This guide is for people who have never used Amazon Web Services and want to understand the core services before they build anything or pick a certification. Every option here is on Udemy, and I read every fact on the course page.
- Best overall: Neal Davis's Introduction to Cloud Computing on AWS for Beginners, 10 hours of cloud concepts and AWS basics, updated in September 2026.
- Most hands-on: Pravin Mishra's AWS Fundamentals, 23.5 hours with two projects and two practice tests.
- To also get certified: Stephane Maarek's Cloud Practitioner course, which prepares you for the CLF-C02 exam from zero.
| Course | Level | Length | View course |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction to Cloud Computing on AWS for Beginners [2026] Udemy Best overall | Beginner | 10 h | View course |
| AWS Fundamentals with 2 Projects: Cloud for Beginners [2026] Udemy Most hands-on | Beginner | 23.5 h | View course |
| [NEW] Ultimate AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner CLF-C02 2026 Udemy To also get certified | Beginner | 14.5 h | View course |
What a beginner needs to learn
AWS has hundreds of services. A first course should get you comfortable with five of them, because almost every architecture uses them:
| Service | What it is |
|---|---|
| IAM | Users, roles and permissions: who can do what in your account |
| EC2 | Virtual servers you start and stop on demand |
| S3 | Object storage for files, backups and static sites |
| VPC | Your private network in AWS, with subnets and routing |
| RDS | Managed relational databases |
Two ideas come up around them all the time. Regions and Availability Zones tell you where your resources physically run. The shared responsibility model says AWS secures the cloud and you secure what you put in it. I'd want a beginner course to have you create these resources in your own account, because hearing them described only gets you so far.
Neal Davis: best overall
Introduction to Cloud Computing on AWS for Beginners [2026]
Neal Davis, Digital Cloud Training • Udemy
A 10-hour introduction to cloud computing concepts and AWS basics from Digital Cloud Training, updated on September 11, 2026. Good for people starting from zero who want the big picture first.
- Level
- Beginner
- Length
- 10 h
- Certificate
- Completion
- Rating
- 4.5 (40k)
- Audio
- English
- Subtitles
- 28 languages, Portuguese auto-generated
Pros
- Cloud concepts and AWS basics in 10 hours
- More than 40,000 reviews, updated September 11, 2026
Cons
- Not an exam course: no practice tests
It has more than 40,000 reviews with a 4.5 rating, the most of any AWS beginner course I checked that isn't tied to an exam. It's a learning course, so there are no practice tests. Subtitles are available in 28 languages, Portuguese among them (auto-generated).
Pravin Mishra: most hands-on
AWS Fundamentals with 2 Projects: Cloud for Beginners [2026]
Pravin Mishra • Udemy
23.5 hours of AWS fundamentals with two projects and two practice tests. A fit for people who learn by building.
- Level
- Beginner
- Length
- 23.5 h
- Certificate
- Completion
- Rating
- 4.6 (2.3k)
- Audio
- English
- Subtitles
- 4 languages, Portuguese auto-generated
Pros
- 23.5 hours with 2 projects and 2 practice tests
- Updated August 3, 2026
Cons
- About 2,300 reviews, far fewer than Neal Davis's course
It's more than twice as long as Neal Davis's course and was updated on August 3, 2026. The rating is 4.6 from about 2,300 reviews, which means less student history behind it.
Stephane Maarek: to also get certified
[NEW] Ultimate AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner CLF-C02 2026
Stephane Maarek • Udemy
The Cloud Practitioner course with the most reviews among the ones I checked. It starts from zero and gets you ready for the CLF-C02 exam, so the same hours count for both goals.
- Level
- Beginner
- Length
- 14.5 h
- Certificate
- Completion
- Rating
- 4.7 (296k)
- Audio
- English
- Subtitles
- English; 31 more languages, auto-generated
Pros
- 14.5 hours of video, updated September 26, 2026
- 4.7 rating from nearly 296,000 reviews
- Includes 1 full practice exam with explanations
Cons
- Only 1 practice exam: add a practice-test set before you book
It's 14.5 hours long, includes one full practice exam and was updated on September 26, 2026. If you already know you want the certification, see the Cloud Practitioner guide.
How I chose
I used the same methodology as every guide. For this topic I looked at whether the course is really for beginners, whether it has you use the core services hands-on, whether it was updated in 2026, and whether it has enough reviews to trust the rating. For now I only compare courses on Udemy. I read every fact on the course page on September 28, 2026.
I left out Himanshu Rana's AWS for Beginners 2026 (4.5 from about 1,100 reviews). It covers similar ground with fewer reviews than my picks. I also left out Ram Mohan's AWS for Beginners bootcamp, last updated in March 2022.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need programming experience to learn AWS?
No. The three courses are marked for beginners and start with concepts. Programming helps later, when you automate AWS with code.
Should I start with a certification course?
If you want the certification anyway, yes. The Cloud Practitioner course teaches the basics and prepares you for the exam at the same time. If you only want to use AWS, a learning course like Neal Davis's goes straight to the services.
Do I need my own AWS account?
To follow the hands-on parts, yes. The lessons teach the concepts, and creating the resources yourself is what makes them stick.
Are the courses in Portuguese?
The audio is in English. Neal Davis's, Pravin Mishra's and Stephane Maarek's courses have auto-generated Portuguese subtitles.