DevOps Engineer roadmap › Courses
Best courses for DevOps Engineers
This path is built from the people who run the tools: the Linux Foundation for Linux and Kubernetes, the vendors for Docker, GitHub Actions, Terraform and Grafana, and the three big clouds for certification.
It follows the order the work builds up. Linux, containers and Git first. Then pipelines, Kubernetes, infrastructure as code and observability. Then the professional certificates.
Most of the learning material is free. The exams, and one structured bootcamp, are paid.
Generic DevOps-theory courses are left out on purpose. The books list covers the culture side better.
Which course to take first
- Start
- Introduction to Linux and Docker Docs get you started, and GitHub Skills covers the source control your pipelines will use.
- Build
- Understanding GitHub Actions, Learn Kubernetes Basics and Terraform tutorials cover the pipeline and infrastructure work you will do most often.
- Lead
- The AWS Certified DevOps Engineer and Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer courses suit people who design delivery for a whole organisation.
- 15 items in 3 stages: 9 courses and tutorials, 6 certifications.
- We opened every page on October 6, 2026 and show only what the provider states.
- No prices, ratings or enrolment counts.
See the full DevOps Engineer roadmap →Best books for DevOps Engineers →
How to choose your courses
A short method, so you spend your hours on the right thing for where you are instead of collecting certificates.
Find your stage
Getting started · 4 items
Linux, containers and Git: the ground everything else stands on. Free, hands-on material first, plus one paid structured path if you want deadlines and projects.
Jump to this stage ↓Doing the job · 7 items
The core toolchain: pipelines with GitHub Actions, Kubernetes, infrastructure as code with Terraform and dashboards and alerts with Grafana, plus two exams that prove the skill.
Jump to this stage ↓Senior and leading · 4 items
Professional certifications: the cloud providers’ DevOps exams and the Kubernetes security specialty. They matter most when your employer is committed to that cloud, and they assume real experience.
Jump to this stage ↓
If you are unsure, start one stage lower than you think. Later items assume what the earlier ones teach.
Begin with one course
Our starting pick
Introduction to Linux (LFS101)
The Linux Foundation
Everything else here runs on Linux. It is free, hands-on and covers the shell, scripting and processes you will use every day. Start there if you are not already comfortable at a prompt.
See the course ↓Then pick by your situation
Choose the next course by the problem in front of you, not by its place in the list.
If you can work at a Linux prompt but have never run an app in a container
take Docker Docs: Get started (getting started)
If you want a structured path with projects and are willing to pay for it
take DevOps Bootcamp (getting started)
If you need to prove Kubernetes skill to an employer
take Certified Kubernetes Administrator (doing the job)
Free path or paid path?
7 of the 9 courses and tutorials can be read or taken without paying, so you can build most of the skill at no cost. Check each certification page for exam fees.
- Introduction to Linux
- Docker Docs: Get started
- Understanding GitHub Actions
- Introduction to Kubernetes
- Learn Kubernetes Basics
- Terraform tutorials
- Grafana fundamentals
Paid courses earn their place when you need structure, deadlines or feedback. Check what the provider says is included before you commit.
Course or certification?
Certifications are optional for DevOps work. A working pipeline you can show counts too.
They help most when:
- You are changing careers and need a recognised signal
- Your target employer is committed to one cloud
- You want a deadline to push you through the material
Prefer the hands-on exams (CKA and CKS), where passing means you did the tasks. Take a cloud professional certificate only after running real workloads on that cloud; the providers themselves recommend experience first.
Check it against what DevOps Engineer postings ask for
These skills come from our analysis of live DevOps Engineer job postings. Each links to the learning resources we list for it.
- Kubernetes Common
- AWS Common
- GCP Common
- Go Occasional
- Terraform Occasional
- Python Occasional
- Azure Occasional
- Linux Occasional
Each step on the scale reflects how often live job postings name the skill, tool or credential, based on our analysis of those postings.
Set a time budget
| Stage | Items with a stated length | Hours of material | At 4 hrs a week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Getting started | 1 | 60 hrs | 15 wks |
| Doing the job | 1 | 15 hrs | 4 wks |
| Senior and leading | 0 | none stated | n/a |
| All stages | 2 | 75 hrs | 19 wks |
Totals are approximate.
Exam time is not included, and hands-on practice takes longer than the material itself. Treat this as a floor.
Judge any course before you commit
Who runs it
Prefer courses from the people who build or govern the tool. They tend to stay current, and an exam from a tool’s own maker is the clearest credential for that tool.
Hands-on or watch-only
In this field you learn by running things. Choose material where you build a pipeline, a cluster or a dashboard over material you only watch.
How current it is
Tools change fast. Look for a version or last-updated date on the provider’s page, and check anything several years old against the current docs.
What you will be able to show
Ask what you will have at the end: a working repository, a deployed service or a passed exam. If it is only a certificate of completion, pair it with a project of your own.
Getting started
Linux, containers and Git: the ground everything else stands on. Free, hands-on material first, plus one paid structured path if you want deadlines and projects.
- Start hereCourseFree to learn
Introduction to Linux (LFS101)
The Linux Foundation
- 60 hours of material
What you will learn
- Linux distributions, the graphical interface and the command line
- The Bash shell and basic scripting
- Processes, file operations and text editors
- Networking and local security basics
Good for
Anyone who has not worked at a Linux prompt yet. Nearly everything else on this page runs on it.
Also stated by the provider
- Beginner level
- Written for experienced computer users with little or no Linux exposure
What you will learn
- Build and run an application in containers
- Work with an AI agent safely
- Set Docker up for an organisation
Good for
Doing the build-and-run path before Kubernetes, so containers feel familiar.
What you will learn
- Introduction to GitHub
- Communicate using Markdown
- GitHub Pages
- Introduction to Git
Good for
Getting comfortable with the pull-request workflow that CI/CD pipelines hang off.
Also stated by the provider
- The page says you can get started in under an hour
What you will learn
- Linux, Git and build tools as prerequisites
- CI/CD pipelines with Jenkins
- Docker, Kubernetes and AWS EKS
- AWS and Digital Ocean automation
- Terraform, Ansible and Python for automation
- Monitoring with Prometheus, Alertmanager and Grafana
Good for
People who want structure, deadlines and projects in one place instead of assembling free material themselves.
Also stated by the provider
- Includes projects and a certificate
- Assumes some IT background
Doing the job
The core toolchain: pipelines with GitHub Actions, Kubernetes, infrastructure as code with Terraform and dashboards and alerts with Grafana, plus two exams that prove the skill.
What you will learn
- Workflows and events
- Jobs and actions
- Runners
Good for
Reading before you write your first pipeline file, so the vocabulary is clear.
- CourseFree to learn
Introduction to Kubernetes (LFS158)
The Linux Foundation
- 15–20 hours of material
What you will learn
- Kubernetes origins, architecture and building blocks
- Setting up a cluster with Minikube
- Running and reaching applications on the cluster
- Taking part in the Kubernetes community
Good for
A free first step before the hands-on tutorials and the administrator exam.
Also stated by the provider
- Beginner level
- Some Linux administration knowledge helps but is not required
What you will learn
- Create a cluster
- Deploy and explore an app
- Expose it publicly
- Scale it up and update it
Good for
Seeing what Kubernetes does before you read the long documentation.
What you will learn
- Get-started paths for AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Docker and OCI
- HCP Terraform
- Writing Terraform tests
- Detecting infrastructure drift
- Creating and using no-code modules
Good for
Working through the path for your cloud, then writing a module for something you actually run.
Also stated by the provider
- Includes the route to the Terraform Associate exam
What you will learn
- Set up monitoring for an application
- Explore metrics and logs
- Build and annotate dashboards
- Set up alert rules
Good for
The point where you start owning dashboards and alerts and want to see how the pieces fit.
Also stated by the provider
- Needs Docker, Docker Compose and Git installed
- CertificationPaid exam
Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)
The Linux Foundation and CNCF
- Exam: hands-on, 2 hours
What you will learn
- Cluster architecture, installation and configuration
- Workloads and scheduling
- Services and networking
- Storage
- Troubleshooting
Good for
Proving Kubernetes skill. You perform tasks on a live cluster, so it tests what you can do rather than what you remember.
Also stated by the provider
- Valid for 2 years
- No stated prerequisites
- Certification
HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate
HashiCorp
- Exam: multiple choice, about an hour
What you will learn
- Foundational Terraform concepts and skills
Good for
After you have used Terraform on real infrastructure, as a shared vocabulary for interviews.
Senior and leading
Professional certifications: the cloud providers’ DevOps exams and the Kubernetes security specialty. They matter most when your employer is committed to that cloud, and they assume real experience.
- CertificationPaid exam
AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional
Amazon Web Services
- Exam: 75 questions, 180 minutes
What you will learn
- Provisioning, operating and managing distributed application systems on AWS
- Automating testing and deployment of AWS infrastructure and applications
Good for
After you have run real AWS workloads, when your target employers are on AWS.
Also stated by the provider
- Valid for 3 years
- AWS recommends 2+ years running AWS environments
- CertificationPaid exam
Microsoft Certified: DevOps Engineer Expert (AZ-400)
Microsoft
- Exam: exam AZ-400
What you will learn
- Processes and communications
- Source control strategy
- Build and release pipelines
- Security and compliance planning
- Instrumentation strategy
Good for
When your target employers run on Azure.
Also stated by the provider
- Requires Azure Administrator Associate or Azure Developer Associate first
- Renews at no cost through an online assessment
- CertificationPaid exam
Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer
Google Cloud
- Exam: 50–60 questions, 2 hours
What you will learn
- Setting up and maintaining a Google Cloud organisation
- Site reliability engineering practices
- CI/CD pipelines, including continuous testing
- Observability and troubleshooting
- Performance and cost optimisation
Good for
When your target employers run on Google Cloud.
Also stated by the provider
- Google recommends 3+ years of industry experience, including 1+ on Google Cloud
- CertificationPaid exam
Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist (CKS)
The Linux Foundation and CNCF
- Exam: hands-on, 2 hours
What you will learn
- Cluster setup and hardening
- System hardening
- Minimising microservice vulnerabilities
- Supply chain security
- Monitoring, logging and runtime security
Good for
When security sits inside your platform role.
Also stated by the provider
- Requires passing CKA first
- Valid for 2 years
Details such as hours, format and whether material is free are as the providers state them on October 6, 2026, and can change. Confirm on the provider’s page before you commit. See our disclosure.
Frequently asked questions
Which course should a DevOps Engineer take first?
Introduction to Linux (LFS101), from The Linux Foundation. Everything else here runs on Linux. It is free, hands-on and covers the shell, scripting and processes you will use every day. Start there if you are not already comfortable at a prompt.
Can a DevOps Engineer learn this for free?
Largely, yes. 7 of the 9 courses and tutorials here can be read or taken without paying (Introduction to Linux, Docker Docs: Get started, Understanding GitHub Actions, Introduction to Kubernetes and more). Check each certification page for exam fees: not every page states one.
Do I need a certification to work as a DevOps Engineer?
Certifications are optional for DevOps work. A working pipeline you can show counts too. They help most in these cases: (1) you are changing careers and need a recognised signal; (2) your target employer is committed to one cloud; (3) you want a deadline to push you through the material. Prefer the hands-on exams (CKA and CKS), where passing means you did the tasks. Take a cloud professional certificate only after running real workloads on that cloud; the providers themselves recommend experience first.
How long does it take?
The providers state 75 hours of material across 2 of the 9 courses and tutorials; the rest do not state a length. At four hours a week that is about 19 weeks for the stated material alone, before projects and exam preparation.
How was this list put together?
We opened each course, tutorial and certification page on October 6, 2026 and wrote down only what the page states: who runs it, what it covers, hours and exam format where given, and whether the material is free to read. We do not show prices, ratings or enrolment figures. Details can change, so confirm on the provider’s page before you commit.