If you are an application developer working in Java, Python, JavaScript, C#, or any other language and want to become a DevOps engineer or someone who wants to learn Docker, then you have come to the right place. In this article, I will share some of the best free Docker courses you can use to take online to learn Docker by yourself. These courses are great for both beginners and intermediate developers who have basic ideas about Docker. If you don't know what a Docker is and how it works, let me briefly introduce it. Before starting, just look at the Docker's logo, a blue whale carrying shipping containers. Does that strike something? Well, if you add this image with the name Docker, you might think about shipping companies, which move boxes from one part of the world to another. Long ago, when there were no containers, everything which needs to be transported is individually loaded into the ship, but that makes the loading and unloading of goods difficult. Then shipping companies came up with the idea of a container of different sizes, which can be quickly loaded or unloaded using cranes. This helps them to transport goods more efficiently. Docker works in the same concept, but instead of goods, it carries software. If you know that software is not a monolithic piece but a collection of many different technologies, like database, web server, application server, configuration files, shell scripts, etc. It's not easy to set up a complex real-world Java application because you need many different things; Docker solves this problem by putting everything you need into a container and deploying wherever you want, like on Linux, Mac, or Windows. This seriously helps all the DevOps guys who are trying to automate and simplify every step of software development. So, if you want to improve your productivity or want to move into the DevOps space, good knowledge of Docker is essential. By the way, if you are looking for an up-to-date and comprehensive online course to learn both Docker and Kubernetes then I also recommend you to join AcadMind and Maximilian Scwarzmuller's Docker & Kubernetes: The Practical Guide [2025 Edition] course on Udemy. This 23.5 hour long, highly practical and engaging course is the best online course to learn Docker in 2025 and its also very affordable as you can get it for just $10 on Udemy. 6 Best Free Udemy Courses to Learn Docker in 2025 In this article, I'll share 5 free courses to learn Docker and Containerization online. These courses will teach you Docker, from scratch, right from the beginning of containerization and the benefit of deploying your application in a container, and how Docker helps achieve that. In these courses, you will learn what a Docker is, how it works, and what benefits it provides. You will also learn how to automate your software development and deployment process using Docker and other automation tools like Selenium. Some of the courses also explain Docker in depth by discussing Advanced Docker concepts and tools, which can help you both web developers and DevOps engineers like how you set up a development environment with Docker quickly for a new developer or someone like designers, BAs and QAs. You can use Docker images to run the whole of your application on their machine. Table of Contents 1. HANDS ON DOCKER for JAVA Developers [Free] This is one of the best free courses to learn Docker, particularly for developers. It doesn't matter whether you are a Java or Web developer; you will learn a lot about Docker in this free Udemy course. I started this course as a complete beginner, just heard the buzz around Docker and Containerization. This course explains to me what a Docker is and how it works and clears many of my misconceptions. In this free Docker course, you will learn about Docker basics like Docker and why users docker and learn a lot about practical stuff. The course will teach you how to install Docker on Windows and Mac and set up your own development environment. It will also explain Docker Machine and Docker client and how you can add your source code into a container, build custom images with Docker file, communicating between Docker Containers, and managing Containers with Docker Compose. Overall, a great free online course to start with Docker. This was a paid course on Udemy, which its author made free for a limited time, so you should join and learn Docker before the course becomes paid again. Here is the link to join this course for FREE: HANDS ON DOCKER for JAVA Developers 2. Docker Essentials [Free Udemy Course] This is another beginner-level free course on Docker. If you want to learn some basic concepts of containerization and Docker, like images and containers and how they help the software deployment process, this is the right course. In this free Docker course on Udemy, you will learn about the containerization of applications and learn how to install Docker in your local environment. You will also learn about key Docker concepts like Docker File and Docker hub. The course also explains some basic Docker commands to get you going. You will also learn advanced concepts like how to create and run Multi-container applications using Docker Compose, manage your own Docker Hub repository with Docker images, and creating custom Docker images using DockerFile. In short, an excellent free course on Docker and software containerization for software engineers, programmers, DevOps guys, and IT professionals in general. Here is the link to join this course for FREE: Docker Essentials 3. Understanding Docker in about an Hour [Free Course] If you have heard all the buzz around Docker and containers and are wondering what they are and how to get started using them, then this free Docker course is for you. Created by Zach Zhang, this is one of the popular free course to learn Docker on Udemy. More than 18000 people have already joined this course and it got great reviews despite being free. In this course, you will learn how to install Docker, configure it to use on your local system, clone and work with Docker images, instantiate containers, mount host volumes, redirect ports and understand how to manage images and containers. After completing the course, you will be well on your way to implementing containers in your environment while having a firm understanding of their use cases, both for and against. In short, an excellent course for anyone who wants to learn what Docker containers are and how to use them in their environment. Here is the link to join this course for FREE: Understanding Docker in about an Hour 4. Docker, Docker SWARM and Kubernetes crash course for DevOps [Free] This is a little bit a different kind of course on Docker. The course is focused more on deployment and DevOps then Development but then Docker is a great tool for DevOps and I think every DevOps Engineer should learn it. In this free Docker course, you will not just learn about Docker, like what a Docker is and how to set up a Docker instance in your local environment, but also Docker Compose, Docker SWARM, Deployment and all about Kubernetes, another popular tool for deploying applications on Cloud. This course is divided into three parts. 1. Introduction to Docker 2. Docker SWARM 3. Kubernetes All three parts are intrinsic, meaning they are interdependent on each other, and hence, sometimes, you may need to go back and forth to get into some related concepts. The first two parts deal with Docker and Docker swarm. In contrast, in the third section, you will learn about Kubernetes and how to use Docker and Kubernetes to deploy Microservices in Cloud on multiple containers and scale. Overall a great course to learn about Docker, Kubernetes, Deployment and Docker Swarm. If you aim to go for DevOps then I highly recommend you to join this free course to learn essential Docker and Kubernetes concepts. Here is the link to join this course for FREE: Docker, Docker SWARM and Kubernetes crash course for DevOps 5. Deploying Containerized Applications Technical Overview [Free Course] This is an official Docker training course from Red Hat. In this course, Jim Rigsbee, a curriculum architect for Red Hat Training, will introduce you to container technology using Docker running on Red Hat Enterprise Linux. In this course, you will learn container technology and deploy a single three-tiered Java EE application using several container-based platforms, including Docker, Kubernetes, and OpenShift Enterprise by Red Hat. Docker has become the de facto standard for defining and running containers in the Linux operating system in the last couple of years, while Kubernetes is Red Hat's choice for container orchestration. OpenShift, built upon Docker, Kubernetes, and other open-source software projects, provides Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) for the ultimate in deploying applications within containers. In short, an excellent course for System administrators, application software developers, and anyone who wants the necessary foundations on Docker, Kubernetes, OpenShift, and Platform-as-a-Service capabilities. Here is the link to join this course for FREE: Deploying Containerized Applications Technical Overview 6. Docker - A Beginner's Tutorials [Free] If you are a beginner looking for a free resource to learn Docker from scratch then this Dockers - A Beginners' Tutorial is a great free course on Udemy to start with. In this 2 hour long free Docker course you will learn all essential Docker concepts and commands you need to work efficiently with containers. This is a practical and hands-on course where you will learn key things like how to create a container and how to run it both on your local machine and cloud. You will learn about things like Docker file, Docker Image, Docker Hub as well docker commands to create and run those images. Talking about social proof, this free Docker course and on average 4.1 rating and more than 3000 students have already joined this course to learn Docker online, you can do the same too. Just make sure you join the course before it converted into a paid course as Udemy courses are not always free, once their instructor reach their marketing targets like number of enrollments or reviews they covert the free course to paid course. But, if you already enrolled then don't worry, you will have lifetime access as well you will get all the updates for free. That's all about 6 best free Udemy courses to learn Docker for DevOps, Java, and Web developers in 2025. Docker has become an essential part of how you deploy your web application, and this container-based model of deployment is getting more and more popular. Docker is a great skill to have on your resume, particularly if you want to move to the DevOps space, as there is a lot of demand for developers with automation skills like Docker, Jenkins, and Selenium. Other Free Online Courses you may like to explore The Complete DevOps Developer RoadMap 10 DevOps Courses for Experienced Java Developers 5 Free Courses to Learn Maven and Jenkins The Official Docker Documentation [FREE] 7 Free Courses to learn Kubernetes in 2025 5 Free Courses to Learn Git and GitHub How to get start with Docker [Official Documentation] 10 DevOps Courses for Experienced Programmers 5 Free Courses to Learn Python from scratch 5 Free Courses to Learn Data Structures and Algorithms 5 Free Spring Framework Courses for Java Developers 5 Online training courses to learn Angular for Free 5 Free Linux Courses for Application Developers and Sysadmins Top 10 Java and Web Development Courses from Udemy 10 Courses to learn Docker and Kubernetes in depth Thanks for reading this article so far. If you like these best free Docker online training courses, then please share them with your friends and colleagues. If you have any questions or feedback, then please drop a note. P. S. - If you want to learn both Docker and Kubernetes, I suggest you also check out this Docker for Java Developers course by John Thompson. It's not free, but it's worth every penny you spent, and you can get it under $10.