Top Free Cloud Computing Courses for AWS and Azure Beginners

This free digital course provides an overview of the AWS Cloud, including its benefits and basic services. It is ideal for beginners looking to understand cloud concepts, security, compliance, and the shared responsibility model before diving into technical implementation details.

Designed for those new to cloud services, this course covers cloud concepts, Azure services, security, privacy, compliance, and trust. It prepares learners for the AZ-900 certification exam and offers a solid introduction to how Azure can help organizations solve business challenges.

An interactive, gamified learning path that immerses learners in a virtual world where they practice cloud skills. Through quests and challenges, users gain hands-on experience with AWS services, making it an engaging alternative to traditional video-based learning for visual learners.

A specific module within Microsoft Learn that focuses strictly on the core principles of cloud computing. It explains scalability, elasticity, high availability, and business benefits, providing the necessary theoretical background before users start interacting with the Azure portal.

This course focuses on the technical aspects of AWS from a business perspective, helping non-technical and semi-technical users understand how to leverage the cloud for cost savings and operational efficiency. It bridges the gap between IT operations and business strategy.

While slightly more advanced than the basics, this path introduces learners to the core administration tasks of Azure, such as managing identities, governance, and storage. It is suitable for beginners who want a quicker transition from theory to practical administrative skills.

Although primarily focused on GCP, this introductory course offers universal cloud concepts applicable to AWS and Azure. It covers infrastructure as a service, platform as a service, and software as a service, providing a broader context for understanding the cloud ecosystem.

This learning path explores the principles of cloud-native computing, including microservices, containers, and serverless architectures. It is essential for beginners who want to understand modern development practices that leverage the full potential of the AWS cloud platform.

An entry-level course that introduces artificial intelligence and machine learning concepts within the Azure environment. It is relevant for beginners interested in how cloud providers integrate AI services into their offerings, covering ethical AI and computer vision basics.

A gamified learning experience that challenges users to secure a fictional company's infrastructure on AWS. It provides practical, scenario-based training on security best practices, identity management, and data protection, making complex security topics more accessible.

A structured learning journey that guides users through the initial steps of setting up an Azure account and exploring the portal. It includes videos, readings, and hands-on labs to help users become comfortable with the Azure interface and basic resource management.

Offered by various universities and providers on the edX platform, this course provides a general overview of cloud technologies. It covers the history, evolution, and different service models, often with a comparative approach that includes AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud.

While some content is premium, many courses on Coursera offer free audit options. This specific series covers the core AWS services and their use cases, providing academic rigor and structured learning paths that complement the hands-on experience provided by other platforms.

Pluralsight offers free access to certain skill assessments and introductory courses. Their AWS Cloud Basics module provides a concise overview of the platform's architecture and services, suitable for quick refreshers or initial explorations for those with some technical background.

This path introduces the basics of Internet of Things (IoT) on Azure, connecting devices to the cloud. It is a specialized entry point for beginners interested in edge computing and real-time data processing, showcasing Azure's unique strengths in the IoT sector.

Various community-led initiatives and AWS documentation provide free practice questions and study guides for the CCW certification. These resources help learners assess their knowledge gaps and prepare for the official exam without needing to purchase expensive study materials.

Introducing cloud-based data services, this course covers core data concepts in both relational and non-relational databases on Azure. It is valuable for beginners interested in data storage and analytics, providing a foundation for more advanced data engineering roles.

Cloud Academy often provides introductory courses and tutorials for the AWS Free Tier, allowing users to practice with real services at no cost. These resources guide learners through setting up accounts, monitoring usage, and leveraging free service limits effectively.

Many instructors offer free introductory courses on Udemy that cover the basics of AWS. These are often shorter and more focused on specific tasks or services, making them useful for targeted learning rather than comprehensive certification preparation.

This course introduces continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) concepts using Azure DevOps. It is ideal for beginners interested in software development lifecycle automation, showing how to deploy applications to Azure using modern DevOps practices.