Two instructional designers, Sarah and David, are grabbing coffee in the break room.

Sarah: ...Another eLearning project, another struggle to find the right authoring tool.

David: Tell me about it! I spent the whole morning wrestling with that clunky interface on the last project. By the time I figured it out, I could have written the entire course by hand!

Sarah: Exactly! Half the time, they're so complex you spend more time learning the software than building the course. And forget about finding something intuitive that lets you focus on the actual content.

David: (Nods) The worst part is that even when you think you've found a decent tool, it might not be a good fit for the course's specific needs.

Does this situation strike a chord with you?

Most instructional designers or L&D training creators come across such challenges.

So, to make their work easy, we've compiled this blog with the top 11 eLearning authoring tools that are SUPER easy to use, have shorter learning curves, and help you craft engaging course content.

Here’s what’s in store:

What are eLearning authoring tools?
Why do you need an eLearning Authoring Tool?
Difference between SCORM vs. Tin Can
Types of Authoring Tools
Top 11 eLearning Authoring Tools That Deserve Your Attention
How to Choose the Perfect eLearning Authoring Tool

What is an eLearning authoring tool in Corporate Training?

eLearning Authoring Tools (commonly known as course authoring tools) are software applications or platforms for creating, developing, and publishing digital content for an organization’s online learning and training needs.

They act as enablers in the content creation process, providing building blocks for course authors to concentrate on content creation rather than the technical aspects of creating it.

They help organizations continually improve learning experiences for their target audiences by supporting course content development with features like data collection, feedback mechanisms, and analytics tools.

These course authoring tools are among the must-have Learning & Development(L&D) tools and are widely used by instructional designers & corporate training creators.

Why do you need an eLearning Authoring Tool?

With the right eLearning Authoring Tool, you can make your learning experience 10X better. Here's why they're essential:

Create Fun, Interactive Courses: Drag-and-drop interfaces make building courses enjoyable.
Develop Training Materials Faster: Pre-built templates, interactive elements, and multimedia support get you started quickly.
Customize Courses for Specific Needs: Tailor content to address unique learning objectives and skill sets.
Rich Multimedia Experiences: Integrate videos, images, and more to boost engagement and knowledge retention.
Track Learner Progress: Monitor performance and measure learning with built-in assessment tools.
Learning on the Go: Courses are accessible on desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones for ultimate flexibility.
Easy Edits and Sharing: Update, revise, and share your courses with collaborators for a streamlined workflow.

Difference between SCORM vs. Tin Can

When creating eLearning courses, you might think: How can I track learner activity to improve my content?

This is where SCORM and Tin Can (also known as xAPI) come in.

SCORM is a set of standards for e-learning content that tracks completion and assessment data within a Learning Management System (LMS).
Tin Can (xAPI) is a newer e-learning standard that tracks a wider range of learning activities, even outside an LMS.

Both technical standards act like a communication channel between your eLearning course and a Learning Management System (LMS), the platform that hosts and delivers your courses.

Let’s take a scenario: Imagine you create a course to teach someone how to drive from point A to point B. Here's how SCORM and Tin Can would track their progress:

SCORM (Shareable Content Object Reference Model) is the older standard, focusing on completion. It's like a car GPS that tells you if you've reached B. You'd know they finished the course, but not the details of their journey.
Tin Can (xAPI): This is a newer, more flexible standard that tracks the entire learning experience. Like a detailed trip recorder, Tin Can captures things like:
Did they take the most efficient route? (Followed the correct learning sequence)
Did they stop for gas or take detours? (Engaged with additional resources)
Did they have trouble with a specific turn? (Struggled with a particular concept)

Quickly Recapping…

Use SCORM if you need basic completion tracking and compatibility with most LMS platforms.
Use Tin Can if you want in-depth learner data to improve your course content and support mobile learning or informal learning experiences.

Types of Course Authoring & Tools

Different types of course authoring tools cater to various aspects of blended learning. By understanding these types, you can select a tool that complements your training strategy, streamlining the course development process for greater efficiency.

1. Microlearning Authoring Platforms

Designed for: Creating short, bite-sized learning modules.

Ideal for: Course creators who want to deliver information in small, digestible chunks to their busy learners.

Examples: Gyde, EdApp

Pros: Easy to use & create training content, promotes knowledge retention.

2. Standalone Authoring Tools

Designed for: Building entire e-learning courses with rich features.

Ideal for: Instructional designers and e-learning professionals who need flexibility and customization.

Examples: Adobe Captivate, Articulate, Lectora

Pros: Powerful features like multimedia, interactivity, and simulations.

3. Native Authoring Tools

Designed for: Creating courses within an existing platform, often without extensive technical knowledge.

Ideal for: Course Authors who need to develop a course for an application platform at a beginner's level.

Examples: DominKnow, Talent cards, Thinkific

Pros: User-friendly interfaces, templates, and integration with other platform features.

4. LMS Authoring Tools

Designed for: Building and delivering courses directly within a Learning Management System (LMS).

Ideal for: Instructional designers already using an LMS with an in-built eLearning authoring tool to streamline the course creation process.

Examples: iSpring Learn, iseazy, Talent LMS

Pros: Integrated with LMS for content management, user management, and reporting.

5. Digital Adoption Platforms(DAP)

Designed for: Creating interactive tutorials, walkthroughs, and FAQ articles that help users learn how to use the software application effectively.

Ideal for: Professionals responsible for training employees on new software implementations or upgrades leverage DAPs to develop customized training materials

Examples: Gyde

Pros: Training materials created with a DAP can be accessed on-demand, allowing users to learn at their own pace and refer back to the content as needed right inside the app.

Top 11 eLearning Authoring Tools That Deserve Your Attention

1. Gyde DAP

Overview

Type: Digital Adoption Platform & Microlearning Authoring Platform
Top Clients: Verizon, South County Health, Bajaj Finserv
Capterra Ratings: 5 stars out of 5
Free trial: On request
Pricing: Customized Quote

Gyde is a Digital Adoption Platform (DAP) that helps learners learn any software application in the flow of work. It provides eLearning content right within the application in the form of walkthroughs, help articles, and videos, which are typically bite-sized.

Using code-free walkthrough creator and AI capabilities, instructional designers or trainers can easily create eLearning content which help solves application queries in real-time, reducing the number of support tickets, shortening application learning curves, and maximizing their software ROI.

Gyde step-by-step instructions appearing in real-time

Key Features

Code-Free Walkthrough Creator: Gyde uses extensions, so even L&D trainers with zero coding skills can create walkthrough guides with a drag-and-drop interface. Simply select the steps and Gyde automatically generates it.
Contextual Help Articles: Create FAQs that give quick instructions for solving a problem that learners commonly run into. With Gyde's help articles, learners become more confident using the application, solving queries faster.
In-app Assessments: Immediately after completing a walkthrough, present learners with assessment questions to test their understanding. As per the results, determine whether the provided help conveys the desired message.
Analytics on Help Resources: Understand how learners interact with provided walkthroughs or help articles. See how far they get in each walkthrough, identify areas where they get stuck, check the view rates, and more detailed analytics.

Pros

Lets learners choose their preferred language to access help content for the application's universal accessibility across language barriers.
Supports SCORM and Tin Can API standards analytics and integrates seamlessly into web-based, cloud-based & mobile applications.
Course Authors can easily edit help resources as their application undergoes updates, adds new features, or changes altogether.
Powered by Gen AI, Gyde helps generates content in no time.

Cons

Not compatible with desktop applications.

Customer Reviews

In this Capterra review, Megha, a Product Consultant at an E-learning company, shares her experience with Gyde:

“Gyde offers a highly flexible, configurable, and easy-to-access infrastructure to create workflows and help videos. You can seamlessly activate and deactivate these workflows on any software instance. The walk-throughs can be auto-triggered or manually activated. It can display only relevant steps from the walk-through dynamically, as per your platform configuration settings. Customer Support is their strong suit. Gyde Team is one of the best teams, I got an opportunity to work with.”

The Verdict

If your focus is on application training and user onboarding, Gyde offers a compelling alternative to traditional eLearning authoring tools. It promotes on-the-job learning and eliminates the need to switch between a separate course and the actual software, reducing context switching and improving knowledge retention.

2. EdApp

Overview

Type: Microlearning Authoring Platform
Top Clients: Doordash, inDrive, CocaCola
g2 Ratings: 4.7 stars out of 5
Free trial: Free plan available
Pricing: Starts with $2.95 per active user/month

Edapp is an intuitive eLearning authoring tool that provides your learners with microlearning modules that can be created within minutes. You can add images and other media formats to your courses and assess your learners with their Rapid Refresh quiz feature.

Key Features

Course Authoring: The platform uses microlearning to break down training content into easily digestible modules and adds interactivity to your courseware.
Editable course library: You'll have access to hundreds of ready-to-deploy courses, so you can select the training material that's most relevant to your teams and then deliver it in minutes.
Create-AI: EdApp's newest feature enables your course creators to quickly and easily come up with course content using a simple prompt.

Pros

EdApp is designed for mobile devices, making it easy for learners to access training anytime, anywhere.
Its free plan allows unlimited users, making it an attractive option for businesses of all sizes.

Cons

Unlimited SCORM export is only available in the Enterprise plan

Customer Reviews

Here’s a review we found on Edapp’s website by Sally James, Marketing Manager at Mizuno:

“We love EdApp's creator tool because it's so quick and easy to use. We can create and deploy beautiful lessons that include important information to all of our external retail teams whenever we need.”

The Verdict

EdApp is a powerful tool for businesses looking to provide engaging and effective mobile learning for their employees. If you're looking for a user-friendly and affordable LMS focusing on microlearning, EdApp is definitely worth considering.

3. Adobe Captivate

Overview

Type: Course Authoring Software
Top Clients: IHS Global, ThinkBusan, American Airlines
g2 Ratings: 3.9 stars out of 5
Free trial: 30-day
Pricing: Contact for quote

Adobe Captivate is a eLearning authoring tool for making online lessons and quizzes in HTML5. It can mimic software actions like mouse clicks and key presses. You can also record your screen and turn PowerPoint presentations into online lessons. Plus, it tracks how learners do using SCORM.

Key Features

Responsive Fluid Boxes: Create courses that adapt to any screen size without distortion.
360° VR Authoring: Develop immersive virtual reality experiences for learners.
Software Simulations: Record and replicate software interactions for realistic training scenarios.
Branching Scenarios: Design courses that adapt to learner choices, making them personalized and engaging.

Pros

Create quizzes and assessments to evaluate learner understanding and knowledge.
Implement SCORM and xAPI compliance to ensure seamless integration with popular LMSs.

Cons

Despite being in 2024, some users still use the outdated version 2019, which shows Adobe’s slow implementation.
Compatibility issues with certain LMS systems may arise due to inaccuracies in reading SCORM files generated by Captivate.

Customer Reviews

Here’s a review we found on g2 by Avani. G, who’s a cloud migration expert:

“I've used various tools before, but none of them were as effective in helping me create interactive and captivating content. I like its wide range of interactive features, and its customization level gives the content a personal touch.”

The Verdict

Adobe Captivate is a powerful tool for creating engaging and effective eLearning content. While it has a bit of a learning curve and can be expensive, its versatility, user-friendliness, and robust features make it a popular choice for professional eLearning developers.

4. Articulate Storyline

Overview

Type: Course Authoring Software
Top Clients: Avid Technology, Lumina Learning, Supergoop!
Capterra Ratings: 4.7 stars out of 5
Free trial: 30-day
Pricing: Starts at $1,399 per user annually

Among Articulate's learning tools suite, Storyline stands out as an exceptionally flexible authoring platform. With Storyline, you can craft immersive learning experiences enriched with videos and simulations, enhancing engagement and interaction. It streamlines the process, enabling the creation of visually captivating tours for learners.

Key Features

Multimedia Support: Storyline allows you to incorporate various media elements like images, videos, audio clips, and even screen recordings into your courses, making them engaging.
Interactive Elements: You can design interactive elements like quizzes, drag-and-drop activities, simulations, and branching scenarios to make learning more immersive and assess learner comprehension.
Customization: Storyline offers a rich library of templates and characters, along with the ability to customize the look and feel of your courses to match your branding or specific learning objectives.

Pros

Built-in assessment features let you evaluate learner knowledge through quizzes and interactive activities.
Responsive design ensures your courses can be accessed and completed on any device, providing learners with flexibility.

Cons

Articulate Storyline is a paid subscription service, which can be a cost barrier for some users.
The built-in animations are limited, and the absence of a Mac version remains a notable drawback.

Customer Reviews

We saw this review by Andrew. H on Articulate’s official website:

“Using this software has revolutionized our user training options completely. The range of interactivity options that can be placed into a course made with Articulate Storyline 360 is incredible and easy to use.”

The Verdict

Articulate Storyline is a robust eLearning authoring tool with a range of features that can cater to diverse training needs. However, the cost and learning curve might be factors to consider before investing in the software.

5. Lectora

Overview

Type: Standalone Course Authoring Tools
Top Clients: Auto-owners Insurance, NHS, Kettering Health Network
Capterra Ratings: 4.4 stars out of 5
Free trial: 30-day
Pricing: Starting at $117/mo

Lectora is an unparalleled eLearning authoring tool that defies boundaries, boosting productivity with limitless potential. From traditional to innovative learning courses, it enables creators to bring their visions to life with ready-made course frameworks, mobile-ready themes, and interactive wireframe templates.

Key Features

Built-In Asset Library: Access an expansive library of design assets, including over 115,000 characters, 3,500 e-learning templates, 160 million stock images, 45,000 stock audio files, 55,000 stock videos, and 9,000 PowerPoint templates.
Accessibility Compliance: Lectora seamlessly meets Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 requirements with features like predictable focus, lightbox pop-ups, radio buttons, checkboxes for forms, and precise layering and tabbing order.
Online's AI Course Wizard: Effortlessly generate course content in just 3 simple steps, freeing you from writer's block and accelerating your course creation process.

Pros

Lectora Inspire package includes Snagit for screen capture and image editing and Camtasia for video recording/editing, offering additional utility and convenience.
Review link simplifies course sharing among stakeholders and evaluators, streamlining the review process before uploading courses to the learning management system.

Cons

The lack of a timeline can make it trickier to design intricate animations.
Advanced features fail to meet Section 508 requirements, hindering access for some users.

Customer Reviews

We found a review on their official website by Christine O., eLearning Designer & Developer:

“As a long-time developer I have always felt the flexibility and power of Lectora is second to none.”

The Verdict

Lectora is a solid choice for eLearning professionals who need a user-friendly tool that focuses on accessibility and responsive course design. However, if you require advanced animation capabilities or are a complete beginner, you might want to explore other options.

6. DominKnow

Overview

Type: Native Course Authoring Tool
Top Clients: Stride, DISCOVER, Society of Actuaries
Capterra Ratings: 4.7 stars out of 5
Free trial: Available
Pricing: N/A

DominKnow is a cloud-based Learning Content Management System (LCMS) designed to streamline the process of creating eLearning content. It provides a centralized platform where users can organize assets, such as images, videos, and text, making them easily accessible for creating various types of training materials.

Key Features

Creating Courses with Claro Authoring: Easily create HTML5-based courses with Claro Authoring. Responsive players ensure compatibility across screens, delivering a seamless learning experience.
Publishing Courses: With PENS-compliant authoring, you can Publish content to your LMS in one click. This allows you to spend more time on content creation and less time on manual uploads.
Managing Courses - Track revisions, manage multiple versions, and easily make mass updates. This will simplify course management and save time for administrators and authors.

Pros

The platform offers flexibility with the choice between Claro for fixed-pixel projects and Flow for responsive projects, catering to diverse project requirements.
Review functionality is seamlessly integrated, allowing easy collaboration and feedback tracking. Anyone can provide comments, and it's simple to monitor the resolution of each comment.

Cons

Editing pages become increasingly frustrating as response times slow down, affecting productivity and user experience negatively.

Customer Reviews

We found a review on Capterra by Kristine S., Design Specialist in the E-Learning industry:

“I thoroughly enjoy working in Dominknow, and it's been easy to pick up. It's a great solution to other larger platforms that do not offer the same customer service. I hope to continue to see them grow in their functionality.”

The Verdict

DominKnow | ONE has received recognition from various eLearning industry bodies, suggesting its quality and effectiveness. Plus, their customer success stories highlight increased course creation speed and reduced development costs. However, the pricing should be investigated, and the learning curve involved should be weighed before making a final decision.

7. Talent cards

Overview

Type: Native Course Authoring Tool
Top Clients: The Schindler Group, Humane, Welkoop
Capterra Ratings: 4.6 stars out of 5
Free trial: Free plan available for upto 5 users
Pricing: Starts at $50/month

Talent Cards is a mobile learning platform designed for employees who are not stationed at a desk, such as factory workers or salespeople. It’s among the best microlearning platforms that deliver information in small chunks.

Key Features

Mobile-Optimized Learning: Training is delivered through a mobile app, allowing employees to learn on their smartphones at their convenience, even offline with downloadable content.
Spaced Repetition: This feature optimizes learning by personalizing training, focusing on problem areas, and ensuring continuous improvement, maximizing knowledge retention and efficiency.
Gamified Learning: Create custom challenges and badges to incentivize learners, fostering healthy competition as they strive for top rankings on the leaderboard.

Pros

"Card Sets" boast visually appealing, engaging, and user-friendly design, making them both enjoyable and effortless to navigate with simple click and swipe actions. The authoring process is intuitive.
Talent Cards uses brain science tricks like remembering stuff and makes learning fun with games, great for storytelling and making learning easier for employees.

Cons

The platform may have limitations on the number of characters allowed for building questions.
The administrative interface can be cumbersome, making it difficult to manage and create training content (card sets).

Customer Reviews

We found a glowing review on TalentCards’s website by Paul Williams, Founding Director at eLearning space:

“TalentCards is a forward-thinking and innovative approach to contemporary eLearning development. With TalentCards I can now offer a new and exciting elearning solution to my clients.”

The Verdict

TalentCards offers a learner-centric approach to training, making it a valuable tool for on-the-go learning and knowledge acquisition. But know that creating card sets (the core training modules in TalentCards) can be time-consuming, potentially hindering the platform's scalability for large training needs.

8. Thinkific

Overview

Type: Corporate Learning Management System
Top Clients: Podcasters’ Paradise, SuperHuman Academy
Capterra Ratings: 4.4 stars out of 5
Free trial: 30-days
Pricing: Starts at $36/month

Thinkific is an online platform designed specifically for entrepreneurs and businesses to create, sell, and manage their own online courses. It equips course instructors with a comprehensive set of tools to build an entire online learning experience, from course creation to learner engagement.

Key Features

Course creation tools: Thinkific offers a user-friendly course builder with drag-and-drop functionality, allowing you to easily add various content formats like videos, audio files, PDFs, and quizzes.
Customization and branding: You can customize the look and feel of your courses to match your brand identity. Thinkific also allows you to use your domain name for a professional touch.
Marketing and sales tools: The platform provides built-in marketing tools like coupons, promotions, and affiliate marketing to help you sell your courses. It also integrates with popular payment gateways for secure transactions.

Pros

Thinkific does not take a percentage of your income, unlike other platforms, allowing you to keep more earnings.
Thinkific provides a place to upload documents within discussions, which is particularly valuable for instructors teaching coding or other technical subjects.

Cons

The interface lacks the sleek and modern design of other platforms, which may affect user experience.

Customer Reviews

We found a review on Capterra by a verified Linkedin user:

“Thinkific is much better than trying to remember to share Google Drive links with people to watch courses. It also looks much more professional.”

The Verdict

Thinkific is attractive because it empowers course creators with a high degree of control over their content and employee experience. They also offer a free plan that allows you to test out the platform with basic features before committing to a paid plan. However, there is a transaction fee associated with the free plan.

9. iSpring Learn

Overview

Type: Corporate Learning Management System
Top Clients: Crisil Foundation, Drone Class, XLsoft
Capterra Ratings: 4.7 stars out of 5
Free trial: 30-Day
Pricing: $770 per author/year

iSpringLearn integrates well with iSpring Suite, a separate product for creating eLearning materials. You can design courses in PowerPoint and upload them directly to iSpringLearn. It’s known for its user-friendly interface, making it easy for both administrators and learners to navigate.

Key Features

Flexibility: The system isn't limited to iSpring-created content. You can upload various course formats, including videos, documents, and SCORM-compliant eLearning modules.
Quick Launch: A key benefit is the ability to set up and launch eLearning programs quickly. You can upload training materials, invite users, and track progress quickly.
Reporting & Tracking: iSpringLearn provides reports to help you track learner progress, identify knowledge gaps, and evaluate the effectiveness of your training programs.

Pros

The LMS offers reports that help you track learner progress, find knowledge gaps, and measure the effectiveness of your training programs.
For its features, iSpringLearn is considered a good value, particularly for organizations new to LMS solutions.

Cons

While easy to use, complex course creation might have a bit of a learning curve, especially for users unfamiliar with eLearning authoring tools.
Some users find the reports generated by iSpringLearn overwhelming or not granular enough, making it difficult to obtain specific data points.

Customer Reviews

We found this review from Dayna, Training & Development Coordinator in US on Capterra:

“We searched for 2 years for the perfect software. We landed on iSpring due to the cost and features available for a corporate training environment. This has helped up become more remote, especially in a world with COVID. We have been able to track training and identify areas of improvement and even get more departments on board with the training process.”

The Verdict

iSpringLearn is a strong LMS solution with a user-friendly interface, good feature set, and reasonable pricing. However, if you need a highly customizable platform for complex training programs with very specific reporting needs, you might want to explore other options.

10. isEazy

Overview

Type: Corporate Learning Management System
Top Clients: Emasesa, pepco, Clarel
g2 Ratings: 4.9 stars out of 5
Free trial: Free plan available
Pricing: Starts at $96.8/month/author

isEazy is a comprehensive cloud-based e-learning solution that not only allows you to create, modify, and distribute courses online but also offers additional functionalities like a fully equipped Learning Management System (LMS). It includes engaging features and gamification elements tailored specifically for frontline workers, enhancing their learning experience.

Key Features

Slide Layout: isEazy provides a range of pre-designed slide layouts, offering ready-made elements like text boxes, images, and multimedia placeholders, saving time by providing a starting point.
Collaborative Editing: This feature enables multiple users to work simultaneously on the same course, facilitating real-time collaboration among team members. This speeds up feedback cycles.
SCORM Publishing: With SCORM compatibility, isEazy allows you to publish course content in a format compatible with most Learning Management Systems (LMS). This simplifies the process of uploading your course to various platforms.

Pros

You can publish your course directly to a web server, enabling learners to access it via a web browser without an LMS.
Plus, it helps in generating shareable links for distribution through email, learning portals, or social media.

Cons

isEazy doesn’t allow you to edit your courses from a tablet or mobile phone.

Customer Reviews

Here’s a review we found on g2 by a verified user in Logistics and Supply Chain:

“One of my biggest needs was to reuse the content I had from previous training programs, most of them in PowerPoint and PDF. What won me over with isEazy was the ease with which I was able to integrate this previously created material into the tool, and turn it into much more dynamic and appealing online courses, which also adapt to any device.

The Verdict

By offering a mix of authoring features, isEazy designs a more seamless e-learning course creation process. It’s a good option for creating professional-looking courses, enable collaboration, and offer various ways to publish and share your content.

11. Talent LMS

Overview

Type: Corporate Learning Management System
Top Clients: Roland, SalesRoad, Nosto
Capterra Ratings: 4.7 stars out of 5
Free trial: Free Plan available
Pricing: Starts at $ 89 /month

TalentLMS addresses a wide range of training requirements, including those for employees (such as onboarding, compliance, and remote workforce training), departments (like customer support, sales, and marketing), and external parties (such as customers, partners, and extended enterprise).

It specializes in small to midsize business (SMB) training, employee onboarding and development, customer and partner education, and compliance training. TalentLMS also offers TalentLibrary, an in-house collection comprising over 800 pre-built courses.

Key Features

Versatile Media Integration: Easily incorporate various media types such as videos, presentations, and documents into your courses through a simple drag-and-drop interface.
Advanced Interactivity Options: Upload SCORM, xAPI, or cmi5 files to enhance course interactivity and engagement.
Tailored Customization Capabilities: You can customize your TalentLMS account with your company logo, brand colors, and domain settings, providing a cohesive and branded learning environment.

Pros

TalentLMS is feature-rich and offers extensive functionality, meeting users' needs seamlessly.
Its sleek design, simplicity, and diverse content types engage learners effectively.

Cons

Lack of communication from technicians with the necessary expertise poses challenges, particularly in pre-sales interactions.
The inability to add various content types, including videos, through the mobile app is a significant drawback.

Customer Reviews

Here is a review we found on Capterra by Jordan R., Readiness and Success Coordinator, Non-Profit Organization Management:

“Talent has enabled my organization to standardize our training, create long-term training infrastructure, and consolidate the training workload into one role, improving efficiency and saving time and money. It is by far the most affordable training solution we could identify, and with TalentLibrary, it is the most robust training solution available for our use case.”

The Verdict

Talent LMS is primarily an LMS (Learning Management System), and its core strength lies in delivering and managing online courses. While easy to use, the course creation functionalities might be less powerful than dedicated authoring tools. Regardless, it's particularly well-suited for organizations that already use Talent LMS as their LMS, as creating courses within the same platform streamlines the process.

How to Choose the Perfect eLearning Course Authoring Tool

Feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the choices for eLearning authoring tools out there? Totally understandable! Let's make this easier. Copy and paste these questions into a doc, and let's chat through them.

1. Needs Assessment

Course Complexity: Are you building simple modules or elaborate branching scenarios?
Target Audience: Are your learners tech-savvy, or do they need a user-friendly interface?
Content Types: Will your course include video, simulations, or assessments?

2. Feature Set

Authoring functionalities: Does the tool offer templates, branching scenarios, and interactive elements?
Content types supported: Does it handle text, audio, video, quizzes, and assessments?
Collaboration tools: Can multiple authors work on a course simultaneously?

3. Ease of Use

Learning Curve: How easy is it for you and your team to learn the tool?
Technical Skills Required: Do you need programming knowledge to use the features effectively?
User Interface: Is the interface intuitive and user-friendly?

4. Technical Specifications

Deployment Options: Cloud-based or desktop application?
Standards Compliance: Does it support SCORM, xAPI, and other eLearning standards for LMS integration?
Accessibility Features: Does it cater to learners with disabilities?

5. Budget and ROI

Pricing Model: One-time purchase, subscription, or per-user fees?
Total Cost of Ownership: Consider training, maintenance, and support costs.
Scalability: Will the tool accommodate your future course development needs?

6. Additional Tips

Free Trials: Most authoring tools offer free trials, so take advantage of them to test-drive the software before committing.
Future-Proofing: Consider features like accessibility compliance and Artificial Intelligence (AI) integration for future-proofing your course.

As you work through these questions, keep this blog handy. Once you've got a good sense of what you're looking for, swing back here and check out the options we've laid out.

Once you're feeling confident, go ahead and grab some free trials or demos to really get a feel for what each software has to offer.

Make Your Application Learners Self-Serve With DAP

So, you've created software application courses, but training users on all the features feels like a never-ending loop? Support tickets pile up, and your IT team feels like they're explaining the same things over and over.

That’s where DAPs (Digital Adoption Platforms) can help! They make your learners self-sufficient, enabling them to get the help they need when they need it most.

DAPs such as Gyde are most suitable for application training. With its super-friendly interface, learners can explore any application, web or mobile. It makes your users gain proficiency faster, and you see a significant workload reduction for your IT team.

Also, you don't have to start from scratch. Do you already have training content in your LMS or another software? Gyde can import that, saving you a ton of time.

FAQs

What is the SCORM authoring tool?

A SCORM authoring tool is software that lets you create eLearning content for use on various Learning Management Systems (LMS) that comply with SCORM standards. SCORM stands for Sharable Content Object Reference Model, and it's basically a set of technical rules that ensure different eLearning programs can understand each other.

What is the difference between LMS and SCORM?

An LMS is like a library, with a collection of books (eLearning courses) and tools for managing borrowers (learners). SCORM is like a universal format for these books, ensuring they can be borrowed and read on any device that understands that format (a SCORM-compliant LMS).

In short, an LMS is the platform where learning happens, and SCORM is the standard that ensures the courses you use can run smoothly on that platform.

What are some free eLearning authoring tools?

iSpring Free: A free version of the popular iSpring Suite, which allows you to convert PowerPoint presentations into eLearning courses. It's a good option if you already have a lot of content created in PowerPoint.

TalentCards is a tool that allows you to create eLearning courses with a focus on accessibility. It has a simple interface and is easy to use, but it doesn't have as many features as some of the other tools on this list.

EdApp: A free mobile-first learning platform that allows you to create bite-sized or full-fledged courses. It's a good option if you need to create courses that can be accessed on mobile devices.