# Adobe Captivate Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is Adobe Captivate the right eLearning Authoring Tools solution for you? Explore 221 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/227148/Adobe-Captivate/reviews --- Adobe Captivate 4.4 (221) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/227148/Adobe-Captivate/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 13th, 2026 # Reviews of Adobe Captivate Ease of use 3.8 Customer Service 3.9 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews JN Jean-Pierre N Instructional DesingE-Learning, 501 - 1,000 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “It is a powerful tool for instructional designers who need to build eLearning content.“ December 5, 2025 DT David T DirectorE-Learning, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “The workflow is very cumbersome and I don't feel confident in suggesting it as an authoring tool when scoping with clients, as the time required to create anything useful would make the costs prohibitive.“ October 29, 2024 VH Victoria H Instructional DesignerAirlines/Aviation, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “I love how easy it is to create interactive content, like simulations and quizzes, which really keeps learners engaged.“ October 6, 2025 AM Alexander M IT trainerHealth, Wellness and Fitness, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Not as good as Articulate and feels rather dated.“ November 12, 2025 DH Dr. Marcia H Non-profit FounderEducation Management, Self-employedUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “However, since I am now using AI tools which makes course generation easier.“ October 6, 2025 DT David T DirectorE-Learning, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “I keep returning to Adobe Captivate in the hope that there have been improvements made, but sadly it always disappoints.“ October 29, 2024 KH Kyeshuan H CeoRetail, Self-employedUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “I love the fact that you can incorporate simulations, quizzes, and surveys, to name a few.“ January 13, 2025 Brandon H L and D ManagerFinancial Services, 201 - 500 employeesUsed the software for: I used a free trial. “Additionally, the support for the tools are just not there. If you reach out to support, expect to wait for a long time.“ December 19, 2023 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 221 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Josh Y. Senior Education Manager of Online Learning E-Learning Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "A powerful player in the e-learning arena" October 9, 2020 4.0 While I am just jumping into the platform as my current job requires it over other software platforms, I am impressed. Having used the entire Adobe CC and other e-learning software, this platform is not difficult to transition into. Pros Having used many products for developing e-learning, Captivate is among the top-tier development programs but has a high cost to entry. The platform is powerful and has a lot of nuances that allow for digging deep into options for developing truly custom courses and user experiences. Cons While you can dig deeply into advanced interactions, data reporting, etc, the learning curve is immense to begin to understand elements such as advanced actions, keywords, etc. Variables become buried and are not as easy to manipulate as in Articulate Storyline, but they are buried for very good reason in that you can actually do more in Captivate than with its rival program with such features. If I am to further nitpick, I am not excited by the filmstrip display for slide storyline. This is a feature I love in Articulate's e-learning in that non-linear branching is highly encouraged whereas the linear filmstrip does little to entice users to develop complex learning opportunities, reinforcing the linear death by slides commonly seen in virtual learning. Switched from [Articulate 360](https://www.capterra.com/p/156978/Articulate-360/) Occupational requirement. These two programs are used across the e-learning landscape, and the use of one or another is often dependent on the organization. I do prefer the power and ability to fully customize that is within Adobe Captivate, though Articulate Storyline is by far more user-friendly. Review Source JN Jean-Pierre N. Instructional Desing E-Learning Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Instructional Designer" December 5, 2025 5.0 It is a powerful tool for instructional designers who need to build eLearning content. It also has a large online community and tutorial materials. Pros Captivate is a robust software that helps to build interactive materials for your online or hybrid courses. I used the screen recording to create step-by-step instructions to demonstrate how to use different technologies in our school. Question templates are also amazing. Cons A little pricy, and it is very difficult to reach customer support. In addition, the new users find it overwhelming to navigate. Switched from [Camtasia](https://www.capterra.com/p/203013/Camtasia/) Cativate is more powerful and robust for building assessment and feedback customization. Review Source AM Alexander M. IT trainer Health, Wellness and Fitness Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Expensive but can get results. Articulate is better." November 12, 2025 3.0 Decent, but expensive tool to use for creation of e-learning. Not as good as Articulate and feels rather dated. Pros Easy to produce very simple e-learning once you overcome the initial learning curve. Good for rework. Cons The initial learning curve is extremely steep, even with experience of video editing and other tools. Review Source MD Mark D. CEO Professional Training & Coaching Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Captivate, once the king, not 2d best" March 5, 2025 4.0 A great product. At one point in time, many years ago, it was the "king." You could run through your software product and Captivate would capture all of the steps, even giving you different ways to play back. For testing and demoing. Pros Some features for ease of use, powerful, eLearning software. Cons Complicated in some features. Either must have a developer or take a course. On ramping steep at times in the past. Alternatives considered [Articulate 360](https://www.capterra.com/p/156978/Articulate-360/) Reason for choosing Adobe Captivate At one time, it was king of eLearning authoring. It's fallen now, although it appears to be making a comeback. Review Source SV Shubham V. Manager Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Streamline your LMS with an advanced learning tool from Adobe." June 17, 2023 5.0 Captivate is feature-rich & based on latest technology, it's better than any other LMS tool in the market. Pros We can easily convert our existing webinars & PowerPoint presentations into courses & onboarding walkthroughs thanks to Captivate. Learning Management is the spine of any Organization & Captivate is the tool that ensures that all employees are constantly learning and evolving. Managers at each level can track the progress using 360 degree dashboards. Cons Captivate is not an easy tool. Administrators will need a lot of trainings and hands on before they can fully utilize this product to it's real potential. Alternatives considered [Zoho Learn](https://www.capterra.com/p/242127/Zoho-Learn/) Reason for choosing Adobe Captivate Adobe incorporates latest technology in Captivate & it has an existing template of resources with a highly engaged community. Review Source Paul W. eLearning Designer and Developer E-Learning Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Adobe Captivate is the Cornerstone of My eLearning Business" October 17, 2019 5.0 I started using Adobe Captivate with version 2. It was okay but obviously there was room for it to improve. At the time of writing this review, Captivate is on version 11 and it has matured into a robust solution. I will continue to use it for all my professional eLearning work for as long as they continue to make it available. Pros I have been using Adobe Captivate since the mid-2000s. Each release has brought new and innovative features that allow me to continue to impress my clients. Features like virtual reality and interactive video make Adobe Captivate the industry leader in eLearning Authoring tools Cons A complicated piece of software means that the learning curve is steep but the reward is that in return it does so much. Alternatives considered [Articulate 360](https://www.capterra.com/p/156978/Articulate-360/) Reason for choosing Adobe Captivate Adobe Captivate's subscription model was a better value than Storyline. Plus the ability to round trip with the Creative Cloud applications made it a clear choice for me. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Non-profit Founder Education Management Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Captivate Plus AI Content Generation is the Way Forward" October 6, 2025 4.0 I have been using Captivate for a while and really like to tool. However, since I am now using AI tools which makes course generation easier. Pros Customer support is great and you definitely get value for the monthly subscription. It's good for interactive learning but is now competing with AI tools that can generate quizzes and other interactions quickly. Course creation is not difficult once you learn the tool. Cons The version I used did not have AI integration and the interface needs to be improved. When I compare it to other tools, Captivate is behind. Instructional designers need tools that will help them to generate courses quickly and integration with AI--LLMs would put Captivate ahead. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Instructional Designer Telecommunications Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "New exciting features, but limited customization" April 14, 2025 4.0 Pros The new Adobe version has a modern user interface and multiple widgets (flip cards, hotspot, carousel and more) that can make an e-learning module more interactive and engaging. It's easy to use as all you have to do is add blocks and components to build your content. Cons It can be glitchy and crash without a warning, so you have to save your work often to avoid losing progress. The blocks aren't customizable, you're limited to preset designs, therefore you can't get too creative. Review Source VH Victoria H. Instructional Designer Airlines/Aviation Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Solid authoring tool" October 6, 2025 4.0 My experience with Adobe Captivate has been solid overall. It has all the capabilities you need to create a great course. Pros I love how easy it is to create interactive content, like simulations and quizzes, which really keeps learners engaged. The fact that it works so well with other Adobe tools is a huge bonus too. Cons What I like least about Adobe Captivate is that it can be a bit overwhelming at first. With so many features and options, it takes some time to figure out how to use everything efficiently. The learning curve is steep for beginners. Though the interface can feel a bit dated. Review Source DT David T. Director E-Learning Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Could have been so much better" October 29, 2024 2.0 I keep returning to Adobe Captivate in the hope that there have been improvements made, but sadly it always disappoints. The workflow is very cumbersome and I don't feel confident in suggesting it as an authoring tool when scoping with clients, as the time required to create anything useful would make the costs prohibitive. Pros I found that the features in Captivate that allow the creation of interactive videos were useful. Cons Pop up content is standard in eLearning courses, but Adobe have continued to ignore this basic requirement, making it a very long-winded and difficult task to add pop up/reveal content. Review Source GT Gary T. Learning Architect Telecommunications Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Simple tool that offers creativity for those prepared to test features." March 15, 2025 4.0 Overall it is a simple and good tool to use. You can go more complex if you are familiar with how Captivate works, but it is not needed for many who just want to build a course with ease. Pros Adobe Captivate offers a simpler tool to create eLearning. The product is drag and drop for the most part, and building simple courses is straight forward. Cons There are still some bugs in the product, and many of the editing and design features are a weak. It would be better if it offered more flexibility with design tools. Review Source DV Devon V. Training Manager Consumer Goods Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Powerful eLearning Creation" September 11, 2024 4.0 I have used this program to create e learning the content and have delivered it to my workplace and employees. Pros It has all the design and tool features that you need in order to create eLearning courses and SCORM compliant training. Cons There's a lot of formulas and other equations that need to come into play when using this program. Other programs have the more simplified approach. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Instructional Designer E-Learning Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Feature-Rich Design and Development" October 22, 2019 5.0 I've preferred Captivate to Storyline throughout my career. Most orgs seem to lean toward Storyline because the UI is so similar to working in PowerPoint. I definitely prefer the more robust feature set that gets quality, regular updates/enhancements that comes with Captivate. Pros The ongoing updates and upgrades continue to make this software easier to use for those new to it, and also expedites building many of the interactions. Really enjoy the Assets feature as well when looking to switch things up a little - really helps with inspiration and new ideas. The online community is also really great with supporting each other and lending new ideas. The different preview options that are built in are fantastic and load so much faster than Storyline. Cons There are still a lot of work-arounds needed for some interaction types to meet digital accessibility needs, but that's to be expected with almost any software. When capturing video, you cannot capture device audio. Review Source OH Omith H. Accounting Manager Newspapers Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Adobe Captivate is E-Learning Solution" August 22, 2022 5.0 I've been using this app for a long time, It works fine with me and I absolutely love it. It helps me save a lot of time. I am very satisfied with using this software. Pros The usefulness and versatility of Adobe Captivate are among the most extensive. You may develop everything with it, from conventional card-based eLearning modules to virtual reality training. That's why it's so outstanding. And fantastic image quality for lovely e-learning content. Cons When features have issues, Adobe takes a while to repair them. By being more deliberate and prompt in fixing these errors, they may improve their product in this area. Review Source Zacchaeus E. Exhibit Technician II Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Adobe Captivate - E-Learning Software" June 23, 2019 5.0 We use it to identify certain species of animals for the guests to our facility. They utilize the program through touch screen displays. I am very please with it's usability straight out of the box. I was able to seamlessly edit and manipulate slides and information. Pros I like how intuitive the user interface is. I was able to easily navigate through options and controls. There is a already a large library of assets to implement into projects. I was able to jump right in, make a template and move slides around at whim with minimal difficulty. Cons I didn't like that I could not get a subscription for it for more than 12 months. Otherwise, personally, I was impressed with the product. My supervisor tried to use this software and he had trouble with the PhoneGap and GitHub part of the rendering process. So for people less familiar with how mobile applications are created, there may be a steep learning curve. Reason for choosing Adobe Captivate I am very familiar with the adobe line of products and this enabled me to combine some of the best elements of those products without having to use different software. Review Source SM Sarah M. 911 dispatcher Public Safety Used the software for: 2+ years ### "PDF READER FOR DUMMIES" June 27, 2019 5.0 I use this program on a regular basis in order to sign documents that need to be electronically transferred. It saves time and saves paper to where you do not have to go printing stuff off. It can be easy to use for the most part. This program is very simple and usually comes on most PC computers. I use it a lot to read PDF files as well. Pros This program is very easy to use and is very common so if you don't even know how to do something on it you can usually Google it and figure it out. You can use it to read over and view stuff as well - the stuff that websites put in for additional documents. Cons Sometimes the program will freeze up which can get really annoying and sometimes the fields that you are trying to write your documents on won't work. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Implementation & Support Specialist Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Creating courses" February 15, 2021 3.0 not a great experience but it might be enough for some to just to have a tool for . Pros we can create course content based on videos, slides, and interactive courses and track user progress, quick and final exam results. Cons it requires much more features and advancements and needs to make it much easier for users to achieve what they need. Review Source SK Sameer K. Lead Associate Training E-Learning Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best tool for simulation and VR modules " September 20, 2019 4.0 Captivate is the best for simulation as compared to any other tool in the market. It the only tool which having 360 interactive output and can implement lots of things which will be in another tool in future. Pros There is no match for this tool for simulation of any website of the software. Now it's including a fluid box for responsive design and it works really well on different sized devices. We used to develop content for pure HTML 5 output and it output file works without any flash support. Cons Sometimes it becomes stuck when we try to insert assets from the library even if the RAM is 8GB. Other than that it is the best tool available in the market place. Review Source DS Dave S. Technical Training Manager Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Create online training content that's great with Adobe Captivate" October 7, 2019 4.0 I used Adobe Captivate to create and product online training courses for our company's online university. The software was detailed with a number of features, but something I was able to teach myself...very helpful considering I did not have an IT or software writing background. Pros After a normal learning curve, it's relatively easy to use to create content. I used it to create online training courses for a learning management system, and it really made our otherwise serviceable (but not too exciting) PowerPoint slides truly come to life! The software is powerful with what seems to be unlimited options for creativity. Cons As with probably any software worth anything, there's a bit of a learning curve to learn some of the tips and tricks for effective use. Where to find the various features is not always super-intuitive, but it's something I was able to work through. Review Source RG Rachel G. Instructional Designer Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Long time user" October 17, 2019 5.0 Captivate is a great tool. From a layout perspective it simply wasn't as intuitive as Storyline. However it's been a few years since I've used it last so perhaps this has improved. Pros This software is a great instructional design tool. Having used it since its inception (RoboDemo) I have seen it evolve a lot over the years. Nothing negative Cons Nothing negative. Simply I switched over to Storyline and found it way easier to use for advanced eLearning development. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Accounting assistant Consumer Goods Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Pdf reader" September 9, 2019 5.0 Pros This has been of a great help to me in reading and editing out pdf documents. Cons It doesnt really have any drawbacks. I an satisfied using this software. Review Source ML Michael L. Staff Training & Development Manager Banking Used the software for: 2+ years ### "ELearning Design at it’s best!" December 5, 2019 4.0 Adobe Captivate has the power to help you create riveting eLearning experiences. It’s not as expensive as the competition, so you also get more bang for your buck. Pros This software can do just about anything that you would like for your eLearning courses. It’s easy to create interactive software demos, video role-plays, and detailed quizzes. If you have Adobe Captivate Prime, you can upload directly into the LMS. But even if you use another LMS, it’s easy to create a SCORM file and import it in. Cons It’s not the most intuitive product. You can do just about anything you would imagine, but it will take some experimentation. However, if you stick with it (or look up a few how-to’s on YoutTube) you’ll be all set! Review Source PM Paul M. Data Analyst Government Administration Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Adobe Captivate - powerful learnng tool" December 1, 2023 5.0 Basically Adobe Capivate has helped me produce a number of instructional videos which are still in use today for the entire organisation. I created a video for example on how to use dashboards created with Microsoft PowerBI. Can be clunky at times and produce large files if you don't know what you're doing - however it's very powerful and capable Pros It's relatively easy to use from the get go and mildy intuitive. Once you get the hang of it you can produce very professional looking video demonstrations of software. Cons If you're not an Adobe person you will likely struggle with this - however that just means more learning of the product itself. It's not a modern feeling bit of software and feels a bit dated. Review Source Prathima K. Junior Frontend Developer Computer Software Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Really good e learning authoring tools for beginners as well as experienced ones." February 28, 2023 4.0 Overall Adobe captivate has been a really good choice for me for creating very effective and engaging e learning courses and managing them. Pros The thing that i liked the most is the wide range of templates available to choose from to create our courses. Also being from the adobe its integration with other adobe services like learning management system via moodle blackboard etc really raises the overall helpfulness of adobe captivate. Cons Although it is mostly compatible in most of the devices but sometimes in the older version of desktops it doesnt work efficiently. Also the multimedia experiences in the video content courses can be even more improved i feel. Review Source KW Kaytie W. Regional Training Executive Hospital & Health Care Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Seamless Service" March 26, 2024 5.0 Pros During my previous role as a Regional Training Executive I was nervous to create Training Modules as I had previously used a different software. Adobe Captivate is simple to use and quick to learn. I no longer create Training Modules however if I do I hope to use Adobe Captivate. Cons Possibly a personal issue however as I was working form home I had alot of issues accessing account however our remote IT Team were able to asssit me (apologies I am not sure what their resolution was). Reason for choosing Adobe Captivate The product was already in place when I joined Sitel, I previously used a different system and I would pick Adobe Captivate every day! Review Source Similar Products Featured ## Related categories [eLearning Authoring Tools](https://www.capterra.com/elearning-authoring-tools-software/)[Course Authoring](https://www.capterra.com/course-authoring-software/)[Learning Management System](https://www.capterra.com/learning-management-system-software/) ## Send me user reviews about this product ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.