Adobe Captivate vs Lectora

Adobe Captivate9.2Visit Lectora8.6Visit

Higher score Adobe Captivate #3 in Course Authoring Software 9.2/10 30-day trial Free trial✓ 6 of 6 features Try Adobe Captivate

vs

Lectora #7 in Course Authoring Software 8.6/10 Paid ✓ 6 of 6 features Visit Lectora

• Adobe Captivate fits best

  Mature teams needing advanced interactions

• Lectora fits best

  Accessibility-focused professional authoring

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	Adobe Captivate 9.2/10 Visit ↗	Lectora 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.2	8.6
Ranking	#3 in Course Authoring Software	#7 in Course Authoring Software
Best for	Mature teams needing advanced interactions	Accessibility-focused professional authoring
Pricing model	Paid	Paid
Starting price	$39.99/mo	$1,549/yr
Free plan	—	—
Free trial	30 days	—
Deployment	Desktop	Cloud, Desktop
Platforms	Windows, macOS	Web, Windows
Integrations	5 integrations	7 integrations
Features Adobe Captivate 6/6 · Lectora 6/6
Interactive content	✓	✓
Assessment builder	✓	✓
SCORM export	✓	✓
Responsive output	✓	✓
Team collaboration	✓	✓
Content library	✓	✓
Specs
Author seats	1 authors	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Branching, simulations, triggers, widgets, and object states Publishes SCORM, AICC, xAPI, and HTML5 LMS packages Includes responsive layouts, review workflows, and generative AI tools	WCAG 2.0 AA support with an accessibility checker Publishes to SCORM, AICC, xAPI, HTML5, and cmi5 Combines branching, assessments, responsive design, and collaboration
Cons	No free plan; the trial lasts 30 days Team and enterprise pricing requires contacting sales Desktop authoring is limited to Windows and macOS	Starting price is $1,549 per year with annual billing Windows desktop authoring limits desktop platform choice The Studio plan costs $10,547 per year
Our verdict	Adobe Captivate is desktop eLearning authoring software for instructional designers, corporate training professionals, educators, and business users. It supports PowerPoint import with editable slide elements, interactive widgets,… Read the review →	Lectora is course authoring software from ELB Learning, offered as online software and Windows desktop software. It is built for instructional designers and professional learning teams creating interactive eLearning. Authors can develop… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Adobe Captivate — where it wins

  • Branching, simulations, triggers, widgets, and object states
  • Publishes SCORM, AICC, xAPI, and HTML5 LMS packages
  • Includes responsive layouts, review workflows, and generative AI tools

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan; the trial lasts 30 days
  • Team and enterprise pricing requires contacting sales
  • Desktop authoring is limited to Windows and macOS

• Lectora — where it wins

  • WCAG 2.0 AA support with an accessibility checker
  • Publishes to SCORM, AICC, xAPI, HTML5, and cmi5
  • Combines branching, assessments, responsive design, and collaboration

  Where it doesn't

  • Starting price is $1,549 per year with annual billing
  • Windows desktop authoring limits desktop platform choice
  • The Studio plan costs $10,547 per year

• Adobe Captivate9.2/10 · 30-day trial

  A feature-rich desktop authoring tool for advanced, standards-based eLearning.

  Try Adobe CaptivateFull verdict →
• Lectora8.6/10 · Paid

  A capable authoring suite with broad publishing and accessibility tools, priced for professional teams.

  Visit LectoraFull verdict →