The Best Kubernetes Courses (Tried & Tested)

The huge choice of online Kubernetes training courses these days is frankly mind-boggling. Thanks to the popularity of Kubernetes, you can now find training material almost anywhere. But if you’ve decided that you want to take a course to learn K8s, or work towards a certification, then what’s the best one to buy?

Here’s our pick of the best Kubernetes courses for you, whether you want to start building cloud-native apps, or you want to get stuck into building and managing a Kubernetes cluster.

So let’s go!

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Recommendations

Both courses are from KodeKloud/Mumshad Mannambeth. I think his courses are simply the best Kubernetes courses for your money right now. And when they’re on sale at Udemy, they are a bargain! Read on to find out why.

Best for beginners

Recommended Beginner

When it comes to Kubernetes training, Mumshad’s courses really knock the socks off the others. His set of courses on Udemy are really great. Each course focuses on a different aspects of Kubernetes and DevOps.

This course is focused mostly on the fundamentals about running apps on Kubernetes, so it’s not a course where you’ll get bogged down in detail that you don’t need.

It starts by introducing Docker and containers, then talks about the core Kubernetes API objects you’ll use every day, like Pods and Deployments.

(The course uses minikube as a quick way to run a Kubernetes cluster on your laptop, so you don’t need to spend a long time configuring Kubernetes.)

All of this means it’s very suitable for beginners.

Later in the course, there is a whole module on microservices architecture, which builds on the theoretical stuff and gives a practical guide on how Kubernetes would normally be used to run applications. It starts by introducing a set of microservices running with Docker, and then migrates that same set of microservices onto Kubernetes.

Mumshad, the course presenter, speaks slowly and with care, and the presentations include lots of great graphics and animations. The lectures are short (7-10 minutes each), so you can re-watch just these short lectures if you need them, without getting bored.

I also liked the labs section. When you buy the course, you get access to KodeKloud’s online labs environment. This gives you a simulated Kubernetes cluster, and includes quizzes and tests.

For the price, this course simply can’t be beaten.

Best for administrators

Recommended Intermediate

Once you’ve got a little understanding of Kubernetes basics, take this course to become a super Kubernetes administrator.

As its name implies, Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) with Practice Tests is a course that’s primarily aimed to help you pass the CKA exam. (The CKA exam is a certification to prove you know Kubernetes administration.)

But it’s actually a really solid course for administrators, whether you want to go for CKA or not.

The course consists of 18 hours of video lessons, and access to labs throughout the course, so that you can put your knowledge into practice.

The labs are web-based. So everything runs in your browser, and you don’t need to create a cluster locally (although you should spend time doing this at some point if you want to be a successful administrator!)

I was really impressed with the whole course – I learned lots of new things (like taints & tolerations!).

The course even includes some mock exams at the end, for you to test your knowledge.

Highly recommended!

💡 If you’re planning to take the CKA exam after doing this course, you’ll need to book it separately. Click the link below to book:

Book your Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) exam →

What to look for in a Kubernetes course

There are millions of Kubernetes courses online. (OK maybe not millions, but certainly a lot.)

So you have to narrow down where you select your training course from.

As with learning any other technology, choosing the right course is critical. Otherwise you’ll end up spinning the wheels figuring out what’s going on, and Googling random error messages until you turn blue in the face.

Here are things to watch out for:

  • Choose a reputable course creator - Training companies generally deliver excellent courses, but Udemy is also a fantastic place to learn these days. However, on Udemy there is little quality control, and some of the courses can be really poor. We’ve picked these Udemy courses because we've actually tried them!

  • Look for exercises that you can try. - Getting hands-on is essential, so look for courses which included exercises. Both of these courses on this page include exercises.

  • Access to a Lab environment. - It can be useful to have access to an instant browser-based environment to be able to learn and try out your skills.

  • Focus on certification curriculum. - If you’re thinking of getting certified (e.g. for a job) then look for a course which is aligned to one of the certifications (like CKA or CKAD) and is updated regularly.

  • Find recently-updated courses. - Kubernetes releases updates between 3-4 times per year, so make sure that your course is recent! Some course creators update only minor sections of their courses on Udemy, just to make the course date appear recent (which is kinda dishonest). If you’re unsure, check what people are saying in course reviews, to be sure that the material is up-to-date.

Can I just learn Kubernetes myself?

Well, yes!

When you’re getting started with a new technology, sometimes you just want to roll your sleeves up and hack something until it works.

So of course you can always try learning Kubernetes on your own. In fact I’ve compiled a shedload of free Kubernetes learning resources for you to check out, including courses from cloud providers, cheatsheets, comics, interactive labs and lots more.

But if you’re learning for work, it makes sense to take a structured course that’s going to expose you to all parts of the Kubernetes landscape – not just the bits that you want to learn – and teach you good practices along the way.

Get Kube-ing!

Whichever of these Kubernetes courses you choose, don’t forget to set aside some time in your day to complete the lectures!

It can be hard to find time amongst all of your usual day-to-day work, but you need time to practice and build those new skills.

Then, before too long, you’ll understand containers and you’ll be managing apps and Kubernetes clusters like a boss.

Happy coding!

Tom Donohue

By Tom Donohue, Editor | Twitter | LinkedIn

Tom is the founder of Tutorial Works. He’s an engineer and open source advocate. He uses the blog as a vehicle for sharing tutorials, writing about technology and talking about himself in the third person. His very first computer was an Acorn Electron.

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