This guide is for developers and ops people who want to learn Kubernetes to run applications. If you are preparing for the CKA, the CKA guide is a better fit. Every option here is on Udemy, and I read every fact on the course page.
- Best overall: Kubernetes for the Absolute Beginners from KodeKloud (Mumshad Mannambeth), 6.5 hours with hands-on exercises and more than 115,000 reviews.
- Docker and Kubernetes from scratch: Maximilian Schwarzmüller's Docker & Kubernetes: The Practical Guide, 23.5 hours covering both tools.
- Best follow-up: Bret Fisher's Kubernetes Mastery, 8 hours on Kubernetes features, updated in August 2026.
| Course | Level | Length | View course |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kubernetes for the Absolute Beginners – Hands-on Udemy Best overall | Beginner | 6.5 h | View course |
| Docker & Kubernetes: The Practical Guide Udemy Docker and Kubernetes from scratch | All levels | 23.5 h | View course |
| Kubernetes Mastery: Hands-On Lessons From A Docker Captain Udemy Best follow-up | Beginner | 8 h | View course |
What you need to learn
Kubernetes runs containers across a group of machines. According to the official documentation, a cluster has a control plane and one or more worker nodes. The control plane makes the decisions and the nodes run the work:
| Part | What it does |
|---|---|
| kube-apiserver | Exposes the Kubernetes API that kubectl and everything else talk to |
| etcd | Stores all cluster data |
| kube-scheduler | Assigns new Pods to a suitable node |
| kube-controller-manager | Runs the controllers that keep the cluster in the state you declared |
| kubelet (on each node) | Makes sure the Pods and their containers are running |
| kube-proxy (on each node) | Maintains the network rules behind Services |
On top of that come the objects you write in YAML every day: Pods, Deployments, Services, Ingress, ConfigMaps and Secrets. In a good first course you create those objects on a real cluster. Kubernetes 1.37 was released on August 26, 2026, and the project maintains the three most recent minor versions.
You also need to know containers. If you have never built a Docker image, pick a course that teaches Docker first.
KodeKloud (Mumshad Mannambeth): best overall
Kubernetes for the Absolute Beginners – Hands-on
Mumshad Mannambeth, KodeKloud • Udemy
A short course with hands-on coding exercises for people who have never used Kubernetes. Of the Kubernetes courses I checked, it has the most reviews.
- Level
- Beginner
- Length
- 6.5 h
- Certificate
- Completion
- Rating
- 4.6 (115k)
- Audio
- English
- Subtitles
- English (auto); 24 more auto-generated languages
Pros
- Made for people who have never used Kubernetes
- Hands-on coding exercises, updated September 10, 2026
- 4.6 rating from more than 115,000 reviews
Cons
- 6.5 hours of fundamentals only: the CKA needs an exam course after it
In 6.5 hours it covers the fundamentals: Pods, Deployments, Services and YAML files, with hands-on exercises. It was updated on September 10, 2026 and has more than 115,000 reviews with a 4.6 rating. It stops at the basics, so you finish it quickly and can decide whether to go deeper. The same author has a longer CKA course if you later want the certification.
Maximilian Schwarzmüller: Docker and Kubernetes from scratch
Docker & Kubernetes: The Practical Guide
Maximilian Schwarzmüller, Academind • Udemy
23.5 hours that start with Docker and Docker Compose and end with deploying to Kubernetes. It suits developers who have not used containers yet.
- Level
- All levels
- Length
- 23.5 h
- Certificate
- Completion
- Rating
- 4.7 (38k)
- Audio
- English
- Subtitles
- 25 languages, Portuguese auto-generated
Pros
- Docker and Kubernetes in one course, from containers to deployment
- 23.5 hours of video, 4.7 rating from more than 38,000 reviews
Cons
- Last updated April 2, 2026, older than the other picks
It is the longest of the three and the only one that teaches Docker in depth before Kubernetes, with a 4.7 rating from more than 38,000 reviews. The last update was on April 2, 2026, the oldest of the three. If you already know Docker, the first half will be review.
Bret Fisher: best follow-up
Kubernetes Mastery: Hands-On Lessons From A Docker Captain
Bret Fisher • Udemy
8 hours on Kubernetes features and plugins only, taught by a Docker Captain and updated on August 28, 2026. I'd take it as a second course once you have the basics.
- Level
- Beginner
- Length
- 8 h
- Certificate
- Completion
- Rating
- 4.6 (4.7k)
- Audio
- English
- Subtitles
- 9 languages, Portuguese auto-generated
Pros
- 8 hours focused on Kubernetes only, updated August 28, 2026
- Taught by a Docker Captain
Cons
- About 4,700 reviews, far fewer than KodeKloud's beginner course
Udemy lists it as a beginner course. The course page says it covers the main Kubernetes features and plugins, practiced the way DevOps teams use them, so it makes more sense once you know the basic objects. It has about 4,700 reviews, far fewer than the other two, with a 4.6 rating.
How I chose
I used the same methodology as the other guides. For this topic I looked at four things: hands-on practice on a cluster, updates in 2026, a clear entry level, and 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 Stephen Grider's Docker and Kubernetes: The Complete Guide (21.5 hours, 4.6 from about 62,700 reviews) because it overlaps with Schwarzmüller's and has no Portuguese subtitles; Bret Fisher's Docker Mastery, which is mostly about Docker; and the CKA courses, which are covered in their own guide.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to know Docker before Kubernetes?
It helps a lot. Kubernetes runs containers, so you should know how to build and run an image. If you don't, start with Schwarzmüller's course, which teaches Docker first.
Is a beginner course enough to use Kubernetes at work?
It is enough to read and write basic manifests and deploy an application. For operating clusters (upgrades, networking, troubleshooting), the CKA material goes much deeper.
Which Kubernetes version should a course use?
Kubernetes 1.37 was released on August 26, 2026, and versions 1.35 to 1.37 are maintained. The core objects (Pods, Deployments, Services) work the same way across them, so a course updated in 2026 is fine for learning.
Do these courses include a certificate?
Udemy gives a certificate of completion. A Kubernetes certification requires an exam such as the CKA.