Comparison

LEGO® Powered Up vs BrickScan

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

BrickScan

Instantly identify thousands of LEGO minifigures and parts by simply taking a picture. Organize, track, and estimate the value of your collection with this powerful AI scanner. It's the ultimate tool for LEGO fans to complete their sets and find the best deals.

Highlights
  • AI-powered minifigure identification
  • Scan thousands of LEGO parts
  • Collection tracking and statistics
  • Value estimation for collection
  • Find missing parts for figures
  • Compare prices online
  • Export scans for inventory
Features
Read full description

BrickMonkey is now BrickScan! Instantly identify over 16,000 minifigures and 76,000 LEGO parts—just snap a picture! Unlock the power of instant recognition with BrickScan - Minifigure Scanner, the most advanced scanner for LEGO fans, collectors, and hobbyists. Using your smartphone camera, scan and identify thousands of minifigs, bricks, and parts in seconds. Whether you’re organizing, tracking, or completing your collection, BrickScan is the ultimate tool for effortless identification and management. Minifigure & Part Scanner No more guessing. With BrickScan’s powerful image recognition, you can scan thousands of unique minifigures and LEGO parts. From heads and torsos to rare accessories, this scanner ensures every detail is accurately identified. Just snap a photo and let the app do the rest. Collection Tracker & Value Estimator Keep your collection organized like never before. Track your minifigs and LEGO bricks with ease, view detailed statistics, and check their estimated value. Whether you’re a beginner or a serious collector, this tool makes managing your LEGO checklist simple and efficient. Identify & Complete Your Minifigures Missing a part? Trying to complete a figure? Easily identify LEGO heads, torsos, legs, and accessories. Stop searching blindly—BrickScan helps you find exactly what you need to complete your minifigs quickly. Find Parts & Compare Prices Online Once a figure or part is identified, export your scans for easy inventory tracking or compare prices to find the best deals. Quickly locate sellers and avoid overpaying while expanding your collection. A Must-Have for LEGO Fans Whether you’re a lifelong collector, a casual hobbyist, or just starting out, this scanner makes managing your LEGO collection easier than ever. It’s more than just a checklist—it’s your personal LEGO collection assistant. Download BrickScan now and take your collection to the next level! BrickScan was created by fans and is not an official LEGO® product. The LEGO Group of companies does not sponsor or support BrickScan. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

LEGO® Powered Up4 screens
BrickScan4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: BrickScan at 4.9 against LEGO® Powered Up's 3.6. BrickScan also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (60% vs 42%). LEGO® Powered Up's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.5). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support 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. BrickScan sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. LEGO® Powered Up asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

BrickScan holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 555 and 1.6K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 42% of LEGO® Powered Up's written reviews are positive against 60% of BrickScan's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LEGO® Powered Up ships an update every 2 months, BrickScan weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
LEGO® Powered Up versus BrickScan: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLEGO® Powered UpBrickScan
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.6 (555 ratings)4.9 (1.6K ratings) — better
Positive reviews41.5% of reviews59.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings5551.6K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.5
Further details — not scored
Size1.5 GB196 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLEGOBrickMonkey LLC

Customer experience

LEGO® Powered Up

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

BrickScan

All ratings1,594 ratings
Positive96.9%
Neutral1.4%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews191 reviews
Positive59.7%
Neutral4.7%
Negative35.6%

User reviews

LEGO® Powered Up

From 555 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

BrickScan

From 1.6K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Excellent for identifying and cataloging minifigures
  • 🚀 Saves a lot of time sorting through parts
  • 💡 Useful features like linking to Bricklink
  • 👍 Accurate in recognizing most minifigures
  • 👍 Great customer support

Room to improve

  • 🔒 Premium subscription required for full functionality
  • 💰 Expensive subscription cost
  • 🐛 Occasional connection issues or scanning errors
  • 🔍 Limited free scans per day
  • 💰 Prices not always accurate

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

BrickScan

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Scanning issues with low light conditions
  • Occasional app crashes or freezes

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to sort collection by set, theme, or value
  • More comprehensive database of recent minifigures
  • Option to scan heads and printed legs
  • Feature to identify stickers and printed parts
  • Wishlist functionality

In-app purchases

None

LEGO® Powered Up

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

BrickScan

Subscriptions2
  • Premium$7.991 Month
  • Premium$54.991 Year

Questions

Is LEGO® Powered Up free?
LEGO® Powered Up is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BrickScan free?
BrickScan is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, LEGO® Powered Up or BrickScan?
BrickScan is rated higher. LEGO® Powered Up averages 3.6 out of 5 from 555 ratings, while BrickScan averages 4.9 from 1.6K ratings.
Do LEGO® Powered Up or BrickScan have ads?
Neither LEGO® Powered Up nor BrickScan shows ads.
Which is updated more often, LEGO® Powered Up or BrickScan?
LEGO® Powered Up ships an update every 2 months, and BrickScan weekly. Most recently, LEGO® Powered Up was updated on November 4, 2026 and BrickScan on November 3, 2026.

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