Free Online Web Design Certificates 2025

Web designers are responsible for the layout and interactive elements on webpages across the internet. User experience is an essential component of e-commerce and learning web design can make you a vital part of digital marketing agencies or on in-house teams.

Online web design certification programs are popular for graphic designers and professionals looking to expand their skill sets without paying for a new degree or similar program. Many free web design online courses cover visual design, typography, and other design principles to prepare professionals to work in the field.

What Is a Web Design Certificate?

A web design certificate is a program that teaches aspects of web design, usually focusing on a single topic per course. Web design degree and certificate programs often include multiple related subjects, but their biggest benefit is the singular in-depth nature that allows for specialization.

Companies like Adobe offer courses that reflect updates and changes in their programs. Even established web designers consistently pursue new certifications to show their web design skills are up-to-date.

These certification programs cover web design and development topics including:

• making user-friendly web applications and pages
• using design tools (i.e., Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop)
• applying best practices of typography and font selection

Although many of these courses are designed for beginners, some may require prerequisite knowledge or courses.

Learn more: Training for a Career in Web Design

Can You Earn an Online Web Design Certificate for Free?

You can earn free web design certifications online. Multiple universities and organizations offer free web design courses, allowing learners to develop their skills further or learn new ones. There are many paid certificate programs available, but learners can earn free certificates from reputable providers as well.

How Do I Enroll?

Many of these programs are offered through third-party websites like edX. These sites have straightforward enrollment processes where you submit information, like your name and email address, to qualify for your certificate.

If the program is offered through an organization, like Adobe, you might need to sign up for a membership and create an account within their database.

Top Free Online Web Design Certificates

There are many different web design skills and just as many certificate programs for professionals to earn. These free courses are offered by multiple providers including universities and private organizations. We've listed some examples below.

CS50's Web Programming with Python and JavaScript Offered by HarvardX

This program covers the fundamentals of Python and JavaScript and how they are used in front-end web development. Python and JavaScript are two of the most popular programming languages used in web development. This program can result in certification, but it also can be used as transfer credit to complete a degree program.

WordPress, Divi, and Elementor Offered by SimonSezIT and Alison

WordPress is one of the most commonly used web development tools. This course covers the basics of WordPress and the Divi and Elementor tools. This course walks learners through the process of building a website from purchasing a domain to making multiple pages.

Introduction to HTML and CSS Offered by SimonSezIT and Alison

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) are the most common tools for building and styling web content. These two tools are used in the UX Design process to improve user experience. This course uses HTML5 and CSS3, to keep learners up-to-date on recent technologies.

Figma Design Basics and Features Offered by Pierluigi Giglio and Alison

Figma is a vector design program that allows users to make images and prototypes for apps. This course provides tutorials and hands-on experience to prepare for real-world Figma usage. The course also dives into some of the more advanced features of the Figma program.

Introduction to Typography Offered by California Institute of the Arts

Typography studies how fonts are designed and utilized in website design. This design skill is critical for programmers looking to maintain an accessible user interface. This course is divided into four modules and takes most students around eight hours to complete.

Responsive Web Design Offered by freeCodeCamp

This program shows students how to build the frameworks of responsive websites using HTML and CSS. It is offered by freeCodeCamp, which uses multiple hands-on assignments to teach skills in a project setting. This program is fully self-paced. Students earn their certification after completing a final project.

UX Design Certificate Offered by Google

Google's UX Design certification program starts with building wireframes and takes learners through the prototyping stage of website design. Students will learn how to make mock-ups of web pages, perform quality testing, and study the fundamentals of equity-based design to ensure web pages are accessible to all users.

Developing Websites and Front-Ends with Bootstrap Offered by IBM

IBM offers multiple free web development courses. This course teaches learners the basics of Bootstrap, a program used to make mobile-first websites and applications. Bootstrap is a library of high-quality HTML and CSS features that help designers access fonts, themes, and color palettes.

Webflow 101 Certification Offered by Webflow

This program covers the basics of HTML, CSS, and general web design principles. This program is divided into a course that teaches the material and an optional exam if you want to receive a certification. The course can be completed in under two and a half hours before taking the exam.

JQuery Tutorial Offered by Great Learning

Great Learning's JQuery Tutorial is a one-hour course that covers HTML, JavaScript, CSS, and JQuery. This free course results in a sharable certificate while teaching learners basic information that can better prepare them for other more in-depth courses.

FAQs About Free Online Web Design Certificates

Free programs on the internet are often too good to be true, leading many learners to question free web design certificates. Here are some answers to common questions including whether the programs will be recognized by employers and who can take these courses.

Do Employers Recognize Free Online Web Design Certificates?

This will vary from employer to employer, but most will recognize free certificates, provided they come from legitimate providers. A free certificate from a provider like Google or Adobe will carry more weight than a free certificate from a less reputable site.

Who Is Eligible for Free Online Web Design Certificates?

Most web design certificates are available to everyone. Some programs will require a degree or other prerequisite, but many programs are designed for beginners with little to no preexisting knowledge.

Are There Free Online Web Design Courses?

Students can access many free online web design courses covering different topics within the field. There are a few generalized courses, but learners will benefit the most from taking multiple courses and developing a broad skill set.