Is Udemy Worth It Reddit: What the Threads Really Say

Is Udemy worth it Reddit threads show up every week, usually posted by someone with a sale banner open in another tab and a course at $12.99 that promises to make them job ready.

I went through three of those threads, on r/learnprogramming, r/it and r/JobsPhilippines. The answers were more consistent than I expected, and the consensus is useful if you're trying to change careers and not only pick up a skill.

This is the Udemy version of a question I've also covered for Coursera, so if you're comparing the two, read what the "is Coursera worth it" Reddit threads say next. For a side-by-side of the platforms themselves, there's Coursera vs Udemy.

What Reddit says about Udemy

Reddit's answer: Udemy courses are often worth it for learning a specific skill cheaply, and the certificate is worth close to nothing to an employer. Almost every thread splits the course from the credential, then tells you to build something on your own.

In an r/JobsPhilippines thread asking if a Udemy certificate is worth getting, one reply drew that line clearly:

"Udemy courses can be worth it for learning."

Then, a sentence later: "Udemy course certificates, however, don't hold any value. Anyone can give certificates."

The r/it crowd was harsher. In a thread on how valuable Udemy certifications are in IT, the top reply said that if you're hoping someone will hire you because of it, "forget about it." Another commenter pointed out that Udemy and Coursera offer certificates, not certifications, and that most people don't even list certificates on a résumé. My favorite was the shortest: "Evidence you took a course. That's about it."

Course quality depends on the instructor

The r/learnprogramming thread asking whether Udemy courses are worth the money and time was kinder to the courses themselves. The first reply framed it well: "Udemy is just a storefront for classes from a variety of different sources."

So the quality swings. A few instructors got named again and again, and one commenter did the math on price, saying courses cost $12 to $15 for 10 to 25 hours of video, which makes them "worth $0.50 an hour." Someone else said to buy only when they're on discount. Others said skip paid beginner courses entirely and start with free ones.

The best advice in that thread wasn't about Udemy at all:

"Don't just watch the course and think you're done."

Another commenter warned about the trap of "following along with the instructor's code and not understanding what you just wrote." That's the real risk with any video course. You can finish ten of them and still freeze when a blank editor is staring back.

Why a stack of courses doesn't add up to a job

Put those threads together and you get the problem I see in career changers all the time. They buy a Python course, then an HTML course, then a marketing course during the next sale. Each one is fine. None of them says which job you're aiming for, what that job needs in what order, or what you should be able to show an employer at the end.

That's the gap. A job offer comes from being able to do one specific job and proving it with work. Udemy sells you the pieces and leaves the assembly to you, which is why so many people end up with a library they never finish. I listed the platforms people move to afterward in Udemy alternatives.

What I'd do instead of buying another course

I'd pick a job first, then follow a path built for it. That's what CodingPhase is for, and I'll own the bias: it's my platform, made for beginners going after their first tech job.

Our career paths are free to start, and each one walks you through a whole job from start to finish. The Web Content Manager path is a strong first pick, the Email Marketing Specialist path suits people who like writing and numbers, and AI Automations is the path most of our new paying members choose. Every path ships with portfolio templates, so you finish with projects instead of a folder of certificates.

Diamond membership lists at $60 a month or $365 a year and is always at least 30% off, about $42 a month or about $255 a year. You get 90+ courses, an ATS-ready résumé builder, the members' job board, an 80,000+ member community, and two live calls a week: Accountability on Wednesdays at 7 PM ET and Money Talk on Sundays at 8 PM ET, with instructors who each have 10+ years in the industry. Our students go after roles that pay $75k+, individual results vary.

FAQ

Is Udemy worth it for getting a job? Reddit mostly says no, not on its own. The courses can teach you a skill, but employers don't treat a Udemy certificate as proof you can do the work.

Are Udemy certificates worth anything? Very little to employers, according to r/it and r/learnprogramming. They show you finished a course, nothing more. Projects and recognized certifications carry more weight.

Is it better to buy Udemy courses on sale? Commenters say yes, only buy at a discount, and check reviews and the instructor first, since quality varies a lot from course to course.

If you've got a Udemy library you never finished, you're not lazy and you're not alone. You were handed a pile of pieces with no picture on the box. Pick the job, follow the path, and we'll be on the call Wednesday night when you get stuck.