The eLearning industry continues to evolve, and so do authoring tools. Today’s platforms combine intuitive design with AI-powered assistance, cloud collaboration, and responsive output to help instructional designers create courses faster and smarter. In this article, we’ll explore ten of the best eLearning authoring tools in 2025, from long-standing industry leaders to innovative cloud-based platforms.
iSpring Suite
iSpring Suite is a versatile eLearning authoring toolkit that works seamlessly with PowerPoint, allowing users to create courses, quizzes, tutorials, video lessons, and even professional portfolios for L&D specialists. With built-in AI assistance, it speeds up content creation by suggesting ideas and streamlining workflows. Authors can collaborate with team members or subject matter experts in real time.
The software produces responsive content that runs smoothly on any device, making it accessible to all learners. Its extensive library of templates, characters, and backgrounds accelerates design while maintaining a professional look. iSpring Suite also supports accessibility features, making content more inclusive and learner-friendly.
dominKnow | ONE
dominKnowis | ONE a cloud-based eLearning authoring platform that combines power, flexibility, and team collaboration in one space. It brings together traditional authoring, responsive design, and simulation tools, allowing users to create virtually any type of learning content within a single environment. This authoring tool is built for scalability and enables multiple authors and reviewers to work together in real time, reducing bottlenecks and keeping large projects organized.
The platform supports a wide range of publishing options, including SCORM, xAPI, and cmi5, and allows for seamless updates across shared assets and templates. Its responsive design automatically adjusts layouts for every device, ensuring consistent learning experiences for all users. With integrated review tools, content reuse features, and multilingual support, dominKnow | ONEis an excellent option for organizations producing large volumes of training content.
Articulate 360
Articulate 360 remains one of the most popular authoring suites in the world, combining ease of use with professional-grade design flexibility. The platform includes Storyline 360 for custom interactive courses and Rise 360 for responsive, web-style learning. Together, these tools provide a complete solution for developing, reviewing, and delivering high-quality training content across formats and devices.
Recent updates have enhanced collaboration, performance, and accessibility, making Articulate 360 even more powerful. The suite now includes AI-assisted features that help generate text, quiz questions, and alternative text automatically. It also provides a growing library of templates and media assets, ensuring that even first-time authors can produce visually consistent, engaging, and inclusive learning experiences with minimal effort.
Adobe Captivate
Adobe Captivate has undergone a complete transformation, offering a sleek, modern interface designed for speed and simplicity. The newest version introduces AI-powered tools that streamline authoring, helping users create simulations, software walkthroughs, and responsive courses faster than ever. It provides a smooth workflow for building immersive, multimedia-rich learning experiences with minimal technical knowledge required.
Captivate supports the creation of interactive video lessons, VR environments, and branching scenarios, all within an intuitive drag-and-drop interface. Its device-aware design ensures that content automatically adjusts for desktops, tablets, and smartphones. With deep integration into Adobe Stock and robust accessibility features, Captivate remains a go-to choice for instructional designers who want creative freedom backed by enterprise-grade technology.
Elucidat
Elucidat is a powerful cloud-based authoring tool designed to help teams produce high-quality digital learning at scale. Its intuitive interface and guided authoring workflows make it accessible to both instructional designers and subject matter experts. Authors can quickly create branded, mobile-friendly courses that reflect company standards while maintaining creative flexibility.
The platform excels in collaborative development, allowing multiple contributors to edit, review, and localize content simultaneously. Built-in analytics help organizations measure learner engagement and course performance, while its accessibility and translation features make global rollout effortless. With its focus on brand control, scalability, and ease of use, Elucidat helps large teams deliver consistent, professional learning experiences across all audiences.
Lectora
Lectora by ELB Learning remains a trusted tool for organizations seeking advanced interactivity, customization, and accessibility compliance. Designed for professional instructional designers, it offers robust capabilities for creating responsive, media-rich courses that meet strict WCAG and Section 508 standards. Lectora’s new AI-assisted features make content development faster, while maintaining full creative control over layouts and logic.
The platform supports seamless PowerPoint import, branching scenarios, and adaptive design that automatically optimizes courses for any device. Authors can easily integrate video, assessments, and simulations without scripting knowledge. With its combination of flexibility, power, and accessibility focus, Lectora continues to be a top choice for companies with complex training needs or compliance-driven learning programs.
CourseArc
CourseArc is a web-based authoring platform designed to make course creation collaborative, accessible, and efficient. It allows instructional designers, faculty, and subject matter experts to build engaging, interactive courses directly in the browser without any coding knowledge. The interface emphasizes simplicity and teamwork, enabling multiple contributors to work simultaneously while maintaining consistent design and structure across modules.
The platform automatically produces WCAG 2.2–compliant content, ensuring accessibility from the start. Its built-in workflow tools support review, feedback, and publishing processes, making it ideal for universities, government agencies, and organizations with distributed teams. CourseArc integrates smoothly with major LMS platforms, and its focus on accessibility, collaboration, and structured design makes it a standout choice for institutions seeking a balance between ease of use and academic rigor.
Raptivity
Raptivity is an easy-to-use tool for creating interactive learning components that enhance engagement and retention. It provides a wide collection of ready-made templates for games, timelines, flashcards, and scenarios that can be customized without any coding. Designed to complement other authoring tools, Raptivity integrates smoothly with platforms like Storyline, Captivate, and Lectora.
The software enables authors to enrich existing courses with dynamic, mobile-friendly activities that work seamlessly across devices. Its HTML5 output ensures compatibility with most LMS platforms, while its simple interface allows for quick content updates. Raptivity is an excellent choice for instructional designers who want to add interactivity to their eLearning without investing in complex development tools.
SmartBuilder
SmartBuilder is a professional eLearning authoring tool that empowers designers to create complex, interactive, and scenario-based courses through a visual logic system. It eliminates the need for coding by allowing authors to use drag-and-drop actions and triggers to build adaptive learning paths. This makes it ideal for organizations focused on behavioral or performance-based training.
The platform supports advanced branching, gamification, and real-time feedback, enabling authors to design realistic learning simulations. With HTML5 output and SCORM/xAPI compliance, SmartBuilder content integrates smoothly into most LMS environments. Its balance of creative flexibility and intuitive logic makes it a preferred solution for instructional designers who want to bring deeper interactivity into their courses.
H5P
H5P is a free, open-source authoring tool that allows educators and instructional designers to create interactive learning activities directly within their LMS or website. It offers a wide range of content types — from quizzes and presentations to branching scenarios and interactive videos — that can be embedded easily in web-based platforms.
Because H5P is browser-based, there’s no installation or licensing required, making it a great option for institutions with limited budgets. Its responsive design ensures that all activities look and function well on any device. H5P continues to evolve through community development, offering new templates and integrations that make interactive learning more accessible to everyone.
Final Thoughts
Each of these authoring tools brings unique strengths to the table. For rapid course creation and ease of use, iSpring Suite and Articulate 360 stand out. For large-scale enterprise collaboration, dominKnow and Elucidat are ideal. Those needing advanced control and accessibility will appreciate Lectora and Captivate, while CourseArc, SmartBuilder, and Raptivity offer specialized capabilities for specific content types. And for educators and open-source enthusiasts, H5P remains an excellent free solution.
Whichever tool you choose, today’s authoring technologies make it easier than ever to design courses that are interactive, inclusive, and impactful.
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