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Docker & Kubernetes: The Practical Guide (Udemy.com)

Learn Docker, Docker Compose, Multi-Container Projects, Deployment and all about Kubernetes from the ground up!

Created by: Academind by Maximilian Schwarzmüller

Last updated April 2026

Our take

Based on the ratings of 38,168 students, a sample of their written reviews and the syllabus, as the course stood in April 2026. No course pays to be reviewed.

This is Academind's Docker and Kubernetes course, taught by Maximilian Schwarzmüller. It runs 23.7 hours across 263 lectures and 16 sections, and starts from zero: images, containers, volumes, networking, Docker Compose, then deployment, then a full Kubernetes half. The syllabus shows demo projects in Node, Python and Laravel PHP, and no coding exercises. Basic web development knowledge is expected, but no particular language. About 264,000 students have enrolled, and the course was last updated in April 2026.

Reviewers keep coming back to the teaching. They call it clear, detailed and enjoyable, and one person without an IT background said they could follow it. Of 38,168 ratings, 26,547 are five stars and 136 are one star. The Docker half gets the warmer reactions, and one reviewer found the Kubernetes part denser and harder to stay interested in. Complaints are specific. One student called the AWS deployment section severely outdated, another could not follow it without paying, and a three-star reviewer thought the four-hour deployment block was too setup-specific. Another wanted more exercises.

For the hours, it covers a lot of ground. It fits anyone who wants one teacher to take them from a first container to a deployed cluster at a good pace. The AWS videos can be watched passively if a credit card is a barrier, as one reviewer did. Someone who already knows Docker may be better served by a Kubernetes-only course.

Best forWeb developers new to containers who want Docker first, then Kubernetes, taught at a good pace with demos.
Skip it ifYou already know Docker and only want Kubernetes, or you can't spare about 4 hours for AWS.

Pros

  • Starts from zero and builds from images to Compose, with demos in Node, Python and PHP
  • Reviewers call Maximilian's explanations clear, detailed and easy for non-IT people
  • Covers both Docker and Kubernetes, including volumes, networking and EKS, in one course
  • Recently refreshed, with a last update in April 2026

Cons

  • The AWS deployment sections are called severely outdated, and need a credit card
  • The Kubernetes half is described as dense, and one reviewer found the lesson order jumpy
  • Few exercises: the course has no coding exercises and one reviewer wants more practice
A very thorough course. I learned a lot and am now more confident about my skills with Docker and Kubernetes.
Ville Nyrhilä, a student

Suits beginners to Docker, but basic web development knowledge is expected. No specific language is needed.

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What you will learn

  • Learn what Docker and Kubernetes are and why you might want to use them
  • Learn how to install and use Docker on any system (macOS, Windows, Linux)
  • Learn how to create and use Images & Containers with Docker
  • Understand complex topics like managing and persisting data with Volumes
  • Learn about Container Networking with Docker Networks and DNS Service Discovery
  • Learn how to deploy Docker applications - manually, with managed services or with Kubernetes

Course content

16 sections · 263 lectures · 24 hours of video 6 quizzes, 1 assignment, 34 articles

  1. 1Getting Started 13 free previews16 lectures · 1.2 hours
  2. 2Docker Images & Containers: The Core Building Blocks 1 free preview25 lectures · 3 quizzes · 2.3 hours
  3. 3Managing Data & Working with Volumes24 lectures · 1 quiz · 2 hours
  4. 4Networking: (Cross-)Container Communication13 lectures · 1 quiz · 51 min
  5. 5Building Multi-Container Applications with Docker12 lectures · 1.3 hours
  6. 6Docker Compose: Elegant Multi-Container Orchestration11 lectures · 1 quiz · 58 min
  7. 7Working with "Utility Containers" & Executing Commands In Containers9 lectures · 30 min
  8. 8A More Complex Setup: A Laravel & PHP Dockerized Project13 lectures · 1.3 hours
  9. 9Deploying Docker Containers39 lectures · 3.9 hours
  10. 10Docker & Containers - A Summary8 lectures · 18 min

Who it is for

The instructor says it suits

  • Everyone who has NOT worked with Docker or Kubernetes at all
  • Everyone who is struggling with understanding what exactly Docker is (and why you might want to use it)
  • (Web) developers who want to explore modern DevOps and Docker

What you need before you start

  • NO prior Docker or Kubernetes experience is required!
  • Basic (web) development knowledge is required - you don't need to know a specific language though
  • AWS (used in a couple of deployment examples, ~4 hours of the course) requires a credit card - you can also follow along passively though

How it compares

Against the other 219 rated Udemy courses in DevOps on CourseDuck:

  • Rating4.7 out of 5higher than 91% of them
  • Reviews38,168#9 of 220 by number of reviews
  • Length23.7 hourslonger than 94% of them
  • Last updatedApril 2026more recently than 82% of them

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Course Description

Join this bestselling Docker & Kubernetes course and learn two of the most important development technologies from the ground up, in great detail!

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Docker & Kubernetes are amongst the most in-demand technologies and topics you can learn these days.

Why?

Because they significantly simplify the development and deployment process of both simple and complex software projects. Especially in web development (though not limited to that), Docker can really take you to the next level!

With Docker, you create and manage so-called "Containers" - basically packages of code and tools required to run that code. These containers allow you to run your programs in a predictable, environment-independent way - no matter where you need to run it.

For modern DevOps (Development Operations) but also for local development - on your own or in a team - this is a winner feature since you will no longer have any "but it worked on my machine" discussions. It works inside of a container, hence it works everywhere!

This course will teach you both Docker & Kubernetes from the ground up with all the required theory and tons of examples and demos!

We'll explore all key concepts in detail and with practical examples and demos - from images and containers, over volumes and networking all the way up to deployment and Kubernetes Cluster: This course has it all!

In detail, this course includes the following topics:

  • A thorough introduction to Docker, containers and why you might want to use Docker

  • Detailed setup instructions for macOS and Windows

  • A deep-dive into the core concepts you need to know: Containers & images

  • Learn how to create custom images, use existing images and how to run containers based on such images

  • Get a detailed overview of the core commands you need when working with Docker

  • Learn how to work with data and how to persist data with volumes

  • Explore container networking - with the outside world and between multiple containers

  • Learn how to work with both single and multi-container projects

  • In-depth deployment instructions: Manual deployment and deployment with managed services like AWS ECS

  • Understand Kubernetes core concepts & architecture

  • Learn how to create Kubernetes resources, deployments, services and how to run your containers with Kubernetes

  • Dive deeply into working with data in Kubernetes projects - with different types of volumes

  • Kubernetes networking and DNS service discovery

  • Learn how to deploy your Kubernetes project (at the example of AWS EKS)

  • And much more!

All these topics are taught in great detail with slides and theory but also, most importantly, with many examples and demo!

You'll find tons of demo projects throughout the course - using programming languages like NodeJS, Python or PHP (with Laravel). You don't need to know these languages to follow along though, no worries!

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Instructor Details

Academind by Maximilian Schwarzmüller

Bundling the courses and know how of successful instructors, Academind strives to deliver high quality online education. 

Online Education, Real-Life Success - that's what Academind stands for. Learn topics like web development, data analyses and more in a fun and engaging way.

We've taught more than 3,000,000 students on a broad variety of topics. We'd love to teach you as well! :)

Keep learning!

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Reviews

4.7

38,168 ratings on Udemy

Select a bar to show only those reviews.Select the bar again to show every rating.

By Rafet Çelik on 6/8/2026

First of all, I’d like to thank you for this valuable course. I’ve gained useful knowledge that I can apply to my career and work moving forward. I’ve learned a lot about Docker and Kubernetes. It’s not a major issue, but I’m mentioning it because the AWS sections could be updated to reflect the current interface, which would make them easier for beginners to understand. Other than that, I’m very satisfied. I highly recommend it.

By Alex White on 5/27/2026

Klasse Kurs mit rotem Faden! Ein didaktisch top aufgebauter Kurs, der genau die richtigen Inhalte vermittelt. Die Struktur ist sehr klar. Sehr gut gelöst ist das Erweitern von Beispielen und deren Verwendung mit anderer Technik in den folgenden Lektionen – das wiederholt das Gelernte und erweitert das Wissen Schritt für Schritt. Der Dozent trägt das Thema außerdem sehr interessant vor. 5 Sterne!

By Irina-Cristiana Luță on 5/11/2026

Amazing explanations!! Very detailed and hands-on. The only thing is that the AWS sections can be a bit trickier to go through because of how much the interface and default settings changed since the course was created. However, I do think that the parts which were not up to date challenged me to find solutions on my own and understand everything on a deeper level. Thank you!!

By Antonio Seraus on 5/11/2026

Deze cursus is professioneel opgebouwd en duidelijk uitgelegd. De docent is capabel, legt complexe onderwerpen helder uit en werkt op een gestructureerde manier. De inhoud voelt praktijkgericht aan en het niveau ligt hoog zonder onnodig ingewikkeld te worden. Zeker een aanrader voor iedereen die serieus met dit onderwerp aan de slag wil.

By Gaurav on 5/2/2026

This is one of the best DevOps courses I’ve taken. It covers everything from basic concepts to advanced topics in a very structured and practical way. The hands-on approach really helped me understand real-world scenarios, and the deployment projects gave me confidence to implement DevOps practices in actual environments. Tools like Docker, Kubernetes, and cloud integrations were explained clearly with proper examples. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to build strong DevOps skills from scratch to advanced level. Thanks

By Ashar Ashraf on 3/28/2026

very well explained upto the well cloud deployments as well i have also taken the docker course of code with mosh it is just basic nothing i do not like but the maximilian course is very well organized best way of teaching he also knows what beginer takes mistakes so that he first tries you and then not to do this here is a better approach maximilian is the best all over on udemy one of my favourite instructor i have taken his 3 courses

By Daniele C on 3/26/2026

I really appreciated this course. It's very easy to follow and provides all the information you need. It starts from the very basic concepts and gradually builds up to realistic scenarios you might face in production. For me, it was extremely useful, even before finishing the course, I was already able to apply the newly acquired concepts in my day‑to‑day work as a developer. I loved the course and I highly recommend it to every developer!

By Amal Gafsi on 3/6/2026

What I like most about this course is, first the explanation is crystal clear, second straight to the point, no blablabla... and finally it covers everything you should know about docker and how to deploy your work on AWS which I found so important and interesting. Thank you so much Max!

By Ori Sason on 2/8/2026

Another excellent course from Max. The content was delivered in a clear and accessible manner. My only critique is that I would have liked more hands-on practice—the Docker assignment was excellent, but the momentum didn't quite continue. Additionally, the deployment section felt slightly disorganized. While UI changes in AWS are expected, some of the services used weren't explained in enough depth. Despite that, it's a great value and I highly recommend it.

By Ramy Abdallah on 1/31/2026

Maximilian Schwarzmüller’s Docker and K8s foundation course was a real gem. The depth and attention to detail here is exactly what separates seasoned developers from the noise of the AI hype. The way the concepts are built up step by step, including the architecture decisions, the reasoning behind each piece, and the tradeoffs, makes the material stick. What I especially appreciated is that he does not edit reality out of the course. He keeps meaningful errors and debugging moments in, and uses them to teach the deeper concepts. That approach is rare, and it is incredibly effective. You do not just learn Docker commands, you learn how to think when things break. I have also been keeping up with the rebranding and the evolution in how he delivers content, and it is genuinely impressive. This level of quality does not go unnoticed. Keep up the amazing work. You are truly an inspiration.

By Jonathan Cheng on 11/21/2020

A very nice and comprehensive course about Docker, despite the complexity of the matter. The teacher knows what's being taught, and most of the time I was able to follow along without much effort in debugging and working around issues.
Some minor issues still need to be addressed so that all students (including those with less programming experience or even with a complex WSL2 setup) can go through everything in a smooth pace.

By Gergo Buchholcz on 11/14/2020

If there is a course from Maximilian Schwarzmller that interests you, don't hesitate to buy it. He is one of the best instructor, his courses are clear, easy to follow and very instructive. His style and presentation are absolutely motivating, even if the topics are heavy.
This course is about docker. What else to add? Usual Maximilian Schwarzmller quality, or briefly speaking great quality. If you are interested in docker or want to learn docker, you have found probably the best course, so you can stop searching, just go for it!

Showing 12 of 22 reviews

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Overall Score : 94 / 100