For a beginner, free resources are usually enough to get started well. There’s plenty of solid photography instruction online, and respected free sources can teach the fundamentals you need.

The main advantage of a paid course is structure: the material is organized for you, it can be easier to follow in order, and paying may motivate you to stick with it. A course may save time because you don’t have to search across many sites to figure out what to learn next.

Free learning has the advantage of cost and variety. You can compare different teachers and find a style that suits you. The downside is that you must identify your own gaps and assemble your own learning path.

A practical approach: start with good free tutorials, then spend money only when you feel your progress is limited by lack of structure, depth, or guidance. Also, practice matters as much as study—shoot a lot, review your images critically, and learn what works and what doesn’t.

In short: begin free, practice heavily, and move to paid instruction later if you want a more guided path.