7 Free Backend Development Courses You Can Take in 2025
These free courses will help build your backend development skills, with consistency being your only offering.
As a budding backend developer, you're about to embark on a journey that will take you behind the scenes of the web. You'll be responsible for designing, developing, testing, and maintaining the server-side logic, database integration, and API connectivity that powers web applications.
To build and maintain backend systems, you'll need to apply engineering principles and programming language expertise to create scalable, efficient, and secure solutions. However, getting started in backend development can be overwhelming, especially with the numerous programming languages, frameworks, and technologies available.
To help you get started on your backend development journey, we've curated a list of top-notch free courses and resources. Whether you're a beginner looking to break into the industry or an experienced developer seeking to upskill, this guide is designed to provide you with resources covering the foundation and basics of backend development.
| 1 | Python Fundamentals for Beginners
To get started in backend development, it is imperative to have an in-depth understanding of any backend core programming language like Python, Golang, Java, Ruby, .NET, or JavaScript (Node/Express.js). Great Learning offers a free Python course that covers the basics of Python language to advanced concepts in programming. If you want other languages, Great Learning also offers free Java, Javascript, PHP courses, etc. You can explore their website to find your preferred language course. Select one language and stick to it for a start. The backend concepts and architecture are the same across languages, the only difference is the language syntax and semantics themselves.
| 2 | MySQL Basics
Working with Databases is an inescapable aspect of backend development. You'd spend most of your time querying and migrating databases. After gaining familiarity with a programming language, the next step is learning about databases. Ideally, you must cover relational databases (SQL databases) and non-relational databases (NoSQL databases). This course covers MySQL database, introducing you to the world of relational databases.
| 3 | Introduction to NoSQL
This course introduces you to the world of non-relational databases. If you use JavaScript (Node), you've probably heard of the MERN stack. MERN stack developers use MongoDB, a non-relational database. The type of database to be used is dependent on the project requirement, thus, you should know the fundamentals of both types of databases so you can easily work with any project demands. This course will teach you how to connect the database to a server, how to prepare the data, joins operations, and so much more.
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| 4 | API Development
APIs are the backbone of backend development. They determine the communication between the client side and the server side. This free API development course will teach you about API protocols and architecture, HTTP Servers, and best practices for Web APIs.
| 5 | Developing Back-End Apps with Node.js and Express
Node and Express are popular JavaScript frameworks for working with the server side. If you're using JavaScript for the backend, this course will be great for you. This IBM course will teach you how to develop backend applications, make CRUD operations, and implement authentication and session management. To get started in the course, you need to have a foundational background in JavaScript.
| 6 | Introduction to Django for Back-End Development
If you're using Python for the Backend, you will need to be familiar with Django or Flask library as they both are used to build scalable Python applications. This Django course will teach you to set up a simple server, handle routes, serve static files, and manage basic middleware and errors. You'll also learn how to integrate databases in your application and build and deploy a few projects.
| 7 | Python API Development
This 19-hour YouTube course is a personal favourite. If you use Python for backend development, you'll come to realize FastAPI is the best Python framework for building APIs. Because it uses the Asynchronous Server Gateway Interface, it is the fastest and most preferable library for building APIs in Python. This course is comprehensive without a doubt, it goes beyond just introducing you to FastAPI, it teaches you every fundamental principle about APIs, down to testing and deployment. If you want to build perfect APIs in Python and any language even, I'd recommend taking this course.
Conclusion
Getting started in backend development can seem daunting, but with dedication, and the right resources, you can set yourself up for success. Proficiency in backend development is a continuous learning process, and there's always room for growth and improvement. By leveraging the free courses and resources outlined in this guide, you'll be well on your way to building a strong foundation in backend development.
While this guide provides a solid starting point, it's essential to note that it's not an exhaustive resource. Backend development is a vast and complex field, and there's always more to learn. However, the resources outlined in this guide will give you a great foundation to build upon. The more you learn, the more you discover more to learn.
