# Coding Express LEGO® Education vs SAM Studio

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SAM Studio at 100% against Coding Express LEGO® Education's 50%. SAM Studio also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.2). Coding Express LEGO® Education's advantage is ratings volume (250 vs 3). 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.

SAM Studio holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Coding Express LEGO® Education has 250 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Coding Express LEGO® Education's written reviews are positive against 100% of SAM Studio's.

Coding Express LEGO® Education ships an update every 8 months, SAM Studio every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Coding Express LEGO® Education | SAM Studio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (250 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/coding-express-lego-education/id1419604286/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sam-studio/id1582863218/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **250** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Every 5 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 855 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPad | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [LEGO Education](https://appshunter.io/developer/708170734) | [SAM Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/1033131753) |

## What reviewers say

### Coding Express LEGO® Education

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/coding-express-lego-education/id1419604286)

This app introduces preschoolers to early coding concepts and 21st-century skills using a LEGO DUPLO train set. It offers four engaging activity areas: Journeys, Characters, Math, and Music, fostering problem-solving, collaboration, and creativity.

**Highlights:** Early coding concepts for preschoolers, LEGO DUPLO train set integration, Four activity areas: Journeys, Characters, Math, Music, Develops sequencing, problem-solving, and collaboration, Teacher guides and lesson plans included, Supports social and emotional development

**In-app purchases:** none


### SAM Studio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sam-studio/id1582863218)

This platform offers tools and curriculum-aligned lesson plans for engaging STEAM and coding education. It features intuitive visual coding apps and wireless electronic blocks to bring computational thinking to life in the classroom.

**Highlights:** Curriculum-aligned lesson plans, Intuitive visual flow-based and block-based coding, Wireless Bluetooth electronic blocks, Lesson Builder tool, Teacher support and training, Support for various sensors and motors

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Coding Express LEGO® Education free?

Coding Express LEGO® Education is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is SAM Studio free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Coding Express LEGO® Education or SAM Studio?

SAM Studio is rated higher. Coding Express LEGO® Education averages 4.2 out of 5 from 250 ratings, while SAM Studio averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Coding Express LEGO® Education or SAM Studio have ads?

Neither Coding Express LEGO® Education nor SAM Studio shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Coding Express LEGO® Education or SAM Studio?

Coding Express LEGO® Education ships an update every 8 months, and SAM Studio every 5 months. Most recently, Coding Express LEGO® Education was updated on October 7, 2026 and SAM Studio on September 26, 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.*