Short answer. The right software simulation tool depends on how much the learner needs to be able to do. If learners follow a task step by step in a web or Windows application, including a task that forks into two or three paths, a captured walkthrough tool such as Demo Maker Pro is the fastest to build and the cheapest of the five. If learners must explore the application freely, look at Assima or Whatfix Mirror. If the simulation has to be graded, or sits inside a full course tracked in an LMS, use Articulate Storyline or Adobe Captivate.
Last verified October 26, 2026. Vendor pricing and packaging change.
At a glance
| Tool | How it captures the app | What the learner can do | Published price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demo Maker Pro | Real HTML and CSS from Chrome or Edge, screenshots for Windows apps | Click through a task step by step with tooltips, and pick a path at a question step | $149/month or $1,490/year | Step by step practice in web and Windows apps, shared as one HTML file or a link |
| Assima | Patented cloning into an editable, interactive copy of the app | Click, scroll, use menus and enter data in any order | Not published, through sales | Large ERP, CRM and EHR rollouts |
| Whatfix Mirror | Captured screens and actions from a web app, connected automatically | Practice workflows and take assessments | Not published, through sales | Organizations already using Whatfix |
| Articulate Storyline | Screen recording turned into View, Try and Test slides | Watch, try with guidance, or be tested | $1,449 to $1,749 per seat per year (Articulate 360 AI) | Full courses with quizzes, tracked in an LMS |
| Adobe Captivate | Screen recording into Demo, Training and Assessment modes | Watch, practice with guidance, or be assessed | US$39.99/month (individual) | Single course authors on a budget |
1. Demo Maker Pro
Best for: step by step practice in web and Windows applications, without screenshots for web apps and without a sandbox.
How it works. You record the task once. In Chrome or Edge each screen is saved as real HTML and CSS, so text stays sharp and selectable. Windows desktop applications are captured as screenshots of the application window, and both kinds of step play in the same walkthrough. You add tooltips in the desktop editor, then export one self-contained HTML file for your intranet or LMS, or publish a link.
Branching. A walkthrough does not have to be one straight line. Add a question step with up to six choice buttons, for example "Approving as a manager" and "Approving as a delegate", and the learner sees only the steps for the path they pick. Steps you leave on every path are shared, so the paths join back up on their own. Personalities let one walkthrough show different names and values, such as a region or a department, with a separate link for each, which Salesforce can build for every deal.
Good to know. There is no scoring, quiz grading or LMS completion tracking today. It suits procedural training (raise a ticket, approve an invoice, add a vehicle) rather than graded exams, and it is not free roam: a learner clicking somewhere you did not record gets no response.
Price. Cloud $99/month or $990/year. Pro $149/month or $1,490/year, with HTML downloads. Team $4,500/year for up to 5 people. Start a 7-day free trial from the pricing page.
2. Assima
Best for: large enterprise rollouts of systems such as SAP, Epic or Oracle Health.
How it works. Assima clones the application into an editable copy rather than a set of images. Learners can click, scroll, use dropdowns and type into fields in any order, and authors can change fields and mass replace data across lessons without recapturing.
Good to know. Pricing is not published; you discuss it with sales. It is built for enterprise programs, so it is likely more than a small team needs.
Source: assimasolutions.com
3. Whatfix Mirror
Best for: organizations that already use the Whatfix digital adoption platform.
How it works. Mirror captures a sequence of screens and actions from a web application and connects them into an interactive version learners practice in, shared by link or through an LMS. Assessments measure accuracy, completion and time.
Good to know. It is for web applications. Pricing is not published; plans go through a demo or sales.
Source: What is Whatfix Mirror and Whatfix pricing
4. Articulate Storyline (Articulate 360 AI)
Best for: instructional designers building full courses where the simulation is one part.
How it works. Record your screen, then insert the recording as View mode (watch), Try mode (practice with guidance) or Test mode (assessed) step by step slides. Courses publish to an LMS as SCORM, xAPI or cmi5.
Good to know. Simulations are built from the screen recording, so each step is an image of the screen. Price: $1,449 per seat per year (Personal, one seat) or $1,749 per seat per year (Teams).
Source: Articulate 360 pricing and Storyline 360 screen recordings
5. Adobe Captivate
Best for: individual course authors who want software simulations on a monthly budget.
How it works. Record clicks and keystrokes in a full screen, application window or custom area, and Captivate builds Demo, Training and Assessment versions at the same time.
Good to know. It is screen recording based, like Storyline. Price: US$39.99/month for an individual; teams and enterprise through Adobe.
Source: Adobe Captivate buying guide and Record software simulations in Captivate
How to choose: three questions
- Must learners explore freely, or follow a task? Free exploration points to Assima or Whatfix Mirror. A task, even one with a fork in it, points to Demo Maker Pro, Storyline or Captivate.
- Do you need graded results? Storyline (Test mode, published to an LMS as SCORM, xAPI or cmi5), Captivate (Assessment mode) and Whatfix Mirror (Assessments that track accuracy, completion and time) all grade the learner. Demo Maker Pro does not report scores.
- Is the app web based or a Windows program? Whatfix Mirror covers web apps. Demo Maker Pro captures both, as HTML for web apps and screenshots for Windows apps. Storyline and Captivate record the screen of either.
For the longer argument about which kind of simulation you need in the first place, read software simulation training without screenshots or a sandbox. For the method, see how to create software training without a sandbox.
Questions
What is a software simulation for training?
A copy of an application's screens that learners click through to practice a task without touching the live system, so they cannot change real records.
Which software simulation tool is cheapest?
Of the five, Adobe Captivate has the lowest published individual price at US$39.99 a month. Demo Maker Pro is $149 a month or $1,490 a year and includes cloud publishing. Assima and Whatfix do not publish prices.
Can you build a training simulation without screenshots?
Yes, for web applications. Demo Maker Pro saves each screen as real HTML and CSS, and Assima builds an editable clone. Storyline and Captivate build simulations from screen recordings.
Can a Demo Maker Pro simulation branch?
Yes. A question step offers the learner up to six choices, and each choice plays the steps for that path before the paths join back up. Demo Maker Pro does not grade the choice or report it to an LMS.
Do I need a sandbox or training environment?
No. All five let learners practice on a captured or cloned copy instead of a live training environment.
Every competitor fact on this page was read on that vendor's own website or help pages in a browser on October 26, 2026. Vendor statistics and claims about results are left out on purpose. If you find something out of date here, tell us at support@demomakerpro.com.
Try the captured walkthrough on your own task
Pick the procedure you are asked to explain most often, record it once, and see whether a click-through walkthrough covers it. Seven days, with a license key sent by email.
Try it for free