The first time I touched AWS as a developer, I thought it’d be easy. Spin up an EC2 instance, connect it to S3, throw in a DynamoDB table—done. Right? Instead, I was knee-deep in IAM permission errors, tangled VPCs, and a bill that made me double-check my credit card. What should have been a fun side project turned into weeks of trial and error.
That’s when I realized AWS isn’t something you can “just figure out” by piecing together random blog posts. It’s too big, too interconnected. You need a roadmap—and good courses give you exactly that.
In 2026, AWS will remain the market leader in cloud computing, and the AWS Developer Associate certification is one of the most in-demand credentials out there. But certification is just one piece. As developers, we need to know how to actually build on AWS: serverless APIs, event-driven systems, CI/CD pipelines, and scalable apps.
That’s why I pulled together this list of the best courses for AWS developer. My top pick is Educative.io’s Master AWS Certified Developer, because it balances interactive learning with practical projects. But I’ve also included other solid paths from Udemy, Coursera, A Cloud Guru, and even AWS itself.
1. Master AWS Certified Developer – Educative.io (Top Pick)
If you hate spending hours setting up labs just to learn, this is the course for you. Educative runs entirely in the browser, so you can jump straight into coding.
The course is designed for the Developer Associate certification, but it’s not just exam cramming. You’ll actually use AWS services as a developer: Lambda, DynamoDB, S3, API Gateway, IAM, and more. Interactive coding challenges let you practice without needing your own AWS account.
This is one of the best courses for AWS developer if you want a no-friction way to both prepare for certification and gain hands-on experience.
2. AWS Certified Developer Associate – Udemy (Stephane Maarek)
Stephane Maarek’s AWS courses are almost legendary at this point. His Developer Associate course is detailed, approachable, and regularly updated.
You’ll work through IAM policies, serverless systems, CI/CD with CodePipeline, and scaling strategies. The mix of theory and demos makes AWS concepts click.
If you prefer video-based learning and want tons of peer reviews to back it up, this is one of the best courses for AWS developer you can grab.
3. AWS Developer: Building on AWS – Coursera (AWS Training & Certification)
Want something official? AWS itself designed this course with Coursera. It focuses on using AWS SDKs, Elastic Beanstalk, and serverless systems.
The value here is that you’re learning directly from AWS trainers. That makes this one of the best courses for AWS developer if you want vendor-approved training with a structured format.
4. Developer Learning Path – AWS Skill Builder
Skill Builder is AWS’s own learning platform. Their Developer Learning Path is basically a guided curriculum: fundamentals, event-driven design, serverless, and microservices.
The free tier gives you basics, while the paid tier unlocks labs and practice exams. For anyone who prefers learning straight from the source, this is one of the best courses for AWS developer.
5. AWS Developer Associate Prep – A Cloud Guru
A Cloud Guru (formerly Linux Academy) is built for hands-on learners. Their AWS Developer Associate track uses real cloud labs instead of just slides.
You’ll practice deploying serverless APIs, managing CI/CD pipelines, and working with DynamoDB. This makes it one of the best courses for AWS developer if you want to learn by doing instead of just watching.
6. Serverless Framework Bootcamp – Udemy
Let’s be honest: a lot of AWS dev work is now serverless. This course focuses specifically on the Serverless Framework for deploying Lambda, DynamoDB, and API Gateway apps.
If you’re working on modern, event-driven apps, this is one of the best courses for AWS developer to specialize in.
7. AWS Fundamentals Specialization – Coursera
This specialization is a collection of courses built by AWS. It covers compute, storage, networking, and databases, with a strong developer focus.
It’s beginner-friendly and structured, making it one of the best courses for AWS developer if you want a broad foundation before diving deeper.
8. AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials – AWS (Free)
If AWS feels overwhelming, this free course is a gentle introduction. It explains global infrastructure, core services, and the pricing model in plain terms.
It’s not developer-specific, but it’s one of the best courses for AWS developer if you’re just starting out and need to demystify AWS before touching Lambda or DynamoDB.
9. AWS Developer Tools Deep Dive – Pluralsight
While many courses skim over AWS’s dev tools, Pluralsight goes deep. This course covers CodeBuild, CodeDeploy, and CodePipeline—all critical for real-world AWS workflows.
If CI/CD is part of your daily work, this is one of the best courses for AWS developer to sharpen your toolset.
10. Hands-On AWS for Developers – LinkedIn Learning
Short on time? This LinkedIn Learning course gives a compact but useful overview of AWS SDKs, S3, DynamoDB, and serverless services.
It’s not as in-depth as the big bootcamps, but it’s one of the best courses for AWS developer if you want a quick professional refresher.
11. AWS Certified Developer Official Practice – AWS Training
This one isn’t a full course—it’s AWS’s own practice exam. But pairing it with a full learning path is the best way to simulate the real test and find weak spots.
It rounds out the list as one of the best courses for AWS developer prep strategies.
Choosing the Best Course for AWS Developer
So where should you start?
- Total beginner? Try AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials or Educative’s Cloud Computing for Developers for the basics.
- Certification focused? Go with Educative.io’s Master AWS Certified Developer or Stephane Maarek’s Udemy course.
- Hands-on learner? Check out A Cloud Guru or Pluralsight’s dev tools courses.
- Interested in serverless? The Udemy Serverless Bootcamp is your best bet.
- Want official AWS content? Skill Builder or Coursera’s AWS courses are reliable choices.
Wrapping Up
AWS can feel like drinking from a firehose. IAM, EC2, Lambda, DynamoDB, VPCs, CI/CD pipelines—it’s a lot. The right course helps you cut through the overwhelm and focus on what matters.
The best courses for AWS developer don’t just get you past an exam—they show you how to build apps, deploy them, and keep them running in production.
If you’re not sure where to begin, I’d recommend Educative.io’s Master AWS Certified Developer. It’s interactive, practical, and gives you the skills you’ll actually use. From there, you can branch into certifications, serverless specialties, or advanced DevOps workflows.
Pretty soon, AWS won’t feel like a confusing maze—it’ll feel like a toolkit you actually know how to use.
Which AWS course or resource helped you finally connect the dots? Drop your recommendations in the comments—your path might be exactly what another dev needs to hear.
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