Free IT Certifications

Free IT certifications come almost entirely from technology companies teaching their own platforms, plus a few non-profit curricula. Cloud vendors issue free knowledge badges after an assessment; Microsoft issues free Applied Skills credentials and learning-path badges; IBM issues free Credly badges through its learning platforms; and non-profit coding and computing curricula issue free certificates for completed projects. All of these are verifiable by link, which is the test for inclusion here. On this site, free certification means a free course with a free, verifiable certificate, distinct from a free-to-audit course whose certificate is paid; university IT courses on edX fall into the second group and are listed on the IT subject page instead.

It also means something different from the industry certifications most IT job adverts name, such as vendor role-based certifications or vendor-neutral entry-level exams: those require paid, proctored exams, and the free training here prepares you for them without replacing them. The page covers support and networking fundamentals, operating systems, cloud, security basics and developer tooling, so it suits people entering IT without a degree, help-desk staff aiming at a system or cloud administration role, and professionals who want an interim credential while saving for an exam fee. When choosing, prefer credentials that involve an assessment or a lab over badges for watching content, check that the credential names a skill an employer would recognise, and note whether it expires. The cyber security, data analytics and AI pages narrow this list to those specialisms, and the provider pages show each vendor's credentials together.