- Free Version: Available for teams of up to 10
- Pricing: Premium plan $24/month (with a free 30-day trial period)
- Platforms supported: Available on mobile app (iOS and Android) or a web-based software
Why use SafetyCulture?
SafetyCulture, a comprehensive operations platform, integrates training into your day-to-day workflow with its various training course authoring tools. The platform offers industry-standard training course templates that you can tailor to your needs. And if your organization requires highly specialized topics and courses, you can create your very own templates from scratch using its drag-and-drop course builder template. With a simplified approach to course creation that’s scalable for small businesses and large enterprises alike, you can deliver quality courses and upskill your employees with ease.
Features:
- Ensure that your training programs cover all bases by creating custom training courses
- Save time and effort when making courses through pre-made templates that you can tweak to your needs
- Leave no worker behind by tracking the progress of each trainee on your team
- Empower workers on the field by giving them access to an extensive knowledge library wherever they are
- Conduct more effective training sessions using training checklists for every class
Why use Articulate360?
This comprehensive e-learning authoring suite is known for its user-friendly interface and powerful features. That way, it becomes much easier to bring your training programs into the digital space, making it easier to author courses and track progress. With the platform, you’ll be able to create engaging and interactive courses that will speed up the learning process for your team.
Features:
- Interactive quizzes and assessments
- Content library with templates and assets
- Collaborative authoring and review tools
- Free Version: None
- Pricing: Starts at $1,399 per user, billed annually (with a 30-day free trial)
- Platforms supported: Web, Mobile
Why use Adobe Captivate?
Great training courses must be engaging, which is why Adobe Captivate is a good fit for many trainers. With the platform, you can create engaging courses with interesting visuals to ensure you have your audience’s full attention. It offers a wide range of multimedia and interactivity options, making it suitable for creating engaging educational content.
Features:
- Simulation-based learning modules
- Drag-and-drop authoring interface
- Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) support
- Free Version: None
- Pricing: Individual subscription starts at $33.90/month, billed annually
- Platforms supported: Web
Why use Camtasia by TechSmith?
Camtasia is a simple but effective platform for recording training videos. This makes it a great tool for workers looking to create high-quality training videos for multiple teams. With its easy-to-use interface and robust editing features, educators can produce high-quality educational content.
Features:
- Screen recording and webcam capture
- Video editing and customization options
- Annotations, callouts, and effects
- Free Version: None
- Pricing: Individual subscription starts at $179.98/year (with a 30-day free trial period)
- Platforms supported: PC
Why use eLucid?
eLucid is a dedicated platform for trainers to develop comprehensive courses while instilling a culture of continuous learning in their teams. It focuses on collaborative course creation, enabling teams to work together efficiently as it features a responsive design and analytics tools that enhance the learning experience.
Features:
- Team collaboration and feedback tools
- Customizable templates and themes
- Built-in accessibility and translation features
- Free Version: None
- Pricing: Starts at $4/month
- Platforms supported: Web and On-premise
Why use dominKnow?
dominKnow is a platform dedicated to e-learning course creation. It offers a variety of templates and components to streamline course development. Since it focuses on team collaboration, the platform is ideal for organizations with multiple contributors.
Features:
- Responsive and adaptive course design
- Interactive components and quizzes
- Versioning and collaboration tools
- Free Version: None
- Pricing: Contact vendor for pricing (with a 14-day free trial period)
- Platforms supported: Web, iOS, Android
Why use Lectora?
Lectora is a course authoring tool that makes collaboration easier while allowing teams to create comprehensive courses for employees. It offers a range of pre-built templates and assets, making it suitable for both beginners and experienced instructional designers.
Features:
- Pre-made course templates
- Drag-and-drop interface for course creation
- Scenario-based learning simulations
- Free Version: None
- Pricing: Starts at $1,398/year (with a 30-day free trial period)
- Platforms supported: Web, iOS, Android
What is Course Authoring Software?
Course authoring software enables organizations to create, design, and publish interactive and engaging online courses or eLearning content. Typically, these platforms offer a large feature suite that allows users to collaborate with other team members while easily making engaging courses for new trainees. On top of that, these software options also help ensure that all new courses cover all necessary bases and that employees don’t enter the field with significant knowledge gaps that affect safety and performance.
Importance
Training is one of the key areas of safety and operational efficiency. When a team is trained properly, they are more equipped to perform in the field, meet company goals, and carry out their tasks safely and optimally. This endeavor can seem daunting at first, especially if you’re building these programs from scratch, but with today’s technology, training teams can now develop training courses from their preferred device.
That’s why modern organizations must have a good course authoring software tool. That way, each course or learning program they implement covers all the necessary topics and is engaging enough to keep trainees focused. Some of them don’t even require coding experience, as courses can be built using pre-built templates and drag-and-drop interfaces to simplify course creation.
On top of that, trainers can keep tabs on trainees, making it much easier to gauge whether or not a team is ready for the job or if there are still knowledge gaps they need to fill.
Key Features
The best course authoring software is one that offers the features your organization needs. While the software itself can vary depending on the needs and industries it serves, there are a few key features that all course authoring software must have, which include:
- Templates that you can customize
- Content creation tools (video recorder, editor, drag-and-drop interface, etc.)
- Interactive assessments
- Multimedia integration
- Data gathering and analytics
Choosing the Right Course Authoring Software
If you’re hard-pressed to choose the best option for your organization, here’s a breakdown of the software mentioned above to make it easier for you to choose.
| Course Authoring Software | Free Version | Paid Plan | Mobile App |
| SafetyCulture | Yes | $24/user/month* | Yes |
| Articulate 360 | No | $1,399/user* | No |
| Adobe Captivate | No | $33.90/month | No |
| Cantasia by TechSmith | No | $179.98/year | No |
| eLucid | No | $4/month | No |
| dominKnow | No | Contact vendor for pricing | No |
| Lectora | No | $899/year | No |
* billed annually
Leon Altomonte