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The 8 Best Free SQL Courses, Ranked

By Owen Middleton · Updated November 2026 · We ran the examples on PostgreSQL 17

Yes, you can learn SQL free, and for most people the best free SQL course is SQLZoo. All of it is free, you need no account, you get a check on the result of each answer, and with its questions, you go as far as window functions, on the SQL engine that you choose. Next to our own course, it is the only course on this list with full points. If you have never written a query, do the SQLBolt lessons with short tasks first: SQLZoo gives you questions with short notes, not full lessons.

SQLMaxx Learn is our own free course, held to the same five tests as the other seven, and it is at rank 1 with SQLZoo, with 11 of 11 points.

Our take. If you are new to SQL, we would start on SQLBolt: 18 lessons with short tasks, a check mark when your result is correct, and a solution for each of its 53 tasks when you are stuck. When you finish, we would move to SQLZoo, for 132 more questions up to window functions, which you cannot practice on SQLBolt. If you want full lessons on SQL for data analysis, with three Yammer case studies, read the ThoughtSpot tutorial, but there you compare your query with the given answer yourself. If a free certification with an exam is your goal, freeCodeCamp is the one, but you cannot use the regular freeCodeCamp editor for its SQL workshops.

Free SQL courses compared

The 8 best free SQL courses
Rank Course Best for What is free Score Free ×2ChecksDepthNo sign-upUpdated
1 SQLZoohow we know Practice questions on four SQL engines Everything; we found no paid plan 11 / 11 42221
1 SQLMaxx LearnWe make it Lessons and a grade on each query, in PostgreSQL All 66 lessons and 615 problems 11 / 11 42221
3 Khan Academy Intro to SQLhow we know A slow start, with a hint on each step Everything; donations asked 9 / 11 42120
3 SQLBolthow we know Lessons with short tasks, a check on each Everything; optional $4 donation 9 / 11 42120
3 ThoughtSpot SQL Tutorial (formerly Mode)how we know Analysis lessons and cases; you check answers yourself All 52 lessons and the editor 9 / 11 40221
6 DataLemur SQL Tutorialhow we know Lessons linked to interview questions 33 lessons; 45 of 46 problems 7 / 11 22210
7 freeCodeCamp Relational Databaseshow we know A free certification with an exam Everything, the exam too 6 / 11 41100
8 Codecademy Learn SQLhow we know A course of about 5 hours Lessons; quizzes and projects are paid 4 / 11 21100

We show a 2 on "How much is free" as 4 points; with every test at one weight, you get the same order. We explain each test in how we checked the free SQL courses.

The free SQL courses, one by one

1. SQLZoo

Best for a lot of free practice, on the SQL engine of your job

  • Free: every tutorial and exercise; we found no paid plan
  • Account: none to start
  • What decides it: 132 questions in 13 tutorials, on MySQL, PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL or Oracle.
  • Our test: In our test, SQLZoo accepted a right answer in another row order and rejected a result one row short.
  • Limit: You get questions with short notes, not full lessons, and no tutorial on CTEs.

how we know

Score: 11 of 11 points.

Go to SQLZoo

1. SQLMaxx Learn

Made by SQLMaxx

Best for lessons and graded practice in one place, from SELECT to window functions

  • Free: all 66 lessons and all 615 practice problems; no account to start, but without one, you keep your progress in one browser only
  • Certificate: free, with no exam; you need an account
  • Ours: we made this course, and we gave it no easier test than the other seven courses.
  • Strength: In each of 66 lessons, you write queries in a real PostgreSQL database and get a grade on the result.
  • Limit: You get no video, no teacher and only one SQL dialect.

Score: 11 of 11 points.

Go to SQLMaxx Learn

In SQLMaxx Learn, try the WHERE lesson, then learn how INNER JOIN works. For every lesson, go to the SQLMaxx SQL course.

3. Khan Academy Intro to SQL

Best for a slow first start, with a hint on each step

  • Free: the whole course; Khan Academy is a nonprofit and asks for donations
  • Account: none to start
  • What decides it: short talk-throughs, then 13 challenges and 4 projects in SQLite. You pass a step only when you get the expected result from your query.
  • Limit: No window functions or CTEs, and the newest date we found is from 2015.

how we know

Score: 9 of 11 points.

Go to Khan Academy Intro to SQL

3. SQLBolt

Best for a start in SQL: lessons with short tasks

  • Free: every lesson and exercise; SQLBolt asks for an optional $4 donation
  • Account: none to start; your check marks are gone when you reload the page
  • What decides it: 53 tasks, with a solution for each.
  • Our test: In our test, SQLBolt accepted a right answer in another row order and gave no check mark for a result one row short.
  • Limit: On 4 of its 41 SELECT tasks, it checks only your column names. Its SQLite is too old for window functions.

how we know

Score: 9 of 11 points.

Go to SQLBolt

3. ThoughtSpot SQL Tutorial (formerly Mode)

Best for analysts who want depth and can check their own answers

  • Free: all 52 lessons and the editor on each lesson page
  • Account: none to start
  • What decides it: you go from SELECT to window functions, and work on three Yammer analysis cases; on two of them, ThoughtSpot says the data is made up.
  • Editor: You run your queries in SQLite in the lesson editor.
  • Limit: You get no grade on your practice: you compare your query with the given answer.

how we know

Score: 9 of 11 points.

Go to ThoughtSpot SQL Tutorial (formerly Mode)

6. DataLemur SQL Tutorial

Best for lessons that link to real interview questions

  • Free: all 33 lessons; 45 of the 46 practice problems that we found; Premium is $15 a month or $60 a year
  • Account: none to read and run code; a free account for Submit, the answer check
  • What decides it: lessons on CTEs, window functions, and LEAD and LAG, in PostgreSQL 14. With a free account, you get a Submit check on your result rows.
  • Limit: In our test, it rejected a right answer in another row order and accepted only ascending order. So sort your rows in ascending order before you submit.

how we know

Score: 7 of 11 points.

Go to DataLemur SQL Tutorial

7. freeCodeCamp Relational Databases

Best for a free certification, with projects and an exam

  • Free: the whole certification, with the exam
  • Account: you can read lessons without one; for the SQL workshops, a GitHub account for Codespaces, or a setup on your computer
  • What decides it: long guided workshops in PostgreSQL, one with 165 lessons. Each step is tested against the command that you type.
  • Limit: We found no lesson on subqueries or window functions.

how we know

Score: 6 of 11 points.

Go to freeCodeCamp Relational Databases

8. Codecademy Learn SQL

Best for a short course of about 5 hours

  • Free: the 4 lessons; quizzes, projects and the certificate are on a paid plan
  • Account: a free account to start
  • Paid plan: Plus is $14.99 a month, billed annually, or $29.99 billed monthly.
  • Limit: Codecademy says that it flags code that is different from the solution, so it can flag a correct query in another form.

how we know

Score: 4 of 11 points.

Go to Codecademy Learn SQL

We did not rank Coursera, edX, DataCamp, W3Schools or courses on YouTube here. In the W3Schools exercises, you fill in blanks or pick answers; you do not write and run full queries. If you will pay for a course, read our page on the best SQL courses; for DataCamp, read DataCamp alternatives; for a free certificate, read our page on free SQL certifications.

Questions about free SQL courses

Can I learn SQL for free?

Yes. Six of the eight SQL courses on this list are free in full, with every lesson and all the practice. With five of the six, you can start in your browser now, with no account and no installation. On the other two, DataLemur keeps one of its 46 tutorial problems for Premium, and Codecademy puts its quizzes and projects on a paid plan.

Where can I learn SQL online for free?

Start on SQLZoo, SQLBolt or Khan Academy Intro to SQL: you need no account and no installation, and you get a check on the result of your queries. Of the three, you can practice window functions on SQLZoo, but not on SQLBolt or Khan Academy. With SQLMaxx Learn, the course that we built, you get the same three things.

Is there a free SQL certification course available?

Yes. freeCodeCamp gives a free verified Relational Databases certification when you finish five PostgreSQL projects and pass a 50-question exam. No one watches you during that exam: there is no webcam and no ID check. With SQLMaxx Learn, our course, you get a free certificate with no exam when you master all 66 lessons and solve one problem in each, with a free account. Codecademy gives a certificate of completion only on a Plus or Pro plan.

Is SQL still worth learning in 2026?

Yes. For its 2026 study of the data analyst job market, 365 Data Science kept 855 job posts from Indeed USA, and SQL was in 52.9% of them, more than any other programming language.

Source: 365 Data Science, Indeed study

How we checked the free SQL courses

We read or tried each of the eight courses with no account.

On DataLemur, we also used a free account, to try the Submit check.

We paid for none of the eight courses.

We count the "How much is free" test two times, because it is your question: can you learn SQL for free?

How much is free (the "Free ×2" column). 2 if all lessons and all practice are free. 1 if the lessons are free, but you need a paid plan for some practice. 0 if only a sample is free.

You get a check on your queries (the "Checks" column). 2 if you get a check on the result of each query, with no more than a free account. 1 if you get a check on your work, but not on the query result. Examples are fill-in blanks, multiple choice and a check on the text of your code. 0 if you check your answers yourself.

How far the free part goes (the "Depth" column). 2 if the free part has lessons on joins, GROUP BY, subqueries and window functions. 1 if it has lessons on joins and GROUP BY. 0 if it has fewer topics, or if we found no topic list.

Start with no account and no installation (the "No sign-up" column). 2 if you can start and get checks on lessons and practice problems with no account and no installation. 1 if you can start with no account, but you need an account for the checks. 0 if you need an account or an installation to start. For a course with no checks, the score is 2 when you can start with no account and no installation.

Updated in the last two years (the "Updated" column). 1 if the company gives a date of change for its course pages from the last two years: on the page, or in the dates that it gives search engines. We do not count a copyright year in a footer, or a date that is the same as the day we read the list of pages. So a 0 means that we found no such date from the last two years.

Two courses with the same total are at the same rank. Inside a shared rank, we list the other courses from A to Z, and our own course last.

We used the newest change date that we give search engines for our 66 lesson pages, September 14, 2026.

To see how we read each fact and date each check, read how we rank the free courses.

SQLZoo

First the facts on the card and in the table, then the facts for each test score.

SQLZoo

DataLemur SQL Tutorial

First the facts on the card and in the table, then the facts for each test score.

DataLemur

Khan Academy Intro to SQL

First the facts on the card and in the table, then the facts for each test score.

Khan Academy

SQLBolt

First the facts on the card and in the table, then the facts for each test score.

SQLBolt

ThoughtSpot SQL Tutorial (formerly Mode)

First the facts on the card and in the table, then the facts for each test score.

ThoughtSpot

freeCodeCamp Relational Databases

First the facts on the card and in the table, then the facts for each test score.

freeCodeCamp

Codecademy Learn SQL

First the facts on the card and in the table, then the facts for each test score.

Codecademy