Kotlin is a modern cross-platform, general-purpose programming language with type inference. The language is designed to interoperate fully with the JVM.
In 2019, Google announced that Kotlin would become the preferred language for Android app development. Thus, Kotlin is possibly a robust or even superior alternative to Java in Android Development.
Unsurprisingly, Kotlin’s popularity has surged during the last few years. According to StackOverflow’s developer survey, 8.32% of responders now use Kotlin compared to 7.8% in 2020 and 6.4% in 2019.
Many enterprises also use Kotlin to create their apps, including Google, Netflix, and Uber. This has led to a sharp increase in demand for Kotlin developers.
As a skill, Kotlin is also highly lucrative. Average Kotlin developers in the US earn $80000-$100000 annually, while senior developers can earn many times that amount.
This trend is also pointing higher, as more companies need skilled developers to build and manage their apps.
Kotlin is not difficult to master, especially if you have solid experience in Java programming. Just take one or two high-quality online Kotlin courses, and you may be ready to create production-ready Android apps of your own.
However, selecting the right Kotlin course is not easy. Hence, I decided to do the heavy lifting for you.
This post will include only Kotlin courses that provide excellent value for money. You just need to pick the one that suits your learning style and budget and kickstart your Kotlin journey right away.
Affiliate Disclosure: This article from Victory Tale contains affiliate links. If you purchase Kotlin courses through them, we will receive a small commission from the course providers.
Nevertheless, we always value integrity and prioritize our audience’s interests. Thus, you can rest assured that we will present each Kotlin course truthfully.
Things You Should Know
Prerequisites
I will cover two types of Kotlin courses: Beginner and Advanced.
All beginner courses on the list have no prerequisites. Thus, in theory, anyone can start taking the first lesson right away.
However, based on my thorough research on the courses, I don’t think any current Kotlin course is suitable for students with no programming experience.
This does not mean that the language is not beginner-friendly. The available courses are too difficult or challenging for those new to programming.
For example, most Kotlin instructors will spend only a few hours teaching concepts such as data types, conditionals, functions, and OOP. In contrast, leading JavaScript or Python instructors would spend dozens of hours.
In order words, they summarize everything and proceed as fast as possible to the projects (building real-world apps). This is an acceptable or even excellent approach if you know some programming. If you don’t, this approach could be problematic.
Consequently, if you are an absolute beginner, you may want to start with Java, JavaScript, or even Python. Once you are comfortable with one of those (preferably Java), you can come back to Kotlin at any time.
On the other hand, if you are an experienced Java developer, I suggest skipping the beginner courses and selecting advanced courses right away.
The reason is that the pace of the latter is faster. You don’t need to spend time on programming basics that you have already mastered.
However, some advanced courses aim to tackle complex Kotlin syntaxes and equip you with the skill to build production-ready Android apps.
If you are interested in them, you will need basic knowledge of the Kotlin programming language’s syntax or at least take at least one beginner Kotlin course before.
Criteria
Below are the criteria for the best Kotlin courses
- Creditable instructors with years of experience in Kotlin and Android application development
- User-friendly learning platform
- Most of the course content must be up-to-date.
- High-quality course materials
- Provide excellent value for money
- Mostly positive reviews from real students
- My personal experience with the course, instructor, and platform (if any) must be positive.
Beginner Kotlin courses
We will start with beginner courses. The instructor will cover all the concepts and applications. You might only need a single Kotlin course to become a decent Android developer since all courses cover mainly the same content.
However, if you want more projects or explanations on some topics, buying another course is also a wise decision.
1. The Complete Android 10 & Kotlin Development Masterclass
If you want to build Android apps of your own, this Udemy course by Denis Panjuta is worth your consideration. You will learn the Kotlin language in detail and utilize the knowledge in writing Android apps.
Course Content
The following is what you will learn from the course:
Theoretical Part
- Getting started with Android Studio
- Kotlin Fundamentals (Variables, Data Types, Operators, Conditionals, Loops, Functions)
- Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) in Kotlin
- ArrayLists and Lambda Expressions
Project Building Part: You will be building Android apps by coding along with the instructor while learning various tips and techniques in the process.
- Age in Minutes App – Learn how to set up a user interface for your apps
- Calculator App – Learn XML and how to create a more complex user interface
- Quiz App – Learn how to connect the UI and data + Upload your mobile app to Google Play Store
- Drawing App – Learn how to use Canvas (to change app appearance) and add import/export image functionality
- 7 Minute Workout App – Add additional features to the app, SQLite & data management, How to monetize your Android app
- Happy Places App – Add map features (Location tracking and GPS), Use Google Maps API
- Weather App – Use APIs, Download websites, JSON, GSON
- Trello-like App – This is the final application that the instructor spends more than 14 hours on. You will learn about user management, adding advanced features to the app, and using Firebase.
The video lessons for this course are 45.5 hours long. Most of the time is spent on the project-building part (80% of the course). Each app you build will be progressively more complex. Once you complete the final app, I think you will have sufficient skills to create robust apps of your choice.
Reviews: 4.5/5.0, 20600+ students
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Well-structured, comprehensive curriculum
- Project-based learning: You will build as many as 8 Android apps in this course, providing adequate hands-on experience.
- Clear, in-depth explanations of concepts and practical Android app development processes with tons of real-world examples
- LIfetime Access + 30-day money-back guarantee
- Inexpensive ($20 or lower when on sale)
Cons
- Some parts of the course need updating as it does not include the newest Kotlin features.
- Several students believe that the instructor’s explanation of the final app building process should be better, as it is highly complex.
- The instructor is not very responsive on the Q&A forum
2. The Complete Android + Kotlin Developer Course™
If you are looking for in-depth Kotlin training but the first course fails to impress you, this Udemy course is an excellent alternative that you may want to consider.
You will learn from Morteza Kordi, a software developer with many years of experience developing Android apps.
Course Content
ฺBelow is what you will learn from the course.
Theoretical Part
- Introduction to Android Studio
- Basics of Kotlin Programming Language – Variables, Data Types, Conditionals, Loops, ArrayLists, Functions in Kotlin
- Object-oriented programming (OOP) in Kotlin
- Git and Version Control
Project-Building Part
- Online Quiz App – Learn how to create a user interface of an Android app
- Tic Tac Toe
- Calculator App
- Pokemon GO Clone – Add map features to an app
- Celebrities App – Learn data management for an Android app
- Sports App
- eCommerce app with PayPal Integration – More than 10 hours of course time will be dedicated to building this app. You will build a production-ready Android app with full-fledged eCommerce features from scratch
- Quotes App – Retrofit & Coroutines
The video lessons are 38.5 hours long. Like the first course, you will spend most of your learning time building apps along with an instructor.
I appreciate the choice of apps that the instructor selected to teach his students. It includes all popular app categories, such as utility apps, gaming apps, and an eCommerce app.
Upon course completion, you will be comfortable building apps in popular categories and become one of the most sought-after Android developers.
Reviews: 4.6/5.0, 10900+ students
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Well-structured curriculum
- Project-based learning: You will build as many as eight apps. Most of which are in popular categories.
- Step-by-step, straightforward instructions
- The instructor is responsive in the Q&A forum.
- Lifetime Access + 30-day money-back guarantee
- Inexpensive ($20 or lower when on sale)
Cons
- Some students believe the instructor’s teaching pace is too slow at the beginning of the course.
3. The Complete Kotlin Developer Course
This Udemy course by Rob Percival and Nick Walter offers concise training for the Kotlin programming language. You will learn Kotlin from the ground up and use it to develop two Android apps.
Both Rob and Nick are professional web and software developers with years of experience. Thus, they both have
Note: Experienced programmers can also take this course, as the instructors have created two sections of Kotlin basics for beginners or programmers separately. The one for programmers will have a much faster pace.
Course Content
Below is a summary of what you will learn from the course.
- Kotlin Basics (for beginners or programmers) – Variables, Strings, Conditionals, Lists, Arrays, Loops, Functions, etc.
- Develop Android apps with Kotlin (A Resume app and A Weather App)
- Build a command line tool with Kotlin
- JavaScript and Kotlin
- Build other real-world Android apps (To-Do List and Repo apps)
This course is project-based. You will learn through developing real-world apps. Hence, compared to other courses, this one focuses less on the concepts. You will learn mostly through doing and coding along with the instructors.
The overall length of video lectures is 12.5 hours, which is far more concise than most other Kotlin courses. It is thus suitable for fast learners or those with some programming experience.
The second half of the course can be challenging as you will experience a big leap in content difficulty (developing the second app is much more challenging than the first).
Reviews: 4.7/5.0 from 5800+ students
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Excellent tutorial for those who want to learn Kotlin in the fastest manner
- Project-based learning: You will build as many as four Android apps.
- Well-structured curriculum
- Easy-to-follow explanations of concepts with clear examples
- Lifetime Access + 30-day money-back guarantee
- Inexpensive ($20 or lower when on sale)
Cons
- Big leap in content difficulty in the second half of the course
- Some reviewers believe this course does not sufficiently explain advanced concepts.
Advanced Kotlin Courses
Below are the advanced Kotlin courses. The fourth and fifth courses essentially teach Java developers how to get started in Kotlin. Hence, you will not need prior Kotlin knowledge at all.
In contrast, the sixth course will strengthen your Kotlin skills to the next level. Hence, you will need to understand all Kotlin syntaxes before starting the first lesson.
4. Kotlin for Java Developers by JetBrains
JetBrains is a company that creates and supports the Kotlin programming language. Hence, I don’t think any other Kotlin instructor would be more credible than JetBrains itself.
If you are looking for a concise Kotlin course designed for Java developers, this one from JetBrains is among the best you can find.
Course Content
Below is a summary of what you will learn from this course.
- Transition from Java to Kotlin
- Variables, Functions, Named & Default Arguments
- Conditionals & Loops
- Extensions
- Nullability & Functional Programming – Nullable Types, Lambdas, Function Types, etc.
- Properties, OOP in Kotlin, Operator Overloading, etc.
- Sequences, Lambdas with Receiver, Types
JetBrains provides some assignments that will help you understand the concepts. However, there are no projects that you can complete to get hands-on experience.
Hence, this course is relatively concise compared to other alternatives. Most students can complete it within 25 hours.
Like others on the Coursera platform, you can audit this Kotlin course for free. However, if you want graded assignments and a digital certificate, you will need to pay $49.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Learn from leading developers from a company that creates Kotlin
- Comprehensive, concise Kotlin tutorial designed for Java developers
- Well-organized curriculum
- Challenging exercises
- Free auditing
Cons
- Some students have trouble understanding the instructor.
- No large-scale Kotlin projects for students to complete
5. Kotlin for Java Developers (Udemy)
This Udemy course by Goran Lochert is an excellent option for Java developers to learn Kotlin. Goran is a certified Java developer who has more than ten years of experience in software development.
Hence, if you want to learn Kotlin fast to broaden your career prospects in the field, you might want to give this course a try.
Course Content
A summary of all course content is as follows:
- Install JDK8 & Intellij
- Introduction to Kotlin (Java to Kotlin converter)
- Basic differences between Kotlin and Java
- Data Types and Null Reference Handling
- Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) in Kotlin – Classes, Functions, Inheritance
- Conditional Statements, Loops, Try/Catch Expressions
- Lambda Expressions, Collections, Generics
- File I/O & Java Interoperability
The length of the video lessons is 16.5 hours in total. Compared to other courses, this one provides the most detailed explanations of Kotlin concepts. Hence, if you struggle to understand some, this course may be highly beneficial.
Nevertheless, this course does not have large-scale projects for students to complete. There are only a few short assignments that you can practice.
If you want to work on Kotlin projects, you will need another course (The Udacity course below is an excellent choice.)
Reviews: 4.5/5.0, 16200+ students
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Clear and detailed explanations of Kotlin concepts and Kotlin-Java differences
- Practical examples that help you understand the content
- Sufficient assignments to test your skills
- Lifetime Access + 30-day money-back guarantee
- Inexpensive ($20 or lower when on sale)
Cons
- A few parts of the course are outdated. Also, there are no sections about Kotlin’s newest features, such as Coroutines
- No projects
6. Become an Android Kotlin Developer
Suppose you have some experience with Kotlin and want to strengthen your skills to the next level. This Nanoprogram from Udacity offers the best learning experience that any online Kotlin course can offer.
Note: You must be familiar with Kotlin syntax before enrolling in the program.
Course Content
The program comprises four minor sections as follows:
1. Developing Android Apps Part 1: The first section will explain the process of creating production-ready Android apps. You will use Android UI components to create a user interface and manage user input.
Subsequently, you will use constraint-based layouts to create dynamic interfaces and utilize the Gradle Build Process to declare library dependencies and create app parameters.
2. Developer Android Apps Part 2: The second section will deal with data management. You will implement data persistence in your app, use RecyclerView to display collections to users and utilize APIs to connect and retrieve data.
In the second part of the section, you will also learn about material design best practices to provide the best user experience.
3. Advanced Android Apps with Kotlin Part 1: You will add more app functionalities, such as push notifications and custom views. You will use Canvas to update the display according to user interactions.
Finally, you will create animations to enhance the content presentation and general usability.
4. Advanced Android Apps with Kotlin Part 2: The final section will discuss how to add location tracking and other map features to your Android app.
In addition, you will learn about scaling techniques that allow you to scale up your app quickly and securely. Finally, you will learn how to use Firebase for user authentication and remote storage.
Each section will have its own assignments and real-world projects. For example, you will create a shoe store inventory app in the first section, and a location remainder app in the last.
Capstone Project: Udacity offers two options for the capstone project. First, you can build a Political Preparedness app that will deliver civic data to end users.
Alternatively, you can choose to build any Android app of your own. In both cases, you will utilize all the knowledge you have learned from the previous four sections.
Regarding the pace, you should spend 10 hours per week on the program, and you will complete it in 4 months. However, since the program is self-paced, you can set your schedule. Just keep in mind that the more time you spend on the program, the higher the tuition fees.
Support
Unlike other Kotlin courses on this list, Udacity provides complete student support to assist your learning. There are three types of student support as follows:
Technical Mentor Support: Got stuck on any part of the course? Not a problem. You can ask questions to your mentor anytime (24/7) through the ticketing system or email.
Most students receive a reply within less than an hour. Thus, you don’t need to wait days for the instructor to reply again.
Project Reviews: You can send requests to experts to review all your projects. They will provide personalized feedback, tips & techniques, and best practices so that you can learn from their experience as well.
The best thing here is that you can make unlimited requests. Therefore, once you need feedback, you can get it at any time.
The turnaround time is also swift (you will receive a detailed review in slightly more than an hour), thus creating a beneficial feedback loop similar to services offered by web development bootcamps.
Career Services – The team will review your resume, LinkedIn profile, and Github portfolios to ensure that you are ready for job applications and will receive interview invitations from top companies
Pricing
This program costs $399 monthly. However, if you pay for four months at once, you will receive a 15% discount, lowering the fees to $339 per month.
Furthermore, Udacity frequently offers discounts and financial support. Both can help you save as much as 75% on course fees. Hence, you might pay only $100 or lower per month.
[sc name=”udacity” ][/sc]Pros and Cons
Pros
- Learn from a team of experienced Android developers
- Well-structured curriculum
- Project-based learning: You will learn all the practical how-tos for developing high-quality Android apps.
- Fast mentor support
- Unlimited project reviews
- Career services are a big plus.
- Udacity frequently updates its course content. Outdated content is thus rare.
Cons
- Expensive compared to other Kotlin courses
Other Alternatives
Below are some other alternatives that you might want to consider. However, I decided not to include them in the list because of several reasons (read further below.)
Kotlin for Android O Development: From Beginner to Advanced – This highly-rated Udemy course concisely explains Kotlin syntaxes. However, the instructors have not updated his course since 2019. Thus, most of the course content is now outdated.
Android App Development Masterclass using Kotlin – This Udemy course is the most informative Kotlin course on Udemy. Despite several recent updates, most of the code is outdated. Thus, I don’t think it is the best Kotlin course at this point.
The Complete Android Kotlin Developer Course – As the most popular Kotlin course on Udemy, it has more than 145000 students. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this course because some of its content is outdated, and I have trouble understanding what the instructor said.
