10 Best Online SQL Courses to Take in 2024 (Free & Paid)

SQL is a powerful language that helps you make sense of vast information in different databases. SQL professionals are in high demand across various job functions, from analysts and project managers to software engineers.

The best news? You can learn SQL and land a job without getting a university degree—especially if you find the right online SQL course.

This guide explores the 10 best online SQL courses you can choose in 2024, listing their core elements, pros and cons, and prices.

What is SQL

SQL stands for Standard Query Language. It is a standard language for creating, querying, and manipulating databases in different database management systems.

Think of SQL as a way to communicate with databases by querying or telling them what to do with the data they contain. For example, if you have an e-commerce store, SQL can help you manage product inventories, carts, and customer data. 

Around 70% of businesses rely on SQL for critical data operations. So, it’s no wonder this database programming language remains popular.

How We Created This List

As seasoned experts in coding, we’ve tested and studied various online SQL classes for beginners and more advanced learners. We took the following as criteria:

• Ratings: Positive reviews from students who took the course. This is reflected in the course rating.
• Course structure: Easy-to-understand modules, in-depth educational materials, and a focus on developing practical skills. 
• User experience: Interactive experience and a user-friendly course interface.
• Value for money: The course content in relation to its price.
• Support and resources: Availability of additional learning materials, forums, and instructor support.

Now, let’s take a look at the list:

The 10 Best SQL Courses for Beginners

1. Mimo

• Rating: 4.4/5
• Best for: Interactive, simplified learning and practical application
• Price: The Basic plan is free for all users. The Pro plan costs $39.99/month ($24.99/month with annual commitment).
• Certification: Yes
• Level: Beginners starting from zero and intermediate

Mimo is an interactive e-learning platform for aspiring data analysts, front-end programmers, back-end developers, and data scientists. Our SQL course provides official certification and offers a smooth experience for beginners looking to learn SQL from scratch and quickly land a job. 

You can explore Mimo via a web platform and a mobile app. You’ll also automatically get access to other web development courses for front-end development, full-stack development, Python, and more.

What you’ll learn:

In Mimo’s SQL course, you’ll learn all the key elements for beginner and intermediate SQL skills: 

• The core SQL basics 
• Managing and filtering data in a database management system.
• Creating and managing tables.
• Applying various types of filters (filtering with ranges, patterns, options, etc.).
• Using different aggregate functions, joins, and subqueries.

Each theme of the course breaks into multiple subtopics—for example, SQL basics focus on selecting data, ordering data, filtering data, using inequality operators, and more.

How you’ll learn: 

Mimo’s key focus is on simplifying the learning experience of our students. You’ll learn SQL via the following course elements: 

Gamification: We’ve gamified your learning experience so you can have a fun-filled time and stay engaged. 

For example, when you complete a session on Mimo, you’ll get reward points that quantify your advancement through the learning material.

You’ll also access interactive exercises and projects crafted by learning experts and backed by research.

Comprehensive learning process: For each step of your SQL course journey, you’ll get access to comprehensive learning paths with real-life examples.

The platform lets you progress by performing various tasks and guides you in real-time. This learning–by-doing approach helps you move faster and memorize information more efficiently.

Coding challenges: Every part of the course has a coding challenge you’ll need to perform. This ensures you’ve understood the material and can apply it in practice.

You can also use Mimo to build a real-life portfolio with various projects, which is essential for getting noticed by potential employers or clients.

Pros and cons:

Pros:

• Offers an interactive platform with gamification features.
• Students get access to a mobile app and a desktop platform.
• Provides official certification.
• Allows you to create a real-life project portfolio.
• Provides access to leaderboards and a coding community.
• Created by experienced learning experts and backed by research.

Cons:

• Not tailored for advanced SQL users.

2. The complete SQL bootcamp (Udemy)

• Rating: 4.6/5
• Best for: Comprehensive SQL knowledge 
• Price: $159.99 (or subscribe to Udemy, from $20/month)
• Certification: Yes
• Level: Beginner and intermediate levels

“The Complete SQL Bootcamp: Go from Zero to Hero” is a highly rated course on Udemy that teaches students SQL from scratch to an intermediate level. As the title implies, it offers a comprehensive overview of SQL concepts.

This course was created by Jose Portilla, a prominent instructor with extensive experience in data science and programming.

What you’ll learn:

• The basics of SQL syntax and commands.
• How to create and manage databases and tables.
• How to manipulate data via CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations.
• How to use SQL for data analysis, including aggregate functions and GROUP BY commands.
• String operations, logical operators, JOIN commands, and advanced querying techniques.

How you’ll learn:

• The course content consists of 9 hours of on-demand videos, 14 articles, and 13 downloadable resources. 
• You can consume these resources at your own pace.

Pros and cons:

Pros:

• Provides lifetime access.
• Created by an experienced instructor.
• Offers a 360-degree SQL learning experience.

Cons:

• Requires more time to learn.
• Lacks gamification and interactivity.
• Wasn’t updated for a couple of years.

3. Learn SQL by Codeacademy

• Rating: 4.6/5
• Best for: Beginners wanting to master the basics of SQL
• Price: Offers a limited free plan. The Pro plan costs $14.99/month (billed annually).
• Certification: Yes
• Level: Beginner level

“Learn SQL” is a course program hosted by Codeacademy, an online platform that offers free web development classes in various programming languages like Python, JavaScript, and SQL.

This beginner-friendly course focuses on the fundamentals of SQL and shows you how to use it to manage and analyze data stored in relational databases.

What you’ll learn:

• Using SQL to access, create, and update data stored in a database.
• Performing more complex queries by learning essential query keywords and functionality
• Using powerful functions for performing complex database operations.
• Building SQL projects and the principles of structured data.

How you’ll learn:

• You’ll learn by consuming the written resources at your own pace.
• Each module has a course lesson, quiz, project, article, and a cheat sheet.
• Codeacademy also offers an integrated AI learning assistant.

Pros and cons:

Pros:

• Offers you a job readiness checker to see how well you can qualify to be hired.
• The integrated AI assistant can track your progress and give you personalized feedback.
• Lets you work with real-life projects.

Cons:

• The Free plan is quite limited.
• The course’s content is somewhat limited and focused on the beginner level.

4. Learn SQL basics by Programiz

• Rating: 4.6/5
• Best for: Beginner programmers and students
• Price: Free
• Certification: Yes
• Level: Beginner level

Programiz PRO is an online programming learning platform. Its courses are self-paced, and users can earn professional certifications.

The “Learn SQL Basics” course covers the basic concepts of SQL. It provides real-world practical examples and offers 60+ coding challenges and 20+ quizzes.

What you’ll learn:

• A practical understanding of databases and SQL.
• Using SQL to filter and retrieve specific data from a database table.
• Performing calculations such as sum, average, count, and other aggregations on a set of database values.

How you’ll learn:

• This course is one month long and is taught in English. 
• You’ll go through each module step-by-step.

Pros and cons:

Pros:

• Offers a personal AI mentor called “sensAI” that can explain code, identify errors, and help you fix issues.
• You can access a built-in coding blank page, so you don’t have to worry about getting additional tools.

Cons:

• No mobile app.
• Lacks gamification and interactivity.
• Limited to beginner SQL skills.

5. Complete SQL mastery

• Rating: 4.7/5
• Best for: Comprehensive learning experience
• Price: $29
• Certification: Yes
• Level: Beginner and intermediate level

“Complete SQL Mastery” is a beginner-level course offered by Codewithmosh.com. It’s an online platform that offers a wide range of coding courses and tutorials created by Mosh Hamedani, an experienced software engineer. This course focuses on beginners who want to master various SQL skills. It includes 11 hours of video content across 170 bite-sized lessons that cover SQL fundamentals.

What you’ll learn:

• The fundamentals of relational databases and SQL.
• Performing advanced SQL operations, such as subqueries and joins.
• Writing efficient and optimized SQL queries for improved performance.
• Designing databases, including database schema, normalization principles, etc.

How you’ll learn:

• The course section is divided into 5 sections and 170 lessons.
• It offers video content, exercises, and downloadable materials.

Pros and cons:

Pros:

• Offers high-quality video materials.
• Covers a broader set of SQL skills and concepts.
• Provides a certificate of completion.

Cons:

• Lacks interactivity and gamification.
• Doesn’t help you build a portfolio.
• No mobile app is available.

6. SQL for Data Analysis (Udacity)

• Rating: 4.5/5
• Best for: Learners interested in working with data analysis
• Price: Free
• Certification: Yes
• Level: Beginner level

SQL for Data Analysis is a course taught by Derek Steer, the CEO of Mode Analytics.  You’ll learn the principles of executing core SQL commands to define, select, manipulate, control access, aggregate, and join data and data tables. The course is hosted on Udacity, which is akin to Udemy because it offers experts a platform to tutor others.

What you’ll learn:

• The basics of SQL, such as using key commands to filter a table.
• Combining data from multiple tables.
• Aggregating data using SQL functions like SUM, AVG, and COUNT.
• Performing data cleaning using SQL.
• Making queries that run quickly across giant datasets. 

How you’ll learn:

• The course content comprises 7 lessons, with many videos for each and an option to download the transcript and video in Zip file format.
• The course also offers integrated exercises and quizzes.

Pros and cons:

Pros:

• The course offers self-paced learning.
• Lets you download all video content.
• Provides a balanced mix of learning materials and exercises.

Cons:

• Limited interactive features.
• Doesn’t offer an option to build a portfolio.
• Doesn’t have a user community. 

7. Introduction to SQL (Datacamp)

• Rating: 4.7/5
• Best for: SQL introduction 
• Price: Free
• Certification: Yes
• Level: Beginner 

DataCamp is an online learning platform that specializes in teaching data science, AI, and machine learning skills. This course provides an introduction to SQL in just 2 hours, offering 7 videos and 24 exercises. It’s a good option for students looking to gain a high-level understanding of SQL, database management, and querying.

What you’ll learn:

• The essence of relational databases and their organization.
• Writing your first SQL queries.
• Differentiating between  PostgreSQL and SQL Server.

How you’ll learn:

• You will learn by watching the videos for each of the two chapters. The course also includes interactive exercises.
• Izzy Weber, the Data Coach at iO-Sphere, teaches this course.

Pros and cons:

Pros:

• The course is short and easy to understand.
• It’s free and creates a solid base for someone wanting to cover the basics.

Cons:

• It’s not suitable for acquiring comprehensive SQL knowledge.
• Doesn’t help you create a portfolio and doesn’t include challenges.

8. w3schools SQL Tutorial

• Best for: Exploring SQL basics at your own pace
• Price: Free. The SQL certification exam costs $47.
• Certification: Yes, for an extra price
• Level: Beginner and intermediary 

W3Schools is an online learning platform that provides tutorials, references, and interactive learning experiences for web development. 

This SQL tutorial consists of text materials and numerous interactive exercises. It works best if paired with additional video/practical courses, as it will serve as a refresher.

What you’ll learn:

• This tutorial will teach beginner data analysts everything they need to know about SQL in different database systems. 

How you’ll learn:

• The tutorial provides examples in each chapter, allowing you to practice SQL statements directly in the W3Schools online editor. 

Pros and cons:

Pros:

• Easy to understand,
• Offers a web coding editor.
• Covers various topics and SQL skills.

Cons:

• Doesn’t offer comprehensive learning materials like video content or gamification.
• You might find it hard to follow as a beginner.

9. IBM: Introduction to SQL

• Rating: 4.5/5
• Best for: Acquiring the working knowledge of databases and SQL
• Price: Free, but certification comes at an additional price
• Certification: Yes, but you’ll need to pay $99 to get certified.
• Level: Beginner 

This IBM’s course provides a solid introduction to SQL and focuses on practical skills. It aims to introduce relational database (RDBMS) concepts and lets you work with real database systems to enhance the learning process.

What you’ll learn:

• Performing basic SQL operations using SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE & DELETE statements.
• Creating a database instance in the cloud.
• Querying data using string patterns and ranges.
• Working with various data types, including INTEGER, CHAR, VARCHAR, DATE, TIME, TIMESTAMP.

How you’ll learn:

• The course spans 5 weeks, 2–4 hours per week, and is self-paced.
• It includes hands-on labs and a final project.

Pros and cons:

Pros:

• Comprehensive coverage of the topic.
• Lets you work with real-life tools and databases.

Cons:

• The course is somewhat IBM-oriented and can be less applicable to students with generic needs.
• Certification comes at an extra price.
• Can sometimes be buggy.

10. SQL tutorial – full database course for beginners

• Rating: 342k likes on YouTube 
• Best for: Getting a high-level overview of SQL 
• Price: Free
• Certification: No
• Level: Beginners

The course is designed for anyone looking to quickly grasp the key fundamentals of SQL. Mike Dane developed it for freeCodeCamp.org and it was posted on their YouTube channel. This 4-hour tutorial is highly praised by SQL learners and creates a solid starting point for beginners.

What you’ll learn:

• Creating databases.
• Installing relational database systems like MySQL on Mac and Windows.
• Writing basic queries.
• Designing an ER (Entity Relationship) diagram.
• Converting ER Diagrams to Schemas.

How you’ll learn:

• You’ll learn by watching a 4-hour-long video on YouTube.

Pros and cons:

Pros:

• It’s a short, but highly comprehensive free video course.
• It teaches all core concepts for beginners learning SQL.

Cons:

• No exercises or quizzes.
• Doesn’t provide certification and doesn’t help you build a portfolio.

How to Choose the Best SQL Course

Selecting the right SQL course is key to learning it fast and starting your career. Here are key factors to consider when choosing SQL classes:

• Skill level: Assess whether you need SQL basics or advanced topics.
• Course content: Look for comprehensive coverage of SQL syntax, queries, and database management.
• Practical experience: Prioritize courses offering hands-on projects with real databases.
• Learning format: Choose between self-paced online SQL tutorials or structured classes. It’s also important to opt for courses that offer interactive features and an intuitive UI.
• Reviews and ratings: Check feedback from past students.
• Cost and certification: Evaluate the price and any certifications offered upon completion
• Instructors: Choose courses that are created by experts and backed by research.

Remember, the best SQL course should align with your career goals, whether you’re looking to become a software engineer or improve your data science skills. 

FAQs

Is it worth learning SQL in 2024?

In short, yes—it’s absolutely worth it to learn SQL in 2024. It remains one of the top 10 most in-demand programming languages according to the TIOBE index. Also, there are over 24,000 jobs requiring SQL in the US alone (according to Indeed.com). 

Given its continued relevance and job market demand, investing time in learning SQL could significantly boost your career prospects in the tech industry.

Which SQL course is the best?

Choosing the best SQL course will ultimately depend on your specific needs. For example, if you want to learn basic concepts, a video course like the SQL Tutorial – Full Database Course for Beginners might work well.

However, if your goal is to acquire hands-on experience and land a job, a more interactive course would be a better option. For example, Mimo’s SQL course consists of theory, exercises, and challenges and lets you build a real-life portfolio.

How long will it take to learn SQL?

The timeframe for learning SQL depends on various factors, such as:

• Your current experience and whether you already know another programming language
• Your learning goals (e.g., start a career vs. upgrade your skills)
• How much free time you have
• The learning method you select

On average, you’ll only need a few weeks to pick up the most basic concepts. Acquiring practical intermediate SQL skills might take approximately 6-8 months. Mastering SQL at the advanced level typically requires up to a year of dedicated study and practice.

Can you teach yourself SQL?

While it’s possible to teach yourself SQL, it can be more challenging and time-consuming than structured learning. Self-study requires strong self-discipline and the ability to find and curate quality resources. 

For optimal results, it’s often best to combine self-study with a guided online course like Mimo that offers certification, practical tasks, and a structured curriculum. 

This approach provides a balanced learning experience, ensuring you cover all necessary concepts while gaining hands-on practice and formal recognition of your skills.

Conclusion

We’ve looked at the top 10 courses (both free and paid) that’ll help you master SQL and build a career in this field. Some of the top options include: 

• Mimo SQL course: Best for interactive, simplified learning and practical application for beginners.
• Learn SQL by Codeacademy: Best for practical cheat sheets on SQL.
• The Complete SQL Bootcamp (Udemy): Best for comprehensive SQL knowledge. 
• Introduction to SQL (Datacamp): Best for SQL introduction

Ready to kickstart your tech career? Start learning with Mimo for free!