16 Best eLearning Software of 2024

Employees are always ready to learn …

…but they may not always like being taught😅

The best L&D tools of 2024 can help change that. With the right tools in your back pocket, you can excite employees about your company's training programs and help them learn faster. 

That said, there are so many tools out there that choosing the best one from the crowd can feel like homework! 

Fear not because we've done this homework for you, and here's what we found. 👇

Best training video software overall: Synthesia

Synthesia is an AI-powered video creation tool you can access in a web browser and use to create presenter-led videos from plain text. It has plenty of AI avatars — realistic, human-like presenters — video templates, and languages to choose from.

The video-creation process is straightforward: Select the AI avatar you like, type in your video script text, and the software will generate a professional training video in minutes.

Of all the e-learning development tools you could choose, Synthesia is the best solution if you're looking to create fast, easy, quality training videos that don't break the bank. It's also an excellent option to scale production worldwide, as translating employee training in multiple languages is quick and painless.

Price: Try out the free AI video creator.

• Starter: $22/month, billed monthly
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

Top features:

• 140+ AI presenters, 120+ languages & 400+ voices, and the option to create a custom AI avatar and/or clone your voice.
• AI script assistant that writes video scripts with ChatGPT-like prompts and breaks them into customizable video templates, scene by scene.
• 60+ video templates, a media library of stock footage and music library, and the option to upload your media elements or screen recording directly from your web browser.

Use Synthesia when you need to:

• Use readymade, professionally designed templates to create training videos quickly, with minimal resources.
• Translate and localize instructional videos for international audiences and make them more accessible with auto-generated closed captions.
• Create more concise, better-organized instructional training videos as part of a micro-learning strategy.

Limitations to watch out for:

• Screen recording is limited to only 5 minutes at a time.
• Ideal for text-to-video projects but less for live-action or animation videos.

Best gamified eLearning software

OttoLearn

OttoLearn is a learning and development tool that creates microlearning experiences with gamification elements. You use their software to create bite-sized content organized in modules with multiple topics, concepts, and related activities. Employees access those modules through an app where they study and complete exercises. The L&D software automatically assigns each employee different activities based on their mastery.

Price: Microlearning plans start at $250/month, billed annually.

Top features:

• Supports adaptive microlearning with spaced repetition and gamification elements — leaderboards, pre-built contests, points, and rewards.
• Mobile-first and desktop-friendly, supports multilingual training and offers analytics and dashboards.

Use OttoLearn when you need to:

• Design training activities that are fun, engaging, and adaptive.
• Facilitate training experiences based on spaced repetition and scaffolded learning.
• Create new content and visualize it through knowledge maps.

Limitations to watch out for:

• Learners can currently get only SMS notification messages.
• Focused mainly on training, surveying the learners isn't possible.

RecRoom

Editors note: RecRoom is not one of the typical knowledge-sharing tools. It's a virtual reality social platform focused on entertainment and gaming, and most people use it to play games or create their own games. However, it can be a great tool for VR learning.

If you download and install RecRoom on a compatible VR device, you can create a training room and characters that support your activity. You can also use a room designed by other users and customize it for your teaching needs. Once you're done, invite your employees to participate in a game-like training session you created with RecRoom.

Price: Free for Android, iOS, PC, console, and VR

Top features:

• Supports recreational and creative activities in user-created rooms, with social interaction and VR compatibility.
• Supports cross-platform interaction and community events that facilitate the feeling of learning as a team.

Use RecRoom when you need to:

• Facilitate gamified learning experiences for your audience.
• Create team-building activities that also foster learning.
• Spice up how you deliver information, especially for topics like compliance or safety training that could use powerful visuals.

Limitations to watch out for:

• Users report occasional glitches.
• Not a dedicated learning platform, requires some creativity to use for learning and development programs.

Best mobile-first eLearning software

Gnowbe

Gnowbe is a micro-learning platform that focuses on facilitating mobile learning experiences. You can create micro-courses from scratch or readymade templates and enrich those bite-sized lessons with quizzes and surveys. And employees can take those courses and other interactive tasks on their mobiles.

Price:

• Individuals: Free
• Starter package: Starting from $29/month
• Pro package: Starting from $71/month
• Enterprise: Custom offers

Top features:

• Microcourses builder with readymade templates, quizzes, polls, surveys, and discussions.
• Designed for mobile use, with built-in analytics and reporting.

Use Gnowbe when you need to:

• Develop a robust microlearning program that's easy to create and manage.
• Benefit from content creation support from an expert instructional design team.
• Combine training content with interactive learning and practice, tracking progress individually for each learner.

Limitations to watch out for:

• Limited integrations with LMSs.
• Relatively limited range of virtual activities.

Best course authoring toolkit for PowerPoint

iSpring Suite

If you prefer PowerPoint over the other learning content development tools, consider the iSpring Suite add-in. This PowerPoint-based authoring toolkit enhances your presentations with quizzes and surveys, screencasts, and dialogues. Install it on your computer and activate it from the PowerPoint settings, and it will appear as a toolbar with all features a mouse click away.

Price:

• Business: $770 author/year or $970 author/year with iSpring Suite Max
• Freelancers: $490 author/year or $690 author/year with iSpring Suite Max
• Academic: $470 author/year or $670 author/year with iSpring Suite Max

Top features:

• Readymade templates and images, adaptive play, an online collaboration tool for collecting feedback, and integration with 150+ LMSs.
• Supports interactive assessments and role-plays, screen recording and video editing, and text-to-speech in 42 languages.

Use the iSpring Suite when you need to:

• Turn PowerPoint presentations into eLearning courses and upload them to your LMS.
• Bring presentations to life and turn them into engaging video lectures.
• Give your courses a unique look and feel, including a custom character built by you.

Limitations to watch out for:

• Not the most affordable option out there.
• Free trial is limited to only 14 days.

Best course authoring tool for interactive e-courses

Articulate Storyline 3

Articulate Storyline 3 is a standalone tool for creating interactive courses. You can purchase it individually from the Articulate 360 platform. And while its product innovation updates were recently discontinued, it's still a solid choice from the Articulate 360 e-learning content development tools. Use it when you need to serve large training departments but only have a basic understanding of programming.

Price: Custom, quote-based, for perpetual licenses.

Top features:

• Pre-built, customizable animations and interactions, software simulations, screen recording, and screenshot tools.
• Wide range of assessments, responsive player and preview, HTML5 gestures, and customizable player settings.

Use Articulate Storyline when you need to:

• Create interactive courses in a user-friendly interface and work with built-in templates and assets.
• Facilitate interactivity and engagement so your courses feel more like an experience than a chore.
• Pay a one-time fee and get a 'forever' license.

Limitations to watch out for:

• Desktop-based software makes you dependent on working on the same device.
• Product innovation updates were recently discontinued. 

Best course authoring tool for VR learning experiences

Adobe Captivate

Adobe Captivate is a powerful authoring tool, part of the Adobe suite. You can use it to create complex interactive courses with multi-model branches, software tutorials, or general training materials that truly stand out. From L&D managers and instructional designers to subject matter experts who create courses, anyone can benefit from Adobe Captivate's course-authoring interactive and multimedia-rich features.

Price:

• Individuals: $33.99/month
• Teams & Enterprises: custom pricing
• Education: discounted, custom pricing

Top features:

• Non-linear branching, scenario building, VR capabilities, and 360° learning.
• Customizable blank or pre-built layout slides, extensive image editing, text-to-speech, interactive elements, and advanced interactions and triggers.

Use Adobe Captivate when you need to:

• Create training that simulates real-life situations and decision-making processes.
• Engage learners with interactive scenarios, multimedia, and assessments.
• Facilitate complex VR learning experiences.

Limitations to watch out for:

• Steep learning curve.
• Requires allocating time and human resources to make the most of it.

Best virtual online training tools

The tools below are excellent for recording screencasts and video lectures, which you can further leverage by moving them into training software like Synthesia.

Repurpose your virtual online training materials. Create even more study material from them with the added features of dedicated training software.

Microsoft Teams

As a communication platform from the Microsoft 365 family of products, Microsoft Teams offers a workspace chat, videoconferencing, file storage, and application integration. If all that sounds like a mouthful, that's because it is — with Microsoft Teams, you get a lot more than a place for your instructors to do live or recorded training. It even gives you a whiteboard to create projects and have your employees brainstorm.

Price: 

• Essentials: $4 user/month
• Basic: $6 user/month
• Standard: $12.5 user/month

Top features:

• Virtual meetings of up to 1,000 active participants and 20,000 viewers, with real-time automatic conference transcription.
• Facilitates chat, collaboration, meetings, conferencing, and calling.

Use Microsoft Teams when you need to:

• Host virtual meetings using PowerPoint Live, the Microsoft Whiteboard, or AI-generated meeting notes.
• Communicate with your learning team through group-calling directly in Teams.
• Develop an inclusive and fun communication environment where members can contribute in real time.

Limitations to watch out for:

• Usage is directly conditioned by internet access.
• Users might deal with notification overload.

Zoom

Zoom is one of the most popular video conferencing platforms. It's an effective e-learning development tool thanks to its live streaming and recording capabilities. Instructors from all fields use Zoom to lead live training and lectures with collaborative activities and discussions of participants. And you can also record those training sessions for further sharing with different audiences.

Price:

• Basic: Free
• Pro: $149.90 year/user
• Business: $199.90 year/user

Top features:

• Virtual meetings with email and calendar communication, online whiteboard, and conversation intelligence.
• Conference room systems, virtual working spaces, and team chat.

Use Zoom when you need to:

• Organize virtual group training sessions and conferences or one-on-one coaching.
• Facilitate knowledge sharing for remote onboarding or performance reviews.
• Gather insights and feedback from your audience and conduct focus groups.

Limitations to watch out for:

• Limited content management, primary focus is on live sessions.
• Challenges with scheduling meetings across different time zones.

WebEx

WebEx stands out if you're looking for an alternative to Microsoft Teams or Zoom. It's a CISCO tool good for online meetings, conferences, and webinars, with a couple of catchy features like real-time translation, automatic meeting transcriptions, and the cool option of capturing the learners' body language — like when they hold up their thumb — into emojis that pop on the screen.

Price:

• Free plan: $0
• Meet plan: $14.5 license/month
• Suite Meet + Call Plan: $25 license/month
• Enterprise: custom plans

Top features:

• Video conferencing features, noise removal, gesture recognition, automatic transcription, and custom layouts.
• HD video and audio, meeting controls, real-time digital whiteboard, and animated virtual backgrounds.

Use WebEx when you need to:

• Keep your virtual and remote teams connected through video conferencing.
• Allow learners to switch from desktop to mobile or even Apple car play.
• Control how you organize your training teams and who can access meetings and meeting highlights.

Limitations to watch out for:

• Not the most detailed attendance and participation analytics.
• Real-time translation only comes as a paid add-on.

Best learning management systems

Moodle

Moodle is one of the most popular learning management systems out there. It's used by educators, trainers, and organizations needing a flexible and easy-to-customize LMS. And because it's an open-source platform, it's freely available and highly customizable. It features tools for course creation, content management, assessments, grading, reporting, forums, messaging, and collaboration. And its large active community can offer support to less experienced content creators.

Price: Free

Top features:

• Fully remote and blended learning, dedicated Moodle app, email and mobile alerts for course requirements and deadlines, and 2,000+ open-source plugins.
• Web Conferencing, forums, assignments, badges & certificates, and custom reports for each course.

Use Moodle when you need to:

• Facilitate a rich, fully customizable learning experience using multiple resources.
• Create social online learning experiences in an easy-to-manage environment.
• Store learning data in an LMS with robust security and data protection.

Limitations to watch out for:

• Can be complex and a bit challenging for new users.
• Open-source platform with limited customer support.

Docebo

Docebo is an AI-powered learning and development platform particularly designed for enterprises. It features 400+ integrations and a ton of configuration options. Use it to deliver and sell online courses to multiple audiences, create audience-specific pages to customize your available learning content, or even buy courses for your employees. 

Price: Custom, quote-based.

Top features:

• Configuration engine, audience-specific pages, drag-and-drop functionality, content localization in 40+ languages, unlimited cloud storage space.
• Blended learning with the integration of ILT, webinars, virtual classroom training, microlearning, and gamification.

Use Docebo when you need to:

• Create a culture of continuous learning and offer employees various learning experiences.
• Expand on your upskill and reskill programs with automated and personalized learning.
• Deliver and sell online courses to different external audiences with support at all stages.

Limitations to watch out for:

• Commercial LMS, could prove pricey for small companies with limited budgets.
• Not the best technical support out there.

Best learning experience platforms

EdCast

EdCast is an LXP that offers personalized learning experiences by curating and recommending content from various sources. It provides content creation, social learning, microlearning, and employee skills development features. And it integrates with existing learning systems, offering analytics to track your employees' learning engagement.

Price: Custom, quote-based.

Top features:

• AI-powered searches and recommendations, mobile-first design, and personalized learning experience functions.
• Assets library, social and gamification features, learning plans with assignments, progress, and analytics.

Use EdCast when you need to:

• Create and curate personalized content for your employees.
• Simplify planning and skill development with AI-powered skill management.
• Enable employees to set career-based learning goals and benefit from career pathing support.

Limitations to watch out for:

• The process of adding new courses isn't very user-friendly.
• Could use more interaction options between course participants.

Valamis

Valamis is an LXP for corporate learning and also an online course provider. It is designed for large enterprises and offers personalized learning pathways, social learning, competency development, and talent management features. Create, upload, and manage employee onboarding experiences, compliance, frontline staff, or even customer training with Valamis. There's also the option of buying courses from Valamis, which provides content recommendations based on your employees' learning preferences.

Price: Custom, quote-based.

Top features:

• Curating different content formats, content authoring with pre-defined templates, video integration, responsiveness, and multilingual support.
• Gamification, 3rd-party accredited badges, certificates upon completion, learning path reporting.

Use Valamis when you need to:

• Focus all your learning and development efforts on one unified platform.
• Structure learning goals in an easy-to-implement and easy-to-track manner.
• Access event management solutions from 1:1s to large-scale virtual meetings or live training.

Limitations to watch out for:

• Pricing is likely to be out of budget for small companies.
• Lots of extensive features may prove complex for beginners.

Best communication tools

Slack

Slack is a corporate messenger and one of the best communication tools for your learning and development strategy. It's highly beneficial for companies because it guarantees data privacy, provides real-time communication and file sharing, and lets you organize your communications within channels. Plus, your employees can access it on mobile too, and it can act like an always-accessible hub for gathering information or chatting with someone who has the information they need.

Price:

• Pro: $7.25 person/month billed yearly or $8.75 person/month billed monthly
• Business+: $12.5 person/month billed yearly or $15/person/month billed monthly
• Enterprise Grid: custom, quote-based

Top features:

• Focused project spaces (channels), organized team chat (messaging), audio and video calls (huddles), record and share info (clips).
• Lots of integrations, options to automate routine actions, file sharing, and search functions.

Use Slack when you need to:

• Facilitate instant messaging and real-time communication between learners.
• Help learners collaborate and share documents and resources in various formats.
• Create a sense of community, inclusive even for your remote employees.

Limitations to watch out for:

• Video and audio recordings are limited to 5 minutes at a time.
• Risk of information overload through the multiple channels and high message volume.

Workplace

If your employees are active Facebook users, Workplace can quickly become their favorite communication channel because that's what it is — a tool that looks and feels like the popular social platform. Aside from the corporate messenger, it's also a sort of corporate social media where your employees can post messages, comment and react to other posts, create surveys, and more.

Price: Core plan starting at $4 per person/month

Top features:

• All-in-one business communication platform with chat, video, groups, and intranet.
• Live video broadcasting, knowledge library, many integrations, insights, and news feed.

Use Workplace when you need to:

• Encourage employees to adopt a communications channel with familiar features.
• Allow users to join and contribute from either desktop or mobile.
• Facilitate active communication and employee support for your L&D initiatives.

Limitations to watch out for:

• Limited structure and formality could make it less than ideal for L&D communication.
• Risk of information overload due to limited content organization options.

Discover the easy way to create and manage training videos

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