get a good overview of the basic pillars of OOP, knowledge that you can easily take into a Python or Java class. It is for this reason that this is the best Kotlin course on Coursera for aspiring programmers.
- Build your own new version of a Space simulation application by tapping into OOP features like polymorphism to create a faster version.
- Debug the applications you build and adopt Android app development best practices to improve your productivity.
You may need to create an Appetize.io account before you can take this training. However, it is still the best Kotlin course online for OOP basics, as you can create a free account in a few simple steps.
15. Android Development: Retrofit with Kotlin [LinkedIn Learning]
Retrofit is a library that enables Android developers to build networked apps that post and fetch data from the web. This Kotlin course will show you how to use Kotlin with Retrofit.
Course highlights include:
- Learning how to make Chain API calls with Retrofit and test if the API you build is vulnerable to common network threats you can easily fix.
- By tackling concurrency problems, this becomes one of the best Kotlin courses online for creating multi-user, networked applications.
- Addressing coroutines, and how to use this latest Kotlin feature to prevent unresponsiveness resulting from blockages of the main thread by long-running tasks.
As it is an intermediate course, you’ll need to bring into this course working knowledge of Android Studio. Nonetheless, it is still the best Kotlin course on LinkedIn Learning for creating networked apps. This is an important concept that everyone will encounter at some point in the app development journey.
Conclusion
Do you have Java experience you’d like to build on?
Then you’ll find that this Kotlin for Java Developers tutorial is a nice starting point, especially if you wouldn’t want to relearn programming basics.
It skips Syntax lessons and jumps straight into front- and back-end development using Kotlin.
Even without Java experience, there are still many other great options from this list of the best Kotlin courses and tutorials online to learn in 2023 you could try out.
For example, The Complete Android Kotlin Developer course is ideal if you have no programming experience whatsoever.
This course will teach you about the basics of OOP, which will enable you to build a Facebook clone, among 16 other real-life applications.
