Looking for a new role? Been furloughed and want to use your time to develop your skills? Are you an Azure customer interested in bolstering your users’ cloud abilities?
The good news is there’s no shortage of Azure training resources out there to suit every budget.
Let’s take a look at some paid, discounted, and free Azure training to help you start upskilling right now.
This is by no means a definitive list, so if you’ve come across any noteworthy Azure training or learning resources, drop us a tweet and we’ll add it in!
Free Azure training
Microsoft Learning
Microsoft offers a colossal amount of educational material for free through its Microsoft Learn platform.
If you’re looking to tune up your Azure knowledge, there are more than 570 Azure-related modules on Microsoft Learn that you can take at your own pace. These modules are grouped into learning paths, creating logical product or task-aligned routes that you can work your way through to get a broader understanding of a topic.
If you want to test out your new Azure skills, you can sign up for a free account and see the inner workings of the platform first hand. New customers get $200 of Azure credit to spend in the first 30 days, essentially giving you a month to explore, deploy apps, create workflows, and analyze your data to provide you with some hands-on practice.
There’s also a considerable amount to be gleaned from Azure’s documentation content, in which you can find quick-start guides, code samples, and tutorials.
Udemy
Alongside its paid courses, Udemy offers several free Azure-focused courses. These freebies range from beginner-level overviews to service-specific outlines, as well as certification preparation. Most are relatively short and can be completed in a couple of hours, making them an excellent jumping-off point to get to grips with Azure tools.
Course highlights
Learning Microsoft Azure Step by Step Part 1
More than 18,000 learners have taken this introductory course for those who want to build careers in Azure. Seeking to provide practical, working knowledge of the Azure platform, this course covers some of the fundamental pillars of Azure, such as data centers and regions, creating SQL Server databases, SQL geo-replication, and creating and configuring a Windows Server virtual machine.
View courseModern Data Architecture using Microsoft Azure
Architecting an effective data warehouse is key to being able to utilize Azure’s many business intelligence features. In this course, you’ll get an overview of Azure data-warehousing technologies and principles, with a hands-on walkthrough of Azure data architecture. Expect to learn how to navigate the Azure Portal, create and provision resource groups, create and load an Azure SQL database, load a data lake, shift data using Azure Data Factory, configure and use Data Bricks, and connect Power BI to your Azure Synapse Analytics Data Warehouse.
View courseBuilding a Binary Classification Model in Azure ML
This practical course aims to give students the knowledge they need to build basic machine learning models on Azure. You’ll learn some key terms used in machine learning and follow the creation of a binary classification model from end to end, including downloading the data set, cleaning it, modeling it, evaluating it, and publishing the results.
View coursePractical advice from Azure experts to help you weather the storm
With extensive insights, advice, and best practices from industry leaders, our brand new white paper is the ultimate guide to optimizing your business with Microsoft Azure.
Coursera
Coursera courses are free to view, meaning you can read all of the content at your leisure without paying a penny. However, if you require a certificate at the end, or want to take advantage of quizzes, watch videos, or take part in assignments, you’ll need to pay.
There are a lot of more general cloud computing courses on Coursera, though the options for Azure-specific content are fewer.
Course highlights
Developing AI Applications on Azure
This 16-hour course takes you right through the process of creating AI-powered apps on Azure, even if you’re new to machine learning. Starting with the concepts involved in AI and machine learning, you’ll get an overview of the types of machine learning out there and what you might use them for, and find out about algorithms and how to use Python to program ML solutions.
You’ll move on to learning about the tools available on Microsoft Azure, best practices, and finally create, train, and deploy your own Azure Machine Learning Workspace to put your skills into action.
View courseData Processing with Azure
A great choice for budding data professionals, this course is designed to teach students how to process, store, and analyze data using Azure. You’ll find out how to process data in batches with Azure Databricks, create data pipelines, connect services and datasets, set schedules and triggers, and adequately configure data for streaming analytics. Plus, you’ll brush up on essential mathematics and programming skills in the process.
View courseGetting Started with Azure
This course provides an excellent overview of getting started with Azure, making it a good option for those new to the cloud, budding super-users, or those who haven’t settled on a cloud specialism yet. A pretty lengthy course at 20 hours long, it offers an introduction to Azure services and infrastructure, teaching students how to execute core Azure functions like using Azure Portal, deploying virtual machines, configuring security, and managing storage.
View courseLinux Academy
Linux Academy operates a subscription model, but you can get access to a number of its training resources, such as courses and practice exams, for free.
There is currently one Azure-related course you can take for free:
Managing Microsoft Azure Applications and Infrastructure with Terraform
In this course, which focuses on using Terraform to deploy Azure infrastructure elements, you’ll learn how to roll out things like networking, storage accounts, file shares, and VMs using the tool across this 18-video course. You’ll also hear about some best practices to help protect and ensure the resiliency of your Terraformed Azure environment.
View courseGearing up to get certified? You can also take advantage of Linux Academy’s five free practice exams and quizzes, which help you prepare for Microsoft’s AZ-400 and AZ-401 tests.
A Cloud Guru
There are heaps of fantastic cloud-related courses you can take by signing up for an A Cloud Guru subscription. But if you’re looking to dip a toe into Azure or see what kind of learning content you can expect from A Cloud Guru, you can take the Introduction to Azure course for free.
Introduction to Azure
This two-hour course provides an accessible but comprehensive overview of everything Azure has to offer. Covering everything from how to get started with an Azure account to core services and how to progress your new Azure know-how, this is a terrific choice if you’re looking to gain a clear understanding of the Azure portfolio and how to utilize it.
View coursePluralsight
Pluralsight is (usually) a paid subscription-based learning platform, but if you want to develop your Azure skills, then you’re in luck.
Pluralsight has partnered with Microsoft to provide a massive number of Azure courses absolutely free. Pluralsight’s Azure courses are aligned to eight different roles, with each of these “Role IQ” pathways aiming to prepare students for specific Azure certification exams.
Students can choose one of the below roles and take a Role IQ test to size up what they already know. Pluralsight will then point them in the right direction as to where to start on the path to becoming an expert in their chosen position.
- Azure Administrator
- Azure Developer
- Azure Solution Architect
- Azure AI Engineer
- Azure DevOps Engineer
- Azure Data Engineer
- Azure Data Scientist
- Azure Security Engineer
edX
Founded by Harvard and MIT, edX is an online learning platform that offers courses in partnership with over 100 educational institutions, including many created and delivered by Microsoft itself.
edX courses are free and take up just a few hours a week. You can purchase a verified certificate for $99, but accessing the content and completing the course won’t cost you a penny.
Currently, there are 11 upcoming Azure-related courses you can enroll on, with another 58 in the edX archive (meaning the course is no longer active, but you can still review course content). Here are the courses currently open for enrollment to give you an idea of what edX can offer:
- Microsoft Azure Security Services
- Introduction to Data Analytics for Managers
- Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Deep Learning Explained
- Querying Data with Transact-SQL
- Securing Data in Azure and SQL Server
- Principles of Machine Learning: Python Edition
- Principles of Machine Learning: R Edition
- Managing Identity
- Introduction to Python: Absolute Beginner
- Introduction to Python: Fundamentals
Skylines Academy
We’ll cover Skylines Academy’s paid courses a little further down, but it’s worth noting if you’re a cloud newbie that they offer an introductory Azure course for free.
Azure Overview: Introduction for Beginners
This course covers cloud fundamentals and an overview of core aspects of the Azure cloud platform, designed to get beginners up to speed on the basics so they can move on to entry-level Azure certifications. You’ll get to grips with the likes of what Azure is and how the cloud works, as well as key components like networking, storage, and virtual machines. There’s also a free guide to Azure PowerShell included in the course.
View courseLooking for your next great Azure job?
More choice than anyone other agency. Browse our jobs and find your dream role today.
Discounted Azure training
Whizlabs
A subscription-based learning platform geared toward prepping students for certification exams, Whizlabs is offering 50% off all of their courses right now, so you can get stuck into one of their 11 Azure-related courses at a discount.
Each of Whizlabs’ Azure courses is aligned to a specific Microsoft certification exam, helping students skill up so they can pass their tests with flying colors. You can also test what you’ve learned during the video-based course by purchasing a set of practice exams.
Choose from:
- Microsoft Azure Exam AZ-900 Certification
- Microsoft Azure Exam AZ-203 Certification
- Microsoft Azure Exam AZ-103 Certification
- Microsoft Azure Exam AZ-300 Certification
- Microsoft Azure Exam AZ-301 Certification
- Microsoft Azure DevOps Solutions (AZ-400)
- Designing an Azure Data Solution (DP-201)
- Implementing an Azure Data Solution (DP-200)
- Microsoft Azure Security Technologies (AZ-500)
- Microsoft Azure Exam AZ-104 Certification
- Microsoft Azure Exam AZ-204 Certification
Udemy
Udemy’s paid courses tend to cost around $40, but they’re almost always heavily discounted in some way: if you see one you like that’s not on offer, it’s worth signing up for email alerts, as it likely won’t be long before the price comes down. There’s also a 30-day money-back guarantee if your chosen course isn’t what you’re looking for.
Skill Me Up
Skill Me Up offers comprehensive Azure training aligned to a range of cloud job roles from cloud architects and developers to data and security professionals.
Learning content is delivered via on-demand courses, live labs, and live-streamed instructor-led training. Currently, Skill Me Up offers six Azure-based learning paths, each containing a mix of lectures and hands-on labs. Some are explicitly geared towards passing a specific Azure exam, while others take a more task-focused approach.
- AZ – 900 Microsoft Azure Fundamentals
- AZ – 300 Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies
- AZ – 301 Microsoft Azure Architect Design
- Implementing Azure Governance
- General Azure Architect Training
- Introduction To Architecting Applications On Azure
Subscription to Skill Me Up’s learning library usually costs $39.99 per month or $431 if paid in full for the year. Right now, though, they’re offering 25% off a monthly or yearly subscription.
Paid Azure training
LinkedIn Learning
Formerly known as Lynda, LinkedIn’s wide-ranging training brand LinkedIn Learning has a vast range of Azure courses and videos. To date, there are over 120 courses and more than 3,100 video tutorials designed to help sharpen up users’ Azure skills.
Courses are produced by Azure professionals and experts, with options for technical and non-technical cloud users alike. There’s a good mix of exam preparation, practical task-based learning for product specialists, role-aligned training, and conceptual overviews for beginners.
Pricing
LinkedIn Learning works on an all-you-can-learn basis, with access to all courses available for $29.99 per month or $299.88 for the year if paid annually.
Course highlights
Azure Administration Essential Training
This course is a top starting point for budding cloud administrators, as it teaches the foundations of running and managing an Azure environment. You’ll learn essential Azure admin skills like controlling costs, implementing web apps, using Active Directory and PowerShell, and creating virtual machines, networks, and gateways.
View courseLearning Azure DevOps
Azure DevOps is a truly valuable set of tools and services to help developers create and deploy products faster. In this course, you’ll get to grips with the whole suite of services and learn how to use them to innovate and get to market more quickly. You’ll find out how to utilize and customize Azure DevOps to get the best results from your team, so you can track work, share code, build and deploy your apps in the most effective and efficient ways possible.
View courseAzure Active Directory: Basics
A cloud-based identity and access management service, Azure Active Directory is a vital pillar of the Microsoft cloud product ecosystem that provides access and identity protection across environments of all shapes and sizes. In this course, you’ll learn how to get started with Azure AD, find out about all of the key features and how to make the most of them, and run through some use cases to give you an idea of what you can achieve with Azure AD.
View courseTop tutors on LinkedIn Learning
As you might expect from such a giant of the professional world, LinkedIn’slearning platform has attracted some of the best in tech training, including many training content creators from Microsoft.
Adrienne Braganza Tacke is an engineer, cloud instructor, technical author, and globetrotting speaker who’s passionate about sharing her love of software development with others. As well as developing her own career as a software engineer, she’s also an avid STEM advocate— Adrienne’s book Coding for Kids: Python is a consistent best-seller, and she regularly visits schools to educate students about careers in STEM and share the great opportunities that development can offer.
Kunal D Mehta is an IT consultant, speaker, author, and trainer who’s passionate about sharing his knowledge of and enthusiasm for tech with others. A specialist in Azure Active Directory, Windows Server, and Office 365, he’s coached countless IT professionals around the world through his webinar and online course content, as well as conferences and in-person events.
Skylines Academy
Skylines Academy is an online learning provider that aims to prepare budding IT professionals for their Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, HashiCorp, and Google Cloud Platform certifications.
Pricing
Skylines Academy content can be accessed either through a monthly subscription or by purchasing the courses individually. Prices vary depending on the complexity of the certification covered, with courses ranging from $29 to $119. Practice questions for Azure exams can also be purchased for $19 a set. A monthly subscription, which includes access to all courses, labs, practice questions, and online support groups, is $22.80 a month or $178.80 for the full year.
Course highlights
Introduction to Cloud Security with Microsoft Azure
This course gives students a fundamental understanding of Azure’s security infrastructure, and the knowledge and best practices required to properly secure a cloud environment, making it a great shout for those new to Azure and budding security professionals alike.
Alongside the theoretical know-how, you’ll also get opportunities throughout the course to put your skills into action, as you’re talked through the creation of your own virtualized Azure network.
View courseAzure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-300 & AZ-301)
A smart choice for those looking to earn their Azure Solutions Architect stripes, this double-whammy of learning content covers everything you need to know to pass both the design and technologies exams needed to land your Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification.
Containing a whopping 20 hours of training across 212 lectures, demos, and hands-on labs, this course will give you the knowledge, practical experience, and confidence to ace your Solution Architect certification.
View courseMicrosoft AZ-104 Certification: Azure Administrator
Newly updated to reflect changes to Microsoft’s curriculum, Skyline Academy’s new AZ-104 course takes you through the fundamental knowledge involved with administrating, managing, and optimizing an Azure cloud environment. Over the course of ten hours, you’ll learn how to perform core tasks like using PowerShell and CLI, manage subscriptions, enforce security and governance, implement storage solutions, spin up virtual machines, and create web apps.
View courseTop tutors on Skylines Academy
Skylines Academy courses are authored and delivered by experienced tech professionals, including many former Microsoft employees, with a wide range of specialisms.
Simplilearn
Simplilearn offers a handful of Azure courses: one introductory course and four designed to prepare students for Azure exams:
- Microsoft Azure Fundamentals
- Microsoft Certified Azure Administrator Associate AZ-104
- Microsoft Certified Azure Architect Design AZ-301
- Microsoft Azure Architect Technologies AZ-300
- Microsoft Certified Azure Developer Associate AZ-204
You can choose to take a course, or opt for a Master’s Program, which is a bundle of courses related to a particular role or topic:
- Azure Cloud Architect (5 courses)
- Cloud Architect (11 courses)
There are also some free resources you can grab through Simplilearn, too: the site hosts more than 140 articles, ebooks, and video tutorials on Azure that you can enjoy at your leisure.
Pricing
Courses on Simplilearn are priced individually, ranging from a few hundred dollars for foundational classes to those that cover more advanced skills, which tend to be priced at $1,000+. Most courses can be done at your own pace by reading through the material, but there are also premium versions of many classes that include online instructor-led training too.
Cloud Academy
Cloud Academy is a colossal online library of training courses covering all kinds of hands-on technical skills.
Their training is split up into learning paths, making it easy for you to know where to start and how to progress. These paths don’t just cover career-centric routes like skilling up for a specific job role or preparing for a certification, but also practical tasks such as migrating a business to the cloud.
There are currently 77 Azure courses, set along 24 learning paths, that cover all levels from foundational, introductory knowledge to advanced specialisms like security and machine learning.
Most of them are less than an hour long, meaning they’re super digestible and easy to squeeze into your day.
Pricing
Individuals can get access to the library, which boasts more than 10,000 hours of training materials and practical labs, for $49 a month.
Course highlights
Getting Started with Azure Virtual Machines
The ability to create and deploy virtual machines is among the most useful and versatile services on the Azure platform, and this course will show you how to get your VMs up and running. You’ll learn about the resources needed to run a VM, the different options available, and how much they cost to operate before launching into a practical demo of how to create and deploy them. The course also covers essential VM management and administration tasks, so you’ll understand how to get the best out of them.
View courseImplementing Azure Infrastructure Compliance and Security
Security is one of the most, if not the most, crucial aspect to consider when architecting a cloud environment. In this course, you’ll learn how to bake security into your Azure environment at every level, equipping you with the tools needed to bolster your security infrastructure. Across three distinct units, you’ll get to grips with core components of Azure security, like DevOps, Security Center, Desired State Configuration, and Pipelines.
View courseDesigning an Azure Compute Infrastructure
When it comes to compute power on Azure, you have a lot of options. Useful for budding Cloud Architects, this course will walk you through the design and deployment of Azure compute solutions like virtual machines, serverless computing, and microservices. You’ll also learn how to design web solutions using Azure App Service, run compute-intense apps using Azure Batch, and ensure business continuity by using Azure’s suite of backup and recovery tools.
View courseTop tutors on Cloud Academy
Cloud Academy is packed with experienced Azure experts who’re committed to sharing their knowledge with budding cloud professionals. Here are just a few whose content you should look out for.
Josh Lane is a three-time Azure MVP and a software practitioner whose expertise lies in architecture, design, and implementation of high-scale concurrent systems. He’s authored vast amounts of training content across a wide range of mediums to help burgeoning techies and experts alike hone their skills in technologies like .NET, SQL Server, and Azure. He also founded and leads one of the largest Azure-centric meetups in the US.
A Cloud Guru
As well as their free introductory course, A Cloud Guru offers some truly extensive courses geared toward both prepping learners for certification exams and offering deep-dives into some of Azure’s most popular services.
They combine fun, hands-on digital learning with video and practical labs that give you real-world experience with Azure products. Right now, there are 11 Azure courses to choose from, ranging from beginner-level intros to advanced concepts like architecture design.
Pricing
Pricing for individuals starts at $49 per month, dropping to $31.58 if paid annually.
Course highlights
Introduction to Serverless on Azure
In this course, you’ll learn how to build a serverless API on Azure, not just by reading theory, but by getting hands-on, writing code, and deploying your very own serverless Node.js API. You’ll find out how to use tools like Functions and CosmosDB, Event Grid, and Logic Apps and get up to speed with everything you need to know to develop on serverless. There are plenty of tips, tricks, and recommended tools throughout, too, to help you master the art of serverless.
View courseAZ-103 Microsoft Azure Administrator 2020
Got your sights set on the newly revamped Microsoft Azure Administrator certification? This course covers admin-centric topics like storage, security, networking, and compute, teaching you everything you need to know to ace the test. It also includes practical components to help put what you’ve learned into action and bolster your first-hand experience.
View courseIntroduction to Azure Cosmos DB
A globally distributed NoSQL database that lets you create scalable and highly available apps without the need to worry about schemas and indexes, Azure Cosmos DB is a must-know tool for Azure developers and data professionals. The syllabus for this course will take you from the origins of Cosmos DB and appropriate use cases, right through to building, deploying, and scaling your own document database.
View courseTop tutors on A Cloud Guru
A Cloud Guru was designed by cloud learners who wanted a better, more accessible, and more fun way to learn about cloud concepts. The founders have since put together an impressive roster of Azure pros ready to help you progress your skills. Here are a few to get acquainted with.
Travis Roberts is a Cloud Infrastructure Architect with more than two decades of experience in IT. An MCSE-certified professional and Microsoft Certified Trainer, Travis is an active member of the Azure community, writing about cloud technology on his blog, creating training content such as videos and courses, and presenting at tech events.
Linux Academy
Linux Academy offers over 25 Azure courses, plus more than 150 hands-on labs, and 30+ practice tests for those gearing up to tackle certification exams.
Pricing
Pricing for individuals starts at $49 per month, dropping to $31.58 if paid annually.
Course highlights
Build and Deploy Azure Templates
This course takes you on a deep-dive tour of Azure Resource Templates: what they are, why you should be using them, and how to utilize them to speed up and automate the deployment of Azure Resources. This is a good starting point for Azure professionals who want to up their skill levels, get to grips with agile development methods or learn about infrastructure as code.
View courseCross-Platform PowerShell in Azure
Now that PowerShell can be used across both Linux and Windows, it’s an even more useful tool for configuring, automating and managing resources on Azure. In this course, you’ll learn how to run PowerShell Core on Linux and get hands-on in several labs that’ll show you how to put your new know-how into action.
View courseAzure AI Implementation and Monitoring
Part of a series intended to get learners up to speed ahead of Microsoft’s AI-100 certification exam, this course covers key implementation concepts, monitoring, and continuous improvement involved with designing AI solutions on Azure.
View courseTop tutors on A Cloud Guru
A Cloud Guru was designed by cloud learners who wanted a better, more accessible, and more fun way to learn about cloud concepts. The founders have since put together an impressive roster of Azure pros ready to help you progress your skills. Here are a few to get acquainted with.
Tim Lawless is an Azure Training Architect and IT industry veteran, with over six years of experience working with cloud technology like Azure and AWS. Throughout his career, which included a stint at Microsoft, Tim has built a wealth of experience planning, architecting, and implementing cloud migrations for some of the biggest organizations in North America. His specialisms include DevSecOps, infrastructure-as-code, cloud migrations, disaster recovery, multi-cloud deployments and security
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