Storyline v. Studio

Mar 18, 2016

John Hegger
By John Hegger

Hi everyone, 

I'm looking for a little guidance on which version I want to try and pitch to my superiors.  We are government agency (public safety) that is wanting to incorporate interactive learning into an already established LMS.  My understanding is that both versions of the software will save as a SCORM file, so that's a plus.  

I saw that Studio allows you to do all that Storyline does but also has quizzes, tests, etc.  I also saw that Storyline has a similar setup, that has drag and drop type of interactions.  Does Storyline have any type of quizzes and tests?  From what it looks like, Studio goes straight into PowerPoint, while Storyline is a separate software.  They both appear to be the same in price, which is confusing.  I do like the idea of having Replay to create videos.  That will be great, especially for introducing various important people in our agency.  

Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.  

4 Replies
Kendra Kernen
8 years ago03/18/16 at 5:59 pm (UTC)

I would recommend Storyline 2 over Studio '13 without reservation. Our group started off with Studio '13 and, while it allows you to get the job done, it is not accomplished without much wailing and gnashing of teeth. Presenter is basically PowerPoint, so it becomes slow and clunky very quickly because of all that you are asking it to do. We had lots of problems with it crashing, especially when adding in quizzes and interactions. QuizMaker was also unreliable.

SL2 does everything Studio '13 does, but because it is a stand-alone program, it runs faster and with fewer problems. It is very easy to learn and you can get up to speed with the basics in a week or so, then explore and develop your modules in any number of ways. It has quizzes and interactions built-in, so you don't have to import them from QuizMaker or Engage like you do with Presenter. I'm not saying that SL2 doesn't have its issues, because there are enough to frustrate an intermediate to advanced user, but it functions above and beyond Studio '13, in my opinion.

Good luck!

Brian Allen
8 years ago03/18/16 at 7:12 pm (UTC)

If your developers are more comfortable in PowerPoint, Studio may be best.

If you have developers who already have experience with tools like Captivate, then Storyline may be the best option.

Studio has a somewhat shorter learning curve, Storyline's is a little higher but still not bad.

If you need to produce product simulations, Storyline is your tool.  Studio does not do this.

Storyline really does do most if not all of what Studio does, and also has these advanced capabilities: 

  1. Storyline can produce recorded product simulations with built-in "watch it", "try it" and "know it" modes.
  2. Storyline supports the use of variables and triggers, allowing you to build advanced learning interactions with gamification type possibilities.

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