Creating courses that engage learners, fit business goals, and scale across different teams is no easy task. Your learning and development (L&D) team has probably experienced the frustration of spending weeks or even months designing training programs that miss the mark. Ineffective training programs can lead to disengaged learners, wasted time, and unmet business goals. Without the right tools, L&D teams struggle to deliver training that keeps up with changing company needs.
So, what's the solution? The right learning management system (LMS) can make all the difference. By simplifying course creation with intuitive authoring tools, an LMS streamlines content development, ensuring your team builds effective training materials—without all the headaches.
But with so many options available, how do you choose the best LMS for course authoring? Which platform will support your organization's training needs and help you develop effective training content at scale?
We've put together this guide to make choosing the right LMS easier (we know, easier said than done). In it, you'll find six top platforms for course authoring, each offering features that can help your L&D team work better, smarter, and faster. All while helping you deliver improved training outcomes for your employees, customers, and partners.
6 best LMS for course authoring
When you're tasked with creating learning content that resonates with multiple audiences—new employees, seasoned teams, or external partners—the sheer volume of work can feel endless.
You need tools that help you produce content at scale without sacrificing quality or relevance. But with so many LMS options on the market, finding one that addresses all these needs is daunting, to say the least.
What you’re looking for is an LMS that speeds up course creation and supports diverse learning experiences tailored to specific goals and skill gaps. The platforms in this guide are built to do just that.
We've rounded up six standout LMS solutions that simplify content development, save time, and provide the flexibility to create high-impact courses that meet both business and learner needs. Without further ado, let's get into our top picks.
1. Absorb
Best for AI-powered course creation
Absorb LMS is a top choice for organizations that need an innovative, AI-driven solution for course authoring. With its Absorb Create tool, the platform uses generative AI to help you build, edit, and publish courses in a matter of minutes.
Whether you're onboarding new employees, upskilling your teams, or developing partner programs, Absorb Create is the tried-and-true tool to help you produce high-quality learning materials quickly and efficiently.
Key features of Absorb:
- Generative AI course builder: Absorb Create uses AI to significantly reduce the time spent developing learning materials. It automates organizing content, adding interactive elements, and publishing courses—all from one platform. This saves time while offering learners a broader range of curated content, extending beyond in-house expertise and fostering growth.
- Cloud-based course authoring: Your team can create, change, and access courses from anywhere—no downloads or installations required. Ideal for real-time updates, this course authoring tool keeps your entire team in the loop with the most current version of your courses.
- Customizable templates and themes: With a range of pre-built templates and customizable themes, you can create courses that match your company's branding (without hiring a design expert). This cuts back on the hand-on support historically needed to develop online courses.
- Collaborative authoring tools: L&D teams often involve multiple stakeholders, from subject matter experts to instructional designers. Absorb LMS provides a shared online workspace, allowing everyone to collaborate on course creation, share feedback, and streamline the review process.
- PowerPoint conversion: Already have PowerPoints you've used for training? Great! You can convert presentations into interactive eLearning courses, saving valuable time and avoiding duplicate work in content creation.
For organizations focused on delivering courses quickly and effectively, Absorb LMS stands out for its innovative use of AI in course creation. With Absorb, you can focus on what matters most: creating impactful learning experiences while the platform handles the heavy lifting.
2. Storyline 360 by Articulate
Best for flexibility and interactive content creation
Storyline 360 by Articulate is another heavy hitter in course authoring, known for offering complete creative freedom to instructional designers. With Storyline 360, you can build any type of eLearning experience imaginable—branching scenarios, gamified modules, simulations, and more.
Key features of Storyline 360:
- AI-powered course creation: With Storyline 360's AI Assistant, you can speed up course creation without sacrificing quality. The AI is built specifically for instructional design, helping you generate quizzes, improve content readability, and polish your writing tone.
- Interactive learning experiences: Create nearly any type of interaction using slide layers, triggers, and more. Learners can engage with content through click, drag-and-drop, or hover interactions, keeping the learning process fresh.
- Multimedia integration: Integrate multimedia elements like videos, screencasts, and audio to create a richer learning experience. With built-in screen recording and editing tools, you can create simulations and tutorials that give learners hands-on experience with the material.
- Assessment tools: Storyline 360 provides many assessment options, including 25 question types and AI-generated quizzes. You can randomize questions, track performance, and combine results to gain deeper insights, ensuring interactive and measurable training.
For organizations looking to create custom, interactive content, Storyline 360 gives you the flexibility to meet any learning need.
3. Elucidat
Best course authoring software for quick and easy creation
If you need to develop online courses fast, Elucidat is a great option. Its user-friendly interface and ready-made templates make it ideal for teams planning training programs on a tight schedule.
Key features of Elucidat:
- Collaborative authoring: Elucidat's standout collaborative tools let multiple team members—from instructional designers to subject matter experts—work on courses simultaneously. No more duplicate work.
- Branded course design: Elucidat makes it easy to maintain brand consistency across all your courses. With advanced branding capabilities, every piece of content reflects your company's identity.
- Easy localization: Looking to localize at scale? With features like auto-translation, variation management, and a translation glossary, you expand the reach of your eLearning content for global audiences—saving time and scaling effortlessly.
- PowerPoint import and templates: Speed up course creation by importing existing presentations and turning them into courses. With a library of pre-built templates and stock assets, you can quickly build professional content without starting from scratch.
For quick, efficient course creation with minimal design hassle, Elucidat is a top choice.
4. LearnWorlds
Best for video-centric learning experiences
LearnWorlds is built for organizations that want to create immersive and interactive learning experiences. With a strong focus on video-based learning and engagement tools, it's a good fit for those looking to deliver dynamic courses. Whether it's adding interactive quizzes to videos or creating customizable course paths, LearnWorlds offers the flexibility and tools to design impactful learning content.
Key features of LearnWorlds:
- Interactive video learning: Turn your video content into immersive learning experiences. Features like auto-generated transcripts, interactive quizzes, and a clickable table of contents make it easy.
- White-label and branding control: Take control of your branding. Use your own domain, customize your course player, and brand a mobile app for iOS and Android. This lets you deliver a seamless, branded experience to your learners.
- Course website creation: Create high-converting landing pages for your courses with LearnWorlds' drag-and-drop page builder. Choose from hundreds of responsive and customizable templates—no technical expertise needed.
- Solid support: Beyond customer support, clients can access daily webinars, help centers, and ample resources to move forward with training.
For organizations looking to boost learner engagement through interactive content, LearnWorlds is an excellent choice.
5. iSpring Suite
Best for PowerPoint conversion and interactive simulations
If your organization already relies on PowerPoint for training materials, iSpring Suite makes it easy to turn your presentations into fully interactive eLearning courses. As they put it, “If you know PowerPoint, you know iSpring.” Known for its intuitive interface, iSpring Suite combines the familiarity of PowerPoint with powerful course creation tools, making it ideal for both beginners and professionals looking to create training quickly. Key features of iSpring Suite:
- PowerPoint conversion: Convert your existing PowerPoint slides into SCORM or xAPI courses with just a click. iSpring Suite allows you to publish directly to your LMS or export as HTML5/MP4 for YouTube.
- Role-play simulations: Create immersive role-play simulations with branching dialogues, customizable characters, and professional voice overs. This helps learners practice real-world scenarios in a safe environment.
- Interactive quizzes: Enhance learner engagement with 14 different types of quiz questions, including matching and drag-and-drop. Add branching, time limits, and attempt restrictions to make quizzes more dynamic and challenging.
- Training videos: Quickly produce training videos that combine presentation slides with advanced software tutorials, complete with voice narration, visual hints, and special effects.
For organizations looking to upgrade their training content and put their existing PowerPoint resources to use, iSpring Suite is the right solution.
6. Evolve by Intellum
Best for advanced customization and scalability
Last on the list, for organizations that need a scalable solution with advanced customization options, Evolve by Intellum is the LMS to consider. It provides robust features that allow organizations to create detailed, tailored learning experiences while supporting large numbers of learners across different regions.
Key features of Evolve:
- Advanced customization: Evolve provides complete control over the look and feel of your courses. You can easily align content with your brand by adding logos, colors, fonts, and themes, ensuring consistency across all learning materials.
- Immersive simulations: Create immersive software simulations, product demos, and proof-of-concept projects with Evolve's built-in tools. These simulations help learners practice real-world skills in a controlled environment.
- Scalability: Whether you're delivering training to a small team or rolling out global learning programs, Evolve scales to meet your organization's needs. Expand your training as you go.
- Real-time collaboration: Evolve makes team collaboration simple with its review and comment features, allowing stakeholders to provide instant feedback on any part of a course. Plus, with the live preview feature, you can see changes in real time, making the development process faster and more efficient.
For organizations that need flexibility and advanced features to scale their learning initiatives, Evolve by Intellum provides a great solution.
Learn more: How to solve a problem like course creation
Learning use cases for course authoring software
Choosing the right LMS for course authoring is just the first step. How you use it can make or break the success of your L&D programs. For example, in highly regulated industries like healthcare or finance, an LMS simplifies the process of updating training to meet new compliance standards.
By applying course authoring tools thoughtfully, you can create training that hits home with learners and aligns with your bigger organizational goals. Here are some key use cases where course authoring software can elevate learning experiences, achieve measurable business outcomes, and simplify the content creation process:
Employee onboarding
Onboarding new employees is a key part of helping them settle into your organization. Structured, consistent training gives them tools to understand your company's culture, values, and the specifics of their role. Course authoring tools make it easier for L&D teams to build interactive onboarding programs, featuring quizzes, role-play simulations, and video-based learning. These elements help new hires feel more confident and ready from day one.
Interactive features like quizzes and branching scenarios allow companies to gauge understanding and tailor training based on each learner's progress. This allows new employees to grasp the most important concepts before moving on. Plus, with employee onboarding course creation software, it's simple to update courses whenever policies or company goals change, keeping training relevant and up-to-date.
Use case example
A global retail chain needs to onboard new employees in stores across different regions. By using course authoring software, the company can create standardized onboarding modules that cover topics like customer service standards, company policies, and health and safety protocols.
The interactive nature of the courses, quizzes, and role-playing simulations keeps new hires engaged (and dare we say—excited) about the learning process. Managers can track the progress of each employee, seeing that they have completed all onboarding steps before they start interacting with customers.
Read more: Why new hire onboarding matters and how to measure it's impact
Compliance training
Compliance training course creation is often mandatory. It needs to be consistent, up-to-date, and easy to track. Course authoring software simplifies creating interactive, engaging compliance courses that can be updated as regulations change.
With features like assessments, quizzes, and certificates, you can ensure learners fully understand the material. It also makes it easy for companies to track who has completed the training and generate reports on compliance status. This keeps your team aligned with the latest standards while making the process more manageable.
Use case example
A financial institution must train all employees on anti-money laundering (AML) regulations, which are updated frequently. With course authoring software, the company can design interactive compliance modules that include real-world scenarios so that employees understand how the regulations apply to their roles.
Plus, automatic tracking shows compliance officers which employees have completed the training and sends reminders to those who haven't. Organizations stay compliant with minimal manual oversight—a win for all.
Leadership training
Leadership training course creation is essential for building strong management teams that drive company growth. Course authoring tools help L&D teams create customized leadership programs focused on decision-making, problem-solving, and strategic thinking. Interactive elements like simulations or case studies allow managers to practice real-world skills in a safe, controlled environment.
With features like custom learning paths, organizations can design leadership programs fit for managers at every level. This personalized approach aligns training with each manager's goals and the broader leadership strategy of the company, ensuring a more impactful development process.
Use case example
A mid-sized tech company wants to train its next generation of leaders. They design a leadership program using scenario-based learning, allowing participants to practice decision-making in simulated business situations.
For instance, one module might present a scenario where a manager needs to resolve a conflict between team members. Learners select from different strategies and receive immediate feedback on their choices. This hands-on approach helps future leaders build critical skills while giving the company insights into each participant's strengths and areas for growth.
Product training
Product training course creation matters for everyone connected to your company. Not just for internal employees, like sales teams and customer support, but also for external users, including partners, vendors, and customers. A well-executed product training program communicates to stakeholders how your product works, what makes it valuable, and how it can solve real-world problems. This knowledge helps drive product adoption, customer satisfaction, and overall business success.
Course authoring software simplifies the creation of product training modules that go beyond simple explanations. It allows you to include video tutorials, interactive product demos, and knowledge checks for deeper understanding.
Use case example
A SaaS company launches a new feature and needs to train both its internal sales team and external channel partners on how to use and sell it. The company develops a series of training modules with video walkthroughs and product demos. The sales team can access the training on their own time, while external partners log into the same platform to complete their training. With this unified training approach, the company educates both internal and external learners on the feature's value proposition so they can confidently communicate it to customers.
Upskilling and reskilling
As organizations (and the world) change, employees need to keep building skills to stay ahead. Course authoring tools make it easier to create upskilling and reskilling programs that match company goals. These programs offer personalized learning paths, giving employees content that fits their current skills and where they need to grow.
Upskilling and reskilling often focus on new tech, processes, or industry trends, keeping your workforce adaptable. With tracking and reporting features, managers can easily see progress and assess how well these programs are closing skill gaps throughout the organization.
Use case example
A manufacturing company is introducing a new piece of machinery across all of its plants. To prep the machine operators, the company designs an upskilling program that includes interactive simulations where employees can practice operating the new machine in a virtual environment. This allows workers to gain hands-on experience without the risk of damaging expensive equipment. Corporate training courses also include assessments that track each operator's progress, allowing managers to see who is ready to work with the new machinery and who needs additional training.
Finding the right LMS for course authoring
Choosing an LMS for course authoring can make a real difference in your learning and development efforts. With a platform that simplifies content creation, supports interactive experiences, and scales as you grow, your L&D team can focus on what really matters—creating engaging learning that generates results.
Whether onboarding new hires, meeting compliance standards, or upskilling your workforce, the right course authoring tools can help you create training programs that match your goals. These platforms allow your content to meet learner needs while delivering results that actually matter.
Learn more: The future of course development with Create AI
What makes Absorb's course authoring tools different?
Absorb LMS is built to help organizations get more out of their learning. With an AI-powered content creation platform, Absorb makes it easy to develop online courses quickly, letting your team focus on crafting experiences that drive growth. It's a scalable solution that adapts to the changing needs of your workforce and learners.
But it isn't just about simplifying course creation; it's about solving real learning challenges. The platform understands the root of learning roadblocks and helps organizations build programs that connect with learners. Absorb's AI-driven personalized upskilling gives learners the targeted support they need to bridge skill gaps and excel in their roles, supporting both individual and organizational success.
