7 types of e-learning authoring tools – pros and cons

What is an e-learning authoring tool?

An e-learning authoring tool is software that lets you create learning content and share it with your learners. Just as you might use Microsoft Word for documents or PowerPoint for presentations, you need an e-learning authoring tool to build an online course.

Unlike word processors and presentation software, where two or three players dominate, hundreds of tools exist for creating online courses and learning resources.

That makes choosing the right one genuinely difficult for L&D professionals, and the consequences go further than most people expect. As Tommy Gruederich, CEO of Easygenerator, said in a webinar on workplace learning trends:

“If we proactively focus on engagement strategy, we’ll touch the right chord. If we don’t, there’ll be disengagement and silent quitting becomes very real.”

Your tool choice shapes not just how fast you produce content, but whether learners actually engage with it. To help you decide, we’ve outlined seven types of authoring tools worth knowing about and what each one does well.

7 types of e-learning authoring tools

Each type of authoring tool works differently, and those differences affect how you create content, who can contribute, and what the end result looks like. To help you find the option that fits your organization, we’ve put together a comparison of authoring tools and who each one suits best.

Here is a comparison of seven different e-learning authoring software:

1. Cloud-based tools

Cloud-based authoring tools run entirely online, so there is nothing to install. They work on any internet-connected device, which makes them practical for remote teams and anyone who switches between a Mac and a Windows machine. Here are the pros and cons:

Pros

• Accessible anytime, anywhere with any internet-connected device.
• Accessible from both Windows and Mac devices
• Ideal for remote collaboration, including co-authoring and content reviews

Cons

• Requires an internet connection, so offline work is not possible

Best suited for

• Teams that collaborate remotely
• macOS users struggling to find e-learning software for Mac

2. Desktop-installed (locally hosted) tools

Locally hosted authoring tools require installation before you can use them, but that also means they work without an internet connection. They tend to come with a wider range of creative functions and are usually aimed at trained instructional designers rather than occasional authors. Here are the pros and cons:

Pros

• Ability to work offline
• Wide variety of content creation functions

Cons

• Usually comes with a complex user interface
• Ties the content creation process to one device

Best suited for

• Employees who frequently work offline
• Professionally trained instructional designers or content creators

3. Rapid authoring tools

Rapid authoring tools are Microsoft plug-ins that let you add assessments and interactive elements directly to a PowerPoint presentation. Articulate Studio and Adobe Presenter are two common examples. Here are the pros and cons:

Pros

• Easy to use for anyone already familiar with PowerPoint
• A relatively low-cost way to produce learning content quickly

Cons

• Requires desktop installation of Microsoft software
• Limited creative and interactive features

Best suited for

• Microsoft users looking for e-learning plug-ins
• Those new to e-learning who are looking for simple solutions

4. Quiz and assessment tools

Quiz and assessment tools do one thing: let you ask learners questions. They are faster and cheaper than most full authoring tools, but they cannot host additional pages or supporting information alongside the assessment. Here are the pros and cons:

Pros

• Faster and cheaper than most authoring tools
• Relatively easy to use
• Wide range of question types

Cons

• Limited to asking learners questions, with no room for additional content

Best suited for

• Those looking to create specialized quizzes and assessments.

5. Specialized media tools

Specialized media tools focus on one content type, such as video or animation, and are usually used alongside other e-learning tools rather than on their own. You might create a video in one tool, edit it in a specialized one, and then publish it to your LMS.

Because they focus on a single format, these tools tend to offer more advanced media features than general authoring tools. The trade-off is that they depend on other programs to deliver the finished product, which can create compatibility issues. Universal formats like SCORM reduce that risk, but incompatibility is still worth considering before committing to this type of tool. Here are the pros and cons:

Pros

• Advanced media features thanks to its narrow focus on one content type
• If it exports to SCORM, the content you create is compatible with other e-learning tools.

Cons

• More complex user interface because of advanced features
• No hosting capability, so the tool depends on your wider e-learning infrastructure to deliver content.

Best suited for

• Organizations that prefer publishing a specific type of content
• Experienced content creators who can navigate complex design features

6. Authoring tools built into Learning Management Systems

Some Learning Management Systems include a built-in authoring tool, but these are designed for simple pages rather than full courses or assessments. If you need to build complete courses, you are better off using a dedicated authoring tool that is SCORM or xAPI compatible and can connect to your LMS.

Pros

• Combines content creation, storage, and tracking in one place.

Cons

• Limited content creation features
• Not optimized for course creation

Best suited for

• L&D teams that prefer to work entirely in their LMS

7. Screen recording tools

Screen recording tools are useful for software simulations and step-by-step visual tutorials because they let you record onscreen activity with voiceover commentary and annotations. They are not designed to deliver full e-learning courses, and they can be time-consuming to use. Compatibility is also worth checking in advance, as most screen recording tools output specific file types that do not work universally across e-learning platforms.

Pros

• Provide visual walk-throughs to guide learners through complex processes
• Easy-to-consume content supports on-the-job learning

Cons

• Complex user interface, resulting in a lengthy content creation process
• Compatibility issues as a result of limited file formats
• Cannot be used to deliver full e-learning courses

Best suited for

• Visual performance support resources
• L&D teams looking to provide visual simulations and step-by-step guides

Looking for a cloud-based authoring tool? Let us help you!

Easygenerator is a cloud-based authoring tool built for remote collaboration and scale. You can start a course on one device and pick it up on another, invite co-authors to contribute, and have colleagues review content before it goes live, all without installing anything.

The interface is designed so that anyone in your organization can create e-learning content, not just L&D specialists. That makes it a practical fit for Employee-Generated Learning, where subject-matter experts across the business share their knowledge directly, speeding up content production and reducing reliance on a central team.

The difference in output can be significant. Frédéric Hebert, Former Chief Learning Officer at Danone, shared in a webinar on learning in the flow of work that when he rolled out Easygenerator across Danone’s 100,000 employees, the company went from a small central L&D team to approximately 2,500 active content authors. That kind of reach becomes possible when the tool is simple enough for anyone to use.

The course authoring software market itself is growing fast: Market Research Future projects it will expand from $6.37 billion in 2025 to $20.63 billion by 2035, a 12.47% CAGR, as more organizations move content creation in-house rather than outsourcing it.