Are Online Courses Worth It? The Truth About Buying Courses
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Want to know if online courses are actually worth your money?
Learn how to choose the right one in this guide. If you’re serious about making money online, check out Online Creator Course for a step-by-step system on building a profitable digital business.
This blog is based on my YouTube video where I break down my honest thoughts on online courses.
The Golden Rule of Online Courses
99% of what’s in a course is available for free online.
That’s just a fact.
If you have the patience to search YouTube, read blogs, and dig through forums, you can learn almost anything without spending a dime.
Yet, I sell online courses.
So, am I shooting myself in the foot by saying this?
Not really.
Because people don’t just buy courses for information—they buy them for structure and experience.
A good course curates information, gives it an order that makes sense, and adds real-world insights from someone who’s actually done it.
My Online Creator Course for example gives you a behind the scenes look at how I built my own digital product business, and how it helped me make millions online.
Should You Ever Buy an Online Course?
There are times when buying a course actually makes sense.
Here’s when:
1. You Want to Save Time
Most of us are busy.
If a course can take years of experience and condense it into a few hours, that’s valuable.
Think about it—how much is your time worth?
If you spend months trying to figure something out when a well-structured course could teach it in a weekend, that’s a win.
2. You Need a Clear Learning Path
If you’ve ever tried to learn a skill through random YouTube videos, you know how messy it gets.
You end up learning in fragments—bits and pieces with no real order.
A course lays everything out step by step, filling in the gaps so you understand the bigger picture.
3. It Will Make You Money
If a course helps you learn a high-income skill, grow your business, or land a better job, it can pay for itself.
For example:
A $5,000 course on painting? Probably not a great investment (unless it’s purely for passion).
A $5,000 course on coding? Might lead to a six-figure job. Huge ROI (return on investment).
If a course directly increases your earning potential, it’s usually worth it.
How to Tell If a Course Is Legit
The internet is full of fake gurus selling courses on things they’ve never actually done.
Here’s how to separate the real from the scammy.
1. Does the Creator Have Proof?
A course is only valuable if the person teaching it actually knows what they’re talking about.
For example, my friend Ali Abdaal teaches a YouTube course—and he’s built a massively successful YouTube channel.
That’s proof of expertise.
But if someone is selling a “trading” course while claiming they make a 10% return per month, they’re full of it.
If they were actually making those returns, they wouldn’t be wasting time selling a course.
Most of the time, if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.
2. Does the Course Have Real Student Success Stories?
Look beyond fake testimonials.
Do real students actually get results?
A good course should have proof that it works.
If people are just saying, “Great course!” but can’t show real-world success, that’s a red flag.
3. Is the Marketing Full of Hype?
Scammy courses overpromise.
They’ll say things like:
“Earn $10,000 a month instantly!”
“No effort required!”
“Guaranteed results!”
No course guarantees success.
Learning a skill takes work.
A good course gives real expectations—not fairy tales.
How Much Should You Spend on a Course?
This depends on your goals and the value you’ll get.
A $50 course that teaches you a small but useful skill? Probably worth it.
A $5,000 course that promises to make you rich overnight? Huge red flag.
It all comes down to ROI (Return on Investment).
If you’re spending money on a course, ask yourself:
Will this course make me money?
Will it save me significant time?
Will it teach me something I can’t easily find for free?
If the answer is yes, it’s worth considering.
Why I Started Selling Courses (Even Though I Never Took One)
For years, people asked me:
“How do you shoot videos?”
“What camera gear do you use?”
“How do you make your videos look this good?”
I wanted to give all this information away for free.
But then I realised—if I spent all my time making free content, I’d be losing money.
I could either:
Spend hundreds of hours making free tutorials, OR
Package everything into a structured course and charge for it.
So, I put together my Video Creator Course—not because I wanted to milk money from people, but because I knew it was the only way to justify spending my time on it.
And honestly?
It was worth it.
The best part isn’t the money—it’s seeing people take what I teach and apply it to their own content.
Seeing students make pro-level videos using my techniques blows my mind.
Are Online Courses Worth It?
Yes, if:
You want to save time and learn efficiently.
You need a structured learning path.
The course teaches skills that can make you money.
The creator has real proof that they know their stuff.
No, if:
You’re expecting instant results.
The course is full of hype and unrealistic promises.
You’re not willing to apply what you learn.
At the end of the day, learning is free.
But if a course can get you where you want to be faster, it can be a smart investment.
Want to Learn How to Make Money Online?
If you’re serious about learning how to create digital products and build an online business, I break it all down inside Online Creator Course.
Join today and start building your digital product business.