Udemy vs DataCamp for Data Science

By Steve HarlowAI Learning CuratorPublished May 8, 2026

We've taken (and recommended) hundreds of courses from both. Here's the honest tradeoff in 2026 — by scenario, with our specific picks.

The short answer

Pick Udemy if you want a one-time purchase, lifetime access, and a self-directed library — best when you already know what you need to learn. Pick DataCamp if you want a structured, progress-tracked track with in-browser coding labs and short daily exercises — best when you're building a habit and want guardrails.

These platforms target different learning styles, not just price points. Udemy lifetime access at $14 looks cheaper than $33/month, but DataCamp's in-browser exercises and assessments are much harder to replicate from videos alone. Most career-switchers benefit from a year of DataCamp during the daily-practice phase, then Udemy for niche topics.

Side-by-side comparison

Dimension	Udemy	DataCamp
Pricing	One-time purchase per course ($15-$200 list, frequent 80%+ sales to $13-$15); lifetime access included	Subscription ($25-$39/month standard; $13/month annual). Cancel anytime; loses access on cancellation
Format	Pre-recorded video courses; downloadable code; learn-by-watching with code-along	In-browser coding exercises; auto-graded labs; short (5-10 min) daily lessons
Structure	Unstructured catalog; you assemble your own learning path course-by-course	Curated career tracks ("Data Scientist with Python", "Data Analyst", etc.) with sequenced courses and capstones
Hands-on practice	Code along with the instructor; download project files; no auto-grading	Auto-graded interactive exercises after every lesson; daily practice mode reinforces skills via spaced repetition
Best for	Self-directed learners, working developers wanting a specific topic, anyone who already has good study discipline	Beginners building daily-practice habits, career-switchers, anyone who wants progress visualized and skills assessed objectively
Update frequency	Per-instructor; check "last updated" before buying — quality varies wildly	Centrally maintained; courses are updated as language/library versions change (Pandas 2.x, etc.)

Our picks by scenario

DataCamp

You're starting from zero and want to build a daily habit

DataCamp's in-browser format removes the friction of setting up Python, Jupyter, and the Pandas ecosystem on day one. The 5-minute daily exercises build retention better than 90-minute video sessions you do once a month.

Data Scientist with Python — Career Track

23-course career track covering Python, Pandas, statistics, supervised + unsupervised ML, and deep learning. Includes graded assessments and a capstone project. The most comprehensive single-path option DataCamp offers.

$25-$39/month standard; $13/month annual · ~90h sequential, designed for ~6 months daily

Open on DataCamp →

Udemy

You already know Python and want a project-driven bootcamp

Jose Portilla's Udemy bootcamp is one of the highest-rated data-science courses on the platform. It moves fast, ships real projects, and the lifetime access means you can revisit specific modules years later when you forget how StatsModels works.

Python for Data Science and Machine Learning Bootcamp

25 hours of project-first videos covering numpy, pandas, matplotlib, seaborn, plotly, sklearn, and TensorFlow. Frequently $13-$15 on sale. Code download includes Jupyter notebooks for every lesson.

$84.99 list (often $13.99 on sale) · ~25h

Open on Udemy →

DataCamp

You want SQL for data analysis specifically

DataCamp's SQL track has live database connections — you write real queries against real schemas in the browser. Watching SQL videos on Udemy is a poor substitute for actually executing queries against a sample database.

SQL Fundamentals (Skill Track)

5-course skill track covering joins, aggregations, subqueries, and window functions. All exercises run against a real Postgres database in your browser. Pairs well with the Data Analyst career track.

Included with subscription · ~21h

Open on DataCamp →

Udemy

You want the cheapest viable starter path

A single Udemy course on sale costs less than two months of DataCamp. If you're unsure about committing and want to test whether data science is for you, Kirill Eremenko's Machine Learning A-Z is a one-time, low-stakes entry.

Machine Learning A-Z™: AI, Python & R + ChatGPT Prize

44 hours of project-first videos covering 50+ algorithms with copy-pasteable code templates. Lifetime access; goes on sale ~$15 multiple times a year. Best low-commitment way to find out if you actually enjoy this work.

$94.99 list (often $14.99 on sale) · ~44h

Open on Udemy →

FAQ

Is Udemy or DataCamp better for data science in 2026?

DataCamp if you're a beginner who needs structure and daily practice — the in-browser exercises are genuinely the best at-home approximation of "actually doing the work." Udemy if you're self-directed, want lifetime access to specific niche topics, or want to test the waters at a one-time low cost.

Is DataCamp worth the subscription?

For a focused 6-12 month period, yes — the career tracks ship you from zero to "can interview for an entry-level data analyst role." After that, the marginal value of the subscription drops; many learners cancel and switch to Udemy/books for niche topics.

How often does Udemy run sales?

Roughly every 2-4 weeks. Site-wide promotions drop most courses to $13-$20. Almost no one pays full list price. If a course you want isn't on sale today, wait — it likely will be next week.

Can I learn data science from Udemy alone?

Yes, but it requires more discipline than DataCamp. The hardest part is doing the exercises rather than just watching the videos. Pair any Udemy course with a public Kaggle notebook or your own dataset to force the hands-on work that DataCamp builds in by default.

Not sure where to start?

Take the 2-minute path quiz and we'll match you to the right starting point based on your background and goals.

Take the quiz →

Data Science

DataCamp vs Coursera

Hands-on practice loop vs credential value. The case for using both — DataCamp for skill, Coursera for resume.

Data Science

edX vs Coursera

HarvardX/MITx academic rigor vs IBM/Google industry certificates. Grad school vs hiring optimization.

Machine Learning

Coursera vs Udemy

Andrew Ng specializations vs project-first video bootcamps. Credentials, hands-on, cost — by scenario.

About these recommendations

Picks are based on direct experience with each course, not aggregated reviews. Affiliate status doesn't influence which courses appear or how they're ranked — see how this site's recommendations actually work.

Affiliate disclosure: clicks on the buttons above use affiliate links. If you buy a course, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The recommendations above reflect our actual experience with these courses and platforms.

The short answer

Side-by-side comparison

Dimension	Udemy	DataCamp
Pricing	One-time purchase per course ($15-$200 list, frequent 80%+ sales to $13-$15); lifetime access included	Subscription ($25-$39/month standard; $13/month annual). Cancel anytime; loses access on cancellation
Format	Pre-recorded video courses; downloadable code; learn-by-watching with code-along	In-browser coding exercises; auto-graded labs; short (5-10 min) daily lessons
Structure	Unstructured catalog; you assemble your own learning path course-by-course	Curated career tracks ("Data Scientist with Python", "Data Analyst", etc.) with sequenced courses and capstones
Hands-on practice	Code along with the instructor; download project files; no auto-grading	Auto-graded interactive exercises after every lesson; daily practice mode reinforces skills via spaced repetition
Best for	Self-directed learners, working developers wanting a specific topic, anyone who already has good study discipline	Beginners building daily-practice habits, career-switchers, anyone who wants progress visualized and skills assessed objectively
Update frequency	Per-instructor; check "last updated" before buying — quality varies wildly	Centrally maintained; courses are updated as language/library versions change (Pandas 2.x, etc.)

Our picks by scenario

DataCamp

You're starting from zero and want to build a daily habit

Data Scientist with Python — Career Track

$25-$39/month standard; $13/month annual · ~90h sequential, designed for ~6 months daily

Open on DataCamp →

Udemy

You already know Python and want a project-driven bootcamp

Python for Data Science and Machine Learning Bootcamp

25 hours of project-first videos covering numpy, pandas, matplotlib, seaborn, plotly, sklearn, and TensorFlow. Frequently $13-$15 on sale. Code download includes Jupyter notebooks for every lesson.

$84.99 list (often $13.99 on sale) · ~25h

Open on Udemy →

DataCamp

You want SQL for data analysis specifically

SQL Fundamentals (Skill Track)

5-course skill track covering joins, aggregations, subqueries, and window functions. All exercises run against a real Postgres database in your browser. Pairs well with the Data Analyst career track.

Included with subscription · ~21h

Open on DataCamp →

Udemy

You want the cheapest viable starter path

Machine Learning A-Z™: AI, Python & R + ChatGPT Prize

$94.99 list (often $14.99 on sale) · ~44h

Open on Udemy →

FAQ

Is Udemy or DataCamp better for data science in 2026?

Is DataCamp worth the subscription?

How often does Udemy run sales?

Roughly every 2-4 weeks. Site-wide promotions drop most courses to $13-$20. Almost no one pays full list price. If a course you want isn't on sale today, wait — it likely will be next week.

Can I learn data science from Udemy alone?

The short answer

Side-by-side comparison

Our picks by scenario

You're starting from zero and want to build a daily habit

You already know Python and want a project-driven bootcamp

You want SQL for data analysis specifically

You want the cheapest viable starter path

FAQ

Not sure where to start?

You might also like

About these recommendations

The short answer

Side-by-side comparison

Our picks by scenario

You're starting from zero and want to build a daily habit

You already know Python and want a project-driven bootcamp

You want SQL for data analysis specifically

You want the cheapest viable starter path

FAQ

Not sure where to start?

You might also like

About these recommendations