Articulate 360 Alternatives: Is iSpring Suite the Better Choice?

If you’re a seasoned instructional designer or just starting as a course developer, you’re likely familiar with Articulate, a leading name in the industry. But does sticking with the popular choice always serve your needs? Not necessarily. Articulate has a lot of competitors and alternatives. eLearning projects vary widely, and when one tool doesn’t quite hit the mark with quick and reliable solutions, another might fill the gap effectively.

This article will introduce you to iSpring Suite, another leading authoring toolkit that could prove to be an alternative that’s more effective than Articulate. We’ll break down the strengths and weaknesses of both tools to help you decide which is the better fit for your specific needs.

Articulate 360 – Review

Articulate began in 2002 with Presenter 3, a software that converted PowerPoint slides into Flash movies for the web. As technology advanced and Flash faded out, Articulate shifted toward eLearning to meet the rising demand for online training. The company evolved from its original software to a more sophisticated PowerPoint-based authoring toolkit called Articulate Studio, and eventually to Storyline, a standalone tool designed for building eLearning courses.

Today, Articulate offers a comprehensive set of tools divided into four desktop applications and three online services:

• Storyline: A Windows-based eLearning toolkit that enables users to create interactive slides complete with audio/video narration, animations, quizzes, and screen recordings.

Also read → A detailed comparison of essential features of the most powerful eLearning competitors, “Articulate Storyline 360 vs. Adobe Captivate vs. iSpring Suite”

• Studio: Originally a PowerPoint extension, this tool is limited to essential updates and shares many of Storyline’s features but lacks some advanced interactive capabilities.
• Replay: A dual-input recorder that captures screen and webcam feeds simultaneously; useful for creating merged video content.
• Peek: Simplifies screen recording, allowing users to upload their videos to Articulate Review quickly for sharing and storage.

The online components include:

• Review: A cloud service for storing and sharing eLearning content, similar to Google Drive but tailored for Articulate projects.
• Rise: An online tool for creating mobile-friendly, responsive courses with ready-to-use components for quizzes, scenarios, and interactions.
• Content Library: A repository of eLearning visuals such as characters, backgrounds, and stock media.

While Articulate 360 boasts a diverse range of tools, it can be daunting for new users. Figuring out which tools are best for specific tasks can require a significant amount of time and experimentation.

Here are Articulate’s key strengths and weaknesses:

When to Choose Articulate 360

Articulate 360 is a suitable option under the following circumstances:

• Flexible timeframes. If you aren’t pressed for time and can dedicate a considerable amount of time to mastering the software before diving into actual course creation.
• Collaborative environments. It’s ideal if you work with a small team of instructional designers who frequently recycle and repurpose each other’s course materials. Opting for the more expensive “Teams” plan (priced at $1,399 per user/year) provides access to Team Slides, which supports a shared library of slide layouts and designs that are used frequently within your organization.
• Multilingual course development. If you need to translate courses into multiple languages, Storyline’s straightforward import and export capabilities for text content make this process efficient. However, keep in mind that some other alternatives, including iSpring Suite, also have this feature.

Why iSpring Suite Might Be a Better Choice

iSpring Suite offers an appealing alternative to Articulate by delivering a similarly extensive feature set with a greater emphasis on user-friendliness, especially for beginners. This tool enables you to start creating high-quality content quickly, with no steep learning curve – a zero learning curve, in fact.

The cornerstone of iSpring Suite is its integration with PowerPoint. This makes it easy to build new courses using existing PowerPoint presentations as a foundation. The toolkit includes specialized applications like a quiz maker and a screen recorder, all of which are designed to perform well, even on less powerful computers.

iSpring Suite includes the following desktop apps:

• Suite (PPT add-in): The primary application for adding narration to slides and converting them into HTML5. It boasts the industry-leading PowerPoint to HTML conversion engine, which preserves 100% of PPT effects.
• QuizMaker: Focused on creating diverse types of quizzes, surveys, and assessments. It supports various question formats, such as drag-and-drop, hotspot, and true/false, and allows for customizable automated feedback and styling.
• Visuals: An interaction builder that comes with templates like Accordion, Timeline, and Guided Image, all customizable with multimedia and color schemes to fit your brand.
• TalkMaster: A unique tool for building interactive scenarios without any programming. It even empowers you to create your own illustrated characters with a couple of clicks.
• CamPro: A comprehensive tool for recording screen or webcam footage, complemented by an advanced multi-track video editor designed specifically for creating video learning.
• Flip: Converts Word, PDF, and PowerPoint files into mobile-ready HTML5 books.

Here are the online apps that are included with iSpring Suite:

• Page: iSpring’s alternative to Rise 360. An AI-powered authoring tool for creating streamlined and accessible microlearning content within minutes. 
• Content Library: A rich cloud-based repository of design templates, backgrounds, and detailed character images—offering about 400 images per character compared to Articulate’s approximately 150.
• Cloud: Provides online storage similar to Dropbox for easy sharing and reviewing of eLearning content.
• Portfolio Builder: The first platform designed to enable eLearning professionals to build and host their portfolio of eLearning projects with ease.

Check out the key strengths and weaknesses of iSpring Suite:

When to Opt for iSpring Suite

Choose iSpring Suite over Articulate Storyline if you:

• Value ease of use and functionality. It’s is the best choice if you need an authoring tool that is straightforward yet robust, enabling you to create top-notch learning content quickly.
• Prioritize screen recordings. iSpring Suite offers superior control over screen recording outputs for more polished results.
• Want to train your team with scenarios. It has an unrivaled tool for building scenarios and developing soft skills.
• Require timely Section 508 compliance. If you need to produce accessible eLearning content efficiently, iSpring Suite allows learners to adjust the course content to their needs with a single click.
• Need reliable LMS integration. It’s a solid choice if you’re looking for assurance that your finished content will accurately track and report data back to your LMS.

iSpring Suite is especially appropriate for those who need a user-friendly, versatile eLearning tool that accommodates a wide range of learning environments and reporting requirements.

Feature Comparison

Here’s a detailed feature-by-feature comparison of both tools:

Conclusion

While Articulate 360 is a comprehensive eLearning toolkit with many advanced features, it can be complex and challenging for new users. Its steep learning curve, higher cost, and broad range of tools might not be ideal for everyone, especially those needing quick and straightforward solutions.

iSpring Suite, on the other hand, is a practical and user-friendly alternative. It integrates seamlessly with PowerPoint, making it easy to create high-quality content right away. With powerful video and scenario-building tools and an extensive content library, iSpring Suite is perfect for both beginners and experienced course developers. Its affordable pricing, easy accessibility compliance, and strong LMS compatibility make it an excellent choice for those looking for an efficient and effective eLearning authoring tool.

Ultimately, choosing between Articulate 360 and iSpring Suite depends on your specific needs, budget, and level of experience. If you need advanced customization and have time to learn a complex tool, Articulate 360 might be right for you. But if you want a solution that’s easy to use, affordable, and capable of creating great content quickly, iSpring Suite is the better option.

To see if iSpring Suite is right for you, download a free 14-day trial and test-drive all the features that are key to your eLearning project.