Quick answer: Chad Darby’s Spring Boot 4, Spring 7 & Hibernate for Beginners is the best overall choice for beginners because it covers the core Spring ecosystem and has more than 400,000 students. For microservices, choose in28Minutes’ Master Microservices with Spring Boot and Spring Cloud. For Spring Security 7, Code Decode’s course has the highest rating in this selection at 4.8★.
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Spring remains one of the most widely used ecosystems for building Java backend applications. This guide compares 37 Spring courses on Udemy, covering Spring Boot, Spring Framework, Spring Security, JPA, testing, microservices, cloud deployment, and Spring AI.
The courses are evaluated based on curriculum relevance, instructor track record, hands-on projects, student feedback, and update freshness. Ratings, student counts, prices, and coupon availability can change, so Udemy checkout remains the final source for current pricing.
This guide evaluates 37 English-language Spring courses on Udemy. The top 10 are reviewed in detail below; the full 37-course ranking appears in the “Full Ranking at a Glance” table.
Full Ranking at a Glance
| Rank | Course | Rating | Students | Best for | Why it ranks here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spring Boot 4, Spring 7 & Hibernate for Beginners | ⭐ 4.6 | 444,846 | Beginner Spring ecosystem | Most enrolled (444k), complete ecosystem, updated for Boot 4/7 |
| 2 | Master Microservices with Spring Boot and Spring Cloud | ⭐ 4.6 | 304,152 | Spring Boot microservices | Most enrolled microservices (304k), Spring Cloud complete |
| 3 | Hibernate and Spring Data JPA: Beginner to Guru | ⭐ 4.7 | 14,629 | Hibernate and Spring Data JPA | Deepest JPA/Hibernate, 30.5h, 4.7★ |
| 4 | Spring Boot Testing with JUnit 5, Mockito & Testcontainers | ⭐ 4.7 | 13,468 | Spring Boot testing | Only testing with Testcontainers, 4.7★, 13k students |
| 5 | [NEW] Spring Security 7 + OAuth2 + JWT + Auth0 + Keycloak | ⭐ 4.8 | 571 | Spring Security 7 and JWT | Highest rated (4.8★), Security 7 + Auth0/Keycloak |
| 6 | Advanced OpenID Connect with Keycloak and Spring Security | ⭐ 4.7 | 5,101 | Keycloak and OpenID Connect | Focused Keycloak, 5k students, 4.7★ |
| 7 | Spring AI with Java: Build AI-Powered Applications (2026) | ⭐ 4.7 | 1,512 | Spring AI fundamentals | Short Spring AI intro (3.5h), 4.7★ |
| 8 | Microservices with Spring Boot, Spring Cloud, Docker & Kafka | ⭐ 4.6 | 26,887 | Full-stack project | Full-stack with Docker & Kafka, 42h |
| 9 | Build Full-Stack Food App: Spring Boot, React,AWS & Payments | ⭐ 4.7 | 1,445 | Java-to-Spring learning path | Full-stack food app with React & AWS, 18.5h |
| 10 | Industry-Ready Java Spring Boot: Cloud, and Spring AI | ⭐ 4.7 | 256 | Reactive Spring applications | Cloud + Spring AI, 76h, Java-to-Spring path |
How We Ranked These Courses
We evaluated each course on five weighted criteria:
| Criterion | Weight | What We Assessed |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum for Boot 4/7 | 30% | Covers Spring Boot 4, Spring 7, Security 7 vs outdated versions |
| Instructor Quality | 25% | Students, rating, update frequency, Q&A responsiveness |
| Hands-on Labs | 20% | Real projects, Testcontainers, Docker, Keycloak labs |
| Student Satisfaction | 15% | Rating, review sentiment, completion |
| Update Frequency | 10% | Last updated date vs Boot 4 release |
Course data was checked on August 31, 2026. Ratings, student counts, prices, availability, and coupon terms may change after publication.
Detailed Reviews — Top 10
We provide in-depth reviews for the top 10 courses. The remaining 27 courses are included in the full ranking table and summarized by topic in the “The Remaining 27 Courses” section.
1. Spring Boot 4, Spring 7 & Hibernate for Beginners
Best for: Beginner Spring ecosystem
Why it stands out: This is the strongest all-in-one option in the list. It covers Spring Core, Spring Boot, REST, MVC, AOP, JPA, Hibernate, MySQL, Maven, and related fundamentals.
Rating: ⭐ 4.6/5 · Students: 444,846 · Duration: 35h 30m · Last Updated: 2025-12-21
What you’ll learn:
- NEW FOR SPRING BOOT 4, SPRING 7 and IntelliJ (free version)
- You will TYPE IN EVERY LINE of code with me in the videos. I EXPLAIN every line of code to help you learn!
- LEARN key Spring Boot 4 features: Core, Annotations, Java Config, Spring REST, Spring MVC, AOP, Hibernate/JPA and Maven
Pros:
- More than 400,000 students and a 4.6★ rating.
- Covers the main Spring ecosystem in one course.
- Guided coding style is suitable for learners who prefer to follow along.
Cons:
- At more than 35 hours, it requires a significant time commitment.
- Learners who only need security, testing, or microservices should choose a specialized course.
- The last update is older than some newer courses in this list.
Enroll in Chad Darby’s Course →
2. Master Microservices with Spring Boot and Spring Cloud
Best for: Spring Boot microservices
Why it stands out: The course focuses on REST APIs, Spring Cloud, distributed systems, and Kubernetes-oriented workflows.
Rating: ⭐ 4.6/5 · Students: 304,152 · Duration: 26h · Last Updated: 2026-08-04
What you’ll learn:
- Develop and design REST API and REST WEB SERVICES with Spring Boot
- Develop MICROSERVICES with Spring Boot and Spring Cloud
- Orchestrate microservices with KUBERNETES
Pros:
- More than 300,000 students and a 4.6★ rating.
- Broad coverage of Spring Boot microservices concepts.
- Suitable for learners moving from monoliths to distributed applications.
Cons:
- Not the right starting point for someone new to Java or Spring.
- Microservices introduce operational complexity that is difficult to master through one course alone.
Enroll in in28Minutes Official’s Course →
3. Hibernate and Spring Data JPA: Beginner to Guru
Best for: Hibernate and Spring Data JPA
Why it stands out: This course focuses on JDBC, Hibernate, JPA, ORM mapping, relationships, queries, and Spring Data JPA.
Rating: ⭐ 4.7/5 · Students: 14,629 · Duration: 30h 30m · Last Updated: 2026-02-20
What you’ll learn:
- Learn about the Java JPA Specification and the Hibernate JPA Implementation
- How to Query Data with JDBC, JDBC Template, Hibernate, and Spring Data JPA
- Learn how to use JPA’s Object Relational Mapping (ORM) to map Java POJOs to relational database tables
Pros:
- Strong coverage of persistence concepts.
- Useful for developers who understand Spring Boot but struggle with database mappings.
- Includes more than 30 hours of material.
Cons:
- It is not a microservices course.
- The amount of Hibernate detail may be excessive for simple CRUD applications.
Enroll in John Thompson’s Course →
4. Spring Boot Testing with JUnit 5, Mockito & Testcontainers
Best for: Spring Boot testing
Why it stands out: It covers unit testing, integration testing, JUnit 5, Mockito, MockMvc, BDD, and Testcontainers.
Rating: ⭐ 4.7/5 · Students: 13,468 · Duration: 16h 30m · Last Updated: 2026-08-15
What you’ll learn:
- Learn to write industry-standard Unit and Integration tests in BDD (Behaviour Driven Development) style using Spring Boot Starter Test dependency from scratch
- Learn how to use BDD (Behaviour Driven Development) format that is given/when/then to write Unit tests.
- Learn everything about JUnit Framework 5
Pros:
- 4.7★ rating with more than 13,000 students.
- Focuses on skills that are often missing from beginner Spring courses.
- Includes both unit and integration testing concepts.
Cons:
- Requires basic Java and Spring Boot knowledge.
- It is not a general Spring Boot course.
Enroll in Ramesh Fadatare (Java Guides)’s Course →
5. [NEW] Spring Security 7 + OAuth2 + JWT + Auth0 + Keycloak
Best for: Spring Security 7 and JWT
Why it stands out: This is the highest-rated security-focused course in the selection, covering authentication, authorization, JWT, OAuth2, Auth0, Keycloak, RBAC, and security filter-chain concepts.
![[NEW] Spring Security 7 + OAuth2 + JWT + Auth0 + Keycloak Code Decode](https://img-c.udemycdn.com/course/480x270/6577999_3601_5.jpg)
Rating: ⭐ 4.8/5 · Students: 571 · Duration: 13h 30m · Last Updated: 2026-07-20
What you’ll learn:
- MASTER SPRING SECURITY 7 architecture including Authentication, Authorization, Security Filter Chain, and internal request flow
- IMPLEMENT USER AUTHENTICATION using UserDetailsService, PasswordEncoder, and database-backed user management
- UNDERSTAND ROLES vs AUTHORITIES and implement RBAC (Role-Based Access Control) & ABAC in real applications
Pros:
- 4.8★ rating.
- Covers several modern identity and authorization technologies.
- Updated in July 2026 according to the supplied course data.
Cons:
- The course has a much smaller student base than established Spring courses.
- It assumes Java and Spring fundamentals.
- It should not be presented as a complete Spring ecosystem course.
Enroll in Code Decode’s Course →
6. Advanced OpenID Connect with Keycloak and Spring Security
Best for: Keycloak and OpenID Connect
Why it stands out: Focused on Keycloak as IdP, Authorization Code + PKCE, and Spring Security integration.
Rating: ⭐ 4.7/5 · Students: 5,101 · Duration: 9h 30m · Last Updated: 2026-06-12
What you’ll learn:
- Review of OAuth and OpenID Concepts for Social and Enterprise Applications
- Understanding Keycloak as an Identity and Access Management Provider
- Step-by-step use of Spring Security with Authorization Code with (and without) PKCE
Pros:
- Focused Keycloak and OpenID Connect content, 4.7★
- 9.5h, complements Security 7
- Practical Keycloak labs
Cons:
- Niche — if Auth0-only, Security 7 is enough
- Assumes Spring Security basics
Enroll in Viraj Shetty’s Course →
7. Spring AI with Java: Build AI-Powered Applications (2026)
Best for: Spring AI fundamentals
Why it stands out: Short introduction to Spring AI with Java, covering AI fundamentals for Spring developers.
Rating: ⭐ 4.7/5 · Students: 1,512 · Duration: 3h 30m · Last Updated: 2026-03-26
What you’ll learn:
- Build AI-powered apps using Spring AI with Java & Spring Boot.
- Master prompt engineering with system, user, assistant messages and Prompt Templates
- Work with memory & context to create multi-turn, human-like conversations.
Pros:
- Short Spring AI intro, 4.7★, 3.5h
- Covers Spring AI with Java
- Good for AI fundamentals
Cons:
- 3.5h — not deep
- Needs Spring basics
Enroll in Infiproton Tech’s Course →
8. Microservices with Spring Boot, Spring Cloud, Docker & Kafka
Best for: Full-stack project
Why it stands out: Covers microservices with Spring Boot, Spring Cloud, Docker and Kafka in a full-stack eCommerce project.
Rating: ⭐ 4.6/5 · Students: 26,887 · Duration: 42h · Last Updated: 2026-08-15
What you’ll learn:
- Learn REST API Fundamentals - REST API, Resource, Sub-resource, URI, HTTP methods, HTTP status codes, Design REST APIs, Best Practices, and REST API Differences
- Build REST API’s using Spring Boot
- Build CRUD REST API’s using Spring Boot, Spring Data JPA and MySQL Database
Pros:
- Full-stack with Docker & Kafka, 42h, 26k students
- Project-based, Ramesh Fadatare
- Updated Aug 2026
Cons:
- 42h demanding
- Requires Docker
Enroll in Ramesh Fadatare (Java Guides)’s Course →
9. Build Full-Stack Food App: Spring Boot, React,AWS & Payments
Best for: Java-to-Spring learning path
Why it stands out: Builds a full-stack food ordering app with Spring Boot, React, AWS and secure payments.
Rating: ⭐ 4.7/5 · Students: 1,445 · Duration: 18h 30m · Last Updated: 2026-04-08
What you’ll learn:
- How to Develop a complete Food Ordering App using Spring Boot & React
- How to Implement advanced authentication & authorization with Spring Security/JWT
- How to Integrate secure payment processing in a real application
Pros:
- Full-stack food app with React & AWS, 18.5h
- Payment integration, deployment
- Hands-on project
Cons:
- Project-specific — not general Spring
- Requires React basics
10. Industry-Ready Java Spring Boot: Cloud, and Spring AI
Best for: Reactive Spring applications
Why it stands out: Covers Java OOP, Collections, Spring Boot, microservices and cloud deployment as a learning path from Java to Spring.
Rating: ⭐ 4.7/5 · Students: 256 · Duration: 76h · Last Updated: 2026-04-27
What you’ll learn:
- Master Core Java concepts including OOPs, Collections, Exception Handling, and Multithreading
- Develop real-world backend applications using Spring Boot and build RESTful APIs
- Understand and implement Microservices Architecture for scalable applications
Pros:
- Java-to-Spring path, 76h, cloud + Spring AI
- Covers Java OOP to microservices
- Good for career transition
Cons:
- 76h very long
- Beginner Java required
Enroll in Navin Reddy’s Course →
Full Comparison Table
| # | Course | Rating | Students | Hours | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spring Boot 4, Spring 7 & Hibernate for Beginners | ⭐ 4.6 | 444,846 | 35h 30m | $12.99 | Beginner Spring ecosystem |
| 2 | Master Microservices with Spring Boot and Spring Cloud | ⭐ 4.6 | 304,152 | 26h | $10.99 | Spring Boot microservices |
| 3 | Hibernate and Spring Data JPA: Beginner to Guru | ⭐ 4.7 | 14,629 | 30h 30m | $10.99 | Hibernate and Spring Data JPA |
| 4 | Spring Boot Testing with JUnit 5, Mockito & Testcontainers | ⭐ 4.7 | 13,468 | 16h 30m | $10.99 | Spring Boot testing |
| 5 | [NEW] Spring Security 7 + OAuth2 + JWT + Auth0 + Keycloak | ⭐ 4.8 | 571 | 13h 30m | $12.99 | Spring Security 7 and JWT |
| 6 | Advanced OpenID Connect with Keycloak and Spring Security | ⭐ 4.7 | 5,101 | 9h 30m | $9.99 | Keycloak and OpenID Connect |
| 7 | Spring AI with Java: Build AI-Powered Applications (2026) | ⭐ 4.7 | 1,512 | 3h 30m | $12.99 | Spring AI fundamentals |
| 8 | Microservices with Spring Boot, Spring Cloud, Docker & Kafka | ⭐ 4.6 | 26,887 | 42h | $10.99 | Full-stack project |
| 9 | Build Full-Stack Food App: Spring Boot, React,AWS & Payments | ⭐ 4.7 | 1,445 | 18h 30m | $9.99 | Full-stack project |
| 10 | Industry-Ready Java Spring Boot: Cloud, and Spring AI | ⭐ 4.7 | 256 | 76h | $11.99 | Java-to-Spring learning path |
The Remaining 27 Courses
The remaining 27 courses in this selection cover additional topics such as:
- More Spring Boot projects (eCommerce, blogs, full-stack apps)
- Additional Spring Security and OAuth2 courses
- More Spring AI and GenAI-focused courses
- WebFlux and reactive programming
- RabbitMQ, Apache Camel, and integration patterns
These courses are included in the full 37-course dataset used for this ranking. The top 10 above represent the strongest options for most learners in 2026.
How to Choose Your Learning Path
| Goal | Recommended course | Why |
|---|---|---|
| New to Spring | Chad Darby — Spring Boot 4, Spring 7 & Hibernate | Broad coverage of the core ecosystem |
| Learn microservices | in28Minutes — Master Microservices | Focuses on Spring Boot and Spring Cloud |
| Improve JPA and Hibernate | John Thompson — Hibernate and Spring Data JPA | Dedicated persistence curriculum |
| Learn testing | Ramesh Fadatare — Spring Boot Testing | Covers JUnit 5, Mockito, MockMvc, and Testcontainers |
| Secure REST APIs | Code Decode — Spring Security 7 | Focuses on JWT, OAuth2, Auth0, and Keycloak |
| Use Keycloak | Viraj Shetty — Advanced OpenID Connect | Dedicated Keycloak and OIDC material |
| Build Spring AI apps | Infiproton Tech — Spring AI with Java | Short, focused introduction to Spring AI |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need Java before Spring? Yes, Java 11+ basics required. Spring assumes OOP, collections, and Maven/Gradle.
Does Spring Boot 4 matter? It matters when you need the latest APIs, dependencies, and project setup. However, Spring Boot 3 and Spring Framework 6 courses can still be useful for learning durable concepts such as dependency injection, REST APIs, JPA, testing, and security. Check the course’s last update and curriculum before enrolling.
Are the coupons guaranteed to work? No coupon can be guaranteed permanently. Udemy prices, coupon codes, redemption limits, and regional availability can change. Open the course through the link and confirm the final price at checkout.
Do Udemy courses include a certificate? Udemy course certificate availability depends on the course and account conditions. Check the course page for the current certificate and access details before purchasing.
Can I request a refund? Refund eligibility depends on Udemy’s current policies, payment method, region, and purchase conditions. Check the applicable refund terms on Udemy before buying.
How long to learn Spring Boot? For fundamentals, expect 2–3 months at around 2 hours per day. Adding microservices and security typically requires another 1–2 months. A dedicated testing course like Ramesh Fadatare’s is about 16 hours, but assumes you already know Spring Boot basics.
About the Author
This ranking was curated by Andrew Derek, Java & Spring curriculum analyst at CoursesWyn. Ratings, student counts and prices were checked on August 31, 2026 as live Udemy data. Have a course to suggest? Contact us.
Final Thoughts
This list is an editorial ranking, not a pure sort by rating. Beginners see fundamental courses first; niche courses like Security, Keycloak and AI do not outrank core courses just because of a higher rating. This aligns with search intent for “best Spring courses”.
Best overall: Chad Darby — best for beginners who want one broad Spring course.
For microservices: in28Minutes — Master Microservices.
For security: Code Decode — Spring Security 7 and JWT.
The prices shown on this page are promotional prices captured during the latest review. Udemy may display a different price depending on region, timing, account, or coupon availability.
Related reading: Best Java Courses 2026 · Browse Spring Coupons · How to Redeem a Coupon