30 resources · 28 free
Databases & Backend
Data modeling, SQL/NoSQL, APIs, and server-side systems that power products.
Database Management Systems (Coursera, Clemson)
Coursera (Clemson University): database design, data models, relational model, entity-relationship modeling, advanced ER modeling, normalization — MySQL and SQL, NoSQL comparisons. 6 modules, ~3 weeks at 10h/week.
MongooseJS Essentials - Learn MongoDB for Node.js
MongooseJS essentials — MongoDB ODM for Node.js: schemas, models, queries, validation, relationships.
CMU 15-445/645 Database Systems
A full-semester university course on database internals covering storage, indexing, query processing, and transactions. All lectures, slides, and past exams are freely available online, with lecture videos on YouTube. Best for learners who want deep, systems-level understanding of how databases actually work. Taught by Andy Pavlo, one of the most respected database educators in the field.
Khan Academy: Intro to SQL
A free interactive course teaching SQL basics through short video lessons and in-browser coding challenges. You learn SELECT queries, filtering, joins, aggregations, and data modification on real datasets. Perfect for absolute beginners with no prior database experience. Backed by Khan Academy, a trusted non-profit education platform used by millions of students worldwide.
PostgreSQL Exercises
A free set of practical SQL exercises built around a realistic club-management database, run against a real PostgreSQL instance in your browser. Exercises progress from basic SELECTs through joins, subqueries, recursive queries, and window functions, with a full answer guide. Ideal for anyone wanting to sharpen PostgreSQL-specific SQL skills after learning the basics. Maintained for over a decade and recommended in the official PostgreSQL community.
Exercism SQLite Track
A free, community-sourced track with 81 coding exercises for SQLite, from beginner queries to advanced challenges. Each exercise runs in your local environment with automated test feedback, and you can request mentorship from volunteers. Good for learners who want structured, mentored practice rather than passive tutorials. Exercism is a non-profit platform trusted by developers worldwide.
LeetCode Database Problems
A large bank of SQL coding challenges graded by difficulty and tagged by topic such as joins, subqueries, and window functions. Solving these prepares you directly for SQL rounds in tech interviews at major companies. The problem set is free to browse and solve; premium subscriptions add company-tagged questions and extra features. Widely considered the standard practice ground for interview-focused SQL preparation.
MongoDB University
Free official courses on MongoDB including the famous M001 introductory course covering document modeling, CRUD operations, indexing, and aggregation. Courses combine videos, quizzes, and hands-on labs, with certificates upon completion. Designed for developers moving from relational to document databases. Run by MongoDB itself, so the content is authoritative and always current with the platform.
Redis University
Free official courses teaching Redis data structures, caching patterns, and database fundamentals, including the well-known RU101. Each course combines video lessons, quizzes, and hands-on exercises with certificates of completion. Suited to backend developers who want to master caching and in-memory data stores. Provided directly by Redis, guaranteeing accurate and up-to-date material.
PostgreSQL Documentation
The complete official manual for PostgreSQL, covering SQL syntax, data types, server administration, performance tuning, and replication. Includes a free tutorial that walks through creating databases, tables, and queries. The authoritative reference for anyone building on PostgreSQL seriously. Maintained by the PostgreSQL Global Development Group, the definitive source for the world's most advanced open-source database.
SQLite Documentation
The official documentation for SQLite, the world's most widely deployed database engine, including the detailed SQL language reference and a tutorial. Explains SQLite's architecture, locking model, and the quirks that make it different from client-server databases. Essential for mobile and embedded developers. Written and maintained by the SQLite authors themselves, making it completely authoritative.
Prisma Documentation
Official docs for Prisma, the popular TypeScript ORM, including getting-started guides, schema modeling, migrations, and relation queries. Includes interactive tutorials that get you connecting an app to PostgreSQL or SQLite within minutes. Great for backend developers building Node.js/TypeScript APIs. Maintained by the Prisma team with excellent, example-heavy writing quality.
Flask Documentation
Official documentation and tutorial for Flask, the lightweight Python web framework, covering routing, templates, databases, and deployment. The quickstart gets you from zero to a working web app in minutes, and the tutorial builds a full blog application. Ideal for Python developers learning backend development. Maintained by the Pallets Projects organization, the same team behind several core Python libraries.
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FastAPI Documentation
Official docs for FastAPI, the modern high-performance Python web framework, with a tutorial that covers path operations, request bodies, validation, and automatic OpenAPI docs. FastAPI's interactive API documentation generation is itself a learning tool. Suited to Python developers building REST APIs, including async services. Created by Sebastián Ramírez and one of the most-starred Python web frameworks on GitHub.
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Express.js Guide
Official documentation and getting-started guide for Express, the de facto standard Node.js web framework. Covers routing, middleware, error handling, and integration with template engines and databases. The basic routing examples are the fastest way to start building Node backends. Backed by the OpenJS Foundation and used by countless production Node.js applications.
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Django Documentation
The official documentation for Django, the batteries-included Python web framework, including a free tutorial that builds a full poll application with models, views, templates, and admin. Covers ORM, authentication, security, and deployment best practices. Perfect for Python developers who want a framework that handles much of backend plumbing out of the box. Maintained by the Django Software Foundation with a huge global community.
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Use The Index, Luke
A free, book-length guide to SQL indexing and query performance, explaining how B-trees work and why queries are slow, in plain language. Covers composite indexes, OR conditions, LIKE patterns, and index-only scans with examples in PostgreSQL, MySQL, and Oracle. Written for developers and DBAs who want their databases fast. Authored by Markus Winand, an internationally recognized SQL performance expert.
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SQL Murder Mystery
A free gamified SQL exercise where you solve a fictional murder by querying a database of witnesses, interviews, and evidence. You apply JOINs, filtering, and subqueries to crack the case, with a certificate for those who solve it. Perfect for beginners who want a fun, motivating way to practice SQL. Created by Northwestern University's Knight Lab, a reputable journalism technology lab.
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DB Fiddle
A free online SQL playground supporting PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, and SQL Server in the browser. You can build schemas, paste queries, and share fiddles via link, making it ideal for experimenting and asking for help. Handy for trying syntax differences between database engines without installing anything. A well-established tool used by developers and teachers for quick SQL experiments.
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freeCodeCamp: SQL Tutorial - Full Database Course for Beginners
A 4-hour free video course that teaches SQL from scratch, including installing MySQL, creating tables, inserting and querying data, and building reports with joins and aggregations. Each section includes hands-on exercises you can follow along. Ideal for visual learners who prefer watching a full guided course. Published by freeCodeCamp, a non-profit whose free programming courses have millions of learners.
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freeCodeCamp: Node.js and Express.js Full Course
An 8-hour free video course covering Node.js fundamentals and Express.js: modules, file system, HTTP servers, routing, middleware, and building a full REST API and MERN app. Developed by John Smilga with companion code on GitHub. Suitable for JavaScript developers moving into backend development. Published by freeCodeCamp, one of the largest free coding education platforms.
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Backend Developer Roadmap
An interactive visual roadmap of everything needed to become a backend developer: internet fundamentals, languages, databases, APIs, caching, queues, and testing. Each node links to curated free resources, and you can track progress in a community account. Excellent for planning self-study and spotting knowledge gaps. Maintained by roadmap.sh, the most popular developer roadmap project on GitHub.
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The Odin Project: Full Stack JavaScript
A free, structured open-source curriculum covering JavaScript, Node.js, Express, databases, and authentication, ending with portfolio projects. Includes the famous NodeJS course with real assignments like building a message board and an API. Designed to take absolute beginners to job-ready developers through project-based learning. Run by a non-profit and trusted by hundreds of thousands of self-taught developers.
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Full Stack Open
A free university-level course on modern web development: React, Node.js, REST and GraphQL APIs, MongoDB, testing, and CI/CD. You complete real coding exercises submitted through GitHub, and passing earns a university certificate. Suitable for developers who already know basic programming and want serious backend depth. Produced by the University of Helsinki's Department of Computer Science with thousands of graduates worldwide.
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PostgreSQL Tutorial
A free, comprehensive tutorial covering PostgreSQL from basics like SELECT and joins through advanced topics like window functions, CTEs, triggers, and performance tuning. Nearly every page includes runnable examples and practice problems. A great companion to the official docs for hands-on learners. One of the most widely recommended third-party PostgreSQL learning sites.
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PostgreSQL Official Tutorial
The official PostgreSQL documentation tutorial walks newcomers through installing the database, creating tables, querying data, and using advanced features like joins, views, transactions, and window functions. Includes copy-pasteable SQL examples that run against a live server, then progresses to database administration topics. Free, authoritative, and suitable for developers and DBAs from absolute beginners onward.
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CMU 15-445 Intro to Database Systems
Carnegie Mellon's famous Intro to Database Systems course, freely available online with full lecture videos by Andy Pavlo, slides, homework assignments, and a course project that builds a storage manager and query executor. Covers the relational model, SQL, storage, indexing, query optimization, concurrency, and recovery. Best for advanced students and professionals wanting an in-depth systems-level understanding of databases.
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Neo4j GraphAcademy
Neo4j's official training platform offering free hands-on courses in graph database fundamentals, the Cypher query language, and graph data modeling, with sandboxed practice environments and interactive browser-based lessons where learners write real Cypher against live databases. Suited to developers and data professionals moving into graph technology; courses are free, with optional paid certification exams.
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DuckDB Documentation
DuckDB's official documentation doubles as a thorough learning resource for the in-process analytical SQL database. It includes a SQL introduction tutorial adapted from PostgreSQL, full statement and query-syntax references, guides for querying Parquet and CSV files, and client API tutorials for Python, R, and Node. The docs cover everything from basic SELECT statements to window functions, making it a practical study path for analytics-minded backend developers.
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HackerRank SQL Practice
HackerRank's SQL domain offers hundreds of coding challenges organized from Basic Select through Advanced Join, plus SQL Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced skill certifications. Each problem runs against a real database engine, so learners write and execute queries while building a ranked profile. It is a hands-on practice ground for job interview preparation and suits beginners through experienced analysts.
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