What's a cheaper version of Adobe Captivate?

Wondering what's a cheaper version of Adobe Captivate? Here's how to make high-quality e-learning content on a budget.

As the e-learning industry continues to burgeon, the demand for high-quality, interactive courses has never been greater. Adobe Captivate has long been a go-to solution for educational professionals aiming to deliver comprehensive and engaging online training modules. However, its subscription-based pricing can be a stumbling block for smaller organizations or independent course creators on a budget.

If you find yourself nodding in agreement, you're in luck—there are cheaper yet robust alternatives to Adobe Captivate. From iSpring Suite to Speechify's AI-driven tools, let’s delve into cost-effective options that don't skimp on functionality, ensuring you can craft dynamic learning experiences without breaking the bank.

What is Adobe Captivate?

Adobe Captivate is a leading e-learning authoring tool and cloud-based authoring software used by instructional designers and educators to create interactive e-learning courses. The platform integrates with various Learning Management Systems (LMS) and allows for the creation of quizzes, simulations, and other forms of interactive content like gamification. It works on both Windows and Mac operating systems and provides a wide array of functionalities, such as screen recording and editing tools, that facilitate the crafting of dynamic learning experiences. Do note, however, that Adobe Captivate is not available on Linux. Adobe Captivate also lets users convert Flash-based projects to HTML5 to improved mobile e-learning experiences.

Adobe captivate pricing and plan options

Adobe Captivate operates on a subscription-based model, with the standard pricing hovering around $33.99 per month for individuals, which totals to $407.88 per year. While it offers an extensive feature set, including templates, animations, and software simulations, this can be a significant investment for smaller organizations or independent course developers.

The benefits of creating e-learning courses

E-learning courses, also known as online courses or online training, have become increasingly popular as they offer flexibility, scalability, and can be easily updated or customized. They're especially useful in a corporate setting for training new employees or updating the skills of existing ones. Learners can access the content on multiple devices, including mobile, and the real-time assessments and quizzes integrated into the courses offer immediate feedback.

The e-learning industry is going fast. In fact, it’s grown by 900% since the year 2000, and it’s expected to be worth over $370 billion in just a few years by 2026. Audiences are growing more and more accustomed to high-quality tutorials, training platforms, and online courses. Therefore, every organization or educator needs the best authoring tools to keep their learners engaged.

Adobe Captivate alternatives

Adobe Captivate is a robust, cloud-based e-learning authoring tool that offers a wide range of functionalities for creating interactive e-learning courses. However, it may not be the most cost-effective solution for everyone. Alternatives like iSpring Suite, Articulate Storyline, ActivePresenter, and Camtasia offer similar features at a lower cost. With the increasing prevalence of AI tools that facilitate course development, such as video and voiceover editing, even cheaper or open-source alternatives are becoming more capable. Therefore, it’s crucial to consider your specific needs and budget when choosing an e-learning authoring tool.

iSpring Suite

iSpring Suite is a PowerPoint-based e-learning authoring tool that offers features like quizzes, interactive e-learning, and SCORM compliance. It provides an intuitive user interface and is compatible with both Windows and Microsoft Office.

Articulate Storyline & Articulate 360

These are other Windows-based alternatives to Adobe Captivate. They offer similar course authoring capabilities, including templates and workflows, but are generally easier to use. The Articulate products also support HTML5 formats and allow for multimedia inclusions like webcam recordings and screencasts.

ActivePresenter

This tool runs on both Windows and Mac and is especially noted for its screen recording and video editing features. ActivePresenter provides a free version with limited features, and its full version is relatively cheaper than Adobe Captivate.

Camtasia

Primarily known for screen recording and video editing, Camtasia also offers basic course authoring features. It supports a variety of formats and is available on both Windows and Mac.

Open source options

Software like Moodle provides a web-based, open-source LMS platform that can host e-learning content created from various authoring tools. It doesn't offer the same level of functionality or interactive content creation features as Captivate but is free to use.

Speechify

Speechify’s robust AI tools can make creating high-quality e-learning content easier than ever at a fraction of the cost of other platforms. With tools like lifelike voiceovers, video editing, translation dubbing, and slide presentations, you’ll be amazed by how much quicker and better your courses will be.

How to create e-learning courses with the help of AI Tools

Several AI tools now offer features like video editing, voiceovers, and dubbed translations. They can even generate PowerPoint presentations (PPT) and Word documents automatically from your course materials. These functionalities are beneficial for creating modules that cater to a global audience and are accessible on various platforms, from desktops to iOS and Android mobile devices.

Video editing

Video serves as a compelling medium for e-learning, enabling learners to engage with complex subjects more intuitively than text or slides alone can offer. AI tools further amplify this advantage by streamlining the video editing process. These technologies can automatically match the beat of a background score, create summary clips based on script highlights, and even generate animations from written content. This automated functionality allows instructional designers to focus on the core educational material rather than getting bogged down by the technicalities of video production.

Voiceovers

The inclusion of voiceovers in e-learning courses not only humanizes the content but also proves particularly beneficial for visually impaired individuals or those who prefer auditory learning. AI advances in this area are notable; automated voiceover tools can now generate increasingly natural-sounding audio from a written script. Some AI platforms even offer customization options for tone, pitch, and speed, allowing instructional designers to align the narration closely with the content's mood and pacing.

Dubbed translations

With the increasing need for global reach, dubbed translations have become essential in making e-learning courses accessible across languages and cultures. AI-based translation tools have accelerated this process, offering fast and accurate audio script translations in multiple languages. Some advanced tools even extend to generating dubbed audio in different languages, thereby eliminating the need to hire multiple voice actors for varied linguistic versions of a course.

Slides and presentations

Slides and PowerPoint presentations (PPT) are often foundational to e-learning courses, providing a structured and straightforward format for learners. AI significantly optimizes this aspect of course design by automatically generating slides based on provided course materials. The technology can analyze a written script to automatically craft a PowerPoint presentation filled with relevant bullet points, visuals, and even citations. Further, some AI tools can convert these slides into interactive HTML5 formats, increasing their compatibility with various Learning Management Systems (LMS).

Speechify: The best alternative to Adobe Captivate

If you’re working on a tight budget for e-learning course creation or need to double your efficiency, we recommend Speechify’s AI tools for e-learning. You can create customized voiceovers in dozens of languages and accents with Voiceover Studio, instantly translate audio from other languages with AI Dubbing, create amazing video content with our AI Video Studio, and even make entire slide presentations with AI Slides. The best part is you can use these tools in your web browser, and you can pick and choose which ones you want to pay for.

Try out Speechify’s AI tools for e-learning today.