Commercial eLearning authoring tools come with significant licensing costs that put them out of reach for many institutions — particularly smaller organisations, NGOs, and government training bodies in resource-constrained contexts. The good news is that a range of free and open source alternatives exist, covering everything from simple interactive HTML5 content to fully responsive, SCORM-compliant courseware.
H5P
H5P is an HTML5 content authoring tool that enables the creation, sharing, and reuse of interactive content across multiple devices. The content type library is extensive: interactive videos, course presentations, drag-and-drop activities, quizzes, timelines, and more.
What makes H5P particularly accessible is its integration model — it runs as a plugin inside WordPress, Moodle, and Drupal, meaning you can author content directly within the platforms your institution already uses. No standalone installation is required. It is open source, entirely free, and designed for non-technical users. For institutions looking for a low-barrier entry into interactive content creation, H5P is the most practical starting point available. Visit h5p.org.
Adapt Authoring Tool
Adapt creates fully responsive, multi-device, HTML5 eLearning content using the Adapt developer framework. It runs in a browser, requires no programming knowledge for content authoring, and produces SCORM-compliant content that can be tracked through your LMS. The limitation to be aware of: initial server setup requires technical knowledge. Once configured, however, the authoring interface is accessible to non-developers. Visit adaptlearning.org.
Xerte Online Toolkits
Xerte is a server-based suite of tools aimed at content authors who need to create SCORM-compliant content quickly, using browser-based wizards with no programming required. It supports collaborative development, allowing multiple content authors to work on the same project. Xerte is particularly well-suited to higher education institutions with a central learning technology team managing a shared authoring environment. Visit xerte.org.uk.
Course Builder by Google
An open source online education platform designed to help you create and manage an online course. Course Builder is more suited to educational institutions than corporate L&D environments — it supports instruction, assessments, and collaborative activities within a structured course framework. It has a rich feature set but a steeper learning curve than H5P or Adapt. Visit edu.google.com/openonline.
Multimedia Learning Object Authoring Tool (MLOAT)
MLOAT enables content experts to combine video, audio, images, and text into a single synchronised learning object — without programming. Assets are configured through a graphical interface and played back in a pre-configured sequence. It is best suited to subject matter experts who need to package existing multimedia resources into a presentable learning object without technical support. Visit learningtools.arts.ubc.ca.
Key takeaway: For most institutions in resource-constrained contexts, H5P inside Moodle is the most practical free authoring solution available. It requires no server setup, no programming, and produces content that works across devices and tracks through any SCORM-compatible LMS.