Google offers 20 certifications worth taking in 2026, split across five platforms. Nine are completely free (Google Skillshop, Google Skills, Google for Developers and Google Play Academy), and the rest are the paid Google Career Certificates on Coursera, which cost $49 per month after a 7-day free trial.
This guide covers every one of them: what you learn, how long it takes, what it costs, and who each certification is for. The list is grouped by platform, starting with the paid career certificates and then the free ones.
Google Certifications List
Here is the full list of Google certifications, with the platform that issues each one and what it costs.
| # | Certification | Platform | Cost | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Google AI Professional Certificate | Coursera | $49 | 8 hours |
| 2 | Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce | Coursera | ~$294 | 6 months |
| 3 | Google Data Analytics | Coursera | ~$294 | 6 months |
| 4 | Google Cybersecurity | Coursera | ~$294 | 6 months |
| 5 | Google IT Support | Coursera | ~$147 | 3 months |
| 6 | Google Project Management | Coursera | ~$294 | 6 months |
| 7 | Google UX Design | Coursera | ~$294 | 6 months |
| 8 | Google IT Automation with Python | Coursera | ~$294 | 6 months |
| 9 | Google Advanced Data Analytics | Coursera | ~$294 | 6 months |
| 10 | Google Business Intelligence | Coursera | ~$98 | 2 months |
| 11 | Fundamentals of Digital Marketing | Skillshop | Free | 40 hours |
| 12 | Google Ads Search Certification | Skillshop | Free | 3h 40m |
| 13 | Google Ads Display Certification | Skillshop | Free | 2h 56m |
| 14 | AI-Powered Shopping Ads Certification | Skillshop | Free | 1h 15m |
| 15 | AI-Powered Performance Ads Certification | Skillshop | Free | 3h 58m |
| 16 | Google Analytics Certification | Skillshop | Free | ~4.6 hours |
| 17 | Introduction to Generative AI | Google Skills | Free | 45 minutes |
| 18 | Machine Learning Crash Course | Google for Developers | Free | 15 hours |
| 19 | Play Store Listing Certificate | Google Play Academy | Free | Self-paced |
| 20 | Google Cloud Engineer (exam prep) | Coursera + Google Cloud | $49 + exam fee | 1 month |
Costs are the US price on Coursera at $49 per month; the total assumes you finish in the time shown. Free certifications have no cost at any stage.
Things to Know About Google Certifications
They are 100% online. Every certification on this list is completed online at your own pace, with no classroom attendance.
They are built by Google teams. The courses are designed by Google employees who work in the field being taught.
Free and paid work differently. Certifications delivered on Google's own platforms: Skillshop, Google Skills, Google for Developers and Play Academy are free, including the exam and the certificate. The Google Career Certificates are delivered by Coursera and cost $49 per month, with a 7-day free trial and financial aid available.
They are not accredited qualifications. Google certifications are recognised by employers and carry Google's name, but they are not university degrees and they are not accredited by an academic body. Treat them as proof of practical skills rather than a formal qualification.
Google certifications fall into four groups:
- Google Career Certificates — paid, job-focused programs on Coursera for IT support, data analytics, project management, UX design, cybersecurity, digital marketing and AI.
- Google marketing certifications — free Skillshop certifications for Google Ads and Google Analytics.
- Google Cloud and developer training — free courses and badges on Google Skills and Google for Developers, plus paid Google Cloud certification exams.
- Google Play Academy — free training and one certificate for app and game businesses.
Google Career Certificates (Paid)
The Google Career Certificates are Google's paid, job-focused programs, delivered through Coursera at $49 per month. They assume no previous experience and take between 2 and 6 months. For a full review of the program, including job outcomes and what employers think, see our Google Career Certificates review.
1. Google AI Professional Certificate
- Best For: Using AI tools for everyday work tasks.
- Cost: $49 (one month)
- Duration: 8 hours
- Enroll Now For Free
The Google AI Professional Certificate teaches you to use AI tools such as Gemini, NotebookLM and Google AI Studio for real work: research, writing, data analysis and presentations. It is the shortest program on this list at about 8 hours across 8 courses, needs no technical background, and includes three months of Google AI Pro at no cost.
Read our Google AI Professional Certificate review for the full breakdown.
2. Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Professional Certificate
- Best For: Starting a career in digital marketing or e-commerce.
- Cost: $49 per month (about $294)
- Duration: 6 months at under 10 hours a week
- Enroll Now For Free
This is Google's flagship marketing program: 8 courses covering SEO, email marketing, search and display ads, social media and running an online store. You practice in real tools including Google Ads, Shopify, Mailchimp and Canva, and finish with a portfolio of campaign work.
Read our Google Digital Marketing & E-commerce Certificate review for the full breakdown.
3. Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate
- Best For: Breaking into data analysis from any background.
- Cost: $49 per month (about $294)
- Duration: 6 months at under 10 hours a week
- Enroll Now For Free
Across 9 courses you learn the full analysis workflow: asking the right question, cleaning data in spreadsheets and SQL, analysing it, then presenting it with Tableau and R. It is the most popular Google certificate and the standard route into an entry-level analyst role.
4. Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate
- Best For: Entry-level cybersecurity jobs with no experience.
- Cost: $49 per month (about $294)
- Duration: 6 months at under 10 hours a week
- Enroll Now For Free
Nine courses covering security frameworks, network security, Linux, SQL, Python and the SIEM tools analysts use daily. It also prepares you for the CompTIA Security+ exam, which is what most employers actually ask for in job postings.
5. Google IT Support Professional Certificate
- Best For: A first job in IT support or on a help desk.
- Cost: $49 per month (about $147)
- Duration: 3 months at 10 hours a week
- Enroll Now For Free
The original Google career certificate, and still the fastest of the long programs at about 3 months. Six courses take you from computer hardware and networking through operating systems, system administration and security, ending with a course on using AI in your job search.
6. Google Project Management Professional Certificate
- Best For: Moving into project management without a degree.
- Cost: $49 per month (about $294)
- Duration: 6 months at under 10 hours a week
- Enroll Now For Free
Seven courses covering both traditional and Agile project management, including Scrum, planning, budgets, risk and stakeholder communication. You build the documents a project manager produces, which is what makes it useful in interviews.
7. Google UX Design Professional Certificate
- Best For: Starting a career in UX design.
- Cost: $49 per month (about $294)
- Duration: 6 months at under 10 hours a week
- Enroll Now For Free
Eight courses that walk through the design process end to end — user research, wireframes, prototypes in Figma and Adobe XD, and usability testing. You finish with three portfolio projects, which matter more than the certificate itself when applying for design jobs.
8. Google IT Automation with Python Professional Certificate
- Best For: Automating repetitive IT work with Python.
- Cost: $49 per month (about $294)
- Duration: 6 months at under 10 hours a week
- Enroll Now For Free
The follow-up to the IT Support certificate, and the only Google program Coursera labels advanced. Seven courses teach Python, Git and GitHub, debugging and configuration management, so you can automate the repetitive parts of an IT job. Best taken once you already work in IT.
9. Google Advanced Data Analytics Professional Certificate
- Best For: Moving from analyst to data scientist work.
- Cost: $49 per month (about $294)
- Duration: 6 months at under 10 hours a week
- Enroll Now For Free
The sequel to the Data Analytics certificate: 7 courses on Python, statistics, regression and machine learning models. Take it after the first certificate or if you already analyse data and want the statistical side.
10. Google Business Intelligence Professional Certificate
- Best For: Adding BI and dashboard skills quickly.
- Cost: $49 per month (about $98)
- Duration: 2 months at 10 hours a week
- Enroll Now For Free
The shortest of the long-form certificates at 4 courses. It covers BigQuery, data modelling and building dashboards that decision-makers actually use. A good add-on for someone who already has analyst skills.
All ten career certificates are compared side by side, with job outcomes and employer recognition, in our Google Career Certificates review.
Free Google Certifications
These certifications are free from start to finish: the training, the exam and the credential. They come from four different Google platforms, and they are the quickest way to put Google's name on your CV.
| Certification | Platform | What You Earn | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fundamentals of Digital Marketing | Skillshop | Certificate | 40 hours |
| Google Ads Search Certification | Skillshop | Certificate | 3h 40m |
| Google Ads Display Certification | Skillshop | Certificate | 2h 56m |
| AI-Powered Shopping Ads Certification | Skillshop | Certificate | 1h 15m |
| AI-Powered Performance Ads Certification | Skillshop | Certificate | 3h 58m |
| Google Analytics Certification | Skillshop | Certificate | ~4.6 hours |
| Introduction to Generative AI | Google Skills | Badge | 45 minutes |
| Machine Learning Crash Course | Google for Developers | Certificate | 15 hours |
| Play Store Listing Certificate | Google Play Academy | Certificate | Self-paced |
Skillshop and Play Academy issue certificates of completion. Google Skills and Google for Developers mostly award skill badges.
11. Fundamentals of Digital Marketing (Free)
- Best For: Learning the fundamentals of digital marketing.
- Cost: Free
- Duration: 40 hours
- Platform: Skillshop
- Enroll Now For Free
One of the most popular Google courses is the Fundamentals of Digital Marketing.
Many experts consider this one of the best digital marketing courses. It’s a free course that includes 24 modules created by Google trainers.
Upon completion of the lessons, you can take an exam and earn a digital marketing certificate.
The certificate is issued by Google through Skillshop. It is a certificate of completion, not an accredited qualification.
Why Take This Certification?
You should consider studying for this certification if you want to pursue a career in digital marketing.
By taking this course, you’ll build the necessary skills to work with various digital marketing channels, including:
- Content Marketing
- eCommerce Marketing
- Email Marketing
- Display Advertising
- Mobile Marketing
- Online Marketing Strategy
It’s a certification course aimed at beginners, and the total time investment is 40 hours. To get certified, you must complete all 24 modules and pass the Google Garage exam (40 questions, multiple-choice).
Jobs You Can Do:
The average salary for digital marketing professionals in the US is between $52K and $100K per year (depending on experience and job position).
Read our comprehensive review to learn more about this certification course.
12. Google Ads Search Certification (Free)
- Best For: Getting certified in Google Ads.
- Cost: Free
- Duration: 3 hours 40 minutes
- Platform: Skillshop
- Enroll Now For Free
Google Ads (formerly Google Adwords) is the most popular PPC platform and one of Google's major income sources.
To educate marketers on taking advantage of all Google Ads features, they created several free Google Ads certification courses delivered by Google Skillshop.
One of the Google Ads courses worth pursuing is the Google Ads Search Certification.
Why Take This Certification?
- Acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to run search ads campaigns on Google.
- It’s a requirement to become an official Google Ads Partner.
- It’s one of the most recognized certifications in the marketing industry.
To become Google Ads certified, you must pass a 50-question multiple-choice exam with an 80% or above score. The exams are free and taken via Google Skillshop.
To prepare for the exams, you can use the study guide and resources provided by Skillshop or register for a third-party Google Ads course.
Jobs You Can Do:
- Google Ads Specialist
- PPC Specialist
- PPC Manager
- SEM Specialist
The average salary of a Google Ads specialist is $71k per year.
Read our Google Skillshop Review to learn more about the learning platform, courses, and exams.
13. Google Ads Display Certification (Free)
- Best For: Becoming an expert in Google Display Ads.
- Cost: Free
- Duration: 2 hours 56 minutes
- Platform: Skillshop
- Enroll Now For Free
Another Google certification worth considering is the Google Ads Display Certification. It’s a free certification offered by Google Skillshop.
Why Take This Certification?
Google display ads are great for brand awareness and retargeting, and this course will teach you how to maximize the ROI from your paid campaigns.
The total time investment is about 2.6 hours. To get certified, you must pass the Google Ads Display assessment with an 80% and above score.
Jobs You Can Do:
- Google Ads Specialist
- Google Display Specialist
- PPC Manager
- SEM Specialist
Read our guide on the top Facebook Ads Courses for alternative training options to Google Display Ads.
14. AI-Powered Shopping Ads Certification (Free)
- Best For: Optimizing AI-Powered Shopping Ads.
- Cost: Free
- Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Platform: Skillshop
- Enroll Now For Free
If you want to start a career in eCommerce or acquire the skills needed to promote your own products on Google, you should definitely consider the AI-Shopping Ads Certification.
Why Take This Certification?
The shopping ads certification will teach you how to design, set up, and optimize Google Shopping campaigns.
You’ll learn how to add your product catalog to the Google merchant center to get your products to appear in Google search results and use them in different types of campaigns, including shopping and retargeting campaigns.
The course has been updated to include lessons on the new AI-powered Shopping campaigns (Performace Max).
Jobs You Can Do:
- PPC Specialist
- eCommerce Specialist
- PPC Expert
The average salary of an eCommerce specialist is $58K per year.
Read our guide on the best eCommerce Certification Courses for more learning options (Free and Paid).
15. AI-Powered Performance Ads Certification (Free)
- Best For: Running Performance Max campaigns.
- Cost: Free
- Duration: 3 hours 58 minutes
- Platform: Skillshop
- Enroll Now For Free
AI-Powered Performance Ads Certification is a new free Google certification that Google Skillshop offers. The program includes 18 lessons, which take an average of 4 hours to complete.
Why Take This Certification?
Performance Ads is a Google Ads campaign type that uses Google AI to optimize the campaigns. Instead of setting up different campaigns to reach users on the various Google channels (Google Search, YouTube, Gmail, Discovery, Display Network), you create a Performance Max campaign.
Through the Perf Max, you give Google some basic information about your campaign goals and upload your assets (ads, images, videos), and Google AI does the job of finding new prospects based on your budget.
To get Google certified, you must pass the graded assessment, which consists of 50 questions and have 75 minutes to complete.
Jobs You Can Do:
- Google Ads Specialist
- PPC Specialist
- SEM Specialist
- PPC Expert
16. Google Analytics Certification (Free)
- Best For: Getting certified in Google Analytics.
- Cost: Free
- Duration: About 4.6 hours
- Platform: Skillshop
- Enroll Now For Free
One of the hands-on skills all digital marketing professionals should have is using Google Analytics.
Google Analytics is the most popular website analytics platform, and getting the official Google Analytics Certification shows your competency in using the tool.
Why Take This Certification?
By enrolling in this free Google certification, you’ll learn both basic and advanced Google Analytics 4 concepts. By the end of the course, you’ll be able to use different reports to analyze and interpret how users find and interact with a website.
The total time investment needed for this course is 4.6 hours. To get certified, you must pass the Google Analytics exams (70 multiple-choice questions) with an 80% or higher score.
Jobs You Can Do:
- Google Analytics Professional
- Google Analytics Specialist
- Junior Data Analyst
Read our guide on the best Google Analytics Courses for more GA training options.
17. Introduction to Generative AI (Free)
- Best For: Learning the basics of Generative AI.
- Cost: Free
- Duration: 45 minutes
- Platform: Google Skills (formerly Cloud Skills Boost)
- Enroll Now For Free
The Introduction to Generative AI course is offered by Google Cloud. It's a free course that will teach you the basics of Generative AI.
Why Take This Certification?
By taking this short course (45 minutes), you'll learn what Generative AI is and how it works. You'll get a glimpse into Generative AI model types and how they can be used in real-life scenarios. You'll also be introduced to tools to create your own Gen AI apps.
Upon completing the course and passing a quiz, you can get a certificate of completion.
Jobs You Can Do:
- Generative AI Junior Specialist
Read our guide on the best AI (Artificial Intelligence) Courses to learn more about AI training options and certifications.
18. Machine Learning Crash Course (Free)
- Best For: Learning the fundamentals of machine learning.
- Cost: Free
- Duration: 15 hours
- Platform: Google for Developers
- Enroll Now For Free
The Machine Learning Crash Course with TensorFlow APIs is a free course offered by Google Machine Learning Education. The course includes 25 lessons, and the time investment is around 15 hours.
Why Take This Certification?
If you want to learn what machine learning is and how it differs from traditional programming, this course is excellent for you.
Throughout the course, you'll be introduced to the various Machine Learning (ML) concepts and have to complete more than 30 exercises to practice with ML programming.
The course, although for beginners, does have some prerequisites. If you're new to machine learning, you should first take the Introduction to Machine Learning course (20 minutes) and tutorials on NumPy and Pandas. You can read more here.
Jobs You Can Do:
- Machine Learning Junior Specialist
To explore more training options, read our guide on the top Machine Learning Courses and Certifications.
19. Google Play Store Listing Certificate (Free)
- Best For: App and game developers publishing on Google Play.
- Cost: Free
- Duration: Self-paced short courses plus an exam
- Platform: Google Play Academy
- Enroll Now For Free
Google Play Academy is the platform Google uses to train app and game developers, and it is the one free Google platform most certification lists leave out.
Why Take This Certification?
Play Academy offers more than 60 short courses, most under 10 minutes, on building an app business — store listings, pricing, subscriptions, ratings and growth. One of them leads to a certificate: the Play Store Listing Certificate, which you earn by completing the component courses and passing the exam.
It is worth taking if you publish on Google Play, because store listing quality directly affects how many people install your app. The certificate arrives by email and can take up to 7 days after you pass.
Jobs You Can Do:
- App Marketing Specialist
- Mobile Product Manager
- Indie App Developer
Google Cloud Certifications
Google Cloud certifications work differently from everything above: the training is free on Google Skills, but the official certification exams are paid and proctored by Google Cloud.
20. Google Cloud Engineer Professional Certification (Paid)
- Best For: Learning how to deploy applications on Google Cloud.
- Cost: $49
- Duration: 1 month
- Enroll Now For Free
The Google Cloud Engineer professional certification is a premium Google course preparing students for a career in cloud engineering. The certificate includes 5 courses, and it takes 1 month to complete.
Why Take This Certification?
This certification program will help you build the skills to deploy and monitor applications in a Google Cloud environment. You'll learn how Google Cloud infrastructure works and how to use Google Cloud console to manage the environment.
This course is not for beginners. Before you start, you should have background knowledge in virtual machines, web services, and IP networking.
Jobs You Can Do:
- Google Cloud Engineer
- Associate Cloud Engineer
Cloud Engineers make approximately $131,264 per year on average in the US.
For more Cloud training options, review our Google Cloud Certifications guide.
How Much Do Google Certifications Cost?
Most Google certifications are free. The free ones, Skillshop, Google Skills, Google for Developers and Play Academy cost nothing for the course, the exam or the certificate.
The paid Google Career Certificates cost $49 per month on Coursera, after a 7-day free trial. Because it is a subscription, the total depends on how fast you finish:
- Google Business Intelligence — about $98 (2 months)
- Google IT Support — about $147 (3 months)
- Most other career certificates — about $294 (6 months)
- Google AI Professional Certificate — $49, since it takes about 8 hours
Studying more hours per week lowers the total. Coursera also offers financial aid, and the certificates are included in a Coursera Plus subscription.
Google Cloud certification exams are priced separately by Google Cloud and are not covered by a Coursera subscription.
Are Google Certifications Worth It?
Google certifications are worth it for building practical skills and getting past the first screen of a job application, but they are not a substitute for experience or a degree.
What they do well. The courses are designed by Google practitioners and focus on tools you will actually use. According to Coursera, 75% of Google Career Certificate graduates report a positive career outcome a new job, a promotion, or a raise within six months of finishing. Graduates also get access to an employer consortium of more than 150 US companies, including Deloitte and Verizon.
Where they fall short. A certificate alone rarely gets anyone hired. Employers want to see what you built with the skills, which is why the portfolio projects in the UX Design and Data Analytics programs matter more than the certificate itself. The free Skillshop certifications are narrow by design, they prove you know one Google product, not that you can do the job. And none of these are accredited qualifications, so they do not carry academic credit.
Who should take them. Career changers with no degree in the field, marketers who need to prove tool knowledge, and anyone who wants structured training without paying thousands. If you already work in the field and have projects to show, your time is usually better spent elsewhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Google certifications free?
Many are. Certifications on Google Skillshop, Google Skills, Google for Developers and Google Play Academy are completely free, including the exam and the certificate. The Google Career Certificates on Coursera cost $49 per month after a 7-day free trial, with financial aid available.
How much does a Google certification cost?
Free Google certifications cost nothing. The paid Google Career Certificates cost $49 per month, which works out at about $98 for Google Business Intelligence, $147 for Google IT Support and around $294 for the 6-month programs.
Are Google certifications recognised by employers?
Yes, particularly the Career Certificates. Google runs an employer consortium of more than 150 US companies that consider graduates for entry-level roles. They are recognised credentials, but they are not accredited qualifications and do not carry academic credit.
Which Google certification is best for beginners?
For a first tech job, the Google IT Support Professional Certificate is the fastest at about 3 months. For marketing, start with the free Fundamentals of Digital Marketing. For AI, the Google AI Professional Certificate takes about 8 hours and costs one month of subscription.
Do Google certifications expire?
The Career Certificates on Coursera do not expire. Google Ads and Google Analytics certifications from Skillshop expire after 12 months and have to be renewed by retaking the exam. Google Cloud certifications are valid for two or three years depending on the exam.
Google Certification Alternatives
Google is not the only company offering respected online certifications. The most popular alternatives are:
