“WordPress is too complicated for beginners.” We hear this myth all the time, and it couldn’t be further from the truth.
The real issue isn’t WordPress itself – it’s trying to learn it without proper guidance. After building a lot of WordPress sites and teaching many different beginners how to use WordPress, we’ve discovered that success comes down to having the right training resources.
That’s why we’ve spent countless hours testing and evaluating WordPress courses, specifically looking for ones that make the learning process clear and simple.
In this guide, we’ll share the seven courses that consistently turn WordPress beginners into confident website builders – no technical background required.
Who Needs WordPress Training Courses?
Anyone who wants to make a WordPress website can benefit from WordPress training courses.
WordPress is quite easy to learn, and most beginners can get started without taking any special training course.
However, we know that learning a whole new platform can be intimidating. We want to help lower the learning curve so you can become an expert at using the world’s best website builder without becoming discouraged.
A WordPress training course can help you quickly get familiar with the platform, learn the basics, and get comfortable troubleshooting without struggling alone.
How We Test and Review WordPress Training Courses
With so many WordPress training courses available, finding the right one can be overwhelming.
Whether you’re a beginner looking for step-by-step guidance or an experienced user seeking advanced skills, it’s important to choose an online course that delivers real value.
Not all courses provide the same level of quality, so we carefully evaluate each course based on the following key factors:
🧑🏫 Instructor Expertise and Credibility. A great course starts with a knowledgeable instructor. We looked for courses taught by experienced WordPress professionals, developers, or educators with a strong track record.
📑 Course Content and Structure. A well-organized course makes learning easier. We looked at whether the curriculum covers essential WordPress topics, like installation, themes, plugins, and security. Plus, it should offer a logical progression from beginner to advanced skills.
🔤 Teaching Style and Engagement. Engaging lessons make all the difference. We chose courses that are clear, beginner-friendly, and free of unnecessary jargon.
🎬 Production Quality. If there’s any, we checked for clear visuals, well-edited content, and professional narration. High-quality video and audio improve the learning experience. Captions and transcripts are a bonus, ensuring better accessibility for all learners.
🙌 Support and Community. Learning is easier with support, so we looked for courses that offer access to discussion forums, Q&A sections, or direct interaction with instructors. Courses with active communities where students can ask questions and collaborate are rated higher.
💰 Value for Money. We compared course pricing to similar options and considered factors like lifetime access, updates, and additional resources. We also keep an eye out for free or discounted courses that provide excellent value.
With that said, here’s our list of the best free and paid WordPress training courses:
1. WPBeginner Videos
WPBeginner Videos offers a collection of free WordPress video courses for beginners, making it easy to get started with WordPress in just a few hours.
This course includes a WordPress 101 training course with 33 training modules. Starting with the introduction, the course gradually walks you through different sections, making the learning process smooth and engaging.
We appreciate how it covers essential skills like creating and managing content, adding images and videos, allowing user registrations, using the block editor, creating menus, installing themes and plugins, and more!
Designed for beginners, this video series provides a solid foundation for building a website.
We personally love that it not only helps you get started but also supports continued learning with additional courses.
These include a comprehensive WordPress SEO course, a How to Be a Better Blogger course, and training for popular WordPress plugins, making it a well-rounded resource for anyone looking to master WordPress.
Price: Free
2. WP101
WP101 is a popular WordPress-focused training platform. They offer 175+ WordPress training videos and multiple WordPress courses on various topics.
We like that all their videos are well-scripted, free of technical jargon, and professionally produced, making them easy to follow for learners at any level.
With content ranging from basic to intermediate WordPress, as well as advanced topics, you can continue learning and improving your skills over time! 🚀
One thing we love is that the platform gives you access to community forums and a free WordPress sandbox website. This way, you can practice your skills and experiment with new ideas in a risk-free environment.
Price: $12 per month or $48 per year.
3. WPBeginner on YouTube
WPBeginner on YouTube is the best WordPress YouTube channel for beginners, with over 1 million subscribers, 55 million views, and 1200+ free videos.
As the companion channel to the WPBeginner website, this training course is managed and run by our team.
We regularly upload new how-to tutorials aimed at beginner-level users. And we make sure that these videos are short and easy to follow.
Each video includes a link to the text version of the tutorial. You can even ask questions in the comments for the support team to answer, making it an interactive learning experience.
Joining our YouTube channel will help you stay current, brush up on your WordPress skills, and discover new tools and plugins for your website.
If you need guided instructions, we recommend switching to the Playlists tab, where our videos are organized by topic. The best starting point for absolute beginners is our New User playlist.
Price: Free
4. WPBeginner Blog
WPBeginner is the #1 WordPress resource site for beginners with over 2,500+ free WordPress tutorials and guides. We have been publishing WordPress tutorials and helping people learn WordPress and grow their small businesses since 2009.
For new users, you can check out our Start Here guide, which shows you how to get started with WordPress using WPBeginner’s free tutorials.
💡 Need more specific tutorials? Then, we highly recommend trying one of these entry points. All of them have been written specifically for absolute newcomers to WordPress:
- How to make a WordPress website
- How to start a blog
- How to create an online store
- How to learn WordPress for free in a week
- How to find the best WordPress theme
- Best WordPress plugins to install on your new website
Once you’ve made your website, you’ll face new WordPress challenges.
Don’t worry! We’ve got you covered for those as well:
- The complete WordPress SEO guide for beginners
- Improve WordPress performance and speed
- Improve WordPress security
- Fix common WordPress errors
🤔 Have a WordPress question? There’s a good chance we’ve already answered it.
Simply type your question in the search icon at the top right corner.
🔎 Can’t find an answer? Drop us a message using the contact form or post it on our WPBeginner Engage Facebook group. We’ll try to answer your question as quickly as possible.
Price: Free
5. OptinMonster University
OptinMonster University offers a free digital marketing training course for WordPress users and online business owners.
This course stands out because of its practical lessons that guide you through the fundamentals of digital marketing, email marketing, and converting website visitors into paying customers. These are essential skills for anyone looking to grow their online presence!
We found it especially useful that the course includes practical examples, downloadable checklists, worksheets, and a complete library of ebooks and guides. In our opinion, this makes it a comprehensive learning resource.
Since email is one of the highest-converting marketing tools, we strongly recommend that new WordPress users start building their email list as early as possible. And this course provides a great foundation to do just that.
Price: Free to all OptinMonster subscribers
6. Thrive University
Thrive University offers WordPress marketing training courses for beginners. These courses are designed for beginners who want to learn how to use WordPress to grow their business.
Thrive University includes courses on building a landing page, growing an email list, creating a business website, and more. Want to establish a strong online presence? Then you’ll find these skills valuable.
We find these training courses especially helpful for entrepreneurs who are just starting with WordPress and want to explore the best ways to grow their business online. The lessons are structured to make learning easy and actionable.
Note that while most beginner courses are free, some require a Thrive Suite subscription. That said, a few premium courses are sold separately, which gives users flexible learning options.
Price: Free + paid starting from $47, depending on your chosen course
7. LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda) is an online learning platform and marketplace where industry experts and professionals offer online courses.
While it’s not a WordPress-specific platform, we found that it offers dozens of WordPress courses covering a wide range of topics, from plugins and themes to PHP and JavaScript.
These courses are created by experienced WordPress professionals, ensuring high-quality instruction.
One thing we find particularly useful is that when you complete a course on LinkedIn Learning, you can showcase it on your profile. This not only highlights your dedication to learning but also helps you stand out to potential employers and connections. 🌟
Price: $19.99 per month (paid annually)
Bonus Platform: Udemy
Udemy is one of the most popular online learning platforms where course creators from all industries share their knowledge.
What makes it appealing is the variety of WordPress training courses available, taught by both individual creators and seasoned WordPress professionals. And whether you’re just getting started or diving into expert-level topics, there’s a course to match your needs.
We also appreciate the flexibility Udemy offers. For example, you can start with WordPress basics and learn the platform, and then gradually take other courses on more advanced topics such as theme development or security.
Another advantage is Udemy’s frequent discounts. Many premium courses become available at significantly reduced prices, making it an affordable way to build your skills without a big upfront investment.
Price: Varies on a course-by-course basis
We hope this article helped you find the best WordPress training courses for beginners. Need some inspiration? Then, you can check out our expert picks of the best online course platforms and our guide on how to create and sell online courses with WordPress.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
Dennis Muthomi
Love this article on WordPress training courses!
I always recommend my clients who are newbies to the WPBeginner Videos which are super helpful for beginners so that they can have a basic knowledge of WordPress and don’t depend on me entirely.
Then I always recommend them to practice what they learn after each video. This hands-on approach has helped them retain the info better.
Thanks for putting together such a great list!