Complement vs Genially: the 2026 comparison
Genially's interactive visual content versus the speed and conversational AI of Complement: two very different takes on engagement.
Comparison published by Complement, updated in July 2026.
Choose Genially if your priority is visual content: animated presentations, infographics, interactive images and gamification, with a free plan and hands-on creative control. Choose Complement if you want to quickly build structured training modules where the learner talks with an AI, practises out loud and truly retains what they learn, with analytics and hosting in France and the EU.
Complement vs Genially at a glance
| Criterion | Complement | Genially |
|---|---|---|
| Type of tool | Platform + AI authoring tool (web) | Interactive visual content (web) |
| AI-assisted creation | Yes, native generation from your documents | Yes (AI Builder) |
| Conversational AI avatar | Yes, talks with the learner | No |
| Design time | A few minutes | Variable (manual creation) |
| Oral assessment | Yes | No |
| Role-play / speaking practice | Yes, at the core of the tool | No |
| LMS integration | External resource, LTI 1.3 / 1.4 | SCORM 1.2 (higher tiers), LTI 1.3 |
| Hosting / GDPR | Platform in France and the EU | GDPR-compliant (EU vendor) |
| Entry price | €5/hour or €6/learner/month | Free, then ~$15/month |
| Learning curve | Low (start from a PPT/PDF) | Moderate (design studio) |
| Best for | Training through practice, fast | Interactive, gamified visuals |
Public prices as observed in July 2026, subject to change, please check the vendor's website. With Genially, SCORM export (SCORM 1.2) is reserved for the highest tiers; the euro price may differ from the dollar price. Design time is a Complement estimate and varies with the size of the module.
Compose a visual… or generate a pathway
Genially is a visual creation studio: you compose animated scenes, add interactive areas, effects and gamification. The AI Builder can generate a first version from a prompt or a document, but most of the work remains manual design, and that is where its value lies.
Complement starts from the other end. You import a PowerPoint or a PDF, and the AI helps you put together a first conversational module in a few minutes. Then it is up to you to choose how involved you want to be: let the AI write the content of each slide, or take back control to dictate it yourself by voice and bring in your teaching approach, your anecdotes and your experience of the subject, which is what makes a course genuinely rich. Speed does not replace your expertise, it frees up the time for it.
Watching a visual, or practising
Genially engages through the visual: animations, interactivity, games. It is very effective at capturing attention and illustrating a point, but the learner stays in one-way consumption, with no real dialogue or formal assessment of what they have understood.
Complement relies on conversational interaction: the learner talks with an AI avatar that answers, follows up and adapts, then they are assessed orally. It is active learning, closer to an interview or a role-play than to a quiz, and analytics let you keep improving the module over time.
Deploying to your LMS
Genially offers LTI 1.3 integration and SCORM export, but only in SCORM 1.2 and only on its highest tiers. If deploying to an LMS via SCORM is a requirement, make sure to check which plan you need. Genially is a European vendor and states that it is GDPR-compliant.
Complement works differently, and more simply. A module is not imported as a package: it is added to your LMS as an external resource, through a simple LTI link. Connected via LTI 1.4, it reports activity straight back into the LMS: time spent on the resource, quiz results, learner progress, just as a SCORM module would but with no file to manage. Note that Complement does not export SCORM. On the data side, Complement hosts the platform and the learning data in France and the EU (GDPR).
Freemium, or pay per use
Genially has a real strength: a generous free plan, then paid tiers from around $15/month (as observed in July 2026; the euro price may differ). One caveat, though: SCORM export is reserved for the higher tiers, which changes the equation if you need to deploy to an LMS.
Complement offers two models: pay per use (€5/hour/learner, ideal for POCs) or a learner licence (€6/learner/month billed annually, for cohorts), with a designer licence at €39/month and LTI integration included. The cost is therefore tied to usage or to learners rather than to the number of designers, which fits better when a few people create for many learners. See our pricing.
When to choose Genially over Complement
Genially is the better choice when the visual comes first:
- You create animated presentations, infographics, interactive images or gamified materials.
- You want fine-grained hands-on creative control over design and animations.
- You are on a tight budget and the free plan is enough for your needs.
- Your context is more about communication or illustrated teaching, with no need for formal assessment or SCORM delivery.
When Complement is the better choice
The real difference is not speed: it is what your learners retain. A classic e-learning module gets "consumed": you watch a video, you click, you tick the box… and you forget. Complement makes people practise: role-plays, scenarios, working on behaviours and job skills out loud, complex exercises. The learner does not just "see" the content: they have understood it, put it in their own words and applied it. That is the whole point of Complement: training for real, so the knowledge stays.
Complement is therefore the better choice when:
- You want the training to genuinely change practices: scenarios and working on methods, not just a video to watch.
- You are looking for real conversational engagement and oral assessment of skills, not simple multiple-choice quizzes.
- You want to build a module fast from existing material.
- You train cohorts and want to measure what they take away, with a cost tied to learners or usage.
- Hosting in France and the EU (GDPR) matters to you.
Complement in action
See how a conversational module is built and experienced, from both the designer's and the learner's side.
Frequently asked questions
Is Genially an e-learning authoring tool?
Genially is first and foremost a tool for creating visual, interactive content (animated presentations, clickable images, infographics, gamification). You can use it to build learning materials, but it is not a full authoring suite geared toward structured pathways and assessment the way Complement, Storyline or iSpring are.
Is Genially free?
Yes, Genially offers a genuine free (freemium) plan, with no credit card required and plenty of templates. Some features are reserved for paid plans, in particular SCORM export (SCORM 1.2), which is only available on the highest tiers. Prices as observed in July 2026, to be confirmed with the vendor.
Does Genially offer an AI avatar or oral assessment?
Genially has an AI Builder that generates a first version of a piece of content from a prompt or a document. But to our knowledge, as of July 2026, it does not offer a conversational AI avatar that talks with the learner, nor oral assessment, two features that are native to Complement.
Genially or Complement for training?
Genially is ideal for striking, gamified and interactive visual materials. Complement is built for structured training modules where the learner talks with an AI and is assessed orally, with analytics and an LMS integration without needing a top-tier plan. The choice comes down to whether your priority is interactive design or measured conversational learning.
Train for real, not just to tick a box
Start from a PowerPoint or a PDF: the AI helps you put the module together in a few minutes, and you enrich it with your teaching approach. AI avatar and oral assessment, free trial.
See Complement in action
20 minutes to see how to build a conversational module with an AI avatar and oral assessment.