Free Spring Boot Courses on YouTube: What to Watch and in What Order
The best free Spring Boot courses on YouTube: Telusko, Amigoscode, Java Brains and freeCodeCamp, with prerequisites and a 6-week backend plan.
Spring Boot is still the default way to build Java backends, and it is one of the most requested skills in Indian service and product company job listings for Java developers. Free YouTube material is plentiful, but a lot of it is outdated: Spring Boot 3 moved to Jakarta EE namespaces and requires Java 17 or later, so tutorials using `javax.*` imports and Java 8 will cause confusing errors. This page lists current, well-taught options and the order that makes sense.
Before you start: prerequisites
Spring Boot hides a lot of complexity, which is great until something breaks. You will have a much easier time if you already know: - **Core Java:** classes, interfaces, collections, exceptions, generics, lambdas and streams. - **Basic SQL:** tables, joins, primary and foreign keys. - **HTTP basics:** methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE), status codes, JSON. - **A build tool:** Maven or Gradle at the level of "add a dependency and run the app." If core Java is shaky, spend two to three weeks there first. Telusko and Kunal Kushwaha both have free Java content.
The courses
**Telusko (Navin Reddy):** Covers Spring Framework fundamentals (dependency injection, beans, IoC container) before moving into Spring Boot, Spring Data JPA, REST APIs and Spring Security. His step-by-step style suits people who want to understand what Spring is doing, not just which annotation to add. **Amigoscode (Nelson Djalo):** Project-oriented, modern Spring Boot with a focus on how it is used in real teams: layered architecture, testing, Docker, and deployment. Some of his longer courses are paid, but the free YouTube material covers a full beginner build. **Java Brains (Koushik Kothagal):** Clear explanations of Spring concepts, Spring Security and JWT, and microservices. Some videos are older, so check the Spring Boot version before following along. **freeCodeCamp:** Hosts several full-length Spring Boot courses from different instructors. Good when you want one long video that builds a complete project. **Official Spring guides (spring.io/guides):** Short, current, text-based tutorials. Use them to check whether a video's approach is still the recommended one.
A 6-week backend plan
About 1.5 hours a day. - **Week 1:** Spring core: IoC, dependency injection, beans, component scanning, configuration. Build a tiny app with no web layer just to see DI working. - **Week 2:** Spring Boot web: controllers, request mapping, path variables, request bodies, validation, exception handling. Build a REST API for a to-do or notes app with in-memory storage. - **Week 3:** Spring Data JPA with PostgreSQL or MySQL: entities, repositories, relationships, pagination. Move your API to a real database. - **Week 4:** Testing with JUnit 5 and Mockito; integration tests with `@SpringBootTest`. Write tests for the API you built. - **Week 5:** Spring Security: authentication, password hashing, JWT-based stateless auth. Add login to your API. - **Week 6:** Docker, environment profiles, and deploying to a free tier somewhere. Write a README a recruiter can follow. Microservices, Kafka and Spring Cloud come after this, not before.
Avoiding outdated tutorials
Signs a video will waste your time: - Imports from `javax.persistence` or `javax.servlet` instead of `jakarta.*` (pre-Spring Boot 3). - Spring Security configured by extending `WebSecurityConfigurerAdapter`, which was removed in Spring Security 6. - Java 8 as the project version. None of these are fatal for learning concepts, but you will hit errors copying the code. Check the upload date and the `pom.xml` before committing to a long series.
Keeping track across multiple series
Most people end up mixing sources: Telusko for concepts, Amigoscode for a project, Java Brains for security. That works, but it makes it easy to lose your place. Keep one list of topics with the video you used for each. If you paste each playlist into Filow, you can track progress across them, keep timestamped notes on tricky configuration, and use the generated quizzes and flashcards to remember which annotation does what.
Questions people ask
Which is the best free Spring Boot course on YouTube?
For understanding the framework, Telusko. For a modern project-based approach, Amigoscode. Many learners use both.
Do I need to learn Spring before Spring Boot?
You do not need a separate Spring course, but you should understand dependency injection and beans. Good Spring Boot courses cover these at the start.
How long does it take to learn Spring Boot?
With solid core Java, about six weeks of steady practice gets you to building a secured REST API with a database. Microservices and production concerns take longer.
Which Java version should I use with Spring Boot 3?
Spring Boot 3 requires Java 17 or later. Use a current LTS version such as Java 21.
Learn Spring from YouTube, in order.
Turn any Spring Boot playlist into a structured course with progress tracking, notes and quizzes on Filow.