Free to learn · Optional certificate · Checked 1 Nov 2026
Free PLC course with certificate: the options compared
What you can learn free, where a certificate costs money, and what each option does and does not give you.
Yes, a free PLC course with a certificate exists. EDWartens teaches Siemens TIA Portal free (about 10.5 hours of study, no card, no trial) and issues an optional verifiable certificate for a small one-off fee when you pass the final assessment. Many other providers let you learn free and charge for the certificate, so the real question is what the certificate costs and whether you can verify it.
Updated . By EDWartens, the training division of Wartens Ltd (UK).
Compared
What each option gives, as checked on 1 Nov 2026
Only what was readable on the provider's own page on the date above. Providers change prices and terms, so confirm on their page before you rely on it.
| Option | What it is | Learning free? | Certificate | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EDWartens free courses | Self-paced PLC courses by brand (Siemens, Allen-Bradley, Mitsubishi, Omron and more), with notes, practice tasks and a final assessment. Siemens TIA Portal: about 10.5 hours. | Yes, every module and the assessment, with a free account | Optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, verifiable by code, paid one-off. Not a vendor credential. | 1 Nov 2026, our own catalogue |
| Alison | A marketplace of free online courses (alison.com). | Its site says courses are free to study | Its site says you can buy a printed or digital certificate after completing a course | 1 Nov 2026, alison.com/tag/plc |
| Class Central | A directory that lists courses from many other providers. | Depends on the listed provider | Depends on the listed provider | Varies by listing; check the provider's own page |
| Vendor learning sites (Siemens, Rockwell and others) | Product training from the PLC maker. | Not verified, check the vendor page | Not verified, check the vendor page | Not verified, so left out |
A blank or "not verified" cell means we could not confirm it from a public page and chose not to guess.
How to judge any option
Five questions to ask before you start
Is learning really free?
Check for a trial that ends, a paywall after the first module or a card requirement. Free to start is not free to finish.
What does the certificate cost?
State the price before you begin. A free course whose certificate price appears only at the end is hard to compare.
Can an employer verify it?
A certificate with a public verification page and a unique number can be checked in seconds. A plain PDF cannot.
Which software does it use?
A course on the software your target employers use is worth more. Siemens and Rockwell both have large user bases. Read the adverts for the jobs you want in your region and match them.
Can you practise?
Reading is not programming. Look for a simulator or lab, such as the free EDWartens browser PLC simulator.
Is the claim honest?
Be wary of anyone promising a job or claiming to be an official vendor course. EDWartens does neither.
The EDWartens options
Start here, free
Siemens TIA Portal
Ladder logic, timers, counters, function blocks and a WinCC HMI on a simulated S7-1200. About 10.5 hours.
See the simulationAllen-Bradley Studio 5000
Rockwell Automation's Logix programming software. About 17.1 hours.
See the simulationCODESYS and IEC 61131-3
Brand-neutral programming in the international standard's languages.
See the simulationFree internship in PLC
Four free weeks of PLC tasks with a free Internship Completion Certificate. Training, not employment, no stipend.
See the simulationQuestions
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free PLC course with a certificate?
Yes. The EDWartens Siemens TIA Portal course is free to learn in full (about 10.5 hours of study) and ends with an optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion that anyone can verify by code. Learning is free; the certificate is the only paid item, and it is optional.
Is the certificate from a free PLC course worth anything to an employer?
An employer reads the skill, not the paper. Any certificate from an online course is evidence that you finished it, not a qualification. A verifiable certificate plus a program you can explain in an interview is stronger than either alone. EDWartens certificates are not Siemens, Rockwell or any other vendor credential.
What does the EDWartens certificate cost?
Certificate price: the course is free and the certificate is optional, a small one-off fee. Intermediate and advanced courses cost a little more than beginner ones. The site and checkout show each learner their own price. Learners in India pay in rupees; in the United Kingdom in pounds sterling; in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Ireland, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Luxembourg, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece in euros; in Switzerland in Swiss francs; in Canada in Canadian dollars; in Australia in Australian dollars; in New Zealand in New Zealand dollars; in Singapore in Singapore dollars; in the United Arab Emirates in UAE dirhams; in Saudi Arabia in Saudi riyals; everybody else pays in US dollars.
Do I need to buy PLC software to take a free course?
Not for the EDWartens courses. They use vendor trial or free software and simulators, and the course page names the software and its terms before you start. Check the vendor's own page for the current trial length.
Which free PLC course should I start with?
If you want the Siemens platform, start with the Siemens TIA Portal course. If your target employers use Rockwell, start with Allen-Bradley Studio 5000 (about 17.1 hours). If you do not know yet, learn the ideas on the free simulator first, because ladder logic transfers between brands.
Sources and how this page was checked
- Alison tag page: read 1 Nov 2026 for the statement that a printed or digital certificate can be bought after a course.
- Class Central PLC subject page: a directory of other providers' courses; we make no claim about any listing's price or certificate.
- EDWartens course catalogue: durations and certificate terms come from our own course records.
Keep reading
This page compares learning options. It makes no claim of accreditation, recognition by any exam body, official vendor status, or a job. Certificates are EDWartens certificates.