While both Articulate Storyline and Adobe Captivate support many of the same features, there are some key differences: - Articulate Storyline has an advantage in supporting PowerPoint import, intuitive interface and triggers workflow, custom interactions, and object placement. It also has more robust publishing options. - Adobe Captivate supports virtual reality, responsive content, Photoshop import, out-of-the-box interactions, system variables, and additional preview options. - Both tools allow custom programming and extending functionality through widgets. However, their strengths differ depending on specific needs like PowerPoint use, interface preferences, and interaction requirements.

1. Internal Use - Confidential
Comparison between Articulate Storyline & Adobe Captivate on
1. SupportedContent
2. UserExperience
3. Learning Design
4. Advanced Functionality
5. Productivity
6. Extendingthe Tool Functionality
1: Supported Content
Feature Articulate Storyline Adobe Captivate
Virtual reality
projects
Virtual reality is not currently
supported in Articulate Storyline.
Adobe Captivate 2019 allows
creating basic virtual reality eLearning projects.
Publishing in
MP4 video
You can publish the projectas
MP4. Storyline will allow you to select
dimensions, video and audio quality, and
other options.
You have the ability to publish the
eLearning projectas a video in the MP4 format.
The presets and publishing settings will allow
you to setthe output quality.
Responsive
content
While the player itselfis
responsive and adjusts based on the screen
size, the eLearning content,however, always
looks the same no matter the device.
Responsive eLearning projects are
supported and work well with different types of
devices,content can adjust based on the
screensize.
Software
simulation
Storyline provides a setof tools
to record, edit, and display software
simulations.
Software simulations are
supported in Adobe Captivate equallywell.
PowerPoint
import
Users have the ability to import
slides from a PowerPoint presentation. Prior
to importing,Storyline will displaya two-
dimensional grid showing all slides in the
presentation to help the user select only
those slides thatare needed. Slide contentis
converted into Storyline objects (text boxes,
shapes,etc.),becomes partof the slide,and
can be moved around and edited in Storyline.
While PowerPoint slides can be
imported into a Adobe Captivate project,it’s
worth noting that slides are importedas single
objects. This means thatcontent cannot be
edited directly in Adobe Captivate, any edits
have to go through PowerPoint, which adds
extra steps to the process and makes the
development process less convenient. In
addition,you cannot interact with PowerPoint
objects through Advanced Actions in Adobe
Captivate.
Adobe
Photoshop
import
There are currently no options
to import assets directly from Adobe
Photoshop.
The assets canbe imported from
Photoshop.Upon import,they are laid out on
the screen as they were positioned in the
Photoshop file, saving time on content
positioning and alignment. Furthermore,the
edits you make later in Photoshop can
propagate directly to Adobe Captivate, saving
you time and effort.

2. Internal Use - Confidential
Summary: Supported Content
So far, Articulate Storyline is only a winner when it comes to importing PowerPoint content.
And Adobe Captivate scores higher with virtual reality, responsive content, and Adobe Photoshop
import. Both authoring tools work equally well with Clue labs widgets and software simulations and
generally support modern eLearning trends. Here are some questions that can help you decide which
tool will better meet your needs:
 Will I need to import PowerPoint content into my eLearning course? Articulate Storyline
 Do I plan to create virtual reality-based training programs, are my learners and organization
ready for this type of content? Adobe Captivate
 If I need virtual reality compatibility, will I be satisfied with a limited set of VR features?
Adobe Captivate
 Will my learners access eLearning from mobile devices as well as desktops? Adobe
Captivate
 If I expect the learners to use mobile devices for learning, will they do this often enough to
justify the longer time needed to create responsive learning projects? If yes then Adobe
Captivate, If no then Articulate Storyline
 Will I design slides in Photoshop prior to creating the learning course? If so, how important is it
to be able to import designs directly into the authoring tools? Adobe Captivate
2: User Experience
Feature Articulate Storyline Adobe Captivate
Intuitive
interface
Good interface,all buttons have
text captions to make the functionality clear.
Minimal use of pop-up windows.
Menus and buttons are
clearly captioned. Working with objects
can get confusing because of over-
reliance on the Properties panel.
Software
responsiveness
The application responds well
to user requests and features minimallag and
wait time when an operation is initiated.
It often takes a few
seconds to render a new element, paste
an object, etc. During this time the
application freezes until the action is
completed.
Multiple
projects
handling
Multiple projects can be open at
the same time.However,each project opens in
its own application window.
Multiple projects are shown
as tabs of the same application similar
to other Adobe software you may have
used in the past.
Workspace
customization
Panels can be resized and
moved around,but cannot be completely
hidden.
The user can hide the
panels,but cannot move them around the
workspace.
Tooltips
Hovering the mouse pointer
over buttons and options brings up helpful
tooltips.
Some items have tooltips,
others don’t. No tooltips in the
properties panel where the most
confusion usuallyoccurs.

3. Internal Use - Confidential
Workspace
zoom
Allows to zoom in, zoom out, fit
slide to window size.
Zooming in and out can
only be done by selecting pre-defined
zoom percentages. Allows to fit slide to
window size.
Branching view
Slides are arranged according to
branching logic in both the story view and
the slide view.
To see the branching
sequence,the user needs to open a
menu, selectan option, which will open
a new window – multiple steps.
Actions/triggers
workflow
The triggers are shown in the
same window as the slide and its objects.This
makes the workflow involving triggers smart
and intuitive. Because the user can work on
both the slide objects and the triggers at the
same time,the development process
becomes easyand intuitive.
In order to define advanced
actions,the user has to open another
panel.This panel not only blocks the
slide, but also makes it impossible to
interact with the objects on the slide until
the advanced action is saved and the
window is closed.
Summary: User Experience
The interface in Articulate Storyline is cleaner and easier to use intuitively. The user interface in Adobe
Captivate is less convenient and takes a bit longer to get used to, but overall, once you learn it, you will
have no issues working with it. Here are some questions that can help you decide which tool will better
meet your needs:
 Do I have time for the learning curve to occur or do I need to jump right into the authoring
tool and start developing? Articulate Storyline
 Will I be able to create effective eLearning courses using a less convenient interface?
Articulate Storyline
 Is my computer powerful enough to work without lag and freezing when performing
operations? Articulate Storyline
 Is it important to see branching logic at all times while designing the course? Articulate
Storyline
 Will I use triggers or advanced actions, and if so, how important is it to be able to work in an
intuitive interface? Articulate Storyline
3: Learning Design
Feature Articulate Storyline Adobe Captivate
Slide
templates
A limited number of templates is
available through Content Library 360.
The Assets feature offers a
large variety of templates that can be
used.
Icons
A great selection of icons that
can be used in the course.Icons can be edited
directly on the slides (byungrouping the
shapes).
A limited selection of
icons, many searches return0 results.
Icons can only be edited through Adobe
Illustrator.

4. Internal Use - Confidential
Text captions
Text captions can be used as
shapes and converted to shapes, their
properties can be changed in the Format pop-
up window.
You can style a text caption,
but the options a limited to (mostly)
cheesy outdated presets.
Rollover
interactions
Can be achieved by using
triggers, states, layers.
Native functionality for
rollover interactions, no coding required.
Interactive
videos
Can be achieved by using
branching, triggers, layers.
Out-of-the-box interactive
video functionality provided.
SVG images
Scalable Vector
Graphics (SVG)
(XML based)
No supportfor SVG images. SVG images can be used.
Input controls Several kinds of input controls
can be added to the slide.
Only text entry input object
can be added.
Miscellaneous
objects
Support for sliders, dials,
markers,scrolling panels.
No significant objects that
are unique to Adobe Captivate.
Slide layers Slide layers can be used on all
slides.
No slide layer functionality.
Drag and
drops
Good drag and drop
functionality that could be extended with
triggers.
Basic drag and drop
functionality.
Question
slides
Questions slides are flexible
and can be extended with triggers.
There is a little wiggle room
when it comes to customizing how
question slides work.
Freeform
interactions
Several freeform interactions
are supported.
Some functionality can be
achieved with the use of actions.
Animations Animations are limited to 16
options.
A good variety of
animations. Multiple animations can be
applied to a single object.

5. Internal Use - Confidential
Summary: Learning Design
If you are planning to create custom interactions, Articulate Storyline might be a better option
for you. If you, however, are more interested in out-of-the-box functionality, you may like Adobe
Captivate. Here are some questions that can help you decide which tool will better meet your
needs:
 Will I be using slide templates provided by the authoring tool? – Adobe Captivate
 Are icons an important part of slide design in my work? Articulate Storyline
 Would I be able to build rollover interactions and interactive videos if needed? Adobe
Captivate
 Will I use drag and drop and freeform interactions? Articulate Storyline
 Will I need to use uncommon animation options? Adobe Captivate
4: Advanced Functionality
Feature Articulate Storyline Adobe Captivate
JavaScript
support
JavaScript code can be
used in the course.
JavaScript code can be used in
the course.
User variables 3 types of user variables
are supported.
A single user variable type is
available.
System
variables
System variables are not
available.
A good variety of system
variables is available to the user.
Triggers/actions Triggers allow to program
interactivity.
Actions/advanced actions
allow to program interactivity.
Conditions Conditions can be based
on variables and/or objects.
Only variable-based conditions
are possible.
Summary: Advanced Functionality
Both tools will allow you to program custom interactions, interactive elements, complex scenarios,
etc. Here are some questions that can help you decide which tool will better meet your needs:
 Do I need to use the system variables to achieve the goal of my project? Adobe Captivate
 Will I use object-based conditions, or will variable-based conditions alone be enough?
Articulate Storyline for Objects & Adobe Captivate for Variables

6. Internal Use - Confidential
5: Productivity
Feature Articulate Storyline Adobe Captivate
Object placement
Smart guides appear
when dragging objects. Custom
guides and grid can be turned on/off.
Manual placementonly.
Guides, smart guides, and grid are not
available.
Preview options
Users can preview the
current slide, current scene, selected
slide or the entire project.
Additional preview options
are available (next 5 slides, preview in the
browser,SCORM cloud, etc.).
Publishing options
Multiple publishing
options:SCORM, AICC, xAPI, video,
Word document, Review, etc.
Fewer publishing options:
SCORM, AICC, xAPI, video. Some options
are quite useless (i.e. publish as .exe).
Default labels The functionality can be
achieved with feedback masters.
Possibility to setdefaulttext
for some text captions in the project.
Community/support
A vibrant community
that readily provides support with any
questions another user may have.
A somewhat active
communityof Adobe Captivate
enthusiasts. User questions are likely to be
answered.
Summary: Productivity
While Adobe Captivate provides more preview options, Articulate Storyline wins with output options,
which can often be a deal-breaker. In addition, careful placement and alignment of slide objects take
less time and effort in Articulate Storyline. Here are some questions that can help you decide which tool
will better meet your needs:
 What is the preferred format of the final deliverable? Articulate Storyline for all & Adobe
Captivate for Selected formats
 Do slide objects need to be aligned precisely? Articulate Storyline
 Will I be reaching out to the community if I run into problems? Articulate Storyline
6: Extending the Tool Functionality
Feature Articulate Storyline Adobe Captivate
Exporting scores,
answers, other data
to Google Sheets
Can use the Sheets
widget to save data to a Google Sheets
spreadsheet.
Similarly,learning data can
be exported to Google Sheets.
Saving interaction
data to the cloud
Possibility to export data
generated in the learning course and
save it to the cloud.
Learner data can be
captured and saved in the cloud.

7. Internal Use - Confidential
Storing learner’s
input in PDF
Variables can be used to
save the learner’s entries to a PDF file.
The learner’s input can be
saved into a downloadable PDF file.
Building
leaderboards
A leaderboard can be
added to the course.
The course can feature a
leaderboard to boost engagement.
Embedding
simulated dialogs
A dialog add-on can be
embedded in a Storyline course.
Simulated dialogs can be
added to Adobe Captivate courses.
Creating custom
high score lists
A custom list with
functionality similar to a leaderboard
can be added.
Similarly,a custom list can
boost engagement by providing
leaderboard-like features.
Capturing learner’s
geolocation
Learner’s location can be
captured by the course.
The course can determine
the learner’s geolocation.
Editing text without
re-publishing the
course
Dynamic text labels can
be edited without having to re-publish
the course.
No need to publish the
course if dynamic labels are used for the
text.
Drawing dynamic
charts
A chart can be drawn
from user variables.
A custom chart can be
displayed on the slide.
Drawing comparison
charts
Comparison charts are
supported.
Similarly,comparison
charts are supported.
Adding a
gamification timer
A timer can be added to
the projectfor advanced gamification
features and engagement.
A timer can be added to the
projectfor advanced gamification
features and engagement.
Displaying content
fullscreen
The slide and the project
content can be shown in full-screen
mode.
Only the project content
can be shown in full-screen mode.
Adding a custom
progress bar
A custom progress bar can
be added to a slide, and can also be
placed outside the slide (above,
below, partially outside).
You can add a custom
progress bar to the course, but it can
only go on the slide itself and cannotbe
placed outside the slide.
Sending out emails
with generated
content
You can pre-build or
generate the message contentin the
course and send the message out with
a trigger.
You can use advanced
actions to generate the message content
and send it out to the recipient of your
choice.
Summary: Extending the Tool Functionality
Both Articulate Storyline and Adobe Captivate support eLearning widgets that can extend the
tool functionality.

8. Internal Use - Confidential
Grand Total and Summary
Articulate Storyline Adobe Captivate
Supported Content
User Experience
Learning Design
Advanced Functionality
Productivity
Extending the ToolFunctionality
TOTAL
In Conclusion, it’s worth mentioning that both Articulate Storyline and Adobe Captivate
can each offer unique features not provided by the other tool.