The 10 best tools to create interactive content

Kimberlee Meier — Contributing Writer

Videos. Quizzes. Calculators. Polls. Scrollytelling. 

Interactive content has become a staple for blogs, landing pages, white papers, and feature stories. These elements transform static content into an interactive experience that keeps readers interested — and marketers are taking notice.

Thoughtfully integrated interactive content can make a lasting impact. Over time, these small touches can build trust in your content and readers will return to your site again and again.

But here's the problem: most generic CMSs don't support truly engaging interactive elements. That's why we've put together this handy list of the ten best tools to create interactive content.

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What is interactive content?

Interactive content is content that contains interactive elements like polls, quizzes, reviews, data visualisations, maps, infographics, animations, or social conversations. These are usually embedded into 'static' content to make it varied, personal, and engaging.

Interactive content makes the reading experience more immersive and engaging, which is why it is becoming more central to the content marketing strategy of many businesses.

10 best tools to make interactive content in 2022

As mentioned above, most CMSs don't support native interactivity, which is why you need to use specialist interactive content tools. These tools allow you to create elements such as animations, maps, quizzes, and polls without learning to code. These tools usually have pre-built templates and easy-to-use interfaces so you can build different types of interactive content and integrate it into your existing website with a simple link or embed code. 

Before investing in an interactive content tool, you should consider what interactive elements will work best with your approach to content creation, your budget, operating system, and also what might be specifically useful for your target audience. 

Here are our top 10 picks👇

An image of a hand holding a smartphone. The phone screen is showing a poll, asking 'Do you use interactive content?' The first checkbox says 'yes, continue reading to learn more'.
An image of a hand holding a smartphone. The phone screen is showing a poll, asking 'Do you use interactive content?' The first checkbox says 'yes, continue reading to learn more'. A second checkbox appears saying, 'No. Definitely continue reading to learn more'.

1. Thinglink 

  • ✔️ Best for: Interactive content that is responsive across all devices.
  • 💰 Pricing: Free trial. Paid plans start at $25/month.

ThingLink is a platform aimed at marketing and communications teams who want to integrate interactive videos, images, and 360° media into content. 

With features like interactive maps, VR video, image labelling, and infographics, teams can create content with ThinkLink's inbuilt editor. You can add text descriptions to videos and images, plus other elements like labels, icons, and links to create responsive content. 

When the interactive content is ready to use, a custom link is created so it can be embedded into your website or shared on social media. Plus, every piece of content will work on tablets, computers, and mobile devices. 

Best features

✔️ Content automatically adapts to mobile devices, desktops, smart TVs, and even VR headsets.
✔️ Links, icons, and descriptions can be added to 360° images for readers to explore.
✔️ Inbuilt analytics to measure the engagement of individual assets.

Downsides

❌ Individuals cannot collaborate and edit elements at the same time.
❌ A small learning curve if you’ve never embedded code into a website before.

An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the ThingLink editing software.
An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the ThingLink editing software.
An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the ThingLink editing software.
An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the ThingLink editing software.

2. Apester 

  • ✔️ Best for: Interactive content for social media channels.
  • 💰 Pricing: Free trial. Paid plans start at $50/month.

Apester is a wide-reaching platform for publishers who want to repurpose interactive content across websites and social media channels and reach potential customers.

The platform's drag-and-drop editor and template library means content like Instagram stories, surveys, and interactive quizzes can be created quickly. The tool integrates with your social media channels, landing pages, and website, and once the interactive content is ready, you can go live in just a couple of clicks. 

And if you have some coding skills, Apester also has CSS design features so you can customise templates and make them your own. 

Best features

✔️ Ready-to-use templates make it easy to produce slick content.
✔️ Integrated social media channels and existing CDP, DMP, CRM, and marketing automation tools.
✔️ The platform collects first-party data for detailed, accurate analytics to improve conversions.

Downsides

❌ Limited control over content like presentation slides once they’re published.
❌ At $50/month, it’s not the cheapest tool.

An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the Apester editing software.
An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the Apester editing software.
An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the Apester editing software.
An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the Apester editing software.

3. Mapme 

  • ✔️ Best for: Creating interactive maps without learning to code.
  • 💰 Pricing: 7-day free trial. Paid plans start at $24/month.

If you’re looking for a tool (that isn’t Google Maps) to create striking interactive maps — check out Mapme. 

This simple tool is ideal for publishers and blog creators to build animated maps to embed into websites. Maps can be customised using photos and videos, along with your own colours, branding and audio. Advanced tools like Matterport can also be integrated into the maps to give your audience an interactive 3D and VR showcase of the map.

Read our full guide on interactive map tools. 

Best features

✔️ Easy-to-use interface makes it easy to create professional-looking maps.
✔️ Integrates with popular website platforms like WordPress, Wix, and Squarespace.
✔️ No coding knowledge is necessary.

Downsides

❌ Maps are only available in English (so far).
❌ Some users say the platform can be slow and clunky.

An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the MapMe editing software.
An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the Mapme editing software.
An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the MapMe editing software.
An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the Mapme editing software.

4. Shorthand

  • ✔️ Best for: Organisations who want to create interactive digital content.
  • 💰 Pricing: Starter plan available from $0 a month. Check out Shorthand's pricing here. 

Shorthand is a leading platform to create interactive, immersive digital stories online. It's used by outlets like the BBC, Honda, and Salesforce Ventures to create engaging content for their audiences. 

The tool has been a game-changer for publishers who want to create and publish interactive and engaging stories using techniques like scrollytelling without getting a developer or web designers involved. Thanks to Shorthand's no-code approach, publishers can create interactive maps, charts, graphs, and full-screen image transitions using a simple drag and drop editor.

All you have to do is pick a template of how you want your content to flow, upload your image or data and choose which sections you want to turn into interactive elements. Shorthand will do the rest and ensure the entire piece is consistent, formatted correctly, and responsive on any device.  

Best features

✔️ Create scrollytelling with embedded audio, video and animation effects that trigger when the reader scrolls.
✔️ Unlimited seats inside paid plans make team collaboration easy.
✔️ Flexible publishing options like S3, CMS embeds and ZIP exports will suit a wide variety of publishers.

An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the Shorthand editing software.
An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the Shorthand editing software.
An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the Shorthand editing software.
An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the Shorthand editing software.

5. Flourish 

  • ✔️ Best for: Content creators interested in data storytelling.
  • 💰 Pricing: Limited free plan available. Custom pricing for upgraded plans.

Flourish is the perfect tool for content creators who want to publish data visualisations, like charts, maps, and graphs.

Using charts like animated flows or evolving correlations, publishers can simply upload data from a spreadsheet or live source, and Flourish will turn it into a stunning visual. If you are on a paid plan, the data source will update daily, so every piece of interactive content stays relevant. 

Added bonuses like quizzes, and carousels give publishers plenty of options to create engaging content for their stories. 

Best features

✔️ Create custom templates with the inbuilt developer tool.
✔️ Editor/approval tools can gather feedback from others before content is published.
✔️ Content remains visible even if you cancel your Flourish account.

Downsides

❌ Data and projects are not private in the free plan — all data is public.
❌ You can’t connect CSV or Google Sheets files unless you upgrade.

An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the Flourish editing software.
An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the Flourish editing software.
An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the Flourish editing software.
An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the Flourish editing software.

6. Qzzr 

  • ✔️ Best for: Creating quick, simple quizzes.
  • 💰 Pricing: Free trial available. Basic plan starts at $24.99/month.

Qzzr is a simple way to create stunning, customisable quizzes in minutes. 

The tool, used by popular brands like Shopify, BirchBox, and Victoria's Secret, has a stripped-down interface to minimise the learning curve. Once you pick the type of quiz you want to create, it's easy to add custom functionality like animations, images, and branding to make them your own. 

Best features

✔️ Quizzes are responsive on all devices and screens.
✔️ Machine learning and A/B testing help optimise engagement.
✔️ Advanced reporting tracks insights and engagement of each quiz.

Downsides

❌ Limited image and colour customisation options.
❌ Quite pricey for a tool that only creates quizzes.

An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the Qzzr editing software.
An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the Qzzr editing software.
An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the Qzzr editing software.
An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the Qzzr editing software.

7. Outgrow

  • ✔️ Best for: Publishers looking for an all-round interactive content tool.
  • 💰 Pricing: Free trial available. Paid plans start at $14/month. 

Outgrow is a tool that covers most popular interactive elements — from quizzes to surveys and calculators. 

What makes this tool so great for interactive content creation is it offers so many content options under one roof for a low price. Publishers can create custom online quizzes, assessments, and calculators to enrich their content marketing. These can then be added to a webpage, social media feed, or even a chatbot using simple embeds.

Best features

✔️ 1000+ pre-made templates for calculators, polls and quizzes.
✔️ Customisable branding, fonts, styles, and logos.
✔️ Advanced analytics like real-time results and conversion rates. 

Downsides

❌ Pay-per-feature pricing model means the tool can get expensive.
❌ Limited CSS customisation.

An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the Outgrow editing software.
An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the Outgrow editing software.
An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the Outgrow editing software.
An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the Outgrow editing software.

8. Calculoid

  • ✔️ Best for: Adding simple calculators to your website.
  • 💰 Pricing: Free plan available. Paid plans start at $19/month.

Calculoid is a no-fuss tool to add an interactive calculator to your content so users can engage in simple calculations or formulas. 

The tool has pre-made templates with features like sliding bars, checkboxes, and conditional fields for calculating various costs like ROI and loans. Once your calculator is ready, publish it to your website or app using iframe or the custom embed code. 

Best features

✔️  Create custom formulas and calculations using imported CSV tables.
✔️  Calculators work on any device.
✔️  Zapier integrations make it easy to add calculators to most workflows.

Downsides

❌ Platform is bulky, and embedded features can take time to load.
❌ Features like templates and multi-page calculators require a paid plan.

An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the Calculoid editing software.
An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the Calculoid editing software.
An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the Calculoid editing software.
An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the Calculoid editing software.

9. Stornaway.io 

  • ✔️ Best for: Crafting video stories.
  • 💰 Pricing: Free plan available. Paid plans start at $10/month.

If you’re looking for a way to create short, simple video stories — Stornaway.io may be your tool. 

The platform boasts professional features like storyboarding, flowcharts, and scripts, so it's easy to plan your video before shooting starts. Once you've shot your footage, adding custom elements like countdown timer bars and clickable graphics is easy using Stornaway.io's designer. You can even add click timing to control the rhythm of the video and create default choices, so videos play on autopilot for your audience. 

Best features

✔️ Script editor links scenes to sections of script for easy editing.
✔️ Clickable words and images let the viewer control the video.
✔️ Story map lets you visualise the path your viewers may take when watching your video.

Downsides

❌ Publishing bandwidth is restrictive on lower-priced plans.
❌ No analytics available on free plan.

An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the Stornaway editing software.
An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the Stornaway editing software.
An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the Stornaway editing software.
An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the Stornaway editing software.

10. Infogram

  • ✔️ Best for: Creating interactive infographics from data sets for social media.
  • 💰 Pricing: Free plan available. Paid plan starts at $19/month. 

Infogram is all about custom data visualisation. 

Used by brands like LinkedIn, Politico, and Fast Company, Infogram is armed with a library of designed templates to get you started. Data can be imported from CSV and SQL databases and turned into an engaging chart or infographic by adding animated GIFs or graphics. 

Infogram also has some specific publishing features geared towards content creators. Once a chart is ready, Infogram’s integrations with AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages), Medium Stories, and its WordPress plugin make it viewable instantly. 

Best features

✔️ Infographics are optimised for mobile devices.
✔️ Embedded charts are updated in real-time through live data feeds.
✔️ Custom branding ensures every infographic matches your style.

Downsides

❌ Free plan has a 10 project limit.
❌ Data is public if you don’t pay for a plan.

An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the Infogram editing software.
An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the Infogram editing software.
An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the Infogram editing software.
An image of a computer screen sitting on a desk. The screen is showing a section of the Infogram editing software.

Bring stories to life with interactive content tools

Thoughtfully designed interactive content can delight, surprise, grab your readers’ attention, and nudge user engagement to the next level; it can also give people a rich, personalised reading and viewing experience.

The best interactive content can also be very useful. People can calculate ROI, ask questions, and quickly find the information they’re looking for, and the tools in this list mean it doesn’t have to be difficult to create. 

As a first step, why not have a go at creating interactive content with Shorthand, for free?

Kimberlee Meier is a B2B/SaaS Content Writer who also helps start-ups fuel their growth through quality, evergreen content.

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