Amazon Web Services (AWS) is currently the leading provider of cloud computing services, that is, the on-demand online delivery of IT services with a pay-as-you-go pricing system.
Demand for AWS professionals has risen considerably after the pandemic. As a result, businesses have started migrating to the cloud at a faster rate.
In this article, we will review the best AWS courses for beginners who are considering starting a career in this field or planning to use these skills for managing their own business.
1. AWS Fundamentals – Specialization
This specialization offered by AWS itself on the learning platform Coursera is, in our view, the best online learning resource available to those willing to put in the effort and time to cover AWS basics in detail and it’s a great foundation stone for building a future career or starting a business that involves extensive use of AWS. |
2. Introduction to Cloud Computing on AWS for Beginners
The most comprehensive independent AWS course for beginners in this field. Taught by a very skilled and knowledgeable teacher, it’s extremely affordable for the amount of value that it provides. |
3. Getting Started with AWS
Probably the best free online video course available for beginners who want to get an overview of AWS’ main features and functions. While it doesn’t cover certain aspects with the same thoroughness as paid alternatives, it still provides learners with a basic understanding of the most important concepts. |
4. AWS Beginners Course
This free online course is a great option for those who want an overview of AWS that is both quick and detailed enough. Each section also contains very well-prepared demonstrations, questions, and assignments to test your knowledge. |
5. AWS for Beginners
A free video course that provides learners with a quick yet detailed enough overview of Amazon Web Services. It features a very down-to-earth teaching style and a user-friendly interface. It relies heavily on oral explanations and may lack a bit in terms of visual aids. |
1. AWS Fundamentals – Specialization
(by AWS on Coursera)
Course Content
This specialization is offered by AWS itself through Coursera, an online platform that cooperates with leading organizations and educational institutions to offer top-quality courses taught by leading experts and teachers.
A specialization is a bundle of courses taught in a specific sequence. In contrast to shorter courses and tutorials, it aims at giving the learner full mastery of a topic and not just an overview (whether detailed or superficial).
The AWS Fundamentals specialization will give you the most thorough beginner’s introduction to AWS services and key concepts. It will also help you understand the basics of developing serverless applications.
This specialization is divided into 4 courses, each one of which takes 4 weeks to complete if you study for around 2 hours a week.
- Course 1: AWS Cloud Technical Essentials
(223 minutes of videos + 51 readings)
This AWS course will introduce you to the field of cloud computing. Here you will learn how to build cost-effective and scalable applications and apply AWS services for computing and storing. You will also be introduced to cloud security and AIM (AWS Identity and Access Management). - Course 2: How to Address Security Risks
(124 minutes of videos + 19 readings)
Here you will learn about following the best security practices when building and administering AWS applications. In addition to the concept of least privilege, you will learn about the Shared Responsibility Model and watch demos of AWS Secrets Manager and Amazon Guard Duty. - Course 3:xx How to Migrate to the Cloud (available in Spanish too)
(104 minutes of videos + 10 readings)
This is another fundamental step for AWS beginners. This course focuses on AWS services that help you migrate. You will also learn how to plan your migration based on your current environment. This course includes very useful hands-on-labs for paying students. - Course 4: How to Build Serverless Applications
(169 minutes of videos + readings)
Finally, you will be introduced to the serverless architecture of AWS. You will develop familiarity with numerous AWS services, including Amazon API Gateway, AWS Lambda, and Amazon Lex. In this course, you’ll also have access to hands-on exercises, which you’ll be able to complete by accessing AWS Free Trier.
Course Evaluation
There is an obvious advantage in receiving AWS training by the AWS platform itself, as you will receive precious insights and insider knowledge from those who developed it
At the same time, they have an obvious interest in promoting AWS in the competition against other cloud computing service providers. But, hey, if AWS currently holds the majority share in the cloud computing market, it means that a significant number of customers are indeed very satisfied with the level of quality and results that this platform provides.
The courses are provided through a very user-friendly and intuitive interface that tracks your progress and helps you plan your study by setting your own deadlines and weekly goals. Each course contains numerous quizzes and an end-of-course assessment.
Based on your grade in the final assessment, you may decide whether to move on to the next course in the specialization or review the material that you still have not internalized until you truly master it.
While this specialization takes much longer to complete than other shorter courses, guides, and tutorials available, it allows you to develop a very solid foundation on which to build your skills and potential future career.
Also, AWS certification provided by the platform itself through Coursera is a great presentation card to add to your resume or LinkedIn profile when applying for an AWS-related job.
2. Introduction to Cloud Computing on AWS for Beginners
(Udemy)
Course Content
This thorough and effective introduction to AWS is offered by Udemy, one of the leading online learning platforms and it’s one of the most popular courses for beginners available online, as proven by the very high number of enrollers.
This Udemy best seller is a one-time purchase, meaning that once you pay the initial fee, you will have lifetime access to this course and will be able to return to it anytime you have some doubts or want to review some parts of the course.
The course is divided into 14 sections for a total of 93 lessons.
- Course Introduction (11 min) – An overview of what to expect from the course and an introduction to your teacher.
- Cloud Computing: Building Blocks (54 min) – This section will cover some very basic concepts, from a computer’s architecture to IPs to routers and databases.
- Cloud Computing: Introduction (34 min) – You will learn what cloud computing is and how to launch cloud services.
- How to Demystify Cloud Architecture (29 min) – You will get familiar with crucial cloud computing concepts and terms.
- Basics of AWS (62 min) – An introduction to the specific environment of Amazon Web Services.
- Amazon EC2 (79 min) – Here you will learn the basic aspects of Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud.
- Storage Services (44 min) – After a short overview, you’ll learn how to create and attach EBS volume and what instance store volumes, EBS snapshots, and AMIs are.
- Databases (42 min) – This section contains an introduction to Amazon RDS, including how to create Amazon RDS Multi-AZ and add an RDS Read Replica.
- Automation (28 min) – Deploying infrastructure and creating stacks with CloudFormation are some of the activities that you’ll learn about in this section.
- DevOps (24 min) – Here you will learn how to create a code pipeline with DevOps on Amazon Web Services.
- DNS Services + Content Delivery (28 min) – An overview of Route 53, including how to register a domain. You will also learn how to create CloudFront distribution with an Amazon S3 static website.
- Containers + Serverless Computing (20 min) – Docker containers on ECS and serverless with AWS Lambda are the main focus of this section.
- Application Integration + Loose Coupling (14 min) – This part of the course focuses on SNS and SQS.
- Obtain Certification (10 min)
Course Evaluation
This is probably the best AWS training course offered by an independent expert. Neil Davis, the designer, and teacher of this course, is the founder of Digital Cloud Training, an educational institution that specializes in providing premium cloud education and certification.
He is a very talented AWS Cloud Solutions Architect who has worked in this field for over 15 years and has decided to use his experience to serve new learners.
Before focusing on the specific environment of AWS, this course gives you a very detailed overview of cloud computing in general and of the different providers available.
Neil’s teaching style is both very engaging and highly analytical, which will help you both develop a “passion” for this topic and understand crucial concepts in detail.
You’ll have access to numerous quizzes and hands-on-labs to test your knowledge as you progress through the various AWS classes.
This AWS course is probably one with the best value-for-money currently available on the market and will also allow you to receive a value Udemy certificate of completion that you can mention on your resume to showcase your newly-learned skills to potential employers.
3. Getting Started with AWS
(SkillUp/SimplLearn)
Course Content
This beginner’s course is offered entirely for free by SkillUp, the free learning section of the online platform SimpliLearn.
It’s currently the best option for those who want a detailed enough overview of AWS without having to pay a course fee or subscription.
The course is divided into 20 easy-to-follow video lessons.
- Lessons 0, 1, and 2 contain an introduction to the course, an overview of AWS, and a 22-minute general AWS tutorial.
- Lessons 3 and 4 focus on Amazon EC2 and AWS Lambda.
- Lesson 5 goes into detail to explain AWS features.
- Lessons 6 and 7 are about AWS IAM and Cloud Formation.
- Lessons 8, 9, and 10 deal with ECS, Router 53, and Elastic Beanstalk.
- Lesson 11 is about virtual private cloud.
- Lessons 12 and 13 focus on AWS Sagemaker and CloudFront.
- Lesson 14 concentrates on autoscaling.
- Lessons 15 and 16 are about Amazon Redshift and Kubernetes on AWS.
- Lesson 17 contains tips on becoming a Solutions Architect.
- Lessons 18 and 19 will present you with a series of AWS interview questions.
- Lesson 20 contains a final check of your knowledge.
Course Evaluation
The clever combination of animation and verbal explanation is very effective in explaining simple concepts to beginners who have never been exposed to AWS before.
The course does a great job of starting very simply and moving on to more difficult concepts gradually.
It contains both charts aimed at summarizing essential information (which improves retention) and screenshots that will show you how to use AWS features step by step.
In the final part of the course, you will be able to test your knowledge by answering questions that could realistically be asked by interviewers if you were to apply for an AWS-related job position, like certified clour practitioner or certified solutions architect.
Upon completion of 85% of the course, you will also obtain a certificate (called a declaration of completion) by SkillUp. This document can enrich your CV and show potential employers that you have an understanding of the basic functions and use of AWS.
Note that the same course is also available as a long, free video tutorial on SimpliLearn’s YouTube channel. If you want to avoid signing up for SimpliLearn (it’s free, BTW) you can use the YouTube version, although this means that you won’t receive AWS certification upon completion and that you won’t have access to the SimpliLearn community, where you can interact with other learners, ask questions and exchange ideas.
An advantage of the YouTube version is that SimpliLearn is very active in answering questions by students in the comments section below the video.
✅ Pros:
|
❎ Cons:
|
What Learners Say About It: |
4. AWS Beginners Course
(Edureka!)
Course Content
If you are looking for a more compact version than SimpliLearn’s course that is still free and offers a certificate of completion, then this course by online learning platform Edureka! is your best choice.
It is ideal for those who are still unsure whether AWS is the right skill for them to learn and don’t want to commit to much of their time yet. This course allows them to give them the necessary “first bite” to this subject before deciding whether they want to expand their knowledge further.
The content of this course is divided into 3 main sections with various subsections each.
- Introduction to Cloud Computing – In this section, you will get a general overview of cloud computing (functions, models, providers) and basic information about AWS.
- Working with AWS Compute Service – Here, you will start getting the hang of what it’s like to use Amazon Web Services. You will be introduced to concepts and elements like instances, EC2, Lambda, SDKs, elastic beanstalk, Paas, and web hosting platforms.
- Networking Services in AWS – In this final section, you will learn more about virtual private cloud, subnets, creating a VPC, route tables, internet gateway, NAT gateway, security groups, network ACL, VPC peering, virtual private network, and direct connect.
Course Evaluation
Edureka’s training platform is very essential, which makes it both user-friendly and intuitive to learn.
A great feature of this course is that most video lessons are short enough (between 2 and 10 minutes) to give you a quick enough overview of each topic. This also allows you to retain information more easily after watching it a couple of times.
At the end of each section, you will also find a demo (practical application of the concepts you learned), a quiz, and an assignment to practice your newfound skills.
Edureka! also offers a free discussion forum (accessible through the top right menu) to discuss with other online learners.
After completing the course, you will receive a certificate to showcase to employers that you have basic AWS knowledge.
Compared to the (longer) free AWS course offered by SimpliLearn, there are fewer charts used per video lesson and they appear to be somewhat less substantial but this doesn’t affect the quality of the voice lessons at all.
It’s still a very good first step before looking into more specific AWS certification training for professions like AWS developer or AWS certified solutions architect.
The courses are provided through a very user-friendly and intuitive interface that tracks your progress and helps you plan your study by setting your own deadlines and weekly goals. Each course contains numerous quizzes and an end-of-course assessment.
Based on your grade in the final assessment, you may decide whether to move on to the next course in the specialization or review the material that you still have not internalized until you truly master it.
While this specialization takes much longer to complete than other shorter courses, guides, and tutorials available, it allows you to develop a very solid foundation on which to build your skills and potential future career.
Also, AWS certification provided by the platform itself through Coursera is a great presentation card to add to your resume or LinkedIn profile when applying for an AWS-related job.
✅ Pros:
|
❎ Cons:
|
What Learners Say About It: |
5. AWS for Beginners
(Great Learning)
Course Content
The online learning platform My Great Learning offers another free, condensed AWS course that gives beginners a good overview of the platform, its features, and its uses in just 3 hours of video lessons.
It’s a good option if you want to have a first look at Amazon Web Services that is both quick and detailed enough.
The course is structured into 12 video lessons that cover several aspects of both cloud computing in general and AWS specifically:
- Introduction (16 min)
- Definition of Cloud Computing (5 min)
- Service Models (9 min)
- Deployment Models (6 min)
- Myths about Cloud Computing (4 min)
- Overview of Cloud Providers (3 min)
- Potential Careers (15 min)
- Infrastructure (18 min)
- Core Domains (15 min)
- Free Trier Console (8 min)
- Compute Services (23 min)
- Compute Service Demonstration (23 min)
Course Evaluation
The user interface is pretty intuitive and you will get used it to instantly. You can easily add your notes under each video lesson. They will be there when you open that lesson’s page again.
The course relies a lot on oral explanations. The teacher, a cloud computing expert named Vishal Padghan, has a very down-to-earth teaching style and he is clearly skilled at explaining technical concepts to complete beginners.
One drawback of this course is the relative lack of visuals to explain concepts and functions, although the last 23-minute compute service demonstration video does a great job at displaying several screenshots to help you learn the various steps.
On completing the full course, you’ll be able to claim your certificate of completion, which you can then share with prospective employers.
✅ Pros:
|
❎ Cons:
|
AWS Courses: Which is the Best One for Me?
The variety of online courses available for AWS beginners is a great advantage, but it may also make the choice of the right course more confusing.
How do I know which course better fits your needs, goals, and desired AWS skills?
If you have already decided that you want to pursue a career in an AWS-related job or that you plan to build a business that involves extensive use of AWS, then investing in Coursera’s AWS Fundamentals specialization is probably the best choice.
Paying $49 a month for four or five months is not much if you take into account the revenues that you will be able to generate (either through a new job or your own business) once you truly master these skills.
Udemy’s Introduction to Cloud Computing on AWS for Beginners is the best pick if you are looking for professional training that is both affordable and comprehensive. It’s also one of the best courses available if you have zero prior knowledge or experience with cloud computing in general.
Of the 3 free courses that this article has reviewed, SimpliLearn’s course is definitely the most detailed and thorough while both Edureka!’s and Great Learning’s courses provide you with the quickest introduction to AWS and are probably the best choice for somebody who is still pondering whether or not to start an AWS-career.
One thing these 5 courses have in common is that they all allow you to earn a valuable certificate to communicate your skills to potential employers. They’re also a great first step for those who want to pursue more specialized AWS certification.
Further specializations include:
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect
- AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
- AWS Certified Sysops Administrator
- AWS Certified Developer
- AWS Certified DevOps engineer.
Let us know in the comment section down below if you need additional information on these courses or if you have enrolled in one of them and want to give us your feedback. And don’t forget to check our other reviews of IT courses.
First published on July 28, 2022 – Last Updated on November 20, 2022
The modern era and the crisis of two years ago have imposed changes that we have to adapt to, and thus opened up opportunities for new jobs. I am personally interested in AWS cloud practitioner training. I am really impressed with the amount of information you have presented here. Thank you for helping me decide which platform to train through.
Alway glad to help. And the great thing about pursuing a high-paying AWS career like cloud practitioner is that you can learn anything you need from scratch with easily accessible online courses and without necessarily going through a university degree program.
This was very interesting to learn that AWS actually provides most of the cloud computing services, and quite a bit more than Microsoft and Google, the two providers that I thought were competing for the top position. Being knowledgeable on cloud computing can certainly help one to not only look after your own business, but possibly get work with a company requiring an AWS expert.
Would it be advisable for a complete beginner to begin with a completely free course like the one from SkillUp Simply Learn, and if you find it is a field that you would like to learn more about, then move onto a more detailed course?
Is there a preferred course by industry leaders that if you want to work in AWS, that one should choose that qualification? Thank you.
A free AWS course like the one provided by SkillUP (or alternatively the shorter ones provided by Edureka! and Great Learning are a great choice for a total AWS beginner. They can give you a great overview of this field and allow you to better determine whether you want to pursue additional education. In case you do, the Coursera specialization provided by AWS itself is a great choice if you want to showcase your training to potential employers!