Which is the best e-learning software for my multilingual content?

There is a wide range of e-learning solutions on offer, from multimedia content production tools to platforms for interactive training sessions. But how can you choose the right software for your needs? And which tools are best at handling multilingual content? We took a closer look at eight well-known solutions.

Digital learning requires content, regardless of whether it’s for internal or external training purposes. And that content needs to be created and stored somewhere. That’s why most companies work with dedicated software. The market is booming with tools for content creation, content hosting platforms and entire learning management systems (LMS). For many companies, deciding whether or not to use these tools can be tricky – but it’s worth considering if you need e-learning content in multiple languages.

Never fear – with the right information and a bit of reflection, you’ll be ready to make the best possible decision for your individual situation.

Three key factors that will impact your choice

To find the best e-learning tool for you, you first need to determine your specific requirements.

1. Your needs

Are you looking for a tool to help you create learning content, a central location to store documents, a database of existing training videos, or a solution that covers all of these areas? Your answer will determine whether you need an authoring tool, an LMS, a hosting platform or a combination solution.

2. Your expectations of the translation process

Some of the tools listed below have a multilingual versioning feature. For the others, content has to be duplicated each time you need a version in a new language. The standard translation process involves exporting the content, sending the resulting file to your language service provider, and then importing the new language version back into the system. If this intermediate step is too long-winded for you, check out LearnDash or TalentLMS. LearnDash benefits from the many directly integrable translation plugins that WordPress offers. TalentLMS automatically initiates the translation process via a translation management system (TMS).

3. Language requirements for course content and navigation

Tools such as Storyline or 360Learning support a large number of languages, but only when it comes to the course content itself. If you want to offer fully localized training, you’ll also need to translate the course navigation, buttons, etc. manually – that is, if the system offers this option. Alternatively, you can display these elements in English by default. You’ll need to make this decision based on the language skills of your e-learning audience. Another point to bear in mind: if you’re providing Arabic content, you should avoid Rise or iSpring, as these tools can’t adequately represent scripts that read from right to left.

Have you already got your eye on a specific tool, or would you like to get an overview of the options available? Either way, we can help: we compare the eight most popular solutions and their language options below.

Articulate Rise

The first app in the Articulate 360 Suite is one of the easiest ways to create e-learning courses: the whole process is carried out directly in the web browser, without the producer having to download any additional software, and it lets you create everything from videos to questionnaires.


Software type	Authoring tool
System languages (navigation, etc.)	5
Languages supported	10
Workflow	Export/import via XLIFF file (formatting is retained using HTML). A duplicate course must be created for each language. Each language also requires a separate label set for buttons and navigation elements, which must be translated separately
Integration for translations	No
Further information	Double-byte character sets for Japanese, Chinese and Korean. No right-to-left scripts (Hebrew, Arabic, etc.)

Articulate Storyline

Simple for beginners, powerful for experts – that’s how Articulate advertises its Storyline software. The platform lets you create a range of e-learning formats in just a few minutes and display them responsively across all devices.


Software type	Authoring tool
System languages (navigation, etc.)	5
Languages supported	100+
Workflow	Export/import via XLIFF or Word (docx, can be supplemented with thumbnails and screenshots). Language versions are stored using triggers or separate branches. The Storyline player (buttons, etc.) must be localized manually
Integration for translations	No
Further information	Double-byte character sets for JapaText-to-speech for video localization. Can display special language formats such as right-to-left scripts and double-byte character sets

Adobe Captivate

The Quick Start feature makes this Adobe product particularly relevant for beginners. It offers ready-to-use templates for building educational videos, screencasts and multi-module courses. Existing PowerPoint content can be converted into interactive videos and quizzes. Captivate also integrates with Photoshop, allowing you to customize the layout and design.


Software type	Authoring tool
System languages (navigation, etc.)	8
Languages supported	15
Workflow	Export/import of text and subtitles via Word, Excel or XML. Since Captivate does not support multilingual content, you’ll need to create separate modules for each language
Integration for translations	No
Further information	Text-to-speech option for English, French (Canada) and Korean. Adobe has limited ability to display individual Chinese and Japanese fonts. Some templates do not support additional text lengths (find out more here))

Udemy Business

Udemy is a global platform which offers more than 200,000 fee-based e-learning courses. Through Udemy Business, more than 12,000 companies currently have access to the curated course library and can also create their own content collections for employees and clients.


Software type	Hosting platform
System languages (navigation, etc.)	16
Languages supported	16+
Workflow	Export/import via CSV. The platform offers courses in 12 languages. Self-created courses must be uploaded separately for each language. In-house subtitling software integrates video localization into the tool
Integration for translations	Udemy Dual Subtitles software
Further information	Text-to-speech option for English, FrenCertain elements, such as the course navigation and review section, can only be displayed in system languages

TalentLMS

This learning management system is particularly suitable for smaller companies. Online courses can be created very quickly using drag-and-drop – and it’s free if you have fewer than five users. The cloud-based platform also offers several third-party integrations.


Software type	Learning management system
System languages (navigation, etc.)	2
Languages supported	30
Workflow	Export/import via CSV. The platfExport/import via Excel/CSV. A new branch for each language
Integration for translations	Google Translate and various third-party TMS providers
Further information	Supports right-to-left scripts and double-byte character sets

360Learning

The platform offers international teams all the resources they need for collaborative learning. Large companies such as Toyota, Airbus and Haribo use the cloud-based tool, which is positioned as an all-in-one solution for staff development, onboarding, and partner and sales enablement. 360Learning can be linked to the major HR management systems and to content tools such as Canva.


Software type	Learning management system
System languages (navigation, etc.)	3
Languages supported	30+
Workflow	Directly in the backend via translation interface: you designate your language experts, who will be notified when new content is added. Internal comment features and an editor simplify collaboration. Or via export/import of XLIFF files
Integration for translations	No
Further information	No right-to-left scripts

iSpring

iSpring offers a wide range of features, from mobile learning and certificates, to compliance and product training, to onboarding, as well as various reporting options. The tool is PowerPoint-based and intuitive to use. It can turn Word and PDF documents into ebooks.


Software type	Learning management system/authoring tool
System languages (navigation, etc.)	10
Languages supported	14
Workflow	Export/import in XLIFF format. The translation feature integrates the texts directly into the layout when you import them using duplicates
Integration for translations	In-house iSpring Suite Max with translation feature
Further information	Text-to-speech feature for 42 languages. No right-to-left scripts

LearnDash

The largest plugin for e-learning content on WordPress turns any website into a practical learning environment offering course content, questions, quizzes and more.


Software type	Learning management system
System languages (navigation, etc.)	1
Languages supported	100+
Workflow	Within WordPress via download of individual strings and integration of POT files
Integration for translations	Various translation plugins for WordPress such as Polylang, WPML, etc.
Further information	Right-to-left scripts and double scripts are supported