Did you know that organizations such as freeCodeCamp, Google, and Harvard offer online courses to help you learn software development? And that many of these include free certificates and badges?
To help you choose one that's right for you, I've created a full list.
As avid online learners, my Class Central colleagues and I have completed hundreds of online courses over the years, including many with free certificates, as you can see in the collage below.
In 2023, free certificates have become rarer. But if you know where to look, there is still an abundance of free certificates available online for learning software development.
As you likely know, freeCodeCamp offers free certifications. But so do big tech companies and institutions such as Google, Microsoft, and Harvard.
In this article, we bring together all the free certificates and badges that are scattered across the web. In total, the platforms below offer over 1000 free certificate courses for learning software development.
I started Class Central back in 2011, when universities such as Stanford began to offer some of their courses online for free. Since then, the Class Central database has grown to over 100K online courses.
Having written about online education for over a decade, I remember when platforms like Coursera and edX offered free certificates. Then, rather abruptly, free certificates seemed to pretty much disappear.
This inspired us to write a Massive List of Free Certificates and Badges. To our surprise, we discovered there were still thousands of free certificates available online. To date, that article has received 2M views.
In the same vein, this article aims to draw attention to the organizations that continue to support open education in software development by offering free certificate courses. These include:
- Learning platforms — for instance, freeCodeCamp, LinkedIn Learning, and FutureLearn.
- Leading universities — for instance, Harvard, the University of Helsinki, and HPI.
- Big tech companies — for instance, Google, Microsoft, and IBM.
Without further ado, here are the platforms where you can find 1000+ free developer certifications.
freeCodeCamp's Free Certifications
The natural starting point: freeCodeCamp, the website you’re currently on, where you can learn how to code for free.
The platform offers thousands of hours of learning content, broken down into certifications on subjects such as web development and data science.
Here are the certifications currently offered:
- Responsive Web Design ★★★★★(77)
- JavaScript Algorithms and Data Structures ★★★★★(31)
- Front End Development Libraries ★★★★★(4)
- Data Analysis with Python ★★★★★(4)
- Quality Assurance ★★★★★(4)
- Machine Learning with Python ★★★★★(4)
- Scientific Computing with Python ★★★★★(1)
- Data Visualization ★★★★★(1)
- Back End Development and APIs ★★★★★(1)
- Relational Database (Beta) ★★★★★(1)
- Information Security ★★★★☆(6)
600+ Free Google Certifications
Google has launched several initiatives to teach people skills such as coding, digital marketing, and data analytics. You can find a complete list in our dedicated article.
Below is a selection of Google’s offerings:
- Google Analytics for Beginners ★★★★★(38)
- Get started with Google Maps Platform - web ★★★★★(4)
- Google Ads Search Certification ★★★★★(2)
- Google Analytics for Power Users ★★★★★(1)
- Google Cloud Essentials ★★★★★(1)
- Application Development - Python ★★★★★(1)
- YouTube Music Certification ★★★★★(1)
- Shopping ads Certification ★★★★★(1)
- Creating with Google Maps ★★★★☆(1)
- Intro to ML: Language Processing ★★★★☆(1)
Harvard Free Certificate Courses
Harvard offers a series of academic online courses exploring various facets of computer science, including programming fundamentals and AI. You can find all the details in our dedicated article.
Here are Harvard’s current free certificate offerings:
- Introduction to Computer Science ★★★★★(140)
- Computer Science for Business Professionals ★★★★★(14)
- Introduction to Artificial Intelligence with Python ★★★★★(11)
- Web Programming with Python and JavaScript ★★★★★(22)
- Computer Science for Lawyers ★★★★★(5)
- Understanding Technology ★★★★★(10)
- Introduction to Programming with Python ★★★★★(2)
- Introduction to Programming with Scratch ★★★★★(2)
- Introduction to Game Development ★★★★☆(3)
1000s of Free Microsoft Badges
Microsoft offers thousands of modules and hundreds of learning paths to explore the company’s products, including Office 365, Visual Studio, and Azure. Once you finish a course, you’ll get a badge on your learner profile.
Here are some of the courses offered by Microsoft:
- Create and use analytics reports with Power BI ★★★★★(2)
- AZ-104: Configure and manage virtual networks for Azure administrators ★★★★★(2)
- Implement a Windows Server hybrid cloud infrastructure ★★★★★(1)
- Microsoft Dynamics 365 Fundamentals (CRM): Explore Dynamics 365 Marketing ★★★★★(1)
- Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals: Explore visual tools for machine learning ★★★★☆(1)
- Getting Started with Microsoft PowerShell
- Classify space rocks by using Python and artificial intelligence
- Microsoft Azure Fundamentals: Describe cloud concepts
- Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals: Get started with AI
1000s of Hours of LinkedIn Learning Courses with Free Certification
LinkedIn Learning, the online learning platform integrated with the LinkedIn professional social network, offers hundreds of online courses and learning paths that include a free certificate. Here too, we have a dedicated article with a full list.
Here’s a selection of LinkedIn Learning free certificate courses:
- Communication Foundations
- Prepare for the CompTIA A+ Certification (220-1001 and 220-1002)
- Entrepreneurship Foundations
- Prepare for the CompTIA Network+ (N10-007) Certification
- Agile Requirements Foundations
- Finding a Job during Challenging Economic Times
- Administrative Professional Tips
- Professional Soft Skills Learning Pathway
- Video Interview Tips
- Recovering from a Layoff
University of Helsinki Free Certificates
The University of Helsinki offers academic online courses through its independent course platform, MOOC.fi, including the following courses which include a free certificate of completion:
- Elements of AI ★★★★★(715)
- Full Stack open 2022 ★★★★★(5)
- Java Programming ★★★★★(2)
- Cyber Security Base 2022 ★★★★★(2)
- Building AI ★★★★☆(13)
- DevOps with Kubernetes
- Ethics of AI
- DevOps with Docker
- Python Programming MOOC 2022
- Functional programming with Clojure
1000s of Free Salesforce Badges
Salesforce, the cloud-based software provider, offers online courses through its Trailhead platform. You can learn skills related to Salesforce products. But you can also find courses on broader topics, such as blockchain or IOS development.
There are 1300+ modules and 100+ hands-on projects accessible free of charge on the platform. After finishing a module, you will get a free badge for your profile.
- Developer Beginner
- Developer Intermediate
- Developer Advanced
- Build Lightning Web Components
- AWS Cloud for Technical Professionals
- Develop with Mobile SDK
- Manage the Salesforce Way
- Get Started with iOS App Development
- Discover Trailhead Sample Apps
- Build Your Career in the Salesforce Ecosystem
MongoDB Free Certificates
MongoDB, the popular NoSQL database, offers free certificate courses through its learning platform, MongoDB University. Through these, you’ll learn database fundamentals of databases, and how to interact with them using various programming languages.
Here are some of the certificate courses MongoDB offers:
- MongoDB for Java Developers ★★★★★(18)
- MongoDB for Javascript Developers ★★★★★(1)
- MongoDB Basics ★★★★★(2)
- MongoDB for .NET Developers ★★★★☆(3)
- Basic Cluster Administration
- MongoDB for Python Developers
- MongoDB Performance
- Diagnostics and Debugging
- MongoDB for SQL Pros
- Data Modeling
Redis Free Certificates
Redis is a flexible data storage solution, akin to a lightweight database, that is used a lot in web development. Redis has a dedicated online learning platform, Redis University, where they offer free certificate courses to learn how to use Redis. These include:
- Redis for JavaScript Developers ★★★★★(1)
- Introduction to Redis Data Structures ★★★★★(1)
- Querying, Indexing, and Full-Text Search ★★★★☆(1)
- RediSearch
- Redis for Java Developers
- Redis for Python Developers
- Redis Streams
- Redis Security
- Running Redis at Scale
Cisco Free Certifications
Cisco, the IT and networking giant, offers a series of self-paced online courses through its Networking Academy platform that include a free certificate of completion. Here’s the list:
- Introduction to Cybersecurity ★★★★★(2)
- CPA: Programming Essentials in C++ ★★★★★(1)
- Cisco Packet Tracer ★★★★★(1)
- Cybersecurity Essentials ★★★★☆(3)
- Networking Essentials
- Introduction to IoT
- NDG Linux Essentials
- PCAP: Programming Essentials in Python
- Entrepreneurship
- JavaScript Essentials 1 (JSE)
90+ IBM Free Certificates
IBM’s platform CognitiveClass.ai offers 90 courses and 10 learning paths in data science, AI, big data, cloud computing, and blockchain.
The platform also provides a virtual lab environment allowing users to practice what they’ve learned in the courses. To earn a badge or certificate of completion, you need to score at least 70% in a course.
Here’s a selection of their free certificate courses:
- Deep Learning with TensorFlow
- Build Swift Mobile Apps with Watson AI Services
- Accelerating Deep Learning with GPUs
- Data Visualization with R
- Introduction to Open Source
- Using R with Databases
- Machine Learning - Dimensionality Reduction
- Predictive Modeling Fundamentals
- Text Analytics 101
- Mathematical Optimization for Business Problems
Kaggle Free Certificates
Kaggle is an online community for data scientists and aspiring data scientists alike. It offers over 50K public datasets, allowing you to build your own data science projects through Jupyter notebooks, and participate in competitions.
In addition, the platform offers a series of courses to learn the fundamentals of data science. Each leads to a certificate of completion.
- Python ★★★★★(3)
- Intro to SQL ★★★★☆(1)
- Computer Vision ★★★★☆(1)
- Intro to Machine Learning
- Pandas
- Data Visualization
- Intro to Deep Learning
- Data Cleaning
- Intro to AI Ethics
- Machine Learning Explainability
HackerRank Free Certificates
HackerRank, a platform for learning algorithms and data structures and preparing for coding interviews, provides skills certifications tests in topics such as problem solving, Python, and JavaScript.
Here are some of the tests you may complete to earn a certificate:
- Problem Solving (Basic)
- Python (Basic) Skills Certification
- Java (Basic) Skills Certification
- C# (Basic) Skills Certification
- JavaScript (Basic) Skills Certification
- SQL (Basic) Skills Certification
- Go (Basic) Skills Certification
- R (Basic) Skills Certification
- Node (Basic) Skills Certification
30+ DataCamp Free Certificates
DataCamp is a popular online platform for — you guessed it — learning about data science, but also general programming. The platform offers a series of courses that culminate in a statement of accomplishment. Here’s a selection:
- Beginning Bayes in R
- Basic Statistics
- Kaggle Python Tutorial on Machine Learning
- SQL Tutorial for Marketers
- Introduction to Python & Machine Learning
- Inferential Statistics
- Plotly Tutorial: Plotly and R
- Tidy Data in Python Mini-Course
- Introducción a Python (in Spanish)
- Introducción a R
100s of Great Learning Free Certificates
Great Learning offers over a hundred free certificate courses in a wide variety of subjects, such as AI, data science, programming, cloud computing, and digital marketing. Here’s a selection:
- Microsoft Azure Essentials
- Data Analytics using Excel
- Introduction to Machine Learning
- Introduction to Cyber Security
- Cloud Computing Foundations
- Introduction to Deep Learning
- Introduction to NoSQL
- Introduction to Design Thinking
- Python Foundations
- Python Fundamentals for Beginners
60+ upGrad Free Certificates
upGrad is an online learning platform that offers over 60 free programs on subjects such as data science, business analytics, and technology.
Once you complete all the modules of a program, you’ll receive a certificate of completion.
Here are some of the free programs offered on upGrad:
- Programming with Python: Introduction for Beginners
- Introduction to Natural Language Processing
- Introduction to Data Analysis using Excel
- Introduction to Database Design with MySQL
- Data Science in E-commerce
- Introduction to Cryptocurrency
- React.js For Beginners
- Node.js For Beginners
- Core Java Basics
- Introduction to Blockchain Technology
100+ FutureLearn Free Certificates
FutureLearn, the European counterpart to Coursera and edX, offers hundreds of courses that include a “digital upgrade” — which, among others, entails a free certificate of completion. Again, you can find more details in our dedicated article.
Here’s a list of some of FutureLearn’s free offerings:
- Digital Skills: Digital Skills for Work and Life ★★★★★(2)
- Digital Skills: Digital Marketing ★★★★☆(7)
- Digital Skills: Web Analytics ★★★★★(1)
- Digital Skills: Social Media ★★★★☆(6)
- Digital Skills: Artificial Intelligence ★★★★☆(2)
- Digital Skills: User Experience ★★★★☆(1)
- Introduction to Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality
- Digital Skills: Reimagine Your Career
- Transforming Assessment and Recognition of Complex Learning Competencies
- Digital Skills: Mobile
Jovian Free Certificates
Jovian is an online data science bootcamp that offers a handful of free certificate courses. Here’s the list:
- Deep Learning with PyTorch: Zero to GANs
- Data Analysis with Python: Zero to Pandas
- Machine Learning with Python: Zero to GBMs
- Data Structures and Algorithms in Python
- Natural Language Processing: Zero to NLP
GitLab Free Certificates
GitLab, the popular version control website for hosting your repos, also offers free online courses to grow your professional skills.
Here are the free certifications on the platform: