MySQL is one of the most widely used database management systems worldwide, but what is a database? A database is a set of information that is connected together. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica there are three types of database models; hierarchical model, network model and the relational model. MySQL is a relational database management system (RDBMS).

MySQL has many advantages over other RDBMS; it’s free, available for multiple platforms, relatively easy to learn, powerful and more important scalable. MySQL is the backbone for many contents management systems like WordPress, Drupal and Expression Engine.

This post is a road map for those who want to start learning MySQL for free from scratch. There are three points that should be noted before starting; first, you don’t need a server in order to learn MySQL you can just use WAMP or XAMP. Second, you don’t need to understand PHP in order to start learning MySQL. Finally, this post presents and compares between the best online sources where beginners can start learning MySQL, so you won’t find a link to a single video or a reply in a forum post.

If you just want the bottom line (the road map to learn MySQL) and you don’t wish to read the entire article then go to the “Bottom Line” section at the end of the article.

Start learning MySQL for free from Scratch

Learners TV

Learners TV is the first outlet where beginners can start learning MySQL for free through video tutorials. You can learn nearly anything on learners TV. You don’t need to register to have access to the course, just log into the website and type what you want to learn in the search bar and you’ll be prompted by the available courses, click on the course you’re interested in and you’re ready to go. The course I’m recommending (the one you’ll be directly directed to when you click the above link) is well-structured for beginners and the explanation makes it very easy to follow along.

Structure: The course is divided into 33 video tutorials; each video tutorial covers a certain topics in Joomla.

Interface: The interface is very simple, just click on the video tutorial and the explanatory video will start right away.

Now, to the pros and cons:

Pros

1. Free.
2. The course is well-structured and organized for beginners.
3. The instructor is using phpMyAdmin to manage MySQL not the command prompt so it’s very easy for beginners to follow along.

Cons

1. The only drawback is that the instructor doesn’t teach you anything about using the command prompt to manage MySQL.

Verdict: This is the best place for any beginner to start learning MySQL.

Udemy

Udemy is the second online outlet where beginners can start learning MySQL for free through video tutorials. You need to register in order to have access to the video course unlike Learners TV, but again you can literally learn anything on Udemy for free or for a fee depending on the course provider. At the time of writing this article the following free courses were available for MySQL.

It’s worth noting that the course entitled (MySQL Database for Beginners) is the best currently available option for beginners.

Pros

1. There is some good material for beginners.
2. Some instructors provide great discounts for their paid courses after finishing the free course.

Cons

1. You’ll have to pay per course to proceed with your studies.
2. It’s a trial and error process for both the free and paid courses as it depends on the instructor (stars aren’t that convenient as the instructor might be new that’s why he/she has no stars).

Verdict: It’s a trial and error experience; so it’s better to try other free outlets from the sources stated in this post.

H Scripts

H Scripts is the third free online outlets where beginners can start learning MySQL, you don’t have to register in order to have access to the tutorial. The tutorial on this source not a video tutorial but it’s a text based tutorial.

Structure: The course is divided into 10 sections, each section is divided into lessons and each lesson covers a certain topic in MySQL.

Interface: The interface is very simple as seen below, just click on the lesson you’re interested in and you’ll be directed to the lesson’s page.

Now, to the pros and cons:

Pros

1. Free.
2. The course is well-structured and organized for beginners.
3. It’s a good source to revise/revisit some of the commands if you want to remember a command.

Cons

1. The tutorials rely on the command prompt to manage MySQL.
2. The tutorial is text only which might be a problem for those who prefer video tutorials.

Verdict: This is a good source for those who prefer text based tutorials and for those who want an easy way to revise some of the commands.

Web Developers Notes

Web Developers Notes is the fourth free online outlets where beginners can start learning MySQL, you don’t have to register in order to have access to the tutorial. The tutorial on this source not a video tutorial but it’s a text based tutorial.

Structure: The course is divided into 34 lessons, each lesson covers a certain topic in MySQL.

Interface: The interface is very simple as seen below, just click on the lesson you’re interested in and you’ll be directed to the lesson’s page.

Now, to the pros and cons:

Pros

1. Free.
2. The course is well-structured and organized for beginners.
3. There’s an assignment after each lesson to measure your understanding.

Cons

1. The tutorials rely on the command prompt to manage MySQL.
2. The tutorial is text only which might be a problem for those who prefer video tutorials.

Verdict: This source is suitable for those who prefer text tutorials and assignments to measure their understanding.

Rose India

Rose India is the fifth free online outlets where beginners can start learning MySQL, you don’t have to register in order to have access to the tutorial. The tutorial on this source not a video tutorial but it’s a text based tutorial.

Structure: The course is divided into 4 sections, each section is divided into lessons and each lesson covers a certain topic in MySQL.

Interface: The interface is very simple as seen below, just click on the lesson you’re interested in and you’ll be directed to the lesson’s page.

Now, to the pros and cons:

Pros

1. Free.
2. The course is well-structured for beginners.

Cons

1. The tutorials rely on the command prompt to manage MySQL.
2. The tutorial is text only which might be a problem for those who prefer video tutorials.

Verdict: There are other text based tutorials that are easier to navigate and better organized that this source (Web Developers Notes, H Scripts).

Bottom Line

The recipe for learning MySQL for free from scratch

1. Learners TV is the best place to start learning MySQL.
2. If you prefer text tutorials then H Scripts  is your way to go, if you want text based tutorial with assignments then Web Developers Notes is your way to go.
3. If you prefer books then this free MySQL book is the best choice for you.

Remember that the first step is always the toughest step, and the aim of this post is to provide you with resources that will help you take your first step in MySQL.