Storyline 3: Comparing HTML5, Flash, and Articulate Mobile Player Output

Since Adobe discontinued Flash, we retired Flash publishing and the Articulate Mobile Player.

We shut down Articulate Online on December 31, 2021. Learn more.

The following table compares the Articulate Storyline 3 features supported in HTML5, Flash, and the Articulate Mobile Player (AMP). Refer to this table during the planning and development stages of your projects for the best results in the environments you're targeting.

Hover over highlighted cells for additional notes.

Slides

	HTML5	Flash	AMP
Content Library 360 templates
Engage interactions
Freeform interactions
PowerPoint presentations (see note below)
Quizmaker quizzes (see note below)
Screen recordings
Slide layers
Zoom regions

Tip: Generally speaking, content imported from PowerPoint and Quizmaker is supported in HTML5, Flash, and AMP. However, if the source content includes features that aren't supported in one or more formats, those items simply won't work when viewed in those environments. Review the rest of this article for details.

Quizzing

	HTML5	Flash	AMP
Freeform: Drag and Drop
Freeform: Hotspot
Freeform: Pick Many
Freeform: Pick One
Freeform: Shortcut Key
Freeform: Text Entry
Graded questions
Print results
Quiz timer
Slide draws from question banks
Survey questions

Content Library 360 Media

	HTML5	Flash	AMP
Content Library 360 Characters (Illustrated and Photographic)
Content Library 360 Icons
Content Library 360 Illustrations
Content Library 360 Photos
Content Library 360 Videos

Pictures, Shapes, and Captions

	HTML5	Flash	AMP
Captions
Pictures
Screenshots
Shapes

Media

	HTML5	Flash	AMP
Audio
Flash movies
Simultaneous audio/video
Videos
Videos with alpha-channel transparency
Web objects

Text

	HTML5	Flash	AMP
Hyperlinks
Symbols
Tables
Text
Variable references

Interactive Elements

	HTML5	Flash	AMP
Buttons
Data-entry fields
Dials
Hotspots
Markers
Mouse cursors
Scrolling panels
Sliders

Trigger Actions

	HTML5	Flash	AMP
Common: Change state of
Common: Show layer
Common: Hide layer
Common: Jump to slide
Common: Jump to scene
Common: Lightbox slide
Common: Close lightbox
Common: Move
Media: Play media
Media: Pause media
Media: Stop media
Project: Restart course
Project: Exit course
More: Adjust variable
More: Pause timeline
More: Resume timeline
More: Jump to URL/File
More: Send email to
More: Execute JavaScript
Quiz: Submit interaction
Quiz: Submit results
Quiz: Review results
Quiz: Reset results
Quiz: Print results

Trigger Timings

	HTML5	Flash	AMP
Mouse Events: When user clicks
Mouse Events: When user double-clicks
Mouse Events: When user right-clicks
Mouse Events: When user clicks outside
Mouse Events: When mouse hovers over
Object Events: When state changes
Object Events: When animation completes
Object Events: When object intersects
Object Events: When object intersection ends
Object Events: When object enters slide
Object Events: When object leaves slide
Control Events: When slider moves
Control Events: When dial turns
Control Events: When variable changes
Control Events: When media completes
Control Events: When user presses a key
Control Events: When control loses focus
Timeline: When timeline starts
Timeline: When timeline ends
Timeline: When timeline reaches
Drag-and-Drop Events: When object dragged over
Drag-and-Drop Events: When object dropped on

Animations

	HTML5	Flash	AMP
Animations (entrance, exit, motion path)
Slide/layer transitions

States

	HTML5	Flash	AMP
Hover states
All other states

Accessibility

	HTML5	Flash	AMP
Section 508 accessibility support
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) support
Closed Captions
Define a custom tab order for slide objects
Adjust the player font size
Alternate text for media
Language identifier for screen readers
Skip the player navigation elements in screen readers

Player

	HTML5	Flash	AMP
Gestures
Responsive player			N/A
Slide-specific player controls
Standard player			N/A

Player: Features

	HTML5	Flash	AMP
Captions
Custom tabs
Glossary
Logo
Menu
Notes
Resources
Search
Seekbar
Sidebar on left
Sidebar on right
Title
Topbar left tabs
Topbar right tabs
Volume slider

Player: Menu

	HTML5	Flash	AMP
Auto-collapse menu as learner progresses
Auto-number entries in menu
Levels
Navigation (free, restricted, locked)
Show tooltip on hover			N/A
Wrap long menu item titles

Player: Colors & Effects

	HTML5	Flash	AMP
Background color
Captions font
Color schemes
Player font
Player font size

Player: Text Labels

	HTML5	Flash	AMP
Custom text labels (localization)

Player: Other

	HTML5	Flash	AMP
Browser size (current, optimal, fill)			N/A
Launch in new window			N/A
Launch in new window: Display window with no browser controls			N/A
Launch in new window: Allow user to resize			N/A
Player size (optimal, fill)			N/A
Resume (prompt, always, never)
Text: Left to right
Text: Right to left

LMS

	HTML5	Flash	AMP
Articulate Online (viewing, tracking, reporting)
LMS (viewing, tracking, reporting)
Switch between HTML5, Flash, and Articulate Mobile Player without losing progress in Articulate Online
Switch between HTML5, Flash, and Articulate Mobile Player without losing progress in an LMS
AICC
SCORM 1.2
SCORM 2004
xAPI (Tin Can API)

Web Browsers: Windows

	HTML5	Flash	AMP
Firefox (latest version)			N/A
Google Chrome (latest version)			N/A
Internet Explorer 8 and 9			N/A
Internet Explorer 10 and later			N/A
Microsoft Edge (latest version)			N/A

Web Browsers: Mac

	HTML5	Flash	AMP
Firefox (latest version)			N/A
Google Chrome (latest version)			N/A
Safari (latest version)			N/A

Web Browsers: Mobile Devices

	HTML5	Flash	AMP
Google Chrome in Android OS 4.1 and later			N/A
Google Chrome in Apple iOS 8 and later			N/A
Safari in Apple iOS 8 and later			N/A

See also: Storyline 3 Tech Specs