20 Best eLearning Authoring Tools & Software for 2024

Being in the online training & learning space, I know how important eLearning authoring tools and software are for businesses.

But creating courses is not enough. You also need to make sure your content is effective, relevant, and appealing to your learners.

Here’s a list of the best elearning software, both paid and free, that can help you along the way.

Now, let’s explore each of the tools in detail.

Which Is the Best eLearning Authoring Software?

There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to eLearning software. To make the best choice, consider factors such as your organization’s specific needs, budget, scalability, user-friendliness, customer support, and integration capabilities.

After careful evaluation, my top three recommendations would be:

Option A: ProProfs Training Maker

The intuitive interface and extensive features of this tool allow us to create engaging courses effortlessly. The ability to incorporate various multimedia elements and interactive components makes learning enjoyable for our employees. The best part? This tool caters to multiple industries, such as construction, healthcare, manufacturing, etc.

Option B: Elucidat

Elucidat offers a user-friendly platform that simplifies content creation without compromising quality. Its customizable templates and multimedia assets will help you craft visually appealing courses tailored to your needs. The incorporation of gamification elements boosts learner engagement.

Option C: Docebo 

Docebo stands out for its focus on external stakeholders. It offers robust features for customer, partner, and member training. Its ease of use and comprehensive customer service make it a valuable asset for businesses looking to strengthen relationships and drive revenue through extended enterprise training.

List of 20 Best eLearning Authoring Tools

I’ve compiled a list of the top eLearning software based on my experience, thorough research, valuable recommendations, and peer reviews.

I believe this selection offers a diverse range of options to suit various needs and preferences.

Best eLearning Authoring Software

1. ProProfs Training Maker – Best for Employee Training

ProProfs Training Maker is an award-winning authoring tool known for its simplicity and effectiveness. This eLearning software transformed the way we approach training and development. It allowed us to create online courses and tests within minutes, which previously took hours or even days. The ability to roll out these courses worldwide instantly became a game-changer for us.

Create content from scratch or use your existing docs, presentations, videos, audio, labeled graphics, and recorded webinars.

You can also use the readymade courses and templates from its library. Make learning engaging by adding learning paths, quizzes, brain games, surveys, flashcards, and relatable scenarios.

With this instructional design authoring tool, you can add interactive questions to a video course. The video will pause once the question pops up and resume after the learner responds.

Once you create a course, you can share it with your learners via email, as a direct link through chat, on social media, or embed it on your website.

Its  LMS reporting & analytics feature lets you measure learners’ participation rate, engagement level, and progress.

Case Study: Watch how Tupperware improved its employee training programs with ProProfs

Read the Full Story 

What You Will Like:

• Ease of setup and use
• Customization & branding
• 100+ ready courses and templates
• Gels well with other third-party platforms

What You May Not Like:

• The free plan is limited to just up to 10 learners
• A dark viewing mode would be a welcome addition

Pricing:

Forever free plan (up to 10 learners). Paid plan starts at $1.97/learner/month for large teams. No hidden charges. 15-day money-back guarantee.

2. dominKnow – Best for Extensive Design Capabilities 

Our decision to select this eLearning software stemmed from its innovative features that align perfectly with our commitment to delivering personalized and efficient learning experiences.

The Adaptive Learning capability, powered by xAPI, enabled us to tag learning objectives with specific skills or objectives defined by our company. This feature adjusts courses based on a learner’s previously acquired skills.

The advanced layout options, like smart layout guides and auto-alignment, streamline the content creation. The alignment offset tools and custom templates further enhance our ability to produce content that meets our high standards for quality and consistency.

What You Will Like:

• Dockable panels and the drag-and-drop functionality
• The inclusion of layers for organizing complex pages
• Flexibility to set multiple course page sizes
• Responsive courses

What You May Not Like:

• The tool’s reliance on container-based design limits layout flexibility
• The absence of bundled templates complicates interactive content creation
• Difficult to manage images and assessments

Pricing:

Custom pricing

3. Gomo Learning – Best for Enterprise Learning

The next tool I would suggest is Gomo, primarily because I have observed many enterprises adopting it for their authoring needs. Gomo stands out as an eLearning course builder tailored to the complexities and demands of large organizations.

Its cloud-based nature facilitates seamless collaboration among learning designers and subject matter experts (SMEs), regardless of their geographical locations. This feature alone makes it a valuable asset for global L&D teams.

Moreover, Gomo offers custom themes that enhance the learner’s experience and streamline the approval process with your branding department. The drag-and-drop functionality simplifies content creation, which makes it accessible for SMEs to contribute their expertise without needing extensive training in learning design or graphic design.

What You Will Like:

• Advanced multi-language options that cater to a diverse workforce
• Efficient delivery options, including a SCORM LMS Wrapper
• Promotes collaborative authoring

What You May Not Like:

• No screen recording or video editing features
• Slower workflow than anticipated
• Missing advanced authoring capabilities found in offline tools like ActivePresenter, iSpring Suite, or Storyline

Pricing:

Custom pricing

4. Lectora – Best for Rapid Authoring with Complete Control

Lectora is one of the best elearning authoring tools for quick and responsive desktop authoring. It offers a rapid authoring environment that grants complete control over course creation.  With its vast library of built-in interactive templates, frameworks, and interactions—all optimized for mobile use and accessibility—Lectora simplifies the course creation process.

This elearning authoring software facilitates compliance training and provides stunning course starter templates and frameworks alongside various knowledge checks, quizzes, and more.

Lectora’s AI Course Wizard further revolutionizes content creation by enabling designers to quickly generate preliminary course content, which they can refine and enhance. This blend of efficiency, interactivity, and accessibility positions Lectora as a tool that instructional designers will never outgrow.

What You Will Like:

• A flexible tool that can create sophisticated courses with many features and customizations
• Allows teams globally to work on projects and provides auto backup of all projects
• It is compatible with most learning management systems and standards

What You May Not Like:

• Has a steep learning curve and can be intimidating for beginners
• Does not have many built-in games or templates like some other tools do
• Can have problems when updating older courses with new versions of the software

Pricing:

Starts at $117/month. Asset Library, and ReviewLink®.

5. Easygenerator – Best for AI Content Creation

Nearly half of the content marketers use AI to brainstorm new topics, and 46% use it to research headlines and keywords (source). 

My organization was looking for ways to save time on content creation. That’s when we began using this eLearning creation software. EasyAI from Easygenerator promises to revolutionize how we approach e-learning development. It allows us to create content faster, improve its quality, and boost learning outcomes.

With features like ideation and brainstorming, summarizing, simplifying, and creating bullet points, EasyAI streamlines the course creation process. It enabled us to transform complex information into clear, concise, and engaging learning materials.

Moreover, EasyAI enhances the learning experience by generating custom questions and creating assessments easily, ensuring knowledge retention is at its peak. By adopting EasyAI, we aim to meet our e-learning needs efficiently and at scale, making high-quality education accessible to everyone in the company.

What You Will Like:

• Offers webinars for enhancing training quality
• Supports the creation of interactive e-learning
• Wide range of customizable templates

What You May Not Like:

• Challenges in tracking course completion
• Difficulties in integrating with various LMS
• Basic level of audit trail reporting

Pricing:

Starts at $108/month. 1 author. 10 courses. 100 learners

Best Course Authoring Software

6. Elucidat – Best for Experienced Authors

More than 80% of corporate e-learning is created using rapid authoring tools. (source) 

Elucidat offers an easy way to build high-quality, mobile-friendly content that resonates with brands. It keeps the entire process so simple that teams can focus on more important tasks.

As one of the best eLearning development software tools, it empowers experienced authors to craft tailored eLearning experiences efficiently at scale. With a full authoring suite, authors can create highly engaging content from scratch.  Its intuitive interface provides a range of customizable templates, multimedia assets, and interactive components to help users create visually appealing courses.

With Elucidat, users can incorporate gamification, quizzes, and surveys to increase learner engagement and measure progress. Localized content, asset management, and learning impact measurement are other significant offerings from this solution.

What You Will Like:

• Easy-to-use workflows
• Personalized content clips, branching, and social polls
• Tailored user permissions and access controls

What You May Not Like:

• Elucidat is relatively new, so there isn’t a strong community built around the product
• Prices are geared towards enterprise organizations
• You’ll still be doing a lot of the legwork to build the foundational aspects of your course

Pricing:

Custom pricing

7. iSpring Suite – Best for eLearning Authoring in PowerPoint

iSpring Suite is a PowerPoint-based elearning course builder. What I like about this tool is that you can create slide-based courses, video lectures, and other interactive eLearning materials. It provides a familiar PowerPoint environment to make course creation easy and fast. “If you know PowerPoint, you know iSpring.” It is this straightforward.

Once that is ready, you just need to upload the content to an LMS and publish it. This way, you spend less time developing content to create effective courses and get better results.

With a professional video studio, quiz maker, interaction editor, and more, you get maximum functionality with the least effort.

A central online space lets you develop content for any training scenario and work on eLearning projects as a team. A character builder, illustrated characters, and backgrounds or backdrops for training scenarios are new additions to the tool’s assets.

What You Will Like:

• Recognized by top industry experts
• 2,300+ slide templates
• Provides a range of interactive features

What You May Not Like:

• The transition between video and text slides can be tricky
• iSpring Suite is available only for Windows
• Audio editing can be challenging, especially when it comes to making cuts

Pricing:

Starts at $770/author/year. HTML5/SCORM courses. Role plays.

8. Thinkific – Best for Selling Courses 

In today’s fast-paced world, sharing knowledge online has become a powerful way to earn income. Thinkific emerges as the premier tool for transforming expertise into profitable online courses.

This platform simplifies the course creation process and makes it accessible even to those without technical or design experience. With Thinkific, you can select from expert-designed templates or design high-quality eLearning programs from the ground up. The drag-and-drop builder simplifies lesson organization, and the bulk import feature makes adding content more efficient.

Thinkific caters to the modern learner and provides self-paced, scheduled, and cohort courses alongside live lessons and webinars. It enhances student engagement through multimedia lessons and a mobile learning app. For course creators, Thinkific provides a suite of tools to design, market, and sell courses with ease, supported by TCommerce for seamless transactions.

What You Will Like:

• Includes unlimited video hosting within the subscription cost
• Features a user-friendly, powerful administration interface
• Offers easily adjustable subscription levels for B2C plans

What You May Not Like:

• Offers email marketing features that may not fulfill the requirements of all users
• Provides a limited selection of assessment tools for course evaluation
• Can be expensive for beginners who require advanced marketing tools

Pricing:

Free plan available (Limited to 1 course). Starts at $36/month (1 community. 5 spaces per community)

9. Articulate 360 – Best for Responsive E-Learning

Articulate 360 brings a collection of tools to make eLearning authoring smooth sailing. They include award-winning creator tools, millions of stock assets, live & on-demand training, and a project review app.

With these elearning tools in one place, you can save valuable time in project development. Share and gather feedback easily and simplify project reviews. It ensures that courses automatically adjust to fit any screen size, from desktops to smartphones.

This feature eliminates the need for manual adjustments. The tool supports the creation of interactive, engaging learning experiences that are accessible anywhere, anytime. This ensures that content is always available in the most convenient format for the user.

What You Will Like:

• Prebuilt and customizable course themes
• 360-degree feedback
• Responsive and mobile-friendly design

What You May Not Like:

• Branching scenario overview lacks clarity
• Built-in assessment features are too basic
• Needs more built-in test options

Pricing: 

Starts at $1399/user. Course authoring apps. 12+ million images and templates.

10. Adobe Experience Cloud– Best for Interactive E-Learning 

If you are looking for the best authoring tool examples that let you create interactive learning, try Adobe Experience Cloud. It offers a comprehensive suite of features that cater to diverse eLearning needs. This tool stands out for its ability to create software simulations that offer learners a hands-on experience in a risk-free environment. It lets you create interactive videos to boost engagement by incorporating quizzes and informational overlays.

This platform allows you to craft and edit web pages using familiar tools like Microsoft Word or Google Docs, which streamlines the web development process. The ability to reuse content across different sites, manage metadata and tagging efficiently, and accelerate translation processes stands out.

It ensures the quick construction of digital journeys that resonate with customers. The document-based authoring appeals to me because it supports the direct transfer of text, images, and videos from documents to web pages, making content management smooth.

What You Will Like:

• Customizable settings and functionality
• Handles complex, large-scale scenarios well
• Uses AI for insights and automation

What You May Not Like:

• Difficult to learn and use
• Expensive for small and medium businesses
• Lacks certain customization and features

Pricing:

Custom pricing

Best eLearning Software for Business

11. Docebo – Best for Extended Enterprise Learning 

Docebo for Extended Enterprise revolutionizes how businesses engage with customers, partners, and members through its LMS. It’s designed to enhance product adoption, minimize churn, and boost revenue by committing to the success of external stakeholders.

This is one of the best eLearning authoring tools that facilitate continuous customer enablement across all customer lifecycle stages. It also strengthens partner relationships by aligning them thoroughly with your product and vision and maximizes member value by offering engaging learning experiences.

With Docebo, companies like GAF have transformed their external customer engagement, offering a robust, intuitive interface for easy access to training. Docebo stands out for its high recommendation rate and ease of use, making it a top choice for external training with features like multiple domains, content organization, audience privacy, management control, Single Sign-On (SSO), custom reports, e-learning content monetization, and personalized pages for each audience.

What You Will Like:

• Easy course management with intuitive interface
• Supports various learning modes and gamification
• Scalable, integrates with CRM and HR systems

What You May Not Like:

• Optimized for in-house, not third-party training
• Web conferencing integration issues
• Customer service can be unsatisfactory

Pricing: 

Custom pricing

12. 360Learning – Best for Collaborative Learning

“It is through cooperation, rather than conflict, that your greatest successes will be derived.” – Ralph Charell. 

That’s exactly what 360Learning emphasizes about! It supports collaboration and social learning, where learners can interact, share knowledge, and engage in group discussions. The software facilitates peer-to-peer learning and fosters a sense of community among learners.

With 360Learning, it becomes easy to develop 100% relevant training quickly and cost-effectively. This award-winning authoring tool comes with many rich editing functionalities, and anyone can use them without any technical know-how.

There are course templates, a feature for embedding web-based files, and cheat sheets to create and format any file type. Upload SCORM courses in the language your target audience understands.

What You Will Like:

• Mobile apps for iOS and Android enhance accessibility
• Simplifies course creation with an intuitive interface
• Comprehensive knowledge base for user support

What You May Not Like:

• User experience may suffer due to bugs
• Limited customization for courses and learner portal
• Challenges in course search, offline access, and browser compatibility

Pricing:

Starts at $8/user/month. Up to 100 users/month.

13. LearnUpon – Best for Learner Engagement

Engaged employees are 21% more productive than their disengaged counterparts, as they contribute more to the overall success of the organization. 

Engaged learners are more likely to absorb and retain information, apply new skills, and feel motivated to continue their learning journey. This is why I suggest LearnUpon as the ideal tool for enhancing learner engagement.

LearnUpon offers interactive features and a leading user experience that encourages learners to complete their training willingly, anytime and anywhere. With gamification, leaderboards, badges, and a mobile-friendly interface, LearnUpon removes barriers to training and makes learning a convenient and desirable activity.

It supports over 20 languages, which ensures that you can deliver training globally, breaking down language barriers. LearnUpon makes training not just a task but an enjoyable and rewarding experience for learners.

What You Will Like:

• It’s easy to set up and use, with less time spent on administrative tasks
• Supports multi-portal functionality
• Offers video-based learning, custom branding, multilingual support, and mobile accessibility

What You May Not Like:

• Lacks community-building features
• No support for social network integration or gamification mechanics
• Does not offer a live chat feature

Pricing:

Custom pricing

14. Coassemble – Best for Microlearning

Coassemble’s microlearning platform transforms traditional documents and presentations into engaging, bite-sized learning experiences. It’s one of the elearning authoring tools for free that doesn’t require a credit card or sign-up to start playing.

Designed for optimal knowledge retention in minimal time, Coassemble offers lessons through flashcards, quizzes, training videos, and how-to guides. It supports learning on the go, allowing easy transition between devices like smartphones, tablets, or computers. The platform features interactive courses with multimedia elements such as videos and infographics, making learning enjoyable.

Coassemble is SCORM compatible, allowing export into any LMS. It emphasizes time efficiency, flexibility, engagement, and dynamic content creation, including unlimited micro-courses for audiences of any size. With customizable themes, Coassemble ensures that courses match your brand, making it a favored choice among over 2,000 L&D professionals.

What You Will Like:

• Supports real-time collaboration and feedback
• Customizable branding for workspace and courses
• Detailed reporting and analytics for training insights

What You May Not Like:

• Lacks built-in feature for selling courses online
• Limited ready-made course content
• No native app for offline course access

Pricing:

Custom pricing

15. Tovuti – Best for Blended Learning

“Blended learning has the potential to transform education by personalizing learning experiences and leveraging the power of technology.” – Arne Duncan. 

Tovuti offers a dynamic and flexible solution for delivering engaging and effective training. It supports a mix of classroom sessions, self-paced modules, high-quality courses, webinars, podcasts, and discussion forums, all from a single, easy-to-use platform.

Tovuti stands out for its on-the-go learning capabilities, accessible via a native mobile app or a mobile-responsive application, ensuring training is available anytime, anywhere. With access to over 30,000 pre-built courses and more than 2,000 integrations, including Salesforce and Workday, Tovuti simplifies content delivery and enhances learning experiences. Its fast implementation, tailored learning paths, and customizable branding options allow organizations to set up and personalize their training programs quickly.

Tovuti’s robust automation features and comprehensive data tracking improve efficiency and provide valuable insights into training effectiveness, making it an ideal choice for organizations looking to maximize their training ROI.

What You Will Like:

• Streamlines learning with powerful automation
• Interactive courses with a built-in authoring tool
• Built-in CMS for managing web content

What You May Not Like:

• High initial setup and implementation costs
• Complex interface with a learning curve
• No free demos or trials available

Pricing: 

Starts at $11,160/year.  40+ interactive content elements. Unlimited custom domains.

Best eLearning Software for Teachers/Schools

 16. Moodle – Best for Personalized Learning 

Moodle is a premier choice for personalized learning due to its highly customizable nature. In fact, it is one of the most popular open-source LMS in the higher education market. This open-source LMS adapts to the unique demands of any educational setting, from K-12 to higher education and beyond.

It offers a rich array of features that enable educators to tailor learning experiences to the diverse needs of their students. With Moodle, instructors can create varied activities and tasks and also cater to different learning styles and preferences. The platform supports automated alerts to keep learners informed and on track, while its comprehensive analytics tools allow for the effective monitoring of student progress.

Plus, the tool’s compatibility with a wide range of integrations enhances its functionality, which ensures a secure, scalable, and accessible learning environment for all users. Its commitment to accessibility and the potential integration of AI tools further solidify Moodle’s position as the best LMS for personalized learning.

What You Will Like:

• Highly customizable for specific needs
• Strong support from a large community
• Offers extensive features and functionalities

What You May Not Like:

• No direct tech support available for implementation
• Interface can seem cluttered and outdated
• Vulnerable to security issues if not updated

Pricing:

Starts at $116/year. 50 users. 250 MB storage

17. Blackboard Learn – Best for AI Design Assistant 

Blackboard®️ Learn, in partnership with Microsoft, introduces the AI Design Assistant, a groundbreaking tool set to revolutionize the way instructors and instructional designers create courses.

This innovative feature, aligned with Anthology’s Trustworthy AI framework, positions Blackboard Learn as the first major LMS to harness generative AI for enhancing educational content creation.

The AI Design Assistant simplifies the course development process. By inputting basic course details, the tool helps you structure courses, generate content assessments, and even source royalty-free images. This integration not only streamlines course creation but also ensures that instructors focus more on teaching than on administrative tasks.

With its integration into Blackboard Learn Ultra, the AI Design Assistant exemplifies the future of educational technology. This shows the ethical use of AI to support teaching and learning excellence.

What You Will Like:

• Offers a unified platform for assignments, discussions, and quizzes
• Accessible on various devices for learning on the go
• Allows interface personalization and third-party tool integration

What You May Not Like:

• Some find the interface outdated and navigation difficult
• No built-in option for selling courses directly
• Not suitable for budget-conscious users

Pricing:

Custom pricing

18. Google Classroom – Best for Classroom Management

Google Classroom, a part of Google Workspace for Education, enables educators to craft personalized and engaging elearning programs. It also provides the means to manage and assess these programs effectively.

Key features of Google Classroom include the ability to create interactive assignments, even from existing PDFs, and the use of AI to provide real-time feedback and individual guidance. This fosters a more personalized learning experience. The platform includes tools for simplifying daily tasks and gaining valuable insights into student progress.

For institutions seeking to elevate their educational approach, Google Classroom offers an array of premium features. These include plagiarism detection, which compares student work against extensive online resources, and Classroom analytics for deeper insights into class and individual performance.

What You Will Like:

• Streamlines the assignment management process
• Facilitates effective communication and resource sharing
• Reduces paper use and organizes documents

What You May Not Like:

• Requires unique accounts for all participants
• Lacks a comprehensive grade book feature
• Does not support standards-based grading

Pricing:

Custom pricing

19. Hurix Digital – Best for K-12 Content Library 

Hurix Digital offers an exceptional K-12 digital content library to transform the way students learn Mathematics and Science. This online resource comprises over 2500 interactive and engaging video-based content pieces that are developed by subject matter experts.

Aimed at simplifying complex concepts, the library enhances learning through fun and engaging methods. It includes interactive features and online assessments. The content is available in multiple languages, which ensures accessibility for students worldwide.

Hurix Digital’s K-12 solutions empower educators to deliver lessons in visually appealing formats. This fosters a better understanding and enriches the learning experience for students. This digital library is accessible 24/7, catering to the diverse needs of the K-12 educational landscape.

What You Will Like:

• Supports SCORM and Tin Can API
• Integrates with learning management systems
• Ideal for non-technical users

What You May Not Like:

• Inability to multitask
• Not optimal for complex programming-driven content
• Lacks a free trial for service evaluation

Pricing:

Custom pricing

20. Camtasia – Best for Video Editing 

TechSmith specializes in screen capture, and it offers tools like Camtasia that empower users to create professional-quality videos for online learning. With Camtasia, you can start from a template or record your screen to craft video lessons and add narration, effects, green screens, or quizzes.

It’s designed for ease of use, allowing educators and content creators to share their knowledge effectively and engagingly. Over 34 million people have chosen Camtasia for its intuitive interface and powerful editing features, making it a favorite among teachers for delivering content online, especially during remote learning phases.

Camtasia supports both Windows and Mac, and it offers educational discounts to make it accessible for teachers and students. This tool is essential for anyone who wants  to create impactful video content for education or training purposes.

What You Will Like:

• Competent, user-friendly video editing
• Clear, large visual effect buttons
• High-quality screen capture resolution

What You May Not Like:

• Limited video format support
• Non-interactive object rotation
• No live DV camera recording

Pricing:

Starts at $211.23/year. 30-day money-back guarantee. One non-transferable license of Camtasia.  

After a thorough review of various eLearning software, it is clear that a tool exists for every requirement, whether that involves creating engaging courses, facilitating employee training, or selling courses online. Each option I have discussed shows its strengths and areas for improvement. However, the key lies in selecting the one that best meets your specific needs.

Evaluation Criteria

The evaluation of products or tools chosen for this article follows an unbiased, systematic approach that ensures a fair, insightful, and well-rounded review. This method employs six key factors:

1. User Reviews / Ratings: Direct experiences from users, including ratings and feedback from reputable sites, provide a ground-level perspective. This feedback is critical in understanding overall satisfaction and potential problems.
2. Essential Features & Functionality: The value of a product is ascertained by its core features and overall functionality. Through an in-depth exploration of these aspects, the practical usefulness and effectiveness of the tools are carefully evaluated.
3. Ease of Use: The user-friendliness of a product or service is assessed, focusing on the design, interface, and navigation. This ensures a positive experience for users of all levels of expertise.
4. Customer Support: The quality of customer support is examined, taking into account its efficiency and how well it supports users in different phases – setting up, addressing concerns, and resolving operational issues.
5. Value for Money: Value for money is evaluated by comparing the quality, performance, and features. The goal is to help the reader understand whether they would be getting their money’s worth.
   1. Personal Experience / Experts’ Opinions: This part of the evaluation criteria draws insightful observations from the personal experience of the writer and the opinions of industry experts.