Comparison

LEGO® Powered Up vs LEGO® Builder

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

LEGO® Powered Up

Control motorized LEGO sets like trains and the Batmobile via Bluetooth. Bring your custom LEGO creations to life by coding movements and sounds using drag-and-drop programming. Experience interactive play with lights, sensors, and motors.

Highlights
  • Bluetooth control for LEGO vehicles
  • Customizable coding for models
  • Drag-and-drop programming
  • Add sounds and lights
  • Control speed and direction
  • Bring custom builds to life
Features
Read full description

Combine this app with the LEGO DC Super Heroes App-Controlled Batmobile (76112), the LEGO City Cargo Train (60198), or the LEGO City Passenger Train (60197) (each sold separately) to operate the motorized engines via Bluetooth controls, or use your imagination and build entirely new creations using LEGO Powered Up components and bring them to life by coding them. Make your models move and respond to real-world events. The LEGO Powered Up app puts you in the driver’s seat of the awesome 4-wheel-drive Batmobile to speed through the streets of GOTHAM CITY™. Drive forwards, backwards, left and right… or pull 360-degree turns! You can even activate cool tricks and stunts as you become the Dark Knight and fight crime. You can customize and code your Batmobile tricks and choose your sounds and movements – pretty awesome! The LEGO Powered Up app also controls LEGO trains to haul goods or pick up passengers around LEGO City. You can control the speed, change directions, and bring even more life to your play with various sounds such as a whistle, passenger announcement, railroad crossing bell, and more! The Bluetooth remote control app and the remote control handset included in the LEGO City train sets aren’t compatible with older infrared remote-controlled LEGO train sets. Thanks to Powered Up components like hubs, motors, sensors, and lights you will be able to bring your customized creations to life. You can also bring your existing LEGO models to life. Is your device compatible? Please go to LEGO.com/devicecheck to check if your device is compatible. Ask your parents’ permission before going online. The LEGO Powered Up App Feature List - Access control panels for DC Super Heroes App-Controlled Batmobile, LEGO City Cargo Train or LEGO City Passenger Train. - Control speed and direction of LEGO vehicles with a variety of exciting interfaces. - Add playful sounds and take your play to the next level. - Use LEGO Powered Up hardware components in your customized models to bring them to life! - Code movements and sounds for your models to create real-life behaviors. - Simple, easy-to-understand programming language based on drag’n’drop coding. LEGO and the LEGO logo are trademarks of the LEGO Group. ©2019 The LEGO Group

About

LEGO® Builder

This app provides interactive 3D building instructions for LEGO sets. It allows users to zoom, rotate, and view models from all angles, with step-by-step guidance. It also features a collaborative building mode for multiple users and a digital library of thousands of instruction manuals.

Highlights
  • Interactive 3D building instructions
  • Zoom, rotate, and view from all angles
  • Step-by-step digital guidance
  • Collaborative 'Build Together' mode
  • Digital library of thousands of instructions
  • Track building progress and brick count
Read full description

LEGO® Builder is the official building instructions app for LEGO® sets that guides you on an easy, fun, and collaborative digital building adventure. Build your set like never before: - Step into a new way of building with an intuitive 3D building experience that lets you zoom, rotate, and view LEGO® sets from every angle. - Use step-by-step digital building instructions to see each brick clearly and bring your set to life with confidence. Build Together with friends and family! - Build Together is a fun, social building experience designed for multiple builders to work together. - You can team up and divide tasks to complete your LEGO® set as a group - perfect for fun social family nights, birthdays, or holidays like Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or Christmas. - Share a PIN code to join as a host or builder, take turns completing building steps, and collaborate to finish the model together. - Check in the app to see if your LEGO® set can be built using the Build Together feature. Discover thousands of LEGO® instructions - Explore a digital library of LEGO® building instructions from 2000 to today. - Search by set name or number, or scan the QR code on your instruction manual to open it instantly in the app. Follow a story as you build - Unlock enriched content and guided building experiences for select LEGO® themes, bringing extra fun and imagination to your 3D building journey. Unlock more with a LEGO® Account - Save your progress, build a digital collection of your LEGO® sets, and track your total number of bricks. - Pick up right where you left off - anytime, anywhere. Track your building journey - Now you can keep a record of your completed sets, see your total bricks built, and celebrate your progress as a LEGO® Builder. Things to keep in mind - You’ll need a stable internet connection to use this app. We’re always adding new digital building instructions so you can expand your collection, explore new sets, and find even more ways to build together. - Want to know if your set includes digital instructions or Build Together mode? Check in the app and start your collaborative adventure today! We're eager to hear how we can make the LEGO® Builder app even better for you! Please leave us your thoughts and recommendations in the reviews to help us make the LEGO® Builder app even better. LEGO, the LEGO logo, the Brick and Knob configurations, and the Minifigure are trademarks of the LEGO Group. © 2025 The LEGO Group.

Screenshots

LEGO® Powered Up4 screens
LEGO® Builder4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: LEGO® Builder at 4.8 against LEGO® Powered Up's 3.6. LEGO® Builder also leads on review sentiment (77% vs 42%) and ratings volume (282K vs 550). LEGO® Powered Up's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

LEGO® Builder holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LEGO® Builder has 282K ratings behind it against 550, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 42% of LEGO® Powered Up's written reviews are positive against 77% of LEGO® Builder's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LEGO® Powered Up ships an update every 2 months, LEGO® Builder every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
LEGO® Powered Up versus LEGO® Builder: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLEGO® Powered UpLEGO® Builder
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.6 (550 ratings)4.8 (282K ratings) — better
Positive reviews41.5% of reviews77.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings550282K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank—#116 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size1.5 GB260 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLEGOLEGO

Customer experience

LEGO® Powered Up

All ratings550 ratings
Positive61.8%
Neutral8.2%
Negative30.0%
Written reviews407 reviews
Positive41.5%
Neutral15.2%
Negative43.2%

LEGO® Builder

All ratings281,529 ratings
Positive95.4%
Neutral2.0%
Negative2.6%
Written reviews3,727 reviews
Positive77.5%
Neutral6.4%
Negative16.2%

User reviews

LEGO® Powered Up

From 550 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Works great
  • 🚀 Excellent app
  • 🚀 Awesome thing
  • 👍 Good app
  • 👍 Works like a dream

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Doesn't work
  • 🐛 Wouldn't work
  • 🐛 Not working
  • 🐛 Terrible
  • 🐛 Doesn't work at all

LEGO® Builder

From 282K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 👍 Helpful for building sets
  • 🤖 Great 3D instructions
  • 💡 Ability to save built sets
  • 🎨 Organized by theme and year

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes when using sticker steps
  • 🔍 Missing instructions for older/retired sets
  • 🔍 Incomplete set of instructions for newer sets
  • 🔍 Difficult to navigate and find specific sets
  • 🔍 Inability to add older sets to collection

Bugs and requests

LEGO® Powered Up

Reported bugs

12 issues
  • Bluetooth connection drops
  • Motors not controllable through app
  • Timer blocks don't work
  • Motor code blocks don't work
  • Coding canvas is broken
Show 7 more
  • Loses Bluetooth connection randomly
  • Coding blocks not working properly
  • App doesn't run in background
  • Doesn't work on latest iOS
  • Doesn't work with new hubs and motors
  • Can only connect one hub at a time
  • Train stops when app closes

Requested features

12 requests
  • Add more sound effects
  • Add more music to the playlist
  • Allow custom sounds
  • Improve parameters
  • Add more controls
Show 7 more
  • Add more widgets
  • Allow custom themes
  • Add documentation
  • Add support for LEGO Boost and Mindstorms
  • Add loop option for sounds
  • Add dark mode option
  • Add advanced analytics dashboard

LEGO® Builder

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Sets disappearing from collection after updates
  • Inability to log in and save collection
  • Slow loading and reloading of instructions
  • Zoom and navigation issues on instructions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more older/retired sets
  • Improve navigation and search functionality
  • Allow adding of older sets to collection
  • Implement wishlist feature
  • Add more personalization options for profiles

In-app purchases

None

LEGO® Powered Up

No in-app purchases

None

LEGO® Builder

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is LEGO® Powered Up free?
LEGO® Powered Up is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is LEGO® Builder free?
LEGO® Builder is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, LEGO® Powered Up or LEGO® Builder?
LEGO® Builder is rated higher. LEGO® Powered Up averages 3.6 out of 5 from 550 ratings, while LEGO® Builder averages 4.8 from 282K ratings.
Do LEGO® Powered Up or LEGO® Builder have ads?
Neither LEGO® Powered Up nor LEGO® Builder shows ads.
Which is updated more often, LEGO® Powered Up or LEGO® Builder?
LEGO® Powered Up ships an update every 2 months, and LEGO® Builder every 3 weeks. Most recently, LEGO® Powered Up was updated on September 17, 2026 and LEGO® Builder on September 24, 2026.

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