# 5 Best Free Cloud Computing Courses for Beginners (2026 Edition)

> 📌 **Originally published on** [**Sherdil E-Learning**](https://elearning.sherdil.org/pages/free-cloud-computing-courses-urdu)**.** Republishing here so the Hashnode community can find it.

Finding quality **free cloud computing courses** is harder than it looks. Thousands exist on YouTube, Udemy, and Coursera, but most are scattered playlists rather than structured, current, vendor-aligned curricula.

This guide covers the **5 best free cloud computing courses** for beginners in 2026 — including the three official vendor courses from AWS, Microsoft, and Google.

> **Disclosure**: Courses #1 and #2 are from Sherdil E-Learning (where I teach). Courses #3, #4, and #5 are official vendor courses with no affiliate relationship.

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## How I picked these

To make this list, a course had to meet five criteria:

1.  **Genuinely free** — no hidden paywalls for the core curriculum.
    
2.  **Structured** — sequenced lessons, not a loose playlist.
    
3.  **Taught by people with real cloud experience** or by the vendor directly.
    
4.  **Current** for the 2025–2026 cloud landscape.
    
5.  **Beginner-accessible** — no prior cloud experience required.
    

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## 1\. Freelancing & Multicloud Fundamentals — Sherdil E-Learning

The most ambitious of the five: introduces **all three major cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP)** in a single sequenced curriculum with practical freelance use-cases built into the lessons.

*   **Format**: Structured video course with assignments
    
*   **Language**: Urdu (with English technical terms)
    
*   **Best for**: Beginners who haven't picked a cloud yet and want to compare all three
    
*   **Cost**: Free
    

**Why it's #1**: Most "intro to cloud" courses pick one vendor. This one shows you all three side-by-side.

Enroll: [Freelancing and Multicloud Fundamentals](https://elearning.sherdil.org/courses/multicloud-freelancing)

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## 2\. AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials, AWS Skill Builder (official, English)

If you've decided to focus on AWS (the largest cloud provider globally), this free course is the most direct entry path. Covers AWS fundamentals, EC2, VPC, S3, and IAM.

*   **Language**: English
    
*   **Best for**: Beginners committed to AWS
    
*   **Cost**: Free
    

Acts as a gateway to the paid AWS Cloud Practitioner certification.

Enroll: [AWS Essentials for Beginners](https://aws.amazon.com/training/learn-about/cloud-practitioner/)

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## 3\. AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials — AWS Skill Builder (Official)

The **official free course from AWS**. ~7 hours, covers exactly what the **AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner** exam tests. **The vendor's own course** — authoritative and always current.

*   **Format**: Self-paced video + reading + knowledge checks
    
*   **Language**: English
    
*   **Best for**: Anyone preparing for the AWS Cloud Practitioner exam
    
*   **Cost**: Free
    

Start: [AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials](https://aws.amazon.com/training/learn-about/cloud-practitioner/)

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## 4\. Microsoft Learn AZ-900 Path (Official)

Microsoft's free learning path for Azure Fundamentals is one of the highest-quality vendor courses anywhere. ~10 hours, includes **browser-based lab simulations** (no Azure subscription needed for most modules), maps directly to **AZ-900** — the easiest cloud certification on the market.

*   **Language**: English
    
*   **Best for**: Beginners targeting AZ-900
    
*   **Cost**: Free
    

**Standout feature**: browser-based labs let you practise creating resources without spending a cent.

Start: [Microsoft Learn — AZ-900 Azure Fundamentals](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/courses/az-900t00)

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## 5\. Google Cloud Digital Leader Path — Cloud Skills Boost (Official)

Google's official entry-level path for the **Cloud Digital Leader** certification. Cloud Skills Boost typically offers **free quest credits** to new users. Hands-on labs through the Skills Boost browser sandbox.

*   **Format**: Self-paced video + hands-on Qwiklabs
    
*   **Language**: English
    
*   **Best for**: Beginners interested in data, analytics, or AI engineering
    
*   **Cost**: Free (with quest credits)
    

Start: [Cloud Digital Leader Learning Path](https://www.skills.google/paths/9)

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## At a glance

| # | Course | Vendor | Hours | Language | Cert path |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Multicloud Fundamentals | Sherdil | ~10 | Urdu | Multi-cloud foundation |
| 2 | AWS Essentials | Sherdil | ~8 | Urdu | AWS Cloud Practitioner |
| 3 | AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials | **AWS** | ~7 | English | AWS Cloud Practitioner |
| 4 | AZ-900 Azure Fundamentals | **Microsoft** | ~10 | English | AZ-900 |
| 5 | Cloud Digital Leader | **Google** | ~8 | English | GCP Cloud Digital Leader |

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## How to pick

https://skillbuilder.aws **Haven't picked a cloud yet** → Course #1 (Multicloud) **Decided on AWS** → Course #2 then #3 **Want the easiest first cert** → Course #4 (AZ-900) **Interested in data, analytics, or AI** → Course #5 (GCP)

**The practical pattern for non-English-native learners**: start with a structured course in your native language to build concepts, then move to the vendor-official English courses for exam prep. **The language jump is much easier after you already know the concepts.**

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## Frequently asked questions

### Are free cloud courses enough to get a job?

**Rarely on their own.** You'll typically also need a recognised **certification** (AWS Cloud Practitioner, AZ-900, or GCP Cloud Digital Leader minimum) and a small **portfolio** of hands-on projects.

### Should I do all five courses?

**No.** Pick **two** — one beginner course in your native language for concepts, one vendor-official English course to prepare for the certification exam.

### How long does each course take?

Roughly **6–10 hours of self-paced study**. Allow **2–4 weeks** of part-time study to actually retain it.

### Do free courses provide certificates of completion?

**Sherdil's free courses** provide a free certificate. **Vendor courses** provide achievement badges linkable from LinkedIn — not the same as the paid certification exams.

### Which cloud has the most jobs?

**AWS** for breadth. **Azure** for corporate/enterprise. **GCP** for data/ML premium.

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## Next steps

Free courses are the entry point. The next step is a **recognised certification + practical project work**.

For a structured certification path, the [Sherdil E-Learning course catalogue](https://elearning.sherdil.org/bundles/unlimited-cloud-access-pass) covers AWS, Azure, GCP, Alibaba Cloud, and DevOps.

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## About the author

**Muhammad Usman Khan** is a Lead Cloud Instructor at [Sherdil E-Learning](https://elearning.sherdil.org), holding the Alibaba Cloud ACP certification along with AWS and Azure credentials. He has delivered **1,500+ hours of training across 12+ countries**.

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**Found this useful?** Bookmark this for your annual "is this still the best free course?" check, and follow my Hashnode blog for upcoming deep-dives on **how to pass each of these certifications**, **building your first portfolio project**, and **the certification-to-first-job journey**.

📖 **Full original article (with Urdu-specific learning patterns):** [elearning.sherdil.org/pages/free-cloud-computing-courses-urdu](https://elearning.sherdil.org/pages/free-cloud-computing-courses-urdu)