I Tried 100+ Free SQL and Database Courses: Here Are My 6 Best for 2026

 

Hello guys, if you want to learn SQL and Database, one of the most essential skill for programmers, developers and Data Scientist or just want to improve your SQL skill, and looking for best free SQL courses then you have come to the right place.

In the past, I have shared best SQL courses, books, and websites to learn SQL and today, I am going to share with you best free online courses to learn and master SQL in 2026.

The list includes a free course from Udemy, a popular online portal to learn Oracle, PostgreSQL, and Microsoft SQL Server. Yes, I have tried hard to include free courses on different databases to choose the course you want.

As you already know, SQL is one of the essential and timeless skills and much more important than any fancy library or framework you are thinking to learn.

If you ask me which two skills every programmer should have, I would say SQL and UNIX; these two have survived for a long time and will survive for many coming decades.

SQL is also exciting; once you get the hang of it, you would love to write queries and analyze your queries’ performance.

Even though SQL is so important and many programmers realize this, I have found that many more programmers just don’t spend much time improving their SQL skills. They think that knowing just SELECT, UPDATE, and DELETE statements is enough, which is not correct.

Even though SQL is not as vast as C++ or Java, there are still many things to learn like indexing, choosing the right index, writing a correct query that performs better, and there are always many database-specific nuisances.

Things that may work in one data like Oracle it’s not guaranteed to work on another database, especially if you are using a database-specific feature and not limited to SQL ANSI standard.

Anyway, you don’t need to worry; if you have made a goal to learn SQL or improve your SQL skill, you will definitely spend some time learning more about SQL and the database you are currently working on.

You can take help from these courses, books, and several tutorials I have shared in this blog to fill the gaps in your understanding. Btw, I also recommend everyone to join a comprehensive course like The Complete SQL Bootcamp for structured and guided learning. And, if you are learning SQL for Data Science then SQL for Data Science on Coursera is another great resource.

SQL for Data Science

As data collection has increased exponentially, so has the need for people skilled at using and interacting with data…

coursera.pxf.io

6 Best Free Courses to Learn Database and SQL for Beginners in 2026

These courses have been made free by their instructor for promotional and education reasons, but you better check the price before joining the course. Sometimes, Instructors convert their free course to the paid course once they reach their promotional target, and you may need to pay to access the material available for free earlier.

That’s why I join the course when they are free and use it when I get some time to spend. Once you join, the course will be free for you. Without any further ado, here is my list of some of the best yet free courses to learn SQL and Database in 2026:

1. Introduction to Databases and SQL Querying [FREE]

This is an introductory course on Databases and SQL Querying. There are no pre-requisites for this course. If you are looking to get acquainted with the concept of Databases and Queries for maybe your next interview as an analyst, this is the right course for you.

All you need is a windows machine, and we will walk through it step by step, right from setting up your environment to creating your first table to writing your first SQL query.

This course is structured in a way that you can follow along with me. At the end of this course, you should be comfortable writing simple queries, including queries related to Dates, String manipulation, Aggregation, etc.

This is an ideal course for SQL beginners with absolutely no experience in the database. You will not only learn basic SQL Syntax but also learn essential concepts of databases. No Prior Programming experience is required. This course is probably not for you if you’re looking to learn more advanced and complex queries.

Here is the link to join this course — Introduction to Databases and SQL Querying

2. SQL Crash Course: PostgreSQL for Beginners [FREE]

This is another free online course to learn SQL basics, but with PostgreSQL, another leading relational database. This free Udemy SQL course is also aimed at Beginners to Intermediate levels.

It covers all the bases for you to get up to speed with writing SQL before you progress on to more advanced SQL for transforming and analyzing data.

It will explain everything step by step and in detail to get to know SQL very well. The course uses PostgreSQL, which you can download for free from the PostgreSQL website.

Here are key things you will learn in this free SQL course:

1. Basic SQL commands
2. Become proficient in SQL queries like SELECT, CREATE, and ALTER
3. Solid understanding of SQL

After completing this course, you should understand write join queries involving multiple tables, write aggregation-based queries using group by and having a clause, and learn how to do backups and restores. You will also learn more advanced SQL query techniques for data analysis and discovery.

Here is the link to join this course — SQL Crash Course: PostgreSQL for Beginners

3. Advanced Databases and SQL Querying [FREE]

This course is an advanced T-SQL Querying course. The course expects students to know basic database concepts and are comfortable writing basic T-SQL queries like SELECT, JOINs, etc.

Students are expected to have taken my previous course (Introduction to Databases and Querying). This course covers advanced concepts like Views, Triggers, Dynamic Queries, etc. The T-SQL Scripts for all demos are uploaded. The course is about 2+hours and has assignments at the end of each concept.

If you looking for your next database job or trying to improve your existing database knowledge and apply it to your projects, this is the course for you.

Here is the link to join this course — Advanced Databases and SQL Querying

4. Microsoft SQL Server — An Introduction [FREE]

This is another awesome free database course to learn about Microsoft SQL Server from Udemy. This free course is 2.5 hours long and will teach you MSSQL or T-SQL from group up.

Here are the key things you will learn in this free Udemy SQL course

1. How to download and install SQL Server Express on your computer — for free
2. How to log in and create a database.
3. How to create a table and insert data
4. How to retrieve the data contained in your table.
5. Learn about the SELECT, FROM, WHERE, GROUP BY, HAVING, and ORDER BY clauses.

In short, a nice course to learn SQL with Microsoft SQL Server. If you happen to use this database, this is just the perfect course, and it’s free.

Here is the link to join this course — Microsoft SQL Server — An Introduction

5. Oracle SQL — A Complete Introduction [FREE]

In this course, you will learn how to write basic SQL statements to view data, insert data, update existing data, and delete data in a database.

It’s perfect for beginners or first-timers who have no idea about databases or SQL and want to learn these skills using Oracle database.

Here is the link to join this course — Oracle SQL — A Complete Introduction

6. Database Design and Management [FREE]

This is another great free course from Udemy to learn Database design and modeling. In this free online course, you will learn relational database design with practical concepts and examples. This series works with any database system!

Here are the key skills you will learn in this free database design course:

1. How to design a database with ERD
2. How to maintain database productively and effectively
3. How to use Visual Paradigm in database design
4. How to use Visual Paradigm in database management

This is an ideal course for developers who write SQL code and have at least a year of SQL experience and if you are thinking of becoming a DBA.

Here is the link to join this course — Database Design and Management

That’s all about some of the best SQL courses to learn online for free. People often have free means of low quality, but these courses are excellent, high-quality courses.

We are lucky that their authors have made them available for free, and big thanks to them for sharing their hard work for free for other people’s benefit.

I hope you can achieve your goal of improving your SQL skill this year, and I am sure you will thank yourself for learning SQL.

Other Useful Programming Resources you may like to explore

• Top 5 Courses to Learn Python in 2026
• 5 Courses to Learn Microservices Development in 2026
• 10 DevOps Courses for Programmers
• 5 Courses to Learn Java in 2026
• Top 5 Free Courses to Learn Blockchain in 2026
• Top 5 Free React and ReactJS Courses for Web Developers
• 5 Free Courses to Learn Angular in 2026
• 5 Machine Learning and Data Science Courses in 2026
• 5 Free Course to Learn Big Data, Hadoop, and Spark
• 10 Free Docker Courses for Developers
• My favorite free courses to learn Java in 2026
• 10 Best SQL and Database Courses for Beginners
• 5 Best Courses to learn MySQL Database in-depth

Thanks for reading this article so far. If you find these best free Database and SQL courses useful, please share them with your friends and colleagues. If you have any questions or feedback, then please drop a note.

P. S. — If you don’t mind paying a small amount for learning something as valuable as Database and SQL concepts, then I also suggest you take a look at the Complete SQL + Databases Bootcamp: Zero to Mastery course on ZTM Academy definitely worth your time and money.

Learn SQL. Get Hired. | Complete SQL + Databases Bootcamp | Zero To Mastery

Updated with all modern SQL and Database (PostgreSQL, MySQL) features for 2026, you'll learn SQL from not one, but two…

academy.zerotomastery.io

Top 7 Advanced SQL Books Every Senior Developer Should Read

 

Hello guys, If you are an experienced programmer or Data Scientist and know how to write SQL queries and database fundamentals but want to take your SQL and database skills to the next level, then you have come to the right place.

Earlier, I have shared the best SQL Courses for beginners, as well as courses to learn MySQL and SQL Server and in this article, I am going to share few more advanced SQL Books any experienced professional can read to take their SQL skills to next level.

This is also the second article about SQL books, In the first part, I have shared some of the best SQL books which are essential to learning SQL queries and fundamentals of database like normalization, indexing, and other design stuff, if you haven’t read it yet, I suggest to do it now. You will find some amazing books to start learning SQL.

In this article, I will share some of the best books to learn advanced SQL programming, which can help you write better SQL queries and understand how databases process those queries.

I strongly believe that books are a great source to learn programming and technology, even though they are rapidly changing. Only books provide the comprehensive coverage of techniques and tips required to master a subject like SQL.

SQL is one of the essential skills for any programmer. Every professional programmer, software engineer, DBAs, Business analyst, and even tester should read a good book on SQL.

Thankfully, there are many good SQL books in the market, but depending upon your existing knowledge and experience level, you should choose the books that will take your SQL skill to the next level.

These books will also help you work across database vendors like Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL. Once you know to write the correct SQL query which follows ANSI standard and can be run on any database, you will feel the joy of being a SQL master.

7 Advanced SQL Books for Experienced Professional Reading

Here are some of the best books to take your SQL skill to the next level. These books will help you learn advanced concepts and help you bridge your gap on fundamentals, like joins, indexes, and other database design concepts like normalization.

1. SQL Cookbook: Query Solutions and Techniques for Database Developers

The SQL Cookbook: Query Solutions and Techniques for Database Developers (Cookbooks (O’Reilly)) 1st Edition by Anthony Molinaro is another fantastic book for experienced programmers and anyone who codes SQL for a living.

I really like what this book says about SQL, that “SQL is a deceptively simple language,” and many programmers and DBAs don’t go far beyond the simple CRUD statements like SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, etc. DELETE. Still, it is so much you can do with SQL; this is where SQL Cookbook helps you.

It will teach you how to take your SQL skills to the next level by using author Anthony Molinari’s favorite SQL techniques and features.

You will learn about advanced SQL concepts like window functions, powerful, database-specific features such as SQL Server’s PIVOT and UNPIVOT operators, the Oracle’s MODEL clause, and PostgreSQL’s handy GENERATE_SERIES function.

The book also explains the technique of walking a string, which allows you to use SQL to parse through the characters, words, or delimited string elements. In short, one of the great books to take your SQL skill to the next level.

And, If you prefer online courses, you can combine this book with The Complete SQL Bootcamp course by Jose Portilla on Udemy to get the best of both worlds.

The Complete SQL Bootcamp: Go from Zero to Hero

Learn how to use SQL quickly and effectively with this course! You'll learn how to read and write complex queries to a…

trk.udemy.com

2. SQL Performance Explained by Markus Winand

This is another advanced SQL book that I think every Programmer and Data Scientist should read. If you want to know how Database executes your SQL queries? What is a query engine? how indexes work during updating records and searching records? and How to write better SQL queries than this book is for you.

If I say that whatever I know about SQL indexes is due to this book, then it won’t be wrong. I had a lot of misconceptions about database indices and didn’t know how their order can affect performance.

I didn’t even know what table scan, index scan is, and index seeks, and, in general, how does index works in SQL in detail until to learn how indexing work and how they affect query performance.

This excellent book is written by Markus Winand and I thank him a lot for explaining such an essential topic in great detail. One of the must-read SQL books for every programmer, I highly recommend this to every software developer and Data Scientist.

Another great thing about this book is that Markus explains concepts and code in all major databases like MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, and Oracle, which means you will understand better, no matter which database you are using.

And, if you need an online course to join along with this book then I recommend you to check out the Oracle SQL Performance Tuning Masterclass 2026 course on Udemy. It’s great for developers and DBAs working on Oracle Database.

Oracle SQL Performance Tuning Masterclass (2026)

Welcome the most comprehensive SQL Tuning course on the planet that makes you an expert on SQL & Performance…

trk.udemy.com

3. SQL For Smarties, Fifth Edition: Advanced SQL Programming

Joe Celko’s SQL for Smarties, Fourth Edition: Advanced SQL Programming (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Data Management Systems) is an excellent book to take your SQL skill to the next level.

He is one of the authorities in SQL and also the author of several popular SQL books, including the SQL Puzzles. He was also a member of the ANSI SQL standards committee for ten years.

This book offers tips, techniques, and guidance on writing effective, sometimes complex, SQL statements using ANSI standard SQL. It touches on topics ranging from database design and normalization to using proper data types to grouping and set operations, optimization, data scaling, and more.

Even if you have read previous editions of this book, you should read the latest revised edition.

Every Programmer who writes SQL queries for a living will find something useful in SQL for Smarties. If you need more practice, Baseball Database Queries with SQL free SQL Query course on Udemy provides good queries for exercise.

Oracle SQL Performance Tuning Masterclass (2026)

Welcome the most comprehensive SQL Tuning course on the planet that makes you an expert on SQL & Performance…

trk.udemy.com

4. SQL Performance Tuning by Peter Gulutzan and Trudy Pelzer

Knowing to write SQL queries is one thing and writing SQL queries that are fast and gives high-performance is another skill. This is also the skill that separates beginners from experienced programmers.

This book provides many practical tips for improving SQL performance on all of the major database systems.

It does not teach you the SQL syntax and how to use a particular SQL command but instead helps you understand the differences between the major DBBS, including the big three, Oracle, SQL Server, and MySQL.

In this book, the author presents several practical tips to improve SQL performance across databases. This book will be a great asset if you deal with different database implementations, whether you are a programmer, consultant, DBA, or technical end-user.

The tips given in this book can help you to decide which tuning techniques will work for which database. One trick that gives better performance in SQL Server doesn’t need to give you the best performance in Oracle.

Essentially, this is what you will learn in this book. You can also combine this book with the Oracle SQL Performance Tuning Masterclass 2026 from Udemy, a great companion for this book.

Oracle SQL Performance Tuning Masterclass (2026)

Welcome the most comprehensive SQL Tuning course on the planet that makes you an expert on SQL & Performance…

trk.udemy.com

Btw, If you have any doubts about the benefit of learning SQL because you are a Java or web developer, let me make it very clear that today everybody wants a full stack developer, i.e., jack of all and a master of at least one skill. This is an essential thing to realize because, as a Java developer.

I have hardly worked on any project where I have done just Java-related work. It’s always a mix of technology like Linux, XML, SQL, Java, and other application developed in other languages and technologies like C++.

The biggest benefit of SQL is that it is a very stable technology, it is not changing at a rapid pace as a programming language, and it will serve you well in many more coming years. This also provides the competitive edge you need to go ahead of other candidates of the same profile.

For example, if you get two candidates with solid core Java knowledge and one with better SQL and UNIX skills, who will you take? Most likely the second candidate.

Anyway, let’s move on to the next book:

5. The Art of SQL by Stephane Faroult

This is another great SQL book for an experienced developer who touches key areas of database and SQL, like designing a database for high performance.

Anyone who built database applications knows that an improperly designed database can be the biggest impediment to flawless application performance.

The book is written in the style of “The Art of War” by Sun-Tzu. Each chapter has similar titles, like “Laying Plans,” “Tactical Dispositions,” “The Nine Situations,” etc.

The chapter titled “Tactical Dispositions” covers the topic of indexing, and in “The Nine Situations,” the author examines several classic SQL patterns and how best to approach them.

If you want, you can also combine this book with an interactive course like Database Design Fundamentals for Software Engineers on Educative to get some hands-on experience with database design.

6. SQL in Nutshell

The SQL in a Nutshell, 3rd edition by Kevin Kline, Daniel Kline, and Brand Hunt, is an essential reference for programmers, analysts, and database administrators (DBAs).

This book offers a great cross-platform syntax reference for SQL. It probably is not the easiest reference to find the exact syntax for one particular DBMS, but it is absolutely the best reference for those who work with multiple DBMSs.

By the way, If you are learning SQL to become a Data Scientists, then I also recommend you check out the SQL for Data Science Course offered by UCDAVIS University of California on Coursera.

It’s an awesome course to really master SQL. Like other Coursera courses, it’s also free-to-audit, which means you can learn for free, but this course is also part of the Learn SQL Basics for Data Science Specialization and you need to pay if you need a Coursera Certificate to show in your LinkedIn profile or Resume.

SQL for Data Science

As data collection has increased exponentially, so has the need for people skilled at using and interacting with data…

coursera.pxf.io

By the way, instead of joining these courses and specialization individually, you can also join the Coursera Plus, a subscription plan from Coursera which gives you unlimited access to their most popular courses, specialization, professional certificate, and guided projects.

Coursera Plus | Unlimited Access to 7,000+ Online Courses

Invest in your professional goals with Coursera Plus. Get Unlimited access to over 90% of courses, Projects…

coursera.pxf.io

7. Grokking the SQL Interview

If are preparing for Software Engineering and Development interviews and you need SQL related questions not just queries but also database related questions from other topics like indexes, joins, group by, aggregation, and window functions then you can also checkout Grokking the SQL Interview book to prepare better.

This book contains frequently asked Java questions from essential topics like

1. SQL and Database Phone interview questions

2. Joins in SQL

3. SQL Query Questions

4. Indexes

5. Group by and Aggregation

6. SQL Date and Time Questions

7. Stored Procedures

8. Triggers and Views

9. Transactions

10. Window Function and CTE

11. Deep Dive on popular SQL Questions

If you are preparing for SQL interviews then I highly recommend you to go through these questions before your telephonic or face-to-face interviews, you will not only gain confidence and knowledge to answer the question but also learn how to drive Coding interviews in your favor.

Grokking the SQL Interview

20% OFF (CODE — FRIENDS20) — $15.92/ $19.90 SQL is an important skill for all kinds of technical interviews…

javinpaul.gumroad.com

This book is one of the specially designed book to prepare you for SQL interviews by answering popular questions. You an also use discount code friends20 to get 20% discount now.

That’s all about some of the best books to learn advanced SQL programming. If you use SQL in your projects, are currently learning SQL, or already worked in SQL for a couple of years, you can read these books to take your SQL skills to the next level.

There is so much to learn about SQL then select, update and insert statements that you will surprise with some of the concepts you will learn in these books, especially when it comes to cross-database knowledge.

I have also shared many free SQL books and courses you can use to start your SQL journey.

Other Free Online Courses for Programmers You may like
5 Free Courses to learn Docker for Beginners
10 Free Courses to Learn AWS in 2026
5 Free Courses to learn R for Data Science
My favorite free JavaScript Tutorials for Beginners
10 FREE Python Tutorials from Microsoft and Google
15 Free Courses to learn Python Programming for Beginners
10 Free Courses to learn Java Programming
7 Free Courses to learn SQL and Database
10 Books and Courses to learn Angular for Web Development
My favorite free courses to learn Data Structure and Algorithms
My favorite free courses to learn Jenkins, Maven, and Docker

If you like this article and these best advanced SQL books for developers and DBAs, please share them with your friends and colleagues; it makes a lot of difference. If you have any suggestions, feedback, or questions, please drop a comment, and I’ll try to answer.

If you have any other great SQL book you want me to read, then feel free to suggest in the comment; I just love to discover great books.

P. S. — And, If you like to learn from online courses then you can combine these advanced SQL books with The Complete SQL Bootcamp course by Jose Portilla on Udemy to get the best of both worlds.

The Complete SQL Bootcamp for the Manipulation and Analysis of Data

You’ll learn how to read and write complex queries to a database using one of the most in-demand skills — PostgreSQL…

udemy.com