Compare your optionsA lower cost alternative to a digital marketing bootcamp
What bootcamps and short courses in Australia cost, what they include, and when a self paced course makes more sense.
Compare: All comparisons | vs TAFE or RTO diploma | vs bootcamps | vs free certificates
Quick answer: The Australian digital marketing bootcamps and short courses we checked cost from $899 to $8,999, and RMIT's six week short course costs $1,900. 20 Minute Marketing costs $499 to $999, paid once, and is self paced. Bootcamps offer live teaching, a cohort and career support that we do not. We teach the practical skills for much less.
Side by side: bootcamps and short courses vs 20 Minute Marketing
| Course | Price | Length and format | What you get | Source |
|---|
| Academy Xi, Digital Marketing: Foundations | $899 upfront | Self paced, 6 month access | Introductory course | [1] |
| Academy Xi, Digital Marketing: Upskill | $2,520 upfront | Self paced, 6 month access | Self paced course | [1] |
| Academy Xi, Digital Marketing: Advanced Certificate | From $8,999 (stated RRP $9,999), or from $55 a week | 24 weeks | Career Support Program and a Career Growth Guarantee of extra courses and career support if you do not secure a role within 180 days | [2] |
| RMIT Future Skills, Digital Marketing Strategy | $1,900 including GST | 6 weeks at 8 to 10 hours a week, starts 12 October and 2 November 2026 | An RMIT credential you can share online | [3] |
| AIM, Mini MBA in Digital Marketing | $4,750 | 25 hours online plus a 2 day workshop | AIM states it is not accredited or recognised by the Australian Qualifications Framework | [4] |
| UTS Online, Graduate Certificate in Digital Marketing | $17,576 total ($4,394 per subject, 4 subjects), FEE-HELP available | 8 months minimum, online | A university award (checked 25 September 2026) | [5] |
| 20 Minute Marketing | Essentials $499, Deluxe $799, Expert $999, paid once. Short courses $79 to $149 | Self paced lessons of about 20 minutes, start any day, 12 months access | Practical lessons, a practice brief for your portfolio, and a Certificate of Completion | Current price list |
We do not show General Assembly because we could not find a current published tuition fee for an Australian digital marketing course on its website.
The price gap
Our Deluxe course costs $799, paid once. That is less than a tenth of the $8,999 Academy Xi Advanced Certificate [2], and less than half of the $1,900 RMIT short course [3]. Our most complete course, Expert, costs $999.
The gap is real, and so are the differences below. A bootcamp is not overpriced. It includes people, time and services that a self paced course does not.
What bootcamps and short courses do better
- Live teaching and a cohort. RMIT runs fixed start dates and AIM runs a two day workshop [3] [4]. Working alongside other learners on a schedule keeps many people on track.
- Career support. Academy Xi's Advanced Certificate includes a Career Support Program and a written guarantee of extra courses and career support if you do not find a role within 180 days [2]. We do not offer career services.
- A known name on the credential. A university or a long standing training brand is familiar to hiring managers.
Where 20 Minute Marketing is different
Price. $79 to $999, paid once, with no payment plan needed.
No schedule. Start any day and study in 20 minute lessons around a job, school or caring.
Hands on channel skills. Separate lessons for SEO, Google Ads, social media, email and SMS, websites and AI tools. Some programmes with digital marketing in the name are broader: AIM's published module list for its Mini MBA in Digital Marketing covers leadership, strategy, finance and change, with digital marketing inside one module [4].
A portfolio piece in every course. Each course ends with a practice brief built on an obviously fictional business, so you finish with work you can show.
Who writes the lessons. Every lesson is written by someone who runs digital marketing for two national brands.
Which should you choose?
- Choose a bootcamp if you want live teaching, mentors, a cohort and career services, and the price is manageable for you.
- Choose 20 Minute Marketing if you want the practical skills at a fraction of the price, and you are comfortable setting your own pace.
- Try us first if you are unsure whether digital marketing suits you. A $79 to $149 short course is a low cost way to find out before a bigger commitment.
Frequently asked questions
Is this course accredited?
No, and that's a deliberate choice. 20 Minute Marketing is not a registered training organisation, and our courses are not nationally recognised training.
Accreditation adds cost, and that cost would put practical digital marketing education out of reach for many people, especially young people starting out. It is also slow. The national Certificate IV in Marketing and Communication hasn't been updated since October 2020, while Google, Meta and the AI tools change every few months. We update our lessons when the platforms change, and every lesson is written by someone who runs digital marketing for two national brands.
If you need a qualification on the national register, a TAFE or RTO course is the right choice. If you want current, practical skills, a portfolio you can show an employer or client, and a Certificate of Completion, you're in the right place. Many learners also collect free certificates from Google and HubSpot alongside our courses.
Are digital marketing bootcamps accredited?
None of the bootcamps or short courses in our table ends in a nationally recognised qualification, apart from the UTS Graduate Certificate, which is a university award. AIM states its Mini MBA in Digital Marketing is not accredited or recognised by the Australian Qualifications Framework.
Do bootcamps guarantee a job?
We did not find a job guarantee. Academy Xi's Career Growth Guarantee provides additional courses and career support free of charge if you do not secure a role within 180 days. It is not a refund. Read the terms on the provider's page before you buy.
Why is 20 Minute Marketing so much cheaper?
Our courses are self paced. There is no campus, no cohort to run, no live class schedule and no accreditation overhead, so the price covers the lessons, the practice briefs and updates when the platforms change.
Is a self paced course harder to finish?
It can be. Without a class to keep up with, the pace is up to you. Our lessons are about 20 minutes each so they fit into a short daily habit, but if you know you need a timetable, a cohort course may suit you better.
Sources, checked 28 September 2026 unless marked
Prices and course details were read on each provider's own website on the date shown. Prices change, so check the provider's page before you decide. Figures shown to the cent on a provider's page are rounded to the nearest dollar here.
- Academy Xi, Digital Marketing: Foundations and Upskill. https://academyxi.com/online-courses/digital-marketing/, checked 28 September 2026.
- Academy Xi, Digital Marketing: Advanced Certificate. https://academyxi.com/online-courses/digital-marketing/transform-part-time/, checked 28 September 2026.
- RMIT Future Skills, Digital Marketing Strategy (DMK101). https://shortcourses.rmit.edu.au/products/fs-digital-marketing-strategy-dmk101, checked 28 September 2026.
- AIM, Mini MBA in Digital Marketing. https://www.aim.com.au/digital-marketing/courses/mini-mba-digital-marketing, checked 28 September 2026.
- UTS Online, Graduate Certificate in Digital Marketing. https://studyonline.uts.edu.au/online-courses/graduate-certificate-digital-marketing, checked 25 September 2026.
Compare: All comparisons | vs TAFE or RTO diploma | vs bootcamps | vs free certificates
