Top 18 SCORM Authoring Tools & Software in 2023: Paid & Free (2023)

In 2020, SCORM(Sharable Content Object Reference Model) celebrated the 20th anniversary of its first release, SCORM 1.0. Over those 20 years, many software products related to creating SCORM content were released.

In this article, we’ll cover the best SCORM authoring software and other SCORM-related tools, and provide a quick explanation of each one.

What Are SCORM Authoring Tools?

SCORM eLearning authoring tools are software that enable you to create SCORM-compliant training content from scratch. There might just be one specific type of learning content that an authoring tool specializes in, or it might be able to create a wide range of different activities, like quizzes, role-play simulations, and video courses.

There are currently two versions of SCORM that are in use: 1.2, and 2004. Each one has its own technical features. For example, SCORM 2004 provides more detailed information in terms of reporting. If you’re going to design courses for a particular LMS, you need to know which SCORM version your platform supports. As for authoring tools, most of them allow you to publish content both to SCORM 1.2 and 2004.

Types of SCORM Authoring Tools

SCORM-compliant authoring tools may vary depending on the learning content they allow you to create, their features, ease of use, and many other things. But generally, all SCORM creation tools can be divided into two groups:

• Desktop SCORM authoring tools. These are software installed on a computer. They don’t require the internet to work. Also, desktop tools usually have more advanced authoring features and more customization options.
• Cloud-based SCORM authoring tools. These services open in a browser and are accessible anytime and anywhere. Such SCORM builders are typically not as powerful as desktop ones, but are a perfect choice for remote teams.

How to Choose a SCORM Authoring Tool

With so many SCORM authoring tools available today, you may be confused about which one to choose. To avoid going the hard route of trial and error, you need to consider a few things:

1. Content authoring capabilities. First, you’ll need to decide what content you’ll have to create. For example, are you going to build interactive simulations and record video tutorials or will a simple slideshow do?
2. Knowledge and skills. Consider whether you (and/or your team) are tech-savvy enough to work with complex software. If not, you’d better choose an easy-to-use tool.
3. Development time. If you’re going to be creating online courses under tight deadlines, you’ll need software that will let you do this quickly. Pick a SCORM content authoring tool that comes with ready-made templates and eLearning assets.
4. Collaboration capability. Are you planning to work on content together with your colleagues and gather feedback from your stakeholders? Then select a tool that will enable you to do all this easily in a secured cloud.
5. Technical support. You should be confident that you’ll receive prompt and competent assistance if you face technical difficulties while developing your online course. So, make sure that the vendor provides good customer service.

To make the choice of software easier for you, we’ve collected a list of the best SCORM authoring tools. Continue reading to see what functionalities they provide.

Desktop SCORM Authoring Tools

1. iSpring Suite

• Type: Desktop + cloud based
• SCORM support: 1.2 / 2004
• Platform: Windows
• Price: $970/year per author

iSpring Suite Maxisa SCORM authoring tool that includes a PowerPoint add-in and a number of standalone instruments, each specialized for creating a certain type of learning content. For example, QuizMaker is used to create quizzes, Cam Pro lets you record and edit screencasts, Flip can convert PDF/DOC files into learning modules, and so on. There are 7 different tools in all, including Content Library – a collection of predesigned templates and images you can use in your courses to enjoy a faster process than coming up with designs on your own.

You can start using iSpring Suite with no previous experience in eLearning authoring. Grab a PowerPoint presentation, add some interactive elements using the dedicated tools included in Suite, publish a mobile-ready SCORM course, and upload it straight to the LMS to deliver it to your learners.

The Spring Suite Max package also features a cloud-based service that includes an online eLearning authoring tool for creating simple courses and tests, and allows for real-time collaboration on the content. Users can access the content uploaded to the cloud via a link.

Try iSpring Suite right now by signing up for a 14-day free trial →

2. Articulate 360

• Type: Desktop + cloud based
• SCORM support: 1.2 / 2004
• Platform: Windows
• Price: $1,299/year per author

Articulate 360 is another all-around SCORM-compliant software that combines a quiz maker, a screen recorder, and many other functionalities. Like iSpring Suite, its core tool, “Articulate Storyline 360,” is built around creating interactive slides and combining them to build an eLearning course. Being a standalone application, it offers more in terms of programming different learning scenarios but has a steeper learning curve.

Articulate 360 also features a content library with slide templates and character images, and a review tool for collaboration on projects. Plus, it includes an online authoring solution called “Articulate Rise 360” that can be used to create simple SCORM content in your browser.

3. Adobe Captivate

• Type: Desktop
• SCORM support: 1.2 / 2004
• Platform: Windows / Mac
• Price: $400/year per author

Adobe Captivate is a powerful authoring tool that comes as a standalone slide-based content maker with a quiz builder, an interactive video creator, and a content library. Basically, it offers functionality comparable to that of Articulate and iSpring, but with some more powerful features. For example, it has a separate instrument for making SCORM software simulations and a tool that allows you to build VR learning products by adding interactions on top of 360° images or videos. But, with great power comes a great learning curve, so using this one requires training like no other.

Also read: → Adobe Captivate vs Articulate Storyline

4. TechSmith Camtasia

• Type: Desktop
• SCORM support: 1.2 / 2004
• Platform: Windows / Mac
• Price: $250 for a lifetime license

Camtasia is an authoring tool specialized in screen recording and video editing. It lets one record a screencast and/or webcam, and then add visual instructions to various parts of the recorded video. It can also freeze the video at a certain moment so you can add a quiz question on top of it. You can use Camtasia to create interactive videos as SCORM courses and import them to your LMS.

5. iSpring Free

• Type: Desktop
• SCORM support: 1.2 / 2004
• Platform: Windows
• Price: Free

iSpring Freeis a free SCORM authoring tool. It’s a no cost version of iSpring’s PowerPoint add-in that also features a much simpler version of QuizMaker with just three question types (multiple response / multiple-choice / fill-in-the blank). This tool is easy to start with if you have no experience with SCORM content creation.

Download iSpring Free now→

Cloud-Based SCORM Authoring Tools

6. Lectora Online

• Type: Web-based
• SCORM support: 1.2 / 2004
• Price: $500/year per author

Lectora Online is an online SCORM course builder that has instruments for creating interactive slides with quizzes. It integrates with the Branchtrack dialogue simulation maker and has a library of stock images that make it easy to create courses even if you have no design skills. Published SCORM content is WCAG compliant.

7. Knowbly

• Type: Cloud based
• SCORM support: 1.2 / 2004
• Price: $495/year per author

Knowbly is the new kid on the block, launched just a year ago. It has a standard set of tools that can help you build SCORM courses with text, media, interactions, and quizzes. The product has built-in analytics that should help you understand how your learners go through the modules.

8. Coassemble

• Type: Cloud based
• SCORM support: 1.2 / 2004
• Price: from $490/year

Coassemble is a cloud-based SCORM content creator with LMS capabilities. It provides 10 ready-made templates for creating eLearning courses that can be filled with content pieces like images, videos, quizzes, and texts. The finished online training materials can be assigned to learners via the Coassemble learning management system.

9. Gomo Learning

• Type: Cloud based
• SCORM support: 1.2 / 2004
• Price: $495/year per author

Gomo is cloud-based SCORM creation software with content management capabilities. It’s being advertised as a good solution if you aim at mobile learning over anything else. Editing and redesigning built-in templates can be tricky, but it’s a good fit for bite-size learning.

10. Easygenerator

• Type: Cloud based
• SCORM support: 1.2 / 2004
• Price: from $990/year

Easygenerator is an easy-to-use cloud-based authoring tool that enables you to assemble online courses with its drag-and-drop features. You can choose premade templates and customize them to make generic but great looking courses in a fraction of the time it would otherwise take.

The tool enables you to add stakeholders and subject-matter experts as co-authors to your course and enjoy simultaneous collaboration. You can also invite external users so they can review the learning content.

11. Adapt Learning

• Type: Self-hosted cloud based
• SCORM support: 1.2 / 2004
• Price: Free (open source)

Adapt is an open-source SCORM authoring tool that has been around for almost 5 years. It can build slides and quizzes, embed media, and export SCORM – all the standard stuff. The key difference is that you need to install it on your own server, which might be a hassle for those who have never done that.

SCORM Converters

A SCORM converter is a tool that can transform an existing document (PDF, PPT, DOC) and output SCORM content for uploading to an LMS.

12. iSpring Converter Pro

• Type: Desktop
• SCORM support: 1.2 / 2004
• Platform: Windows
• Price: $270/year per author

iSpring Converter Pro is a less advanced version of iSpring Suite that can transform PowerPoint decks to HTML5 and SCORM. It can’t create quizzes or dialog simulations, but does allow converting PowerPoint presentations to SCORM modules with voice narration.

13. iSpring Flip

• Type: Desktop
• SCORM support: 1.2 / 2004
• Platform: Windows
• Price: $227/year per author

iSpring Flipis a simple standalone tool that can turn a PDF, DOC, or PPT file into a SCORM course in a couple of clicks. The output is mobile responsive content that can be uploaded to any LMS as an interactive e-book that tracks learners’ progress.

14. ScormHero

• Type: Cloud based
• SCORM support: 1.2 / 2004
• Price: free for PPT and PDF conversion, from $190 per year for advanced features

ScormHero is an easy-to-use tool for converting PowerPoint presentations, PDF files, and videos to SCORM courses. It also allows you to enhance courses with simple quizzes and short videos.

15. Scormify

• Type: Cloud based
• SCORM support: 1.2 / 2004
• Price: $19/month

Scormify is another tool that enables you to turn your videos or documents into SCORM courses within seconds. The other functionalities include uploading and converting video files for streaming and adding quizzing to videos.

SCORM Wrappers and Packagers

Unlike SCORM authoring tools, this software doesn’t allow you to create courses and can’t perform conversions. Coders use SCORM wrappers to make existing HTML content compatible with SCORM. They do this by attaching SCORM API commands to certain events happening with the content when it’s being viewed in a browser.

16. Pipwerks SCORM wrapper

• Type: Desktop
• SCORM support: 1.2 / 2004
• Platform: Windows / Mac
• Price: Free

The Pipwerks wrapper is a Javascript application that can be handy if you want to make a piece of HTML content SCORM compatible. But it will only be useful if you have coding experience.

SCORM Players / Testers

Sometimes you need to test a SCORM file for errors and check if it’s sending proper statuses before uploading it to your production LMS. With SCORM testers, you can do just that.

17. SCORM Cloud

• Type: Cloud based
• SCORM support: 1.2 / 2004
• Platform: Windows / Mac
• Price: Starting at $75/mo

SCORM Cloud is developed by Rustici Software, the global leader in eLearning standards. It’s the go-to product for testing SCORM content. Detailed debug logs will help you troubleshoot any reporting issues that your content might have.

It can also be used as an alternative to an LMS – the tool can host interactive learning modules and then dispatch them, to make distribution easier.

18. Rustici Engine

• Type: Integrable software
• SCORM support: 1.2 / 2004 (2nd, 3rd, and 4th edition)
• Platform: Windows / Mac
• Price: need to contact the vendor

As SCORM Cloud, Rustici Engine is developed by Rustici Software. It integrates directly into your learning management system and provides a common API for launching, playing, and tracking standardized eLearning content properly.

Engine is integrated into hundreds of LMSs worldwide and helps play SCORM, xAPI, cmi5, LTI, and AICC content. This consistency allows you to provide the same learner and administrator experience, regardless of which eLearning standards are associated with a course.

FAQ

Here you’ll find answers to the most common questions regarding SCORM.

What does SCORM mean?

SCORM stands for Sharable Content Object Reference Model. It is a set of technical standards that tells us how to make a course that will work on any training platform. There’s a detailed description of the course structure and the principles of its interaction with LMSs.

What is the most popular version of SCORM?

SCORM 1.2 is probably the most often used specification in the industry. Released in 2001, it became such a lasting de facto standard for eLearning that it’s found in over 70% of eLearning content to this day.

What is a SCORM authoring tool?

A SCORM authoring tool is software that allows you to create eLearning content that is compatible with SCORM-compliant LMSs. The most important point is that courses built with these tools can be shared and reused across different training platforms easily. This means that you can save time and money by not having to recreate your content for each new platform.

What tools can I use to create SCORM files?

As we’ve already mentioned, you need a SCORM-compliant authoring tool to create a SCORM package. However, if you have existing learning materials like PowerPoint presentations, PDF documents, or DOC files, you can turn them into SCORM courses with the help of a specific converter. If you need to make existing HTML content compatible with SCORM, you’ll require a SCORM wrapper.

To Sum Up

We’ve looked at four different types of SCORM tools and covered the best SCORM software solutions in each category. If you have any suggestions for any other SCORM-compliant software, please feel free to let us know in the comment section.

Useful Resources

• How to Create a SCORM Package?
• SCORM-Compliant LMS
• SCORM on Mobile Devices
• SCORM 1.2 vs SCORM 2004: Which is Better?