Validates knowledge of designing DevOps solutions, including source control, build and release pipelines, security and compliance, and instrumentation.
A good AZ-400 course covers the whole delivery pipeline: source control, build and release pipelines, infrastructure as code, security in automation and monitoring. We compared the options on exam coverage, hands-on practice, format and price.
Start with Microsoft's free AZ-400 course on Learn, which follows the exam syllabus. Add Alan Rodrigues' Udemy course for one low-cost video course, choose Pluralsight's path if your employer already pays, or the Coursera specialization for demo-led video.
| Course | Best for | Format | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 Design and Implement Microsoft DevOps Solutions (AZ-400T00) | Free official course | Interactive | Free |
 AZ-400 Designing and Implementing DevOps Certification | Low-cost video course | Video | $140 |
 Microsoft Certified: DevOps Engineer Expert (AZ-400) | Employer-funded study | Video | $35/month |
 AZ-400 Certification Preparation Specialization | Demo-led video | Video | $59/month |
Microsoft's official course, taken as self-paced learning paths or a four-day instructor-led class. It covers work tracking, source control, pipelines, deployments, infrastructure as code, security and monitoring.
Great fit if you want the official syllabus at no cost
Poor fit if you learn best from video; choose Alan Rodrigues' Udemy course
About 20 hours of video through the AZ-400 skill areas, from DevOps basics and source control to pipelines, infrastructure as code, security and monitoring. It includes two practice tests.
Great fit if you want one paid video course at a low price and prefer a single instructor
Poor fit if you want the official syllabus; choose Microsoft's free course instead
A 36-hour path of six courses with three labs and a practice exam, taught by instructors including John Savill and Henry Been. A 10-day free trial lets you try the courses before you pay.
Great fit if your employer already pays for Pluralsight
Poor fit if you would buy a subscription just for this exam; choose Microsoft's free course or Alan Rodrigues' Udemy course
Six video courses from LearnKartS with more than 50 demos across planning, source control, pipelines, security, infrastructure as code and monitoring. Coursera suggests four weeks at 10 hours a week and marks it updated in July 2026.
Great fit if you want demo-led videos and already use Coursera
Poor fit if you want official Microsoft material; choose Microsoft's free course
For most people, Microsoft's free AZ-400 course on Learn, because it follows the exam syllabus. Add Alan Rodrigues' Udemy course if you want one low-cost video course.
Yes. Microsoft's free course and free practice assessment cover the syllabus. Build pipelines yourself in GitHub and Azure DevOps, and add a paid practice test for more questions.
The video courses here run from about 20 to 36 hours. Plan for about 80 hours of preparation in total, including building pipelines.
No. You can take AZ-400 first, but you need Azure Administrator Associate or Azure Developer Associate to receive the DevOps Engineer Expert certification.