Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Head-to-head · Course Authoring Software

Articulate 360 vs Adapt Learning

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 7 checks side by side
Higher score Articulate 360 #1 in Course Authoring Software 9.4/10 14-day trial Free trial✓ 6 of 6 features Visit Articulate 360
Adapt Learning #18 in Course Authoring Software 7.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 6 features Visit Adapt Learning

Articulate 360 leads on 0 checks, Adapt Learning on 1, and 6 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 7 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreArticulate 360 · 9.4/10
  • Free planonly Adapt Learning
  • Free trialonly Articulate 360
  • Most featuresArticulate 360 · 6 of 6

Articulate 360 scores higher on our rubric for course authoring software: 9.4 against 7.3 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #18.

Adapt Learning offers free plan; Articulate 360 doesn't.

Articulate 360 is the better fit for teams wanting Rise and Storyline together. Adapt Learning is the better fit for open-source responsive course authoring.

  • Articulate 360 fits best

    Teams wanting Rise and Storyline together

  • Adapt Learning fits best

    Open-source responsive course 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 Articulate 360 9.4/10 Visit ↗ Adapt Learning 7.3/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 7.3
Ranking #1 in Course Authoring Software #18 in Course Authoring Software
Best for Teams wanting Rise and Storyline together Open-source responsive course authoring
Pricing model Paid Free
Starting price — Free plan
Free plan — ✓ (best)
Free trial 14 days —
Deployment Cloud, Desktop Self-hosted
Platforms Web, Windows Web
Support Email, Live chat, Docs Community, Docs
Integrations 6 integrations 2 integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Articulate 360 6/6 · Adapt Learning 5/6
Interactive content ✓ ✓
Assessment builder ✓ ✓
SCORM export ✓ ✓
Responsive output ✓ ✓
Team collaboration ✓ ✓
Content library ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Specs
Author seats 1 authors Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Combines responsive Rise authoring with custom Storyline interactions
  • Exports courses in SCORM, xAPI, cmi5, and AICC formats
  • Adds review workflows, collaboration, assets, and AI-assisted creation
  • Responsive HTML5 output for desktop, tablet, and smartphone screens
  • Assessments include question banks, randomization, and customizable feedback
  • Plugins, themes, and custom code support extended course development
Cons
  • Authoring-focused plans are paid per seat annually
  • Storyline authoring is tied to Windows desktop applications
  • The broad feature set may exceed the needs of simple course projects
  • Server-based authoring can require more setup than hosted tools
  • Custom extensions may require developer involvement
  • The framework approach may suit technical teams better than casual authors
Our verdict

Articulate 360 is a workplace-training authoring platform for instructional designers, learning teams, and organizations. Its two central authoring tools serve different needs: Rise creates browser-based responsive courses, while Storyline…

Read the review →

Adapt Learning is an open-source e-learning authoring tool and developer framework for learning designers, developers, and organizations creating reusable digital learning content. It produces responsive HTML5 courses for desktop, tablet,…

Read the review →
  1. Articulate 360Course Authoring Software 9.414-day trial
  2. Adapt LearningCourse Authoring Software 7.3Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Articulate 360 — where it wins

    • Combines responsive Rise authoring with custom Storyline interactions
    • Exports courses in SCORM, xAPI, cmi5, and AICC formats
    • Adds review workflows, collaboration, assets, and AI-assisted creation

    Where it doesn't

    • Authoring-focused plans are paid per seat annually
    • Storyline authoring is tied to Windows desktop applications
    • The broad feature set may exceed the needs of simple course projects

  • Adapt Learning — where it wins

    • Responsive HTML5 output for desktop, tablet, and smartphone screens
    • Assessments include question banks, randomization, and customizable feedback
    • Plugins, themes, and custom code support extended course development

    Where it doesn't

    • Server-based authoring can require more setup than hosted tools
    • Custom extensions may require developer involvement
    • The framework approach may suit technical teams better than casual authors

More comparisons

All course authoring software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update