# Photon EDU vs SAM Root

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Photon EDU at 100% against SAM Root's 46%. Photon EDU also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.8). SAM Root's advantage is ratings volume (42 vs 3) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Photon EDU holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SAM Root has 42 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Photon EDU's written reviews are positive against 46% of SAM Root's.

Photon EDU ships an update every 2 months, SAM Root monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Photon EDU | SAM Root |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photon-edu/id1282358431/reviews)** | [3.8 (42 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sam-root/id1524652548/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **42** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 46.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 151 MB | 92 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Photon Entertainment sp. z o.o.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1281702819) | [SAM Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/1033131753) |

## What reviewers say

### Photon EDU

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photon-edu/id1282358431)

This educational app teaches children programming fundamentals through interactive lessons with a Photon robot. It's designed for teachers and schools, requiring a Photon robot and a Bluetooth 4.0 compatible device to operate.

**Highlights:** Learn programming basics, Interactive robot lessons, Designed for teachers and schools, Requires Photon robot and Bluetooth 4.0, Educational content

**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 Photon EDU free?

Photon EDU 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, Photon EDU or SAM Root?

Photon EDU is rated higher. Photon EDU averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while SAM Root averages 3.8 from 42 ratings.

### Do Photon EDU or SAM Root have ads?

Neither Photon EDU nor SAM Root shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Photon EDU or SAM Root?

Photon EDU ships an update every 2 months, and SAM Root monthly. Most recently, Photon EDU was updated on September 28, 2026 and SAM Root on September 22, 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.*