Best Free Certification Courses From Google and Microsoft to Boost Your Resume (2026)

Free online certificates with resume value are popular nowadays, though a relevant credential can help demonstrate skills and strengthen a resume during the hiring process rather than guarantee a job on its own. Demand for recognised digital and technology skills has kept climbing, and Google and Microsoft remain two of the biggest names offering structured training toward them.

This blog will help you compare the best free certification courses from Google and Microsoft, the skills actually covered, career relevance and genuine resume value.

Quick Answer

Best Free Certification Courses From Google

A quick look at the free certification courses from Google worth knowing about:

• The course material can usually be audited for free.
• The shareable, LinkedIn-ready certificate sits behind a Coursera subscription, unless a learner qualifies for financial aid, which brings the cost to zero.
• Free course access and a free certificate are not the same thing. Keep them separate when comparing options.

Note: Check out Google's own Career Certificates page for India for the current subscription details and any free-trial terms.

Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce

• Covers: social media strategy, e-commerce fundamentals, analytics tools, basic campaign planning.
• Suited for: career changers aiming at marketing, sales support or small business roles.
• Suited to entry-level marketing and e-commerce roles where practical digital skills can complement formal education or previous experience.

Google Data Analytics

• Covers: spreadsheets, SQL, Tableau, data cleaning and visualisation basics.
• Suited for: learners with no prior analytics background.
• A consistently recommended entry point into data roles, since the skills transfer across industries rather than locking a graduate into one sector.

Google Project Management

• Covers: Agile and traditional waterfall approaches, stakeholder communication, budgeting basics, everyday project-management tools.
• Suited for: operations, coordination, junior project roles and client-facing delivery work across almost any industry.

Google IT Support

• The original Google Career Certificate, dating back to 2018.
• Covers: troubleshooting, networking, operating systems, system administration basics.
• Suited for: complete beginners, with no prior technical background required.
• It has one of the longer track records among Google's current Career Certificate programmes.

How to Get a Google Certificate for Free?

• Google Skillshop offers free training and Google product certification options, separate from the Career Certificates line-up, with no Coursera subscription required.
• On the Career Certificates side, the most reliable free route is Coursera's financial aid programme:
• Applying takes roughly 15 minutes per course.
• Approval, when granted, typically arrives within about 15 days.
• Covers both the coursework and the certificate itself.
• Short of financial aid, auditing the content is free but will not produce the shareable credential.

Are Google Certificates Worth It?

• Can provide useful evidence of relevant skills for career changers, particularly when paired with practical projects or other relevant experience.
• Eligible graduates may also receive access to career resources and employer-related opportunities associated with Google's Career Certificate programmes.
• For someone with substantial relevant experience, the certificate may add less value than it would for a career changer or entry-level applicant.

Best Free Microsoft Certification Courses and Training

Microsoft Learn is one of Microsoft's main free training platforms, with learning paths across Azure, security, data and AI. Free training does not mean every exam built on top of it is free; the two are worth separating clearly.

Microsoft Learn Free Courses

• Content is organised into structured learning paths, broken into individual modules with hands-on exercises built around a free Azure sandbox, not just video watching.
• Suits complete beginners and experienced IT professionals alike, since paths range from absolute fundamentals through to advanced, role-specific tracks.
• Every module on the platform is free to work through, with no subscription or account tier required for the core training.

Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900)

• Microsoft's entry-level cloud certification: tests conceptual understanding of Azure and cloud computing, not hands-on configuration skill.
• Carries no prerequisites.
• Microsoft Learn AZ-900 free training path: see the official Microsoft Learn page, which covers all three exam domains and includes free practice assessments, so a learner can realistically prepare without spending anything on study material.
• The exam itself is separate: it carries its own fee, charged regardless of how the learner prepared. See Microsoft's official AZ-900 exam details for current pricing.
• An AZ-900 free certification exam voucher is sometimes offered through initiatives such as Virtual Training Days and other Microsoft learning events. Availability and eligibility change, so check Microsoft's current pages before relying on one.
• Fundamentals-level certifications such as AZ-900 do not expire, so there is no recurring renewal fee once earned.

Other Microsoft Fundamentals Certifications

• AI Fundamentals (AI-900): basics of machine learning and Microsoft's AI services.
• Data Fundamentals (DP-900): core database and analytics concepts.
• Security Fundamentals (SC-900): identity, compliance, security basics and governance.
• None require prior certification; all suit a learner still deciding which specific Microsoft track to commit to long term. Free Microsoft Learn training, a separate paid exam, no expiry once passed: the same model as AZ-900.

Which Certifications Are Best for Your Resume?

For Career Changers With No Experience

• Google Career Certificates and Microsoft's fundamentals certifications provide structured entry-level learning, though the cost of earning the credential differs between programmes.
• Building solid foundational knowledge matters more here than collecting multiple credentials.
• Pairing a single certificate with two or three small personal projects (a data dashboard, a support-ticket workflow, anything demonstrable) tends to carry far more weight in an interview than the certificate alone.

For Students and Entry-Level Job Seekers

• Gives a hiring manager something concrete to point to instead of a blank work-history section.
• Will not replace an internship in the same field.
• Signals initiative and a baseline of skill that a degree alone often does not.

For Professionals Upskilling

• Works best to demonstrate a specific new specialisation, not as a foundational credential.
• Example: an experienced generalist IT professional adding AZ-900 or a more advanced Azure certification signals a deliberate move toward cloud work that years of unrelated experience cannot on its own.

Google vs Microsoft Certifications: Which One Should You Choose?

This is not really a contest with one winner; it comes down to which career goal is actually being pursued.

• Google's strength: career-focused programmes built around specific job roles, beginner-friendly, and backed by a named employer consortium.
• Microsoft's strength: technical and cloud-focused learning, backed by the depth of the Microsoft Learn ecosystem, with a clear ladder from fundamentals up through advanced, specialised certifications.
• Better to ask which specific job comes next than which provider has the stronger overall brand.

Are Free Certifications Worth Adding to Your Resume?

Yes, though not unconditionally. What actually moves the needle: the credibility of the issuing provider, how directly the certificate relates to the target job, and whether real practical skills or a small project sit alongside it. A handful of unrelated certifications scattered across a resume tends to read as padding, not direction. There is a real difference between simply completing a course and earning a certification an employer would recognise by name.

How to Add a Free Certification to Your Resume

• Format: Certification Name | Provider | Year.
• List the same credential on LinkedIn.
• Reference it in a portfolio where relevant.
• Reflect the underlying skills in the resume's skills section too, rather than letting it appear only once in a certifications list nobody scrolls down to read.

Is Coursera Worth It for Career Certificates?

• Coursera hosts Google's Career Certificates; it is the delivery platform rather than a separate Google credential.
• Course access and certificate access are different. Course content can generally be audited free, while the shareable certificate may require payment or financial aid.
• The value of a certificate depends on how closely it matches the target role and whether it is supported by practical projects or experience.
• Employer recognition varies by certificate and role, so the credential should be treated as supporting evidence rather than a substitute for practical experience.

Key Takeaways

• Google: career-focused certificates built around specific job roles, with career resources and employer-related opportunities available to eligible graduates.
• Microsoft: extensive free technical training through Microsoft Learn, though several exams, AZ-900 included, still carry a fee even after free preparation.
• The right choice depends less on brand and more on the exact role being targeted.
• One relevant certificate paired with a demonstrable project generally outweighs several unrelated ones.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Microsoft providing free certification courses in 2026?

Yes. Microsoft Learn provides free training, while most certification exams, including AZ-900, require a separate exam fee.

Is there a free course that includes a Google certificate?

Yes. Google Skillshop offers free training and Google product certification options. These are separate from Google's Career Certificates on Coursera, where the shareable certificate may require payment or financial aid.

Can I take AZ-900 for free?

Not by default: the exam carries a separate fee. A free event voucher, when available, can bring that cost to zero.

Do employers take Coursera certificates seriously?

It depends on the specific certificate, not the platform. A Google Career Certificate can provide useful evidence of relevant skills, particularly for entry-level roles.

Which Microsoft certifications do not expire?

Fundamentals-level Microsoft certifications, including AZ-900, AI-900, DP-900 and SC-900, do not expire once earned.

What are the best free certifications to add to my resume?

Google's Career Certificates and Microsoft's fundamentals exams both work well when the specific credential matches the targeted role.

How much do Microsoft certifications cost?

Microsoft certification exam costs vary by certification level and region. Check the official Microsoft certification page for the current fee before booking.

Which is better, Google or Microsoft certification?

Neither universally. Google suits career-focused roles such as marketing or data analytics; Microsoft suits cloud and technical paths.