Articulate Storyline 360 vs. Adobe Captivate vs. iSpring Suite
15 minutes
In this article, we’re going to break down the essential features of three of the most popular eLearning authoring tools: Adobe Captivate vs. Articulate Storyline vs. iSpring Suite. Each of these tools has its strengths, making them suitable for different scenarios.
Whether you need to create a lot of different eLearning content quickly or are looking for advanced and complex authoring capabilities, you’ll find out which of these tools will suit your needs better.
To help you make an informed choice between Adobe Captivate, Articulate Storyline 360, and iSpring Suite, we’ll compare their ease of use, reliability, authoring capabilities, collaborative features, and pricing plans. But before we dive into the comparisons, let’s take a quick look at what each tool offers.
1. Articulate Storyline 360
Articulate Storyline 360 is a versatile eLearning authoring tool for building responsive online courses, being part of the broader Articulate 360 eLearning suite. Its interface shares similarities with PowerPoint but offers more customization options, freeing you from PowerPoint’s constraints. However, keep in mind that creating courses in Articulate requires a lot of time, effort, and extensive proficiency with the tool.
Storyline provides a range of tools for adding objects to slides and supports HTML5 for mobile learning compatibility. Plus, its adaptive player ensures that your courses look great on any device, offering a seamless learning experience for all users.
On the downside, while some processes are automated or semi-automated in other tools, here you have to do most tasks manually. For instance, if you want to create scenarios, you’ll need to create various layers and objects and make them work manually. This is much more complicated than building scenarios in a special template-based tool like the one iSpring Suite has. So, be prepared to invest time learning these features and fine-tuning your content.
2. Adobe Captivate
Adobe Captivate is a go-to solution for a wide range of training tasks, from creating a simple presentation to a complex interactive course. It’s versatile, offering features for everything from VR projects to high-quality video production, including simultaneous webcam and on-screen content recording.
While it doesn’t have a specific tool for creating role-plays, Adobe Captivate provides a module for generating software simulations using effects, triggers, and slide settings. Plus, its toolkit boasts numerous interactive options like drag-and-drop quizzes, puzzles, and games to make eLearning engaging.
For those ready to dive deeper, Adobe Captivate offers advanced techniques like enhanced actions with system variables, text entry boxes, and mathematical expressions. However, be prepared to invest some time and effort learning these features to fully utilize their potential.
The available publishing options are SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004, AICC, and xAPI.
3. iSpring Suite Max
iSpring Suite is an all-in-one authoring toolkit for creating all types of eLearning courses quickly. It integrates seamlessly with Microsoft PowerPoint, making the course development process straightforward and efficient. Whether you’re converting existing PowerPoint content or starting from scratch, iSpring Suite allows you to get your courses up and running in no time.
With specialized modules for building quizzes, recording and editing video and audio, and creating role-plays, iSpring Suite covers all of your training needs. Plus, its responsive design ensures that your content looks great on any device, from desktops to mobiles.
The iSpring Suite Max plan offers additional perks like access to a growing content library, a custom character builder, and a web-based authoring tool for creating courses online with an AI assistant.
What also makes iSpring Suite stand out is that it remains user-friendly throughout. Its intuitive interface and user-centric design mean you can dive right in, even if you’re new to course development. And if you ever run into any issues, the customer support team is there to help you 24/7 via phone, chat, and email. Get a free 14-day trial.
Adobe Captivate vs. Articulate Storyline vs. iSpring Suite: A Feature Comparison
Now let’s take a closer look at each eLearning authoring tool to help you make an informed decision. We’ll compare them based on three key criteria: ease of use, content authoring capabilities, and collaboration features, rating them on a 3-point scale. By the end, you’ll have a clear understanding of which tool – Captivate vs. Storyline vs. Suite – is the best fit for your needs. Let’s get started!
Essential
| Articulate Storyline 360 | Adobe Captivate | iSpring Suite Max | |
| Ease of use | Articulate Storyline offers extensive content creation capabilities, making it a powerful tool. However, due to its vast array of features, it may take a significant amount of time to explore and master them all. If you’re not willing to invest time in training, you may find that your authoring efficiency is limited with this tool. 2 points | Adobe Captivate is a robust tool equipped with innovative technologies that keep it ahead of the curve. Its diverse capabilities make it perfect for delivering dynamic learning experiences. However, be prepared for a steep learning curve when diving into Adobe Captivate. Mastering its full potential will require time and dedication. | iSpring Suite integrates with PowerPoint seamlessly, making it incredibly user-friendly. If you’re familiar with creating PPT presentations, you’ll find it easy to start using the tool right away. There’s no need to rely on tech experts or undergo extensive training – you can jump right in and start producing content effortlessly. |
| Reliability | Articulate Storyline 360 is generally reliable, but some users have reported occasional bugs or glitches, which can impact the user experience. While these issues are not widespread, they do slightly lower its reliability score compared to iSpring Suite Max. 2 points | Adobe Captivate has experienced reliability issues in the past, with some users encountering bugs, crashes, or compatibility issues. While updates have addressed many of these issues, they have still impacted the overall reliability of the software. 1 point | iSpring Suite Max is known for its stability and reliability. Users occasionally report minimal technical issues or crashes, making it a dependable choice for creating eLearning content. Plus, there’s an award-winning customer support team available 24/7. 3 points |
Summary: Suite – 6 points; Storyline – 4 points; Captivate – 2 points
With its seamless integration with PowerPoint and minimal technical issues reported by users, iSpring Suite offers the most user-friendly and reliable experience for eLearning development.
Articulate follows closely behind, offering extensive content creation capabilities despite occasional reports of bugs or glitches, slightly impacting its reliability score.
Adobe Captivate, while equipped with innovative technologies for dynamic learning experiences, falls behind in ease of use due to its steep learning curve and faces reliability issues, affecting its overall score.
Ultimately, if your goal is to develop scenarios involving VR and high interactivity, and you’re willing to invest time in training, Articulate 360 is the ideal choice. However, if you’re looking to create professional-looking courses without extensive training or specialized skills, iSpring Suite is the best option.
User ratings
| Articulate Storyline 360 | Adobe Captivate | iSpring Suite Max | |
| Capterra | 4.7/5 (445 reviews) | 4.5/5 (206 reviews) | 4.7/5 (1594 reviews) |
| G2 | 4.5/5 (145 reviews) | 3.9/5 (194 reviews) | 4.6/5 (575 reviews) |
| TrustRadius | 9.2/10 (208 reviews) | 7.1/10 (270 reviews) | 9.4/10 (88 reviews) |
| eLearning Industry | 4.4/5 (13 reviews) | 4.6/5 (75 reviews) | 4.7/5 (281 reviews) |
Summary: Suite – 3 points; Storyline – 2 points; Captivate – 1 point
Based on user reviews from the most popular platforms – Capterra, G2, TrustRadius, and eLearning Industry – iSpring Suite Max is the top-rated eLearning authoring tool with the largest number of reviews. Articulate also receives positive feedback, although slightly lower than iSpring Suite Max. Meanwhile, Adobe Captivate garners comparatively lower ratings across platforms.
So, if user satisfaction is a key consideration for you, iSpring Suite Max stands out as the top choice among these eLearning authoring tools.
Content authoring capabilities
Articulate Storyline 360 | Adobe Captivate | iSpring Suite | |
| Online courses | Storyline offers triggers and layers, empowering you to create highly customized training content that goes above and beyond standard presentations. 3 points | Captivate lacks slide layer functionality, and working with triggers can feel cumbersome, limiting its ability to create highly customized courses. 2 points | You can build courses using the functionality not only of iSpring Suite but also of PowerPoint itself. By using PowerPoint animations and hyperlinks, you can easily create custom interactive elements for your content. 2 points |
| Online quizzes | Storyline’s quiz maker comes with 20 ready-to-use question templates, streamlining the quiz creation process. Additionally, it includes features to prevent cheating, ensuring the integrity of your assessments. 3 points | Captivate offers 9 question types and a wide range of quiz settings, giving you the flexibility to customize the quiz experience according to your preferences and the needs of your learners. 3 points | With iSpring Suite, you can build quizzes using 14 ready-made question templates, customize the design and testing rules, and track learners’ results online. 3 points |
| Role-play simulations | There’s no special tool for building role-play simulations. Zero points | Similarly, Captivate doesn’t have a tool for creating scenarios. Zero points | It has an easy-to-use tool for creating interactive scenarios with characters, authentic locations, and voice-overs. 3 points |
| Video lectures | Storyline includes a built-in webcam recorder and a basic video editor for refining your video content. 3 points | Captivate allows you to record webcam videos and edit them by splitting or trimming, incorporating images, audio, and effects, and adjusting the background as needed. 3 points | With iSpring Suite, you can record presenter videos and refine them by adding annotations, and images, merging videos, inserting freeze-frames, and using special effects. 3 points |
| Software simulations | You can capture your screen with the tool and then choose to use the video as is or take advantage of built-in editing tools to create detailed step-by-step demonstrations. 2 points | Captivate offers four modes for recording software simulations: demonstration, assessment simulation, training simulation, and custom. 3 points | iSpring Suite enables you to record screencasts with annotations, display hot keys on the screen, and highlight mouse actions. 2 points |
| Interactive videos | You can make your videos interactive by adding triggers, hotspots, branching, and layers. 2 points | There’s a special feature that lets you add bookmarks and overlay slides to create interactive videos. 3 points | You can create interactive videos by using animations and triggers in PowerPoint. 1 point |
| VR projects | Storyline supports the integration of 360° photos, allowing users to create basic 3D experiences. 2 points | Captivate was designed to empower users to create immersive VR scenarios using 360° photos and videos. 3 points | iSpring Suite doesn’t have this functionality. Zero points |
| Interactions | 20 preset interaction templates are available for you to create interactive elements. 3 points | There are 8 interactive widgets and features that allow you to create slide-level and object-level interactions. 3 points | The tool offers 14 ready-to-use interaction templates. 3 points |
Summary: Captivate – 20 points; Storyline – 18 points; Suite – 18 points
When it comes to creating complex projects involving VR training and interactive videos, Adobe Captivate and Articulate Storyline are top contenders, offering advanced features in these areas. If these features are essential for your needs, either of these tools would be a solid choice. Selecting between Articulate Storyline and Adobe Captivate, we can see that Captivate is better for VR training and Storyline is more advantageous for custom courses.
However, if your focus is on building more straightforward courses with quizzes, interactions, and role-play simulations, or if you’re looking to convert existing PowerPoint slides into online courses, iSpring Suite provides a practical and effective solution.
Collaborative features
| Articulate Storyline 360 | Adobe Captivate | iSpring Suite | |
| Online space for storing and sharing | Storyline doesn’t offer storage directly within the tool itself. However, the subscription includes a review tool that provides 150 GB of storage for learning content. 3 points | Captivate offers 100 GB of storage and enables you to share your eLearning projects for review. 2 points | With the iSpring Suite Max plan, you get iSpring Cloud, an online service with unlimited storage for your eLearning projects and drafts. It’s a convenient platform where you can easily share your content with learners, stakeholders, and SMEs by simply providing them with a link. 3 points |
| Collaborative authoring | Storyline doesn’t offer collaborative authoring functionality, but Articulate Rise (a part of Articulate 360) does. However, collaborative authoring is exclusively available to users with an Articulate 360 Teams subscription. 3 points | There is no tool for collaboration on content. Zero points | In iSpring Cloud, you can invite your team to collaborate on eLearning content, review your courses, and receive their feedback instantly. 3 points |
Summary: Suite – 6 points; Storyline – 6 points; Captivate – 2 points
If you’re looking to make eLearning course authoring faster and smoother with collaborative features and streamlined reviewing, you’ll need to choose between Articulate and iSpring Suite Max. These tools provide the best capabilities for this kind of task.
Pricing
| Articulate Storyline 360 | Adobe Captivate | iSpring Suite | |
| Individual | $1,099/year 1 point | $33.99/month ($407.88/year) 3 points | $970/year 2 points |
| Team | $1,399 per user/year 1 point | Available upon request. Special terms are available for teams. 2 points | $870 per user/year for a 3-author team. $770 per user/year for a 5-author team. Special terms for larger teams are available. 3 points |
| Discounts | Academic discount: $549 per user/year for an individual, and $649 per user/year for a team. 2 points | An academic discount is available upon request. 1 point | A discount for freelancers: $690 per user/year. Academic, non-profit, and government discount: $670 per user/year. Volume and multi-year license discounts are available upon request. 3 points |
Summary: Suite – 8 points; Captivate – 6 points; Storyline – 4 points
In terms of pricing, iSpring Suite Max emerges as the standout choice, offering the most tailored pricing plans overall. However, while iSpring Suite Max provides excellent value for teams and organizations, the individual pricing plan of Adobe Captivate stands out as the most cost-effective among the three options. Additionally, iSpring Suite Max provides attractive discounts for academic, non-profit, and government organizations, further enhancing its value proposition. Therefore, for those seeking tailored pricing plans and affordability, Adobe Captivate’s individual subscription option offers a compelling solution, while iSpring Suite Max remains the top choice for teams and organizations.
Adobe Captivate vs. Articulate 360 vs. iSpring Suite: Total Score
| Articulate Storyline 360 | Adobe Captivate | iSpring Suite | |
| Essential | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| User ratings | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Content authoring capabilities | 18 | 20 | 18 |
| Collaborative features | 6 | 2 | 6 |
| Pricing | 4 | 6 | 8 |
| TOTAL | 34 | 31 | 41 |
As you’ve seen, all three tools share many common features, allowing you to create eLearning courses, quizzes, and video tutorials. However, Adobe Captivate and Articulate stand out with their unique capabilities for producing VR projects and interactive videos. But it’s worth noting that Captivate may not be the optimal solution for collaborative team projects and neither tool is the best option in terms of user experience.
On the other hand, if you’re seeking a tool that allows you to start creating impressive courses without extensive training, iSpring Suite is a solid choice. It’s also well-suited for content development teams.
You can explore iSpring Suite for free for 14 days to determine if it meets your needs.
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