Ready to create your own e-learning course from scratch, but feeling overwhelmed by the plethora of options available in the market? Tired of experimenting with traditional instructor-led training, third-party webinars, and ad-hoc calls with experts? It's time to discover the power of a dedicated course authoring tool. Our buyer's guide, crafted by the Edtch. team will lead you through the key features, benefits, and considerations, so you can confidently embark on your e-learning journey. Say goodbye to confusion and uncertainty, and make a well-grounded decision to unlock your organization's full potential.

How to choose the best course authoring tool for your needs: Pre-assessment questionnaire

Choosing the right course authoring tool for your business needs is crucial for a smooth and successful e-learning development process. To make the best decision, start by defining your criteria and specific requirements. Ask yourself the following practical questions:

Define your criteria for a course authoring tool

1. Team expertise

Determine the expertise level of the individuals who will be working with the course authoring software. Evaluate their experience in two domains:

• Course authoring

• Programming and technical skills

The difference in end-users’ backgrounds will make you lean towards a more simple or more complex course authoring tool.

2. Team size

Evaluate the size of the team responsible for course creation and the number of team members directly involved with the course authoring tool:

• Solo beginner: A single individual with limited experience in e-learning course development.

• Solo experienced: A team of one with considerable expertise.

• Multi-department professionals: A group of subject-matter experts + content creators from various departments collaborating on e-learning projects.

• Dedicated L&D team: A team of a few dedicated learning and development professionals.

• Cross-functional and cross-regional teams: Multiple teams across different branches of the organization working on e-learning initiatives.

Depending on this criterion, you may have to choose a course authoring tool with a low learning curve and fewer features for collaboration — or vice versa.

3. Course format

Identify the type of e-learning content you want to create:

• Quick template-based course: Simple courses with text and images, utilizing ready-made templates.

• Video-based e-learning: Courses centered around video content.

• Animation-based e-learning: Courses enriched with animated elements.

• Custom scenario-based e-learning: Interactive courses with scenario-based learning.

• Custom complex e-learning: Advanced courses featuring complex interactions and sophisticated graphic design.

Some course authoring tools are PowerPoint-based or are only focused on one specific course format (longreads or video), while others provide more options for interactive formats and customization. Keep this in mind as you evaluate your options.

4. Top priority in e-learning course creation

Determine your primary focus when it comes to course authoring:

• Speed: If rapid e-learning production is crucial, measure the speed of content creation during tool trials.

• Cost reduction: Consider the tool license fees and evaluate how much time it takes to produce e-learning content. Is it cost-efficient in the end?

• Quality: Balance cost and speed while considering the quality of the final output. Test each tool's outputs with learners to deliver high-end results.

• Quantity: If your organization has a target for the volume of e-learning content production, choose a tool that is accessible to non-technical users to maximize output.

  
  

Clarify some technical details

1. Integration and LMS compatibility

Ensure the e-learning authoring tool integrates with your LMS and supports LMS-friendly formats like xAPI and SCORM. Verify that your LMS can easily upload and maintain courses created with the tool. Or, opt for a course authoring tool that makes part of a full-fledged LMS platform, like Edtch.

2. Deployment options

Decide between cloud-based or on-premise deployment.

• Cloud-based authoring tools are accessible through web browsers, providing flexibility and the ability to work remotely from various devices. They offer real-time updates and enhanced customer support for seamless content improvement and team collaboration.

• On-premise deployment allows you to opt for standalone authoring tools designed for e-learning development. Keep in mind that these tools may have a steeper learning curve and require preliminary training to maximize their potential. However, they offer added security and control, as the software is installed directly on your instructional designer's computer.

  
  

3. User-friendly interface

Choose an intuitive tool that matches your team's skill level. Avoid wasting time on complex features; opt for free trials or demos to explore different tools' capabilities, such as PowerPoint to e-learning conversion or interactive content creation. Look for an intuitive interface with drag-and-drop functionality for efficient content creation.

10 Essential features of an e-learning authoring tool

Whatever your goal and organization specifics are, these features are must-haves in any course authoring tool:

1. Multimedia integration

Support for various multimedia elements like video, audio, images, and interactive activities enhances engagement and learning outcomes.

2. Storyboarding

The ability to plan and outline the entire course visually before creating the actual content serves as a blueprint, helping to organize the flow of information, interactions, and assessments in a coherent manner.

Storyboarding is valuable as it ensures a smooth and efficient course development process, resulting in high-quality e-learning courses.

Some course authoring tools lack this feature, so pay attention to it when making your choice.

3. Branching and personalization

Enable personalized learning experiences through branching scenarios based on learners' choices and performance.

4. Content collaboration and version control

Facilitate teamwork and maintain course integrity with collaborative authoring and version tracking.

5. Customization and branding

Personalize courses with your brand identity for a cohesive learning experience.

6. Accessibility features

Ensure compliance with accessibility standards for an inclusive learning environment.

7. Content reusability

Save time by reusing course components or templates across different courses.

8. Mobile responsiveness

If mobile learning is on your radar, opt for responsive design to make content accessible on various devices.

9. Assessment and feedback mechanisms

Assess learner progress with interactive quizzes and provide immediate feedback.

10. Analytics and reporting

Gain insights into learner behavior and track performance for continuous improvement.

Top 13 best course authoring tools in 2023: Pick the most suitable for your needs!

Edtch.: Best course authoring tool to turn in-house knowledge into engaging e-learning content

With Edtch., transforming your organization's internal wisdom into professional and captivating e-learning content becomes effortless. Whether you are a small business or a large enterprise, Edtch. offers a functional yet user-friendly course authoring tool that can streamline your in-house e-learning production.

Some of the standout features of the Edtch. course authoring tool are:

• Visual course builder with sophisticated branching, allowing you to create personalized learning paths for different learner types. This ensures that each participant receives a relevant and engaging learning experience, maximizing their knowledge retention.

• Shared content library where you can easily store and reuse images, videos, and page templates, saving you valuable time during the course creation process.

• Free-access content search, enabling you to find suitable multimedia directly within the platform, optimizing the cost of e-learning creation without relying on external sources.

• Collaborative authoring, allowing multiple authors and reviewers to work together to ensure the highest quality and engagement of your course content. This team-based approach facilitates effective course development and ensures a comprehensive learning experience.

• Multilingual options, making it easier to cater to learners with different language preferences, creating a comfortable online learning environment for a broader audience.

Most importantly, Edtch. goes beyond a course authoring tool — in fact, Edtch. is a full-fledged learning management system (LMS), meaning you can manage the entire e-learning process in one place.

Whether you are just beginning your journey or are a seasoned professional, Edtch. equips you with the tools and resources needed to succeed in creating impactful e-learning content.

Choose Edtch. if you’re looking for a comprehensive LMS platform with an extended set of easy-to-use features for original e-learning content development. With Edtch., course authoring looks, feels, and is easier. See for yourself — get in touch with the Edtch. team to schedule a demo or set up a 14-day free trial.

Articulate Rise 360: Best course authoring tool for developing educational content in the long read format

Articulate Rise 360 is a user-friendly and intuitive eLearning authoring tool designed to create responsive online learning content in the longread format directly through web browsers. With regular updates expanding its assets library, Rise offers instructional designers the ability to build training modules or complete courses efficiently.

One of the key strengths of Articulate Rise is its simplicity and speed in creating responsive training content through a user-friendly web interface. This makes it an ideal choice for both new instructional designers and experienced users seeking to develop courses quickly.

The platform provides access to a content library filled with visual assets, such as backgrounds and characters, further streamlining the course creation process and enhancing the visual appeal of the content.

The tool is primarily geared towards creating courses in the longread format, which may be a limitation for those seeking a variety of course formats.

Choose Articulate Rise 360 if you have a development team working with course content that is made up of a lot of material for the user to read.

Choose Edtch. as an alternative to Articulate Rise 360 if you need to create engaging multimedia content in multiple formats and you have primarily non-tech professionals in charge of the course creation.

Camtasia: Best course authoring tool for product marketing content creators

Camtasia by TechSmith is an e-learning course authoring tool with a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface, ideal for creating video tutorials that serve as effective training materials.

Available for both Mac and PC, Camtasia is renowned for its advanced video editing capabilities, making it a top choice for screencasts and training videos.

Beyond screen recording and editing, Camtasia offers a built-in quiz maker, a library of stock music, intros, and transitions, and various visual effects to enhance your content.

While best suited for computer software training, Camtasia is limited to producing video content and lacks interactive elements beyond quizzes.

For those seeking comprehensive video-based eLearning solutions, Camtasia is a go-to choice, but for projects requiring more traditional, text-based approaches, other eLearning tools may be more suitable.

Choose Camtasia if you mostly need to create training content about computer software, whether it’s aimed at onboarding your new team members or explaining features to customers.

Choose Edtch. as an alternative to Camtasia if you’re looking for a versatile, collaborative, and interactive course authoring tool that goes beyond video-based content.

Adobe Captivate: Best course authoring tool for seasoned instructional designers & L&D professionals

Adobe Captivate is ideal for seasoned instructional designers and L&D professionals who require advanced features and complex software simulations. With extensive variables, branching capabilities, and the ability to create VR projects, it offers creative customization and immersive learning experiences.

Additionally, its asset library, text-to-speech voiceovers, and mobile-specific development tools enhance course creation.

However, Adobe Captivate has a steep learning curve and an unintuitive user interface, which may require more time and effort to master. Some users have reported occasional bugs and crashes on Windows, and designing responsive content can be challenging.

Choose Adobe Captivate if you are an experienced e-learning developer comfortable with variables and some coding to unleash the tool's full potential, such as the use of its VR capabilities and interactive features.

Choose Edtch. as an alternative to Adobe Captivate if you prefer a more intuitive, collaborative, and versatile course authoring tool without compromising on features.

Articulate Storyline 360: Best advanced course authoring tool on desktop

Articulate Storyline is a preferred choice for experienced course developers. It is highly regarded in the instructional design community owing to its advanced feature set that empowers creators to produce customized training content.

Storyline's strengths lie in its ability to build complex interactions through object states, triggers, and layers, as well as its comprehensive content library that includes access to stock images, course templates, backgrounds, characters, buttons, and icons. 

As a Windows desktop tool, Storyline's interface leverages PowerPoint's familiar look and feel, ensuring a modest learning curve while providing exceptional flexibility for developing interactive courses that work seamlessly on all devices.

However, newcomers may find it challenging to navigate Storyline's interface, as it lacks a plethora of built-in interaction templates, requiring them to invest time in creating templates from scratch.

Choose Articulate Storyline 360 if you have a team of experienced instructional designers seeking greater control over their learning courses by leveraging advanced features like triggers and layers. Smaller organizations or individual course creators may find the bundled tools unnecessary for their needs.

Choose Edtch. as an alternative to Articulate Storyline 360 if you’re a smaller organization or an individual course creator that won’t benefit from the bundled tools in the Articulate suite. With Edtch., you'll get tools tailored to your course creation needs.

Lectora Online: Best online course authoring tool for developer

Lectora Online is a powerful yet complex e-learning authoring tool that allows extensive customization through programming code, external libraries, and scripts, making it more suitable for well-trained developers.

As the cloud-based version of Lectora Inspire, Lectora Online offers similar e-learning development tools as its desktop counterpart, catering to those who seek comprehensive content authoring capabilities.

A notable aspect of Lectora's product range is its focus on compliance with web content accessibility guidelines (WCAG). This makes it an excellent choice for those working with federal government organizations or developing content with accessibility in mind.

For those getting started, Lectora Online offers popular templates, including built-in navigation, interactive samples, page layouts, and instructions, catering to various learning styles and course types. Experienced users can take advantage of Lectora Online's support for scripts, custom libraries, fonts, and CSS, enabling limitless customization possibilities.

However, Lectora Online comes with some downsides, such as being more expensive than its competitors, having a clunky and outdated user interface, and lacking the most intuitive authoring experience. Additionally, its advanced features do not support Section 508 compliance, and creating responsive courses requires editing content in five different views.

Choose Lectora Online if you know you’ll ultimately fall into the 'power user' category, consisting of individuals who have invested time in mastering this authoring tool and have become experts with it.

Choose Edtch. as an alternative to Lectora Online if you're seeking a course authoring tool that caters to specialists with little to no technical background. Edtch. offers a user-friendly interface and streamlined features, making it accessible and easy to use for all levels of expertise.

iSpring Suite: Best course authoring tool for beginners

iSpring Suite is ideal for Microsoft PowerPoint users transitioning into full-fledged course creation. Whether you have existing presentations or want to publish Word and PDF documents as interactive ebooks, iSpring Suite provides the tools you need to craft engaging and effective e-learning experiences.

iSpring Suite allows to create interactive quizzes, surveys, and dialogue simulations, along with a professional video studio for screencasts and webcam footage.

It is particularly suited for beginners seeking to create versatile and engaging content effortlessly, even without prior course development experience. 

To further accelerate course development, iSpring Suite offers the Content Library, a vast collection of high-quality images, icons, characters, and more. This extensive resource empowers you to create visually appealing courses that resonate with your learners.

The platform ensures perfect playback on mobile devices and supports text-to-speech functionality for accessibility.

However, it requires PowerPoint installation, lacks closed captioning support, and has no software simulation capability. Additionally, it is limited to Windows and local installation, hindering accessibility for Mac users and cloud-based workflows.

Choose iSpring Suite if you are a beginner or Microsoft PowerPoint user looking for an easy entry into course creation and interested in converting existing presentations and documents into engaging e-learning courses.

Choose Edtch. as an alternative to iSpring Suite if you're seeking more than just a user-friendly course authoring tool. Edtch. offers a comprehensive cloud-based LMS platform that ensures easy access and seamless collaboration for your entire team, regardless of their technical background.

Coassemble: Best course authoring tool for L&D teams of one

Coassemble offers a unique blend of an e-learning authoring tool and LMS functionality, allowing users to create interactive courses and immediately assign them to learners through the platform.

The tool offers ten ready-made templates in the longread format, providing users with a quick starting point to create engaging courses. Users can easily populate the templates with multimedia content such as text, images, videos, and quizzes.

With an easy-to-use interface, a range of question types, and 16 interaction options, Coassemble caters to small teams looking to quickly train their employees.

Coassemble is a cloud-based platform, so users can access it from any location or device, making course creation convenient and flexible.

However, Coassemble does have some limitations. It lacks a dedicated mobile app for smartphones, which may hinder the user experience for mobile learners. Additionally, the interface design may appear clunky and poorly optimized on certain screens, affecting overall usability.

Choose Coassemble if you are a small team looking for a user-friendly and cloud-based solution that merges course authoring and LMS capabilities, perfect for rapid course creation and distribution.

Choose Edtch. as an alternative to Coassemble if you require a more comprehensive cloud-based LMS platform with a focus on easy access and collaboration, regardless of your team's technical background.

Gomo: Best course authoring tool for collaborative projects

Gomo is a user-friendly web-based e-learning authoring tool that excels in collaborative projects. Designed with teams in mind, it allows multiple users to collaborate on content editing in real time, streamlining the course development process.

Using Gomo's ready-made templates and themes, you can quickly configure your project or brand to create engaging online courses. The platform offers simple course structure overviews, branching scenarios, and easy-to-use image editors for customization.

As a cloud-based tool, Gomo enables course creation directly in your browser, facilitating accessibility and flexibility. It supports eLearning formats such as SCORM and xAPI, making it compatible with various learning management systems.

Despite its collaborative strengths, Gomo offers fewer customization options compared to some competitors. Additionally, all materials must be stored on the vendor's servers, and there is no dedicated mobile app for smartphone-based learning.

Choose Gomo if you’re going to use it for collaborative e-learning projects, especially if you need to translate courses into multiple languages efficiently.

Choose Edtch. as an alternative to Gomo if you wish to develop more complex and versatile learning content with more customization options.

LearnWorlds: Best course authoring tool for solopreneurs, infopreneurs, and small businesses

LearnWorlds is the ultimate course authoring tool and learning management system designed to cater to solopreneurs, infopreneurs, and small businesses seeking a powerful platform for creating engaging online courses. With its user-friendly interface and an array of features, LearnWorlds empowers educators and businesses alike to develop interactive and multimedia-rich courses that captivate learners.

LearnWorlds goes beyond course creation, offering a range of marketing features to promote and monetize your content.

The platform aligns with modern standards, featuring an intuitive course builder, video editor, extensive customization options, and gamification tools to infuse fun and competition into the learning journey.

Ensuring full accessibility and responsiveness across devices, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones, LearnWorlds enables learners to access content seamlessly on the go.

Choose LearnWorlds if you’re looking to create a course as a solopreneur, infopreneur or small business. Besides the tool’s extensive customization options and interactive learning features, you will benefit from its built-in sales and marketing tools for course monetization and business growth.

Choose Edtch. as an alternative to LearnWorlds if you’re looking to take your project to the next level, even as a small business. With a broader range of features for course creation and learning management, Edtch. stays a cost-efficient option.

Elucidat: Best course authoring tool for dispersed enterprises

Elucidat is a powerful cloud-based e-learning authoring tool that enables organizations with geographically dispersed teams to develop and deliver high-quality eLearning content with ease.

This all-in-one authoring tool offers a user-friendly experience for content designers and subject-matter experts alike, allowing them to collaborate seamlessly on course development from any location and at any time. Its focus on team workflows ensures efficient course creation and review processes, making it an excellent fit for organizations with diverse and remote teams.

Elucidat's feature set includes a range of interactive elements, video and audio management, mobile responsive editing, and page transition effects, empowering course creators to design engaging and interactive learning experiences. Additionally, its flexible item animation allows for creativity and customization of course content.

One of the standout strengths of Elucidat is its ability to manage e-learning content at scale. The platform allows authors to create a central "master course" that controls "child courses," streamlining updates and edits across multiple course variations. This feature saves time and effort for organizations seeking to deliver localized versions of courses for different regions.

While Elucidat excels in large-scale content management, it may have some limitations in terms of custom interactions and advanced flexibility, which could impact experienced content authors seeking more intricate designs.

Choose Elucidat if you work for a dispersed enterprise that prioritizes collaboration, responsive course design, and efficient content management across diverse teams.

Choose Edtch. as an alternative to Elucidat if you seek more custom interactions, intricate designs, and advanced flexibility in course creation.

Litmos Content Authoring Tool: Best course authoring tool with a ready-made content library (but no visual storyboarding)

Just like Edtch., Litmos is known as a full-scale LMS platform comprising a course authoring tool. It offers a robust and user-friendly platform for creating engaging and interactive online courses. Its compatibility with the Litmos LMS and comprehensive reporting and analytics features make it a suitable choice for organizations seeking an integrated solution for their e-learning needs.

However, potential users should be mindful of the lack of a visual storyboarding tool and the added cost of accessing the platform's ready-made learning content.

Choose Litmos Content Authoring Tool if you prefer a course authoring tool with a ready-made content library and seek a simple and efficient course creation process. Also, you can opt for Litmos Content Authoring Tool if you are considering integrating your course development and management with the Litmos Learning Management System.

Choose Edtch. as an alternative to Litmos if you need a more customized learning program and desire greater flexibility in course design and development, and if Edtch. appeals to you more as a full-fledged LMS platform.

H5P: Best free and open-source course authoring tools

H5P is an open-source authoring tool that developed for the creation of interactive educational acis an open-source eLearning authoring tool designed for creating a variety of interactive educational activities right in a browser. It offers a web-based, intuitive interface, making course creation easy and accessible

The tool provides over forty types of interactive learning activities, including videos, presentations, puzzles, and memory games. Authors can collaborate and share open content through an educational resources hub.

However, H5P has some limitations compared to other paid e-learning content authoring tools. While it has a free version with plug-ins for platforms like WordPress, Drupal, and Moodle, more advanced features, LMS integration, and reporting require a paid subscription via H5P.com. Additionally, the tool lacks some features like screen recording, video editing, PowerPoint importing, and a preview option.

Choose H2P if you're starting small, have budget constraints or use Moodle LMS.

Choose Edtch. as an alternative to H2P if you need more advanced functionalities and versatility.

Before you make the final decision on a course authoring tool: Decision checklist

☑️ Test the tool with nontechnical authors to gauge usability and interface ratings.

☑️ Benchmark ready-made features like interaction types, themes, and question types.

☑️ Explore how the tools support the free-form design and request a demo if needed.

☑️ Ensure the tool facilitates collaborative working, easy editing, and open communication.

☑️ Verify if the tool is truly mobile-ready and offers responsive design options.

☑️ Consider premade themes and their tailoring options for branding and consistency.

☑️ Evaluate if the tool supports scalability and smart re-use of key elements.

☑️ Analyze the analytics and reporting capabilities, both within and outside an LMS.

☑️ Test the translation process and inquire about XLIFF file format support.

☑️ Prioritize maintenance agility, ensuring easy content editing and quick republishing.

A smart, modern approach to online learning involves using collaborative tools that make high-quality e-learning creation efficient and effective. Choose a tool that meets your team's needs and empowers subject experts to create engaging content effortlessly.

Edtch. offers the course authoring tool you need

Ready to jumpstart your e-learning content creation? Edtch. offers the perfect course authoring tool to meet your needs. With a user-friendly interface, versatile multimedia integration, and collaborative features, Edtch. empowers you to create engaging and effective courses. Don't wait any longer – enhance your e-learning experience with Edtch. today! Get in touch with our team to book a product demo or arrange a 14-day free trial.