Adobe Captivate
Course authoring software
Talent management software
Training eLearning software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
Take the quiz to check if Adobe Captivate and its alternatives fit your requirements.
$39.99 per month
Free Trial
Free version unavailable
Small
Medium
Large
- Construction
- Professional services (engineering, legal, consulting, etc.)
- Energy and utilities
What is Adobe Captivate
Adobe Captivate is a desktop and cloud-supported authoring tool used to create interactive eLearning content such as software simulations, quizzes, and responsive courses. It is primarily used by instructional designers, learning teams, and training content developers who publish content for delivery through learning management systems. Captivate focuses on slide-based authoring with interactivity, screen capture/simulation workflows, and standards-based publishing for common eLearning formats.
Strong simulation authoring tools
Captivate supports screen recording and step-by-step software simulations, including demonstration, training, and assessment-style outputs. This is useful for application onboarding and process training where learners must follow exact UI steps. The workflow is more specialized for simulations than many general-purpose course builders.
Standards-based LMS publishing
Captivate publishes packages commonly used by LMS platforms, including SCORM and xAPI (Tin Can), enabling tracking of completions and assessment results. This helps organizations deploy courses across different LMS environments without rebuilding content. It also supports packaging options and reporting-related settings expected in enterprise training deployments.
Interactive content and assessments
Captivate includes built-in interactions (buttons, states, branching) and assessment objects (question banks, quizzes, scoring). These features support compliance training, knowledge checks, and scenario-based learning. Teams can create reusable templates and consistent interaction patterns across modules.
Not a full LMS suite
Captivate is primarily an authoring tool and does not provide core LMS capabilities such as enrollment management, certifications, learning paths, or native learner administration. Organizations typically need a separate LMS to assign training and manage users. This can increase total cost and integration effort compared with all-in-one training platforms.
Desktop-centric production workflow
Many production workflows rely on a locally installed application, which can complicate collaboration, version control, and review cycles for distributed teams. Compared with browser-first authoring tools, multi-author editing and centralized asset governance may require additional processes. Teams often supplement with external review and file-sharing tools.
Learning curve for advanced builds
Building complex branching, variables, and highly customized interactions can require specialized expertise. Instructional designers without prior experience may need training to use advanced features efficiently. This can slow initial rollout compared with simpler, template-driven course builders.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Individual | $39.99 per month (Adobe.com) | Includes access to the all‑new Adobe Captivate and Adobe Captivate Classic, 100 GB storage, generative credits (individual allocation). Purchase via Adobe.com; 30‑day free trial available. |
| Teams | Contact sales / Custom pricing | Volume (named‑user) subscriptions via Adobe Value Incentive Plan (VIP). Includes higher monthly premium generative credits and admin console; contact Adobe for pricing. |
| Enterprise | Contact sales / Custom pricing | Enterprise Term License Agreement (ETLA) and volume licensing options; centralized management and predictable multi‑year terms; contact Adobe for pricing. |
| Education | Contact sales / Custom pricing | Eligible educational institutions receive discounted pricing for students and instructors; contact Adobe for education pricing. |
Seller details
Adobe Inc.
San Jose, California, USA
1982
Public
https://www.adobe.com/
https://x.com/Adobe
https://www.linkedin.com/company/adobe/
