# BirdBlox vs SAM Root

The clearest difference is update cadence: SAM Root at monthly against BirdBlox's every 5 months. BirdBlox's advantage is iOS requirement (9.3 vs 13.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.8 for BirdBlox against 3.8 for SAM Root. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 42 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of BirdBlox's written reviews are positive against 46% of SAM Root's.

BirdBlox ships an update every 5 months, SAM Root monthly. The most recent releases landed on June 1, 2026 and September 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BirdBlox | SAM Root |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birdblox/id1120319218/reviews) | [3.8 (42 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sam-root/id1524652548/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 16 | **42** |
| Positive reviews | **50.0% of reviews** | 46.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 119 MB | 92 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.3** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [BirdBrain Technologies LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1012525349) | [SAM Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/1033131753) |

## What reviewers say

### BirdBlox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/birdblox/id1120319218)

This app allows students aged 9-14 to program physical robots using a block-based interface. Users can control robot motors, lights, and sensors, enabling them to create interactive projects and learn computer science concepts.

**Highlights:** Block-based programming, Control robot motors and lights, Utilize robot sensors, Record and play sounds, Connect multiple robots, Use tablet sensors

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### SAM Root

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sam-root/id1524652548)

Learn programming through interactive robotics with three progressive coding levels, from graphical blocks to Python 3. Control robots in real-time or test your code with a built-in 3D simulator.

**Highlights:** Three progressive coding levels, Graphical blocks to Python 3, Real-time robot control, Built-in 3D simulator, Seamless level switching, Bluetooth robot pairing

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BirdBlox free?

BirdBlox is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is SAM Root free?

SAM Root is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, BirdBlox or SAM Root?

BirdBlox and SAM Root are both rated 3.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 16 and 42 ratings respectively.

### Do BirdBlox or SAM Root have ads?

Neither BirdBlox nor SAM Root shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BirdBlox or SAM Root?

BirdBlox ships an update every 5 months, and SAM Root monthly. Most recently, BirdBlox was updated on June 1, 2026 and SAM Root on September 7, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*