# Best Course Authoring Software - Page 13

## How Many Course Authoring Software Products Does G2 Track?

**Total Products under this Category:** 276

### Category Stats (Jul 2026)

- **Average Rating:** 4.55/5 (↑0.01 vs Jun 2026) The average rating of products in this category, based on all submitted ratings
- **Top Trending Product:** Easy LMS (+7.08%) - Among all products in this category, Easy LMS recorded the largest rating increase compared to last month

_Last updated: July 31, 2026_

## How Does G2 Rank Course Authoring Software Products?

**Why You Can Trust G2's Software Rankings:**

- 30 Analysts and Data Experts
- 18,900+ Authentic Reviews
- 276+ Products
- Unbiased Rankings

G2's software rankings are built on verified user reviews, rigorous moderation, and a consistent research methodology maintained by a team of analysts and data experts. Each product is measured using the same transparent criteria, with no paid placement or vendor influence. While reviews reflect real user experiences, which can be subjective, they offer valuable insight into how software performs in the hands of professionals. Together, these inputs power the G2 Score, a standardized way to compare tools within every category.

## G2 Grid® for Course Authoring Software
 ![G2 Grid® for Course Authoring Software plotting products by satisfaction and market presence](https://www.g2.com/categories/course-authoring/grids.png?focus%5B%5D=22491&focus%5B%5D=118455&focus%5B%5D=5799&focus%5B%5D=2319&focus%5B%5D=2232&focus%5B%5D=6881&focus%5B%5D=57927&focus%5B%5D=2931)

Highlighted products: Articulate 360, Synthesia, iSpring Suite, D2L Brightspace, Absorb LMS, Easygenerator, 360Learning, and Litmos.

Underlying data: [Grid® JSON](https://www.g2.com/categories/course-authoring/grids.json?focus%5B%5D=articulate-360&focus%5B%5D=synthesia&focus%5B%5D=ispring-suite&focus%5B%5D=d2l-brightspace&focus%5B%5D=absorb-software-absorb-lms&focus%5B%5D=easygenerator&focus%5B%5D=360learning&focus%5B%5D=litmos)

**Sponsored**

### Zensai

Zensai is the Human Success company. We believe every employee should have the skills, feedback, and support they need to perform at their best. Our platform delivers that through agentic AI coaching for learning, performance, and engagement, fully built inside Microsoft 365, where your people already work. 💡 Learning management that goes beyond the LMS: compliance, onboarding, AI-coached skills development, and course creation, all inside Teams, SharePoint, and Outlook. AI coaches every employee along a personalized development path, with the AI Tutor answering questions from your own content in the flow of work. 🎯 Performance management built into everyday routines: continuous check-ins, OKRs, 360 feedback, and manager coaching workflows that make performance a habit, not an annual event. AI coaches every manager through every conversation, every goal, and every piece of feedback. 🙂 Employee engagement that shows you how your people are really doing: real-time sentiment, recognition, pulse surveys, and a continuously updated signal on how every employee, every team, and the whole organization is learning, performing, and engaging. Don't just track people progress. Coach it.

[Visit website](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bad_program%5D=ppc&secure%5Bad_slot%5D=category_product_list_llm&secure%5Bcategory_id%5D=324&secure%5Bchosen_at%5D=2026-07-31T23%3A09%3A33Z&secure%5Bdisplayable_resource_id%5D=565&secure%5Bdisplayable_resource_type%5D=Category&secure%5Bmedium%5D=sponsored&secure%5Bplacement_reason%5D=neighbor_category&secure%5Bplacement_resource_ids%5D%5B%5D=565&secure%5Bplacement_resource_ids%5D%5B%5D=1313&secure%5Bplacement_resource_ids%5D%5B%5D=1318&secure%5Bprioritized%5D=false&secure%5Bproduct_id%5D=21204&secure%5Bresource_id%5D=324&secure%5Bresource_type%5D=Category&secure%5Bsource_type%5D=category_page&secure%5Bsource_url%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.g2.com%2Fcategories%2Fcourse-authoring%3Fpage%3D13%26timeframe%3Dlast_year&secure%5Btoken%5D=a647036809227be87cd962d91378ef08003617d351fbf801187d2c52cf09542b&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fzensai.com%2Fzensai-microsoft-integrated-lms-us%2F%3Futm_campaign%3Dg2-clicks-clms%26utm_medium%3Dreview-sites%26utm_source%3Dg2%26utm_content%3D&secure%5Burl_type%5D=custom_url)

### [CorpTrainer.ai](https://www.g2.com/products/corptrainer-ai/reviews)

CorpTrainer.ai is a private AI-powered Learning Management System that transforms your internal documents, SOPs, and company policies into an always-on AI tutor for your team. Unlike public AI tools, CorpTrainer runs on a dedicated private server — your data never touches the public cloud, never trains external models, and never leaves your environment. Every AI-generated answer cites the exact source document, section, and page, making it the only LMS at its price point that is fully audit-ready by design. Companies use CorpTrainer to cut employee onboarding time, eliminate repetitive manager questions, protect proprietary knowledge from public AI exposure, and give teams instant access to internal knowledge — 24/7. Key features: private AI trained only on your documents · dedicated server infrastructure · source citations on every response · AI course builder · employee progress tracking · compliance-ready audit trail · deployable in 48 hours.

#### Who Is the Company Behind CorpTrainer.ai?

- **Seller:** [StartupHakk](https://www.g2.com/sellers/startuphakk)
- **HQ Location:** Gilbert, US
- **LinkedIn® Page:** [www.linkedin.com](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bsource_type%5D=product_profile&secure%5Btoken%5D=d36755a497ff317e8220dcb5a646a3228beab86742df40766a8fa22bfdc60102&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Fstartup-hakk%2F&secure%5Burl_type%5D=linkedin_company_website)  
13 employees on LinkedIn®

### [CoTraining](https://www.g2.com/products/cotraining/reviews)

CoTraining is an AI-powered platform that enables companies to create custom e-learning courses in minutes. Designed for learning and development leaders and HR professionals, CoTraining transforms documents into interactive learning content, saving over 90% in time and budget. With integrations available for various LMS and CRM platforms, CoTraining allows organizations to efficiently manage key training programs such as onboarding, policies, procedures, and compliance courses. The platform supports over 140 languages, providing an intuitive user experience that empowers organizations to maximize the impact and efficiency of their training initiatives.

#### Who Is the Company Behind CoTraining?

- **Seller:** [CoTraining](https://www.g2.com/sellers/cotraining)
- **Year Founded:** 2022
- **HQ Location:** Santiago, CL
- **LinkedIn® Page:** [www.linkedin.com](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bsource_type%5D=product_profile&secure%5Btoken%5D=b87165fa1c189b8b5baa482dc3d979d55827d8cd06fe041bcc28ea580f3a86e2&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Fcotraining&secure%5Burl_type%5D=linkedin_company_website)  
4 employees on LinkedIn®

### [Coursebox](https://www.g2.com/products/coursebox/reviews)

Coursebox is an AI-powered course builder and LMS that helps organizations create online courses faster. Using Coursebox AI, you can design courses, auto-generate course content including quizzes, edit and confirm course structures, then share with your audience privately or sell publicly. Learners can access courses online or via the Coursebox mobile app. Features include an AI tutor chatbot, branded certificates, pre-requisite course pathways, progress reporting, recurring subscription memberships, social learning, newsletters, events, and integrations with Zapier, WooCommerce, PayPal, and more.

#### Who Is the Company Behind Coursebox?

- **Seller:** [Coursebox](https://www.g2.com/sellers/coursebox)
- **Year Founded:** 2021
- **HQ Location:** Perth, AU
- **LinkedIn® Page:** [www.linkedin.com](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bsource_type%5D=product_profile&secure%5Btoken%5D=4a065179283178e37e91dd3b1ff1950af3c07b004fb29d265d817ca116b037c3&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Fcourseboxai&secure%5Burl_type%5D=linkedin_company_website)  
10 employees on LinkedIn®

### [Coursensu](https://www.g2.com/products/coursensu/reviews)

Coursensu is your collaborative learning design platform. Built for professionals who want a visual, educational and productive platform to ideate, prepare and iterate any design for learning. Powered by learning science, it provides a platform similar to miro or figjam but with the added power of creating active learning!

#### Who Is the Company Behind Coursensu?

- **Seller:** [Coursensu Ltd](https://www.g2.com/sellers/coursensu-ltd)
- **Year Founded:** 2023
- **HQ Location:** Edinburgh, GB
- **LinkedIn® Page:** [linkedin.com](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bsource_type%5D=product_profile&secure%5Btoken%5D=2d56694d5007659dd3b5ee780a460dddee0b33dbedc89ba7acbc988229efde64&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Flinkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Fcoursensu&secure%5Burl_type%5D=linkedin_company_website)  
1 employees on LinkedIn®

### [Coursly AI](https://www.g2.com/products/coursly-ai/reviews)

The AI course creation platform for workplace learning. At Coursly, we are pioneering the future of workplace education by integrating artificial intelligence to streamline the development of customized workplace training programs.

#### Who Is the Company Behind Coursly AI?

- **Seller:** [Coursly AI](https://www.g2.com/sellers/coursly-ai)
- **Year Founded:** 2023
- **HQ Location:** Ljubljana, SI
- **LinkedIn® Page:** [www.linkedin.com](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bsource_type%5D=product_profile&secure%5Btoken%5D=7f912d5ba28f4adb14c905f7867ccc24cbc2032ceb5642c21920f676dea4c623&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Fcoursly-ai%2Fabout%2F&secure%5Burl_type%5D=linkedin_company_website)  
1 employees on LinkedIn®

### [Courze & Cloud](https://www.g2.com/products/courze-cloud/reviews)

Courze & Cloud is a modern cloud-based course authoring application that provides assistance in solving corporate training tasks. The cloud-based system ensures an easy and intuitive process of course creation, allowing for quick and easy updates to the learning materials. The application offers a cost-effective solution for companies, allowing them to provide well-designed training for their employees without incurring high expenses. Courze & Cloud is an effective partner in solving corporate training tasks, providing modern e-learning courses to participants.

#### Who Is the Company Behind Courze & Cloud?

- **Seller:** [Nitrolearning Zrt.](https://www.g2.com/sellers/nitrolearning-zrt)
- **Year Founded:** 2020
- **HQ Location:** Budapest, HU
- **LinkedIn® Page:** [www.linkedin.com](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bsource_type%5D=product_profile&secure%5Btoken%5D=3ddc5fe2dbe6444ce32e17fa953f7c1e291d9faed380a04c684a8d52a5ca55e9&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Fnitrolearning&secure%5Burl_type%5D=linkedin_company_website)  
10 employees on LinkedIn®

### [CreateAiCourse](https://www.g2.com/products/createaicourse/reviews)

CreateAiCourse uses cutting-edge AI to assist in creating complete online courses, providing users with automatically generated scripts, voiceovers, and presentation slides that are ready to use and customize for effective teaching.

#### Who Is the Company Behind CreateAiCourse?

- **Seller:** [Create AI Course](https://www.g2.com/sellers/create-ai-course)
- **HQ Location:** N/A
- **LinkedIn® Page:** [www.linkedin.com](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bsource_type%5D=product_profile&secure%5Btoken%5D=2d71f84af120777c5b225607e2a5b64701d906b71851e11a3ed1bcdff5fdf94f&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2F102562169%2F&secure%5Burl_type%5D=linkedin_company_website)  
1 employees on LinkedIn®

### [CrewMetrics](https://www.g2.com/products/crewmetrics/reviews)

Crew metrics let the organisation manage their employees' learning curves by closely monitoring their skill development, which helps trainers, project managers, and leaders guide them to greater heights. https://crewmetrics360.com/

#### Who Is the Company Behind CrewMetrics?

- **Seller:** [Codon Software](https://www.g2.com/sellers/codon-software)
- **Year Founded:** 2004
- **HQ Location:** Hyderabad, IN
- **LinkedIn® Page:** [www.linkedin.com](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bsource_type%5D=product_profile&secure%5Btoken%5D=9f78a507623e1ec594a8aa58d19bee0b39261ee457e076da3ae901354d2ad10b&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2F2141092&secure%5Burl_type%5D=linkedin_company_website)  
52 employees on LinkedIn®

### [Dictera](https://www.g2.com/products/dictera/reviews)

Dictera is a Cloud-based Digital Content Authoring and Publishing Platform used to create rich, interactive learning content, and enables users to manage content and co-ordinate effectively across User Roles in its creation.

#### Who Is the Company Behind Dictera?

- **Seller:** [Hurix Systems](https://www.g2.com/sellers/hurix-systems)
- **Year Founded:** 2000
- **HQ Location:** Mumbai, IN
- **Twitter:** @hurix\_digital  
1,737 Twitter followers
- **LinkedIn® Page:** [www.linkedin.com](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bsource_type%5D=product_profile&secure%5Btoken%5D=a1cbd503ef8ed259278cb47db53a6ce7e39ab96ca506520822fa19caf45b9cc2&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Fhurix-systems&secure%5Burl_type%5D=linkedin_company_website)  
1,258 employees on LinkedIn®

### [Doctor Elearning](https://www.g2.com/products/doctor-elearning/reviews)

A toolkit to compress, edit, and translate published eLearning courses directly from the zip file, reducing file sizes by up to 15x without affecting functionality and translating eLearnings with high-quality output at the cheapest price possible.

#### Who Is the Company Behind Doctor Elearning?

- **Seller:** [StratBeans Consulting](https://www.g2.com/sellers/stratbeans-consulting)
- **Year Founded:** 2008
- **HQ Location:** India
- **Twitter:** @stratbeans  
547 Twitter followers
- **LinkedIn® Page:** [www.linkedin.com](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bsource_type%5D=product_profile&secure%5Btoken%5D=253d8885ca6ca84864ec625a693fcf8538aad07142a98c03af1d020d56af2e1a&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2F277311&secure%5Burl_type%5D=linkedin_company_website)  
111 employees on LinkedIn®

### [EAD Builder](https://www.g2.com/products/ead-builder/reviews)

EAD Builder allows you to create interactive courses with professional art without programming or drawing.

#### Who Is the Company Behind EAD Builder?

- **Seller:** [UAITI](https://www.g2.com/sellers/uaiti)
- **Year Founded:** 2008
- **HQ Location:** Belo Horizonte, BR
- **Twitter:** @EADBuilder  
34 Twitter followers
- **LinkedIn® Page:** [www.linkedin.com](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bsource_type%5D=product_profile&secure%5Btoken%5D=613f0cc4a08b5c711ccaf61cd1098599eb9222ec640f052e0c331db8fa41832e&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Fuaiti&secure%5Burl_type%5D=linkedin_company_website)  
3 employees on LinkedIn®

### [EdMill](https://www.g2.com/products/edmill/reviews)

Do you want to design your own digital techno-pedagogical content? Welcome to EdMill, the first platform for the creation and distribution of pedagogical content integrating a digital training engineering methodology certified by AFNOR Certification, for your digital success.

#### Who Is the Company Behind EdMill?

- **Seller:** [EdMill](https://www.g2.com/sellers/edmill)
- **Year Founded:** 2020
- **HQ Location:** Paris, FR
- **LinkedIn® Page:** [www.linkedin.com](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bsource_type%5D=product_profile&secure%5Btoken%5D=5bf0a99bbce75ba052d0c1b1b361789f712498882a833301d9baf94330c49197&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Fedmill&secure%5Burl_type%5D=linkedin_company_website)  
2 employees on LinkedIn®

### [Edools](https://www.g2.com/products/edools/reviews)

Edools is an intuitive EAD platform for online courses that enables users to create, manage and sell online course.

#### Who Is the Company Behind Edools?

- **Seller:** [Edools](https://www.g2.com/sellers/edools)
- **HQ Location:** Curitiba, BR
- **LinkedIn® Page:** [www.linkedin.com](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bsource_type%5D=product_profile&secure%5Btoken%5D=05956368625c6d64981305c4759a6b104280fd8ae8a5b5a18f0ae803dda6eb5a&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Fherospark%2F&secure%5Burl_type%5D=linkedin_company_website)  
69 employees on LinkedIn®

### [EduGears AI LTI](https://www.g2.com/products/edugears-ai-lti/reviews)

EduGears AI — The 100% AI with LMS EduGears AI is an enterprise Learning Management System (LMS) that leverages artificial intelligence to automate the entire learning lifecycle—from course creation to certification. Who It's For: ========== Schools & Universities — K-12, higher education, and academic institutions Corporate Training — L&D teams, HR departments, and training organizations Enterprises — Multi-location companies needing scalable training solutions Key Capabilities: ============ AI-Powered Content Creation Generate courses automatically from syllabi or documents AI Lesson Planner creates lesson plans, slides, and study guides AI Question Generator produces unlimited assessments with solutions Automated Assessment & Grading AI-graded assessments with instant personalized feedback Configurable final grade calculation across all activities Automatic certificate generation upon course completion Corporate Training Features Employee onboarding with structured learning paths Compliance training with expiration tracking and audit-ready reports Customer training portals with branded experiences Skills assessment and competency gap analysis Analytics & Reporting Real-time learner progress and engagement metrics Training ROI measurement and outcome tracking Enterprise-grade exports (Excel, PDF, CSV) Enterprise Ready Role-based access control and permission management SSO and enterprise system integration capabilities Secure, scalable cloud infrastructure Why Teams Choose EduGears AI ======================== 90% time savings on content creation and grading 100% AI-powered — every feature leverages intelligent automation Free tier available — start without cost commitment Fast implementation — get up and running in hours, not months Use Cases ======== Academic course delivery and student assessment New employee onboarding programs Compliance and regulatory training Customer and partner education Professional certification programs

**Average Rating:** 4.5/5.0

**Total Reviews:** 1

#### How Do G2 Users Rate EduGears AI LTI?

- **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?:** 8.3/10 (Category avg: 9.2/10)
- **Quality of Support:** 8.3/10 (Category avg: 9.0/10)

#### Who Is the Company Behind EduGears AI LTI?

- **Seller:** [EduGears AI](https://www.g2.com/sellers/edugears-ai)
- **Year Founded:** 2024
- **HQ Location:** San Francisco, US
- **LinkedIn® Page:** [www.linkedin.com](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bsource_type%5D=product_profile&secure%5Btoken%5D=9a8c1fe1e1977e86daf60bd5ff9f8dddde5f2d7a4f89aa01c185f8c4a4ef257f&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Fedugears%2F&secure%5Burl_type%5D=linkedin_company_website)  
2 employees on LinkedIn®

#### Who Uses This Product?

- **Company Size:** 100% Medium

#### What Do G2 Reviewers Say About EduGears AI LTI?

_AI-generated summary from verified user reviews_

##### Pros

- Users appreciate how EduGears AI provides a **significant enhancement to educational experiences** , simplifying teaching and learning processes.

##### Cons

- Users find that **AI-generated content requires adjustments** to align with local curriculum and contextual nuances effectively.
- Users note the **quiz issues** with EduGears AI LTI, as content often requires adjustments for local relevance and context.

#### What Are Recent G2 Reviews of EduGears AI LTI?

**["truly elevates teaching & learning"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/edugears-ai-lti-review-11716757)**

**Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars

_— Amit C._

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/edugears-ai-lti-review-11716757)

### [e-Learning Authoring Tool](https://www.g2.com/products/e-learning-authoring-tool/reviews)

The eLearning Authoring Tool is a simple, easy to use tool for creating online courses. Its design allows you to create rich media courses containing text plus images, animations, audio and video created with your favorite media editors.

#### Who Is the Company Behind e-Learning Authoring Tool?

- **Seller:** [E Learningconsulting](https://www.g2.com/sellers/e-learningconsulting)
- **HQ Location:** United States
- **LinkedIn® Page:** [www.linkedin.com](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bsource_type%5D=product_profile&secure%5Btoken%5D=a4bf00f52a36e1a7a04e5dad2cd633f441088211656187e1734f3bf31159defe&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Fe-learning-consulting%2F&secure%5Burl_type%5D=linkedin_company_website)  
9 employees on LinkedIn®

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[Browse Course Authoring Themes](/categories/course-authoring/themes)

 ![Grace Savides](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Grace Savides")
GS

Researched and written by [Grace Savides](https://research.g2.com/insights/author/grace-savides)

Updated October 3, 2024

Course authoring software products allow organizations to create engaging and interactive multimedia content for educational purposes. Course authoring software is used to develop training courses and content that can be consumed in either a corporate or more traditional educational setting. Learning content management systems (LCMS), which are course authoring tools built specifically as a tool for educational institutions, are currently included in the scope of course authoring. Organizations use course authoring tools to prepare educational material that can be administered with [learning management system (LMS)](https://www.g2.com/categories/learning-management-system-lms) or [corporate LMS](https://www.g2.com/categories/corporate-lms) software to create unique educational programs for employees or students.

Course authoring solutions are commonly implemented in HR departments and at educational institutions, enabling administrators to create educational content with no programming knowledge. Course authoring solutions can be either cloud-based or installed on-premise, and many follow the Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) as a set of standards and specifications for integrating content with LMS software. Additionally, many course authoring products are built on top of [presentation software](https://www.g2.com/categories/presentation) to provide users with a familiar format for creating course content.

To qualify as a course authoring solution, a product must:

- Allow organizations to create multimedia content for educational purposes
- Provide a system through which users can create interactive multimedia content
- Allow users to publish course material to third-party or built-in learning management systems

Show More

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## How Do You Choose the Right Course Authoring Software?

### What You Should Know About Course Authoring Software

### What is Course Authoring Software?

For organizations that need to deliver training to their employees, there are numerous providers of premade online courses on common topics that managers could purchase and assign to their teams. But if a company has more specialized training needs, the ability to create a customized course from scratch is a better solution. Course authoring software enables eLearning professionals to build engaging courses incorporating a variety of interactive elements, then publish and distribute them to any number of learners. These products are used by companies for their training needs as well as in academia for professors who are delivering instruction remotely. Custom courses created using course authoring software ultimately helps organizations achieve their learning goals.

Key Benefits of Course Authoring Software

- Enables companies to efficiently create engaging courses
- Reduces the time it takes to create a complete course
- Self-paced training allows more flexibility
- Allows instructors to customize learning content

### Why Use Course Authoring Software?

**Create engaging courses —** Part of making learning “sticky"—meaning the knowledge endures long after someone learns it—is making the process engaging. Course authoring tools offer numerous ways to make eLearning courses more interesting and interactive. Rather than creating courses that rely on slides with plain text and pictures, course developers incorporate video clips, animations, and audio files into a course. Quizzes are incorporated throughout a course to build in accountability for the material. Some platforms offer functionality for learners to navigate through branching scenarios, meaning the content differs depending on choices made by the user.

**Reduce course development time —** Course authoring platforms have built-in tools designed to maximize efficiency as developers make new courses. Content libraries in course authoring software contain a variety of premade elements that developers choose from, including slide templates, images, icons, buttons, and quiz questions. These libraries reduce the time instructors spend searching for elements to use in their courses, helping the course get completed more quickly. Some eLearning platforms also enable users to pre-existing presentation files and use those as a starting point for creating a course so that the developer doesn’t have to start from a blank template. Ultimately, these features make course creation less time-consuming.

**Increase training flexibility —** Digital courses created using course authoring software provide solutions to some of the inconveniences inherent in the in-person training. Courses are distributed using a learning management system (LMS), so learners in different locations can take the same course. The courses are also typically self-paced, so learners are able to complete them on their own schedule. Administrators review results for individual learners as they come in.

**Customize learning content —** One of the biggest benefits of course authoring tools is the ability to create exactly the course needed for a specific purpose. Rather than use an off-the-shelf eLearning course that may not target an organization’s needs, using course authoring software to build a course from the ground up ensures that it targets the exact objectives the instructor wants to cover. Courses are even customized for specific teams or roles, so that the employees get the exact training that they need. For universities, courses enable professors to teach the material in the way that they think works best. Collaboration tools built into course authoring software also allow multiple stakeholders to give feedback on a course before it is finalized to ensure it is customized to meet the needs of all parties involved.

### Who Uses Course Authoring Software?

Course authoring software is used by employees in government, education, and a range of businesses.

**Corporate trainers —** In-house trainers at companies use course authoring tools to create training courses for the business’s employees. Courses might cover HR issues related to compliance or they could be focused on information more specific to the company’s business, like sales enablement.

**Instructional designers and eLearning developers —** Companies that lack the HR personnel needed to develop their own custom courses in-house may turn to third-party instructional designers or eLearning developers, who use course authoring software to make courses for their clients. Typically, instructional designers communicate with their clients about the kind of course the company needs, then they build the course, get feedback on their work, and deliver a final product that is completed by employees. Universities also employ instructional designers to help professors develop materials for their courses, especially online courses.

### Kinds of Course Authoring Software

While most course authoring products have similar core functionality, some are sold as standalone products while others are integrated with an LMS. Using a course authoring tool that is integrated with an LMS means there is a built-in way to distribute the course to learners once it is finished, although those tools may have fewer course authoring features than standalone products that are solely dedicated to creating courses. Standalone products typically enable users to export content to a third-party LMS.

### Course Authoring Software Features

**Course templates —** Course authoring tools often come with included templates so course developers don’t have to start from a completely blank course. Templates include course modules with different layouts that allow developers to change text placeholders and add images, videos, or other elements to meet their needs.

**PowerPoint conversion —** Organizations that have pre-existing PowerPoint files that they have used in the past for training import those files into course authoring software and build an eLearning course using the old presentation as a template, helping save the time it would take to recreate the PowerPoint in the authoring tool.

**Asset library —** In addition to slide templates, course authoring tools often include an online library of elements that users can add to their presentations. These libraries sometimes contain thousands of different elements, including photos, videos, icons, and buttons.

**Quizzes —** Course authors are able to build in periodic quizzes at different points in a course to check the learner’s understanding of key concepts. If a learner answers incorrectly, courses are set up to have them go back and relearn the material, then have them try again to get the right answer before they are allowed to proceed.

**Feedback tools —** These features enable multiple stakeholders to leave comments on a course as it is being developed. Having feedback integrated directly into the authoring tool helps keep the comments organized so they are addressed before the course is published.

**Sharable content object reference model (SCORM) compatibility —** The industry standard for eLearning content is SCORM, a set of technical standards that ensure compatibility between a course and an LMS. Ensuring a course authoring platform is SCORM-compatible means its courses work with a variety of LMS vendors.

#### Additional Course Authoring Software Features

**Character images —** Some products have extensive “character" image collections. These might include a variety of different models of different ages, genders, ethnicities, and professions, each with dozens of photos showing a variety of facial expressions, emotions, and body poses. These character images are used to tell a story within the course or as a visual aid to illustrate a scenario.

**Branching scenarios —** One feature some platforms have for making courses interactive is by the ability to include branching scenarios, in which the course is different depending on choices the learner makes. For example, in a course on workplace harassment, a user might be asked to choose from three options for responding to a coworker who made an inappropriate remark in a meeting. Depending on the option the learner picks, the course could show a different outcome of the situation. These role-play simulations helps learners apply skills and knowledge from earlier in the course to a real-world scenario.

**Video recording —** Built-in video recording functionality enables users to record themselves or their computer screen to add a visual element to their course. These platforms typically also allow users to import videos from other sources.

**Mobile compatibility —** Course materials are automatically reformatted to be compatible with mobile phones and tablets, ensuring that learners complete course modules from any device.

**Analytics —** Course authors track how learners are using the course or their performance on in-course assessments once the courses have been deployed.

### Trends Related to Course Authoring Software

**Remote work —** Companies were already looking for digital alternatives to in-person training before the coronavirus pandemic. The worldwide shift to remote work has only underscored the need for organizations to have robust eLearning programs that are completed anywhere and at any time. Course authoring software developers have increased their emphasis on the mobile device experience to ensure the courses reach people on the devices they use the most.

**Cloud platforms —** While some course authoring products still offer on-premises installations, many vendors have moved their offerings to the cloud. This approach enables vendors to push out frequent updates to their products, adding new features, and fixing security vulnerabilities. Some also offer online content libraries, so course developers have an ever-expanding range of elements to choose from. Courses that are distributed to learners via the cloud are also quickly updated and re-released so that employees have access to the latest material.

### Potential Issues with Course Authoring Software

**Resource investment —** Creating customized courses have benefits for an organization’s training program, but it also takes a substantial investment of resources. Depending on how lengthy or in depth the course needs to be, it may take weeks or months for a course to go from idea to finished product. That includes multiple course drafts and rounds of feedback from different stakeholders. Companies also need to decide whether they have the right people in-house to use course authoring software effectively or if it makes more sense to outsource the work to an eLearning development firm. Another option is using premade online courses, although organizations will have to decide whether those more generic courses will meet their training needs.

**Employee engagement —** The best digital courses are interesting and informative. They hold learners’ attention with animations, videos, and interactive elements. But using those elements well takes practice and the right tools. An authoring tool that lacks strong functionality for creating interactive courses could result in courses that don’t engage learners and fall short of their desired impact. Buyers should ensure an authoring solution has the ability to create engaging courses and that their course developers know how to use the tools to achieve those aims.

**Compliance —** A key part of many training programs is courses to ensure employers maintain compliance with laws and regulations on topics like safety, security, and privacy. Company leaders deploy off-the-shelf solutions, but some might want to develop their own compliance courses using course authoring software. For companies that are developing their own compliance courses, leaders must ensure the courses cover all the required information for a given topic. They should also confirm that the software they use to deploy the courses has adequate tracking and reporting capabilities so that, if necessary, they prove that employees went through the training.

### Software and Services Related to Course Authoring Software

[**Learning management systems**](https://www.g2.com/categories/learning-management-system-lms) **—** Integrations with an LMS is a crucial feature for course authoring products, as completed courses are typically delivered to users through an LMS. Course authoring tools integrate with both [corporate LMS products](https://www.g2.com/categories/corporate-lms) as well as education-focused LMS products.

[**Screen and video capture software**](https://www.g2.com/categories/screen-and-video-capture) **—** For course authoring tools that lack built-in video capture functionality, a screen and video capture product allows a course developer to integrate screencasts of their computer desktop for demonstrations and tutorials.

[**Training management systems**](https://www.g2.com/categories/training-management-systems) **—** Organizations use training management systems to distribute courses to employees and track training completion.