AWS remains the leading cloud platform for beginners and professionals looking to build strong careers in cloud computing and database management.
These top 10 courses are selected for their beginner-friendly approach, practical labs, and clear explanations that help you build fundamental AWS skills fast.
Whether you’re preparing for the AWS Cloud Practitioner exam or learning databases like DynamoDB and RDS, these courses offer a strong starting point for 2025.
How We Have Chosen These Best AWS Courses
- Beginner-friendly lessons that require no prior AWS knowledge
- Official AWS courses or highly rated training from top instructors
- Courses that offer hands-on labs and real AWS demos
- Includes both cloud practitioner and database-focused training
- Strong career relevance and clear learning outcomes
Top 10 AWS Cloud Practitioner and Database Courses for Beginners
1. AWS Database Essentials – Great Learning Academy Pro
Delivery: Online
Duration: Self-paced (approx. 2 hours of Content)
This free AWS database course provides a clear overview of key AWS database services.
You’ll learn how relational databases like Amazon RDS and Aurora differ from data warehousing services like Amazon Redshift, while building practical skills for managing, scaling, and querying data in the AWS cloud.
Key Outcomes:
- Understand the range of database services available in AWS.
- Learn the differences between relational databases, data warehouses, and NoSQL solutions.
- Grasp essential concepts for managing, scaling, and optimizing database systems.
- Build skills in Amazon Redshift, Aurora MySQL, data lakes, Athena, SQL querying, scalability, cost structure, performance tuning, architecture, stored procedures, and AWS Console management.
- Earn a certificate of completion from AWS to validate your AWS database skills.
2. AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials – AWS Training and Certification
Delivery: Online (Self-Paced)
Duration: Approx. 6 hours of content
This is the official, free AWS course designed as the first step for anyone new to the cloud.
It provides a foundational overview of AWS concepts, services, security, architecture, pricing, and support, and prepares you for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam.
Key Outcomes:
- Understand core cloud concepts, benefits, and AWS global infrastructure.
- Learn the fundamentals of AWS services such as EC2, S3, and databases.
- Grasp AWS security, compliance, and billing/pricing models.
- Build foundational knowledge for any future cloud career path.
3. AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials – Great Learning Academy Pro
Delivery: Online (Self-Paced)
Duration: Self-paced (approx. 3 hours of Content)
This free AWS Cloud practitioner course introduces you to the AWS cloud ecosystem.
It covers core cloud concepts, essential AWS services like EC2 and S3, key security principles, and foundational knowledge to help you prepare for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam.
Key Outcomes:
- Understand core cloud computing concepts and the AWS global infrastructure.
- Learn about essential AWS services, including EC2 (virtual servers) and S3 (storage).
- Grasp fundamental security principles, compliance, and the shared responsibility model.
- Build skills in AWS, AWS Console & CLI, EC2, S3, security, architecture, pricing, and exam fundamentals.
- Gain the foundational knowledge needed to begin preparing for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam.
- Earn a certificate of completion from AWS to validate your AWS Cloud skills.
4. AWS Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02) Cert Prep – Hiroko Nishimura (LinkedIn Learning)
Delivery: Online (Video Lessons)
Duration: Approx. 4 hours
A concise and direct course ideal for those with limited time who need to quickly gain fluency in AWS terminology and prepare for the exam objectives. It is available with a LinkedIn Learning subscription.
Key Outcomes:
- Review all four exam domains efficiently (Cloud Concepts, Security, Technology, Billing).
- Understand key concepts through targeted, shorter video segments.
- Prepare for the certification exam with built-in knowledge checks and practice questions.
- Rapidly cover the essentials of AWS cloud architecture and services.
5. AWS Fundamentals Specialization – Amazon Web Services
Delivery: Online (Specialization with multiple courses)
Duration: Approx. 3–6 months at a casual pace (can be sped up)
This specialization is beginner-friendly and combines theory with practice through several short courses, giving you a strong foundation in AWS architecture, services, and security.
Key Outcomes:
- Gain a working knowledge of AWS architecture, services, and pricing models.
- Learn about core services like IAM, S3, DynamoDB, and EC2.
- Benefit from a mix of video lectures, quizzes, and practical exercises.
- Earn a professional certificate from AWS on Coursera.
6. AWS for Beginners – Great Learning Academy
Delivery: Online (Self-Paced, Free)
Duration: Approx. 3 hours of video content
This quick aws free certification course is designed for absolute beginners with no prerequisites. It covers the basics of cloud computing, core AWS services, and provides a hands-on demo of setting up an EC2 instance.
Key Outcomes:
- Understand the “why” and “how” of cloud computing and AWS.
- Explore cloud service models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) and deployment models.
- Gain hands-on experience by creating an Amazon EC2 instance.
- Receive a certificate of completion to validate foundational knowledge.
7. AWS Databases Crash Course – RDS, Aurora & DynamoDB – Neal Davis (Udemy)
Delivery: Online (Hands-on Video Lessons)
Duration: Approx. 5 hours on-demand video
This excellent crash course provides hands-on, easy-to-follow training specifically for AWS-managed databases. It covers relational (RDS, Aurora) and NoSQL (DynamoDB) databases, perfect for getting a solid start with data storage on AWS.
Key Outcomes:
- Understand the difference between relational and NoSQL databases.
- Learn to create highly available, scalable databases with RDS and Aurora.
- Configure multi-AZ deployments, read replicas, and database encryption.
- Grasp DynamoDB concepts like capacity units and indexes.
8. Build Modern Apps with Purpose-Built Databases – AWS Training
Delivery: Online (Digital Training Series, Free)
Duration: Approx. 3 hours total
This free, six-part digital training series uses a scenario-based approach (building a restaurant ratings app) to help you select and deploy the proper AWS database for your specific needs.
Key Outcomes:
- Learn when to choose different database types (relational, key-value, document, etc.).
- Understand database requirements for real-world application challenges.
- Explore services like DynamoDB, Aurora, and ElastiCache.
- Gain practical context for using various AWS data services effectively.
9. AWS Databases: The Big Picture – Pluralsight
Delivery: Online (Video Lessons)
Duration: Approx. 2 hours total
A high-level, quick overview of the AWS database landscape. This course helps beginners understand the vast array of database services AWS offers and what you need to know to specialize later.
Key Outcomes:
- Get an overview of all AWS database services and their use cases.
- Understand different types of databases and how they limit or enhance capabilities.
- Learn about design, maintenance, optimization, and troubleshooting at a high level.
- Identify which AWS database solutions are best for different types of workloads.
10. AWS Data Fundamentals (Skill Builder)
Delivery: Online (Self-Paced, Free via AWS Skill Builder)
Duration: Approx. 8 hours
This course provides a foundational understanding of AWS data services without assuming any prior data analytics experience.
It covers the basics of relational databases, data warehousing, big data, and machine learning on AWS.
Key Outcomes:
- Understand fundamental data concepts and terminology across different data stores.
- Learn how to identify which AWS data service fits a specific business need.
- Explore services like Amazon RDS, Redshift, S3, and Amazon SageMaker.
- Grasp how data can be used for reporting, analytics, and basic machine learning.
Conclusion
These AWS courses offer a strong starting point for beginners aiming to build real cloud and database skills in 2025.
Whether you’re exploring free online courses with certificates or official AWS training, both options offer hands-on exercises, beginner-friendly lessons, and clear guidance.
With the right course, you can confidently learn core AWS services, prepare for certifications, and build a solid technical foundation for a successful cloud career.