Top Authoring Tools 2025: Choosing the Right Tool for the Job

4 min read
Aug 21, 2025 6:27:15 PM

🛠️ 2025 Buyer’s Guide

A 2025 comparison of Chameleon Creator, Articulate Rise, Storyline, Captivate, and Easygenerator

With so many authoring tools, how do you find the one that actually works for your team—and your learners? We compare what matters most: design quality, scalability, usability, interactivity, analytics, and speed to iterate.

At‑a‑glance comparison

Tool Design flexibility Interactivity & branching Ease of use

Analytics/feed-back

Publish options
Chameleon Creator High (on‑brand layouts, components) Branching, 25+ interactions Designed for all skill levels

Built‑in analytics + Chameleon Collect (learner feedback)

SCORM, URL link share
Rise 360 Low  Basic interactions Very easy (templated) Via LMS/LRS; limited insights SCORM 
Storyline 360 Very high  Advanced branching, custom design Expert‑friendly Custom xAPI statements possible SCORM 
Adobe Captivate High Strong for simulations Intermediate–Advanced xAPI supported via LMS/LRS SCORM
Easygenerator Low–Medium Basic interactions Very easy (SME‑first) Built‑in LRS + external xAPI SCORM



🏆 1. Chameleon Creator

A modern, design‑forward authoring tool that balances speed, flexibility, and learner engagement. See platform overview

Group 8996-1

Why teams choose it

Drawbacks

Highly customisable visual design for on‑brand learning. Not designed for highly complex software emulations
Easy for SMEs and designers to co‑create.  
Branching, analytics, and learner feedback via Chameleon Collect and Chameleon Analytics.  
Publish to SCORM or share a secure link in seconds.  

 

“It took me an hour without any training to master.”
Logos Black__Contact Energy
Lauren Jepson, Contact Energy

Head of Talent, Learning & Capability,

Results from customers:

  • AFL: +71% completion and 20× increase in optional module participation.
  • Specsavers: +38% learner satisfaction; 4.6/5 average rating.
  • ANZ: 450+ learning resources created by 400+ users across 5 regions.
  • NRL: Shifted to Chameleon to increase engagement for volunteers.

 

2. Articulate Rise 360

Quick, structured—and sometimes rigid.
Rise example

Why teams choose it

  • Fast, templated builds for general purpose.
  • Clean, responsive output.
  • Part of the Articulate 360 suite and integrates with Storyline.

Drawbacks

  • Lack of design options can result in similar, basic looking courses, impacting the learner experience.
  • Lack of robust branching for complex decision paths compared to Storyline or Chameleon.
  • Custom xAPI control is limited in Rise compared to Storyline. (See community discussions here and here.)

Official site â€˘ Pricing

Note: Rise can publish xAPI packages, but does not offer the same level of custom statement control as Storyline.

 

3. Articulate Storyline 360

Deeply customisable—powerful, but slower and more technical.

Storyline example

Why teams choose it

  • Full creative control
  • Advanced branching and interactivity with precise control
  • Complex simulations.
  • Custom xAPI statements possible (See guides here and here.)

Drawbacks

  • Steep learning curve; longer production time.
  • Desktop‑centric workflows; less ideal for very fast iteration.
  • Doesn't work on Apple products.
  • Non-responsive (won't respond to fit mobile screens)

Official site


4. Adobe Captivate

Adobe Captivate is a strong choice for organisations looking to incorporate VR and AR into their learning experiences. Great for simulations but can be complex and challenging to use. 

Captivate example

Why teams choose it

  • Strong for software demos and screen recordings.
  • Modernised UI ("all‑new Captivate") with responsive options.
  • xAPI workflows supported via LMS/LRS. (Overview)

Drawbacks

  • Less friendly for generalist teams
  • steeper learning curve.

Official site â€˘ Buying guide

 

5. Easygenerator

Simple, fast, and built for SMEs.

EasyGenerator example

Why teams choose it

  • Very easy for non‑designers; quick knowledge sharing.
  • Exports to SCORM 1.2/xAPI and allows for native integrations to LMS.
  • Built‑in LRS with option to send data to external LRS. (details)

Drawbacks

  • Limited customisation and interactivity
  • Output can feel templated - can impact learner experience.

Pricing 

 

How to choose the right tool (start here)

  • Who creates the content? Designers, SMEs, or both?
  • What level of interactivity do learners really need? (Quiz + branching vs. simulation.)
  • Speed to launch & iterate: days or weeks?
  • Brand control: do you need pixel‑perfect design?
  • Distribution: SCORM, xAPI or URL links (good for external learners).

💡No single tool does everything. Rise is fast—but rigid. Storyline is powerful—but slow. Captivate excels at simulations. Easygenerator is quick—but limited. Chameleon Creator balances speed, design flexibility, branching, and analytics for scalable, on‑brand learning.

Trusted by leading brands

Used by organisations like ANZ, Specsavers, AFL, and NRL.

Quick summary

TLDR: In 2025, teams typically choose between speed & consistency (Rise, Easygenerator), power & control (Storyline, Captivate), and a balanced, design‑forward middle ground (Chameleon Creator). Pick based on who builds content, interactivity required, brand needs, and analytics workflow.

  • Chameleon Creator: fast, highly customisable, branching + analytics + learner feedback in one platform; SCORM and link sharing.
  • Rise 360: rapid, templated; limited custom xAPI; integrates with Storyline.
  • Storyline 360: full control and custom xAPI; slower, specialist‑friendly.
  • Adobe Captivate: strong for software simulations; xAPI via LMS/LRS.
  • Easygenerator: SME‑first speed; SCORM/xAPI; built‑in LRS with external reporting.

Next steps

  1. Try Chameleon and build beautiful, engagaing learning today. Start a free trial or book a demo.
  2. Take a tour of Chameleon Analytics.

You’re doing great work—it deserves to shine. Fast, easy, beautiful.

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