Stornaway
No-code branching interactive video editor from Bristol, built around a visual story map with xAPI and SCORM support
Quick Overview
| Company | Stornaway Productions Ltd |
|---|---|
| Category | Course Authoring Tools |
| Headquarters | Bristol, United Kingdom |
| Founded | 2020 |
| EU Presence | Yes - United Kingdom |
| Data Location | Delivered via AWS and Amazon CloudFront, per vendor |
| Open Source | No |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes |
| Self-Hosting | Yes - cloud-based or self-hosted publishing, per vendor |
| Main Features | Story map editor, branching video, design editor, input fields, dropdowns and chapters, playtest with placeholders, xAPI and SCORM, offline packages, whitelabel hosting |
| Pricing | See website |
| Best For | Scenario-based training and branching video that goes beyond a linear film |
| Replaces | Articulate Storyline branching scenarios, video-based scenarios |
Detailed Review
Stornaway.io launched in May 2020 and was built first for TV, film and game producers before moving into learning and marketing. The site terms name Stornaway Productions Ltd, company number 11780589, registered office in Bristol.
The core unit is the Story Island, a scene or clip shown as a box on a map, with arrows to the islands it links to.
Story Map
Authors plan an experience visually on a story map, then click Play to test it immediately, even before any video exists, using placeholder videos. That helps scenario designers test branching logic early.
A design editor lets you style buttons and on-screen elements directly over the video.
Data and Delivery
The vendor lists native support for xAPI and SCORM, and hosting that can be cloud-based or self-hosted, with whitelabelling and custom domains. Experiences can also be exported as offline packages.
The footer states that delivery runs via AWS and Amazon CloudFront.
Beyond Training
Use cases listed include education and training, scenarios and simulations, marketing and live events. That breadth means the product is not shaped only for compliance courses.
Limitations to Consider
Stornaway makes interactive video, not complete courses, and it is built for story-like scenarios rather than quick compliance modules. We could not find a public pricing page (the licensing page returned a 404), and the terms we read cover the website, so subscription terms are not verified. Delivery runs on AWS, a US-owned provider. For a Dutch alternative with published prices see hihaho.
Who Should Use Stornaway
Learning designers building branching scenarios, soft-skill simulations or story-driven training who want to test the flow before filming.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Visual story map and instant playtest with placeholders
- xAPI and SCORM reporting
- Offline export option
- Whitelabel and self-hosted publishing listed
- Named UK company with registration number
Cons
- Video only, not a full course builder
- No public pricing found
- Delivery through AWS and CloudFront
- Subscription terms not verified
Alternatives to Stornaway
Other European course authoring tools worth comparing before you decide:
Easygenerator
Netherlands · Rotterdam course builder priced per author, not per learner
imc Express
Germany · AI authoring from Saarbrücken that drafts courses from existing documents
H5P
Norway · MIT-licensed interactive content from Tromsø, free or hosted
hihaho
Netherlands · Interactive video layer for training films, from Assen
See all European course authoring tools or compare them directly against Articulate Storyline branching scenarios on our alternatives page.
Frequently Asked Questions
The features page lists native support for xAPI, SCORM, Adobe and Google, and says it integrates with LMS, LRS and CRM systems.
Yes. The vendor says experiences can be exported as standalone packages for deployment without an internet connection.
We could not find prices on the vendor site, so the price is see website.