YC Startup School
Free founder course + co-founder match
CourseCo-founder match
IdeaStarting
Start & Grow a Business
Free and paid training for starting, running and growing a business, with honest labels so visitors know what they are getting.
Courses run by well-known business personalities are on their own page, Learn from the Experts. Programs with poor reputations or misleading income claims were left out on purpose.
How we label these. Recommended means free or fairly priced, from a trusted organization. Use with caution means a well-known paid program: pricey, sold hard, or with big income promises. No course can guarantee you will make money.
Recommended (10)
Mostly free, from government agencies, foundations, universities and the big platforms.
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SBA Learning Platform
Free U.S. government business courses
Courses
IdeaStartingRunning
SCORE
Free 1-on-1 mentoring from experts
MentoringWorkshops
IdeaStartingRunning
Kauffman FastTrac
Free idea-to-launch course (EN/ES)
Courses
IdeaStarting
Goldman Sachs 10KSB
Free growth program, by application
Program
Running
Stanford eCorner
Free talks from founders & investors
Talks
IdeaStartingRunning
HubSpot Academy
Free marketing & sales certifications
CertificateCourses
StartingRunning
Google Skillshop
Free Google Ads & Analytics training
CertificateCourses
StartingRunning
Meta Blueprint
Facebook & Instagram marketing courses
CertificateCourses
StartingRunning
Amazon Seller University
Free training for Amazon sellers
Courses
StartingRunning
Use with caution (1)
Popular paid platforms. Read the cost and the warning before you buy.
Skool
Marketplace of paid communities
Communities
IdeaStarting
New additions (5)
Added November 2026. Honest labels included.
Semrush Academy
Free SEO and marketing certifications
CertificateCourses
Running
Ahrefs Academy
Free SEO courses from Ahrefs
CertificateCourses
Running
Intuit Academy
Free bookkeeping and QuickBooks training
CertificateCourses
StartingRunning
Canva Design School
Free design courses for marketers
CoursesCertificate
IdeaStartingRunning
DigitalMarketer
Paid digital marketing certs and labs
CertificateCourses
Running
Learn from the Experts (8)
See all experts →Well-known business personalities who run their own online course sites, with the real price and an honest note on each.
Alex Hormozi
Acquisition.comMaking offers, getting leads, pricing and scaling a small business
PriceFree courses; paid workshops
Pat Flynn
Smart Passive Income (SPI Community)Starting an online business: podcasts, YouTube, email lists, affiliate marketing, online courses
Price$99/month
Marie Forleo
B-SchoolBuilding an online business: marketing, offers, websites and sales
Price$1,497
Ramit Sethi
Earnable (I Will Teach You To Be Rich)Starting a freelance or side business and finding your first clients
Price$1,499
Costs and what to watch for
Prices checked October–November 2026. Always confirm on the provider’s site.
| Program | Label | Cost | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Y Combinator Startup School | Recommended | Free | Idea, Just starting | Aimed at tech-style startups more than local shops. |
| SBA Learning Platform | Recommended | Free | Idea, Just starting, Running | U.S.-focused (loans, laws, contracting). |
| SCORE | Recommended | Free | Idea, Just starting, Running | U.S. only. The site blocks automated checks; confirmed through SBA and SCORE's own pages in search. |
| Kauffman FastTrac | Recommended | Free; self-paced enrollment open through Dec 31, 2030 | Idea, Just starting | No grading or feedback in the free self-paced version. |
| Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses | Recommended | Free, by application | Running | Not for beginners: you need 2+ years in business, $75,000+ revenue and at least 2 employees. |
| Stanford eCorner | Recommended | Free | Idea, Just starting, Running | Talks, not a step-by-step course. |
| HubSpot Academy | Recommended | Free | Just starting, Running | Some lessons promote HubSpot's own software. |
| Google Skillshop | Recommended | Free | Just starting, Running | Focused on Google's own tools. |
| Meta Blueprint | Recommended | Courses free; certification exams $99 (Associate) or $150 (Professional) in the U.S. | Just starting, Running | Focused on Meta's own platforms. |
| Amazon Seller University | Recommended | Free; no seller account needed since July 2026 | Just starting, Running | Only about selling on Amazon. |
| Skool | Use with caution | Free and paid communities; prices set by each owner | Idea, Just starting | It's a marketplace, not an academy, and quality varies a lot. Its homepage says people earn full-time incomes on Skool. Link to specific good communities, not Skool itself. |
| Semrush Academy | Recommended | Free courses and certifications (Semrush account) | Running | Teaches Semrush tools; some lessons promote the paid Semrush suite. |
| Ahrefs Academy | Recommended | Free SEO courses (some need no sign-up) | Running | Examples use Ahrefs; you can still learn SEO concepts without paying. |
| Intuit Academy | Recommended | Free bookkeeping and QuickBooks training; ProAdvisor paths free with QBOA account | Just starting,Running | Geared toward QuickBooks users and accountants. |
| Canva Design School | Recommended | Free design courses and tutorials | Idea,Just starting,Running | Teaches Canva; free to learn, paid Canva plans are optional. |
| DigitalMarketer | Use with caution | Paid certifications and labs; confirm current package price on site | Running | Sales-heavy marketing education brand; read the full price and upsells before you buy. |
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