Top Rated SmartBuilder Alternatives
After being asked to find an eLearning authoring tool to used with our new LMS, I researched many different platforms. Most were very difficult to use out-of-the-box. There was also minimal support and training resources available. Enter SmartBuilder. First off, the website gives great examples of outcomes from using their product. They also have some side-by-side comparisons of how using their product can speed up production time. I also noticed, right away, that there were many opportunities for support. From live chats to video tutorials, SmartBuilder is not leaving anyone in the dark. More on that later.
The platform itself is fairly intuitive. I was able to download the free trial and have a quick lesson built that same day. All of the tools that I needed are there. One of the things that I especially love is that you are not constrained by templates. Many of the other platforms that I looked into relied heavily on customizing preset templates with little opportunity to start from scratch. SmartBuilder provides the best of both worlds. There are on-board templates that are available and make courses more interactive and engaging.
With background in Education, my technical skills aren't the highest. SmartBuilder's action blocks made that a non-issue. The system of utilizing blocks to piece together events, actions, buttons, etc. makes it easy for those of us who are not as savvy with that type of coding/programming.
When it comes to support, SmartBuilder can't be beat. Even as a trial user, the support that SmartBuilder provides is amazing. Starting out I had a few questions so I started a Live Chat. The person on the other end was quick to answer and asked to hop onto a screen-share so that he could show me the solution to my problem and not just forward some instructions. Since starting with SmartBuilder, I have reached out with questions a few times and the story has been exactly the same. All of the reps that I have spoken to have been extremely knowledgable, prompt to respond and most of all, helpful. The online resources are another great addition to this product. SmartBuilder offers video tutorials for many functions and features of their platform. They are easy to follow and very comprehensive. In addition to all of that, they also offer live, online training sessions throughout the month. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
There are a few features that I'd like to see updated but nothing major. Some functions take a few more clicks than some may be used to but after a little time, you get used to it. I'd like to see the rich text editor fixed up a bit. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
16 out of 17 Total Reviews for SmartBuilder
SmartBuilder provides a powerful and intuitive development environment. In addition to the inbuilt coding facilities it is alos possible to insert your own HTML5 code which extends the usefulness of the product. The learning curve is not too steep and it means that you can concentrate on design and development and produce rapid prototypes to test before working on the final product. The support offered, live chat, forums, searchable help documentation and video tutorials, all provide a comprehensive support facility. ALL submitted requests for information were respnded to within 24 hrs. They even dveloped a little bit of a code routine for me that I wanted. This will be my go to develoopmebnt tool for onlione learning projects. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
None. Exceeded all my initial expectations. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
The software is easy for beginners to make nice lessons, but can also be super advanced for programmers with games, external communication and a lot of programmable features
Besides that the user help is really good. A lot of features that have been implemented were requests by users, and if you're stuck you always get a reply within a day, or they even implement the feature if possible. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
It's difficult to find things I dislike about SmartBuilder. Maybe the fact that, because they are trying to be compatible with users from older version, they still have some old block and features which, in my opinion, could get rid of to make the amount of nodes or tabs less to create a better overview. Examples of this are the timeline tab and the breakpoint node Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
Well, up until now, I have used many softwares from PowerPoint to Prezi... They all are great and beautiful, even engaging when made skillfully. Still, none have the factor of interactivity. People suggested making games. However, It was so costly, time-consuming and undoable for someone singlehandedly with no coding knowledge I felt overwhelmed, incapable, and even paralyzed by those suggestions as time passed...
One day, I was suddenly hit again by the idea of my old interactive lesson, Would something like that need as many resources? Could I do it? So I searched and researched until I came upon a software...
Smart Builder!
I knew it instantly by looking at the sample lessons, and Surprise! They are even better than my good old lesson!
I was supported when I made an account to use the 30-day trial! There were instant replies to my messages, and even better was that I found out the software provides fundamental understandable instructions within itself; therefore, there is no need to waste your time searching for instructions on YouTube!
Later, I found that Smart Builder also offers free live instruction sessions. I signed up for my first session, and the experience is going well.
My overall experience with Smart Builder has been utterly and unbelievably great. I hope to be able to initiate the change and think that I've found the correct instrument. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
I don't think this could be a problem for those who will use this software in high-income countries, but if you come from a low-income background, you might find it a bit pricy! Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
I love the way SmartBuilder creates actions using drag and drop blocks that snap together. It’s different from other tools – much faster and easier, especially when I want to make more custom learning. With other tools, I spent hours pulling my hair out, trying to create learning exercises that I now do in a fraction of the time. I also love that I can run SmartBuilder on my Mac.
I can’t say enough about their support. I can contact them on chat, and they are always willing to look at my projects if I can’t figure out something on my own. I’ve never had this level of support with other software. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
I can’t say this is a real negative, but with so much flexibility, it was sometimes hard to know where to start. However, the recent addition of full course templates provides examples for layouts and interactivity, which would have been helpful when I was learning the software. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
It is very easy to get started with SmartBuilder. Many training videos available, and live trainings are excellent. As you learn more, there is so much functionality to utilize. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
I would like to see the documentation beefed up with use-case examples. The actions are so functional I would like to take advantage of them. After digging through the written documentation, I'm still not sure how to use some of them. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
Firstly, I understand learning and engagement but I don't know programming or coding. Smartbuilder has enabled me to use my skills and not worry about the technical side. The drag and drop jigsaw nodes are amazing if you can structure thought. There's so much that is possible with SmartBuilder that I'm constantly innovating, trying new ideas and more often than not - succeeding. The customer support is exceptional. Literally every question I've asked has been answered, solved, demonstrated and explained in a manner that has helped me shorten the learning curve tremendously. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
Not dislike, but still trying to find my way through features. There are some maps and functions that don't yet have tutorials. Any apprehensions are overcome by the customer service though.
There is an initial learning curve but the tutorials are really helpful. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
Smart Builder has responsive customer service - giving you great support when you need it. The customisable interface is my favourite and the app is generally easy to use. Tutorials are a must. With regards to the tutorials, they are clear and simple to follow and provide you with what you need to get started. Great App! Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
There's not much that I dislike about the app. There is a slight learning curve but this is made easy with tutorials that are available on the site. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
As a SmartBuilder user for a number of years, it's become my default tool not only for learning content authoring, but also as a sketchpad and sandbox for experimenting with new and innovative learning experiences and approaches. Unlike some other authoring tools, SmartBuilder doesn't try to push you down particular design paths through templates or pre-set interactions, but instead offers a sophisticated and flexible tool-set to build your own. Despite this, it's still both an easy tool to learn and powerful enough to be pushed hard. Finally, their support team are second to none. Enthusiastic and expert support is always available over chat and email. I'm even on first name terms with a few of the support team as they've helped me find ways to solve design and coding problems. Often they will take a problem of mine and share a solution as a personal screen-grab video or usable project file. No other tool has got close. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
In today's mobile world, the one area where I'd like to see SmartBuilder evolve further is in true responsive design. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
I spent a considerable amount of time searching for a program which would allow me to combine text slides with video, audio, graphics, interactive quizzes, and a navigable menu. I do not have any prior coding experience which made the project of creating a learning module from scratch seem daunting. SmartBuilder is a program for the rest of us- it was so easy to get started after watching just a few tutorial videos. As others have commented, the customer support has been tremendous. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
I feel like SmartBuilder has more capabilities than those touched on by the tutorials, but that is what the support line is for I suppose. Also agree that the full price seems a little on the expensive side. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
SmartBuilder provides a great deal of flexibility in the way that one builds a course. Many tools provide only a single way of building an interaction or force you to use predefined, scripted, elements within a course. SmartBuilder provides many of these types of pre-built items; but, they are there to be used by only if you want to do so and not because there is no other way.. For example, there are quiz question templates and drag and drop templates that are ready to be used; but, you can easily use the software's building tools to create your own. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
SmartBuilder is one of the few tools that I have used where I honestly have to think pretty hard to come up with something that I don't like.The puzzle piece building elements take some getting used to when creating interactions, but isn't something that I would say I dislike...it is more of being something you don't see in other tools. There is a lot going on in the work space with properties windows, the stage, the various ribbons and such. However, that is dealt with nicely by having the means to quickly switch work outputs to meet what you are doing at any given time. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.
