Software licensing is a major investment for companies and freelance developers. Software licences are a key cost for anyone involved in elearning development and the question of cost is often raised. Articulate software is one of the most popular elearning software tools and for many people they may be thinking ‘Is Articulate 360 expensive?’
If you are looking to buy Articulate 360 it is useful to understand what Articulate 360, what you get and whether this is the software for you.
What is Articulate 360?
If you need to create an elearning or online course then Articulate 360 will provide you with all of the tools that you need. Available via a yearly subscription, this suite of tools are available online allowing you to download a series of tools. The series of tools provide you with different apps depending on your requirements from Rise 360 to Storyline 360.
Previously only available as a standalone product several years ago Articulate bundled its most popular Storyline product to Articulate 360 alongside another suite of tools and the increasingly popular 360 was launched.
How do I access Articulate 360?
Articulate has now combined all of its software into one package known as Articulate 360 and this is only available via an annual subscription. The subscription must be renewed each year to allow you to continue using the software.
This SaaS model has been adapted by many companies and it involves you ‘renting’ software each month or year as opposed to buying physical media that you would own. If you stop buying your subscription then your access to the software will stop.
Is Articulate 360 free?
Articulate 360 isn’t free and you need to continue your subscription to ensure access to the software but articulate offers a 60-day trial so that you can review the software prior to purchasing the software and this a full trial. No watermarks, no restrictions and this is one the best software trials that we’ve come across. You have full access to the software.
It is important then prior to deciding to use any software that you’ve considered total cost of ownership and your requirements beyond the first project. You should go through a procurement process to ensure that the software meets all of your requirements.
Articulate 360 may look expensive if you don’t have any projects but if you are a freelance developer and it enables you to generate project fees greater than the software licence fee is it expensive anymore?
How much is Articulate 360?
The personal price for Articulate 360 is currently $1099 and $699 with educational discount. Prices change per country and you need to contact your designated country representative for their prices.
What’s included?
Articulate 360 is an extensive suite of applications for use on elearning and digital learning projects.
Storyline, Studio, Rise 360, Reply, Peek 360, Content Library 360, Review 360 and Articulate 360 Training.
Several of the apps require you to download them to your computer but RIise 360 works from the Cloud. Review 360 also works in the cloud and allows you to publish your courses and allows your clients to review and provide feedback on your courses.
Often overlooked is the support team that provides quick and effective support on your product queries.
Content Library 360 provides a range of various media types and resources that you can download and use within your courses and projects. Articulate also has a thriving community of users that you can reach out to for support on projects.
Is there a free version of Articulate Storyline?
Articulate Storyline 360 is a very popular development tool and is part of Articulate 360. At the moment there is not a free version available and there is not a standard version of Articulate Storyline 360.
You need to purchase Articulate 360 to use Articulate Storyline 360. If you are only considering using Articulate Storyline 360 you just also consider the other applications that are available within Articulate 360.
Review 360 is an excellent platform for publishing your projects and getting feedback online that you can review. Content Library 360 also allows you to search, review and download assets that you can use on your projects.
Can you just buy Articulate Storyline on its own?
Yes. You can buy Storyline 3 for $1,398 if you are a new customer. With support ending in April 2023 we’d suggest that you consider the move over to Articulate 360.
For several years Articulate published Storyline as a standalone product with Storyline versions 1,2 and 3 being released.
There are several developers and publishers still working with Storyline 3 and Articulate will release their final update for Storyline 3 in April 2023.
If you have Storyline 3 after this date you’ll still be able to publish courses but you won’t be able to get support from Articulate. If you are working with Storyline 3, or having customers working with Storyline 3 you might want to consider a migration plan.
Does it get updated?
If you have an active subscription you’ll be able to update all of your Articulate 360 applications. The apps are regularly updated and you are notified by your desktop apps. Articulate also had a roadmap on their website so that you are notified of planned updates, you not only get bug fixes but functionality updates.
Cost of ownership – how much does it cost? Is it expensive?
The cost of Articulate 360 has remained reasonably stable over the past few years with discounts available for volume of if you pay to be in the partner programme.
Articulate 360 provides access to Storyline 360 and Rise 360, two development tools that are widely used within the elearning sector. There are a number of opportunities for work and projects for storyline developers, instructional designers and companies that can work at a high level with Storyline 360 and Rise 360.
The initial costs may appear high but if you win one project that is worth considerably more than the licence cost is Articulate 360 still expensive? Articulate 360 also allows you to create your own content that you can sell on various platforms.
Prior to purchase you should review the total cost of ownership and your return on investment. If you are a developer or a company using multiple software platforms then you might need to consider what software you are using? If you are focussing on one or two software platforms and this is your main revenue stream then you’ll have a different decision to make.
Articulate 360 provides a range of development tools, support and applications for competitive price – it is allowing developers to design, develop and publish award winning elearning content. Do we think it’s expensive? No. It is a significant annual investment but it does allow access to a range of development tools that enables your developers to great award winning content.
For more information about how we can help you with Articulate 360 Development or how we’ve used Articulate 360 in our award winning elearning library contact us today.
