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I've tried both options and I see different strengths in each. Free courses on YouTube or the same platforms give you a lot of information, but it's more like testing whether this direction actually interests you. Paid courses are usually better structured, they have a logical progression from simple to complex, you get a certificate (though its value depends on your profession), and most importantly - there's an author who cares about their reputation. Plus if you've paid for it, psychologically you're more motivated to see it through.
My approach is this: first I watch free content on the topic to understand if I really need it. If I liked it and I see it's useful for me, then I go for a paid course at a more advanced level. Skillbox and Udemy often offer discounts and promo codes, so you don't necessarily have to pay full price. The main thing is not to buy ten courses at once on a wave of emotion - start with one, complete it fully, then decide if you need more.
If money is tight, you can start with YouTube and documentation, which is often free. But if you seriously want to develop in something and you have the ability to spend a couple thousand, then a paid course usually pays for itself through faster learning and the confidence that you didn't miss anything important.
When I started getting interested in learning new skills, I realized that free courses are great for getting your feet wet, but paid ones give you structure and feedback - that's actually a real difference.
But the main thing people overlook: platforms like Skillbox and Udemy constantly run sales with 80-90% discounts, so don't rush to pay full price, wait a week or two and you'll get an offer.
Plus it's a good way to check if you actually need the course or if it was just an impulse thing - if you're willing to wait, that tells you something.
It all comes down to whether you can handle self-discipline or if you need external structure. If you have the habit of finishing things on your own and you can learn from scattered YouTube videos, then there's no point in paying - there's tons of quality content from real professionals out there. But if you're like me, you know, sometimes you procrastinate and drag your feet starting something, then a paid platform can be a great motivator. You've already spent the money, there's a certificate at the end, and homework assignments and deadlines keep you disciplined.
Here's what people often miss: a lot of paid courses just sit there unchanged. You buy the material in 2024, and by 2026 the industry has shifted completely, but the course never gets updated. On YouTube, young creators often react faster to changes and update their content. Before you pay for a course, check the comments or reviews - people will tell you if it's actually current.
My advice is this: start with free content, watch for a month or two, get a feel for the field. If you see it's what you want and you're ready to invest, then pick a paid course, but not the most expensive one, and definitely check the date of the last update and reviews from people who've already taken it.
From my experience, paid courses only make sense if you need money as motivation or you're stuck on a specific problem and willing to pay for help. In all other cases, it's just marketing that convinces you structure is worth something. In reality, you'll find structure in any free video or documentation - it's all there anyway.
Where paid platforms actually win is when there's a live instructor or at least moderated forums where someone actually goes through your questions. But Skillbox and Udemy are usually just recorded videos with auto-graded assignments. You shouldn't overpay for that. If feedback matters to you - look for mentors or small intensive courses, not massive platforms.
Better to start with free content (YouTube, GitHub, official documentation) and only pay once you realize you're genuinely stuck and need someone's help. It'll be cheaper and more honest in terms of results.
Platforms like Skillbox work because they sell not just knowledge, but a sense of progress. A certificate, a progress bar, deadlines - all of this creates the illusion of moving forward. Free courses don't have that, which is exactly why people often drop them halfway through. Money's honestly a pretty solid anchor for motivation.
But here's the thing: a paid course is only worth the money if you know exactly what you need. If you're picking randomly, you risk spending cash on something useless. So it makes more sense to first test the waters with free material (YouTube, some open parts of platforms), and then pay for the full course if you figure out it's actually for you.
Another point: a lot of paid courses are just repackaged versions of stuff that's already available for free. But if the paid version has a live instructor, homework checking, or a community of people learning at the same time as you - that actually does help you stick with it instead of giving up.
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