Turtles vs PictoBlox Junior Blocks
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Turtles
Embark on a programming journey with Turtle Graphics, designed for all ages to learn coding fundamentals. Create drawings, mini-games, and explore computer science concepts through interactive exercises. Ideal for both individual learning and classroom settings.
- Interactive Turtle Graphics for drawing
- Learn programming concepts like variables and functions
- Create mini-games
- Explore recursion and fractal shapes
- Beginner-friendly interface
- Suitable for classroom use
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Simple commands, deep thinking. Turtles is a turtle graphics programming app for elementary school students and beginners. Draw shapes while learning the basics of programming, including loops, variables, and functions. Give commands to the turtle on the screen to draw lines, create shapes and patterns, and build interactive projects. Before memorizing difficult syntax, learners can build a program, run it, see the result, and improve it step by step. Turtles can be used for children’s first programming experience, adult learning, school lessons, coding classes, and workshops. It also works on iPhone, but a larger screen such as iPad is recommended for creating projects. Sample projects and related information are available on our website. https://turtle360.net/ First Steps in Programming: Turtles is a programming app that helps learners think by combining simple commands. Starting with basic commands such as “move forward,” “turn right,” and “repeat,” even first-time programmers can quickly begin experimenting and learning by doing. Learn Programming Basics: By drawing shapes, learners can understand important programming concepts such as sequencing, loops, conditions, variables, and functions. Because the result appears immediately on the screen, it is easy to understand how a program works. Try More Advanced Expressions: After learning the basics, learners can try more complex shapes, patterns, and fractal drawings. They can also explore ideas connected to computer science, such as recursion, in a natural and visual way. Create Mini Games and Projects: Turtles is not only for moving a turtle. Learners can also create interactive projects and simple mini games based on their own ideas. By combining the commands they have learned, they can experience the joy of thinking and creating by themselves. About Turtle Graphics: Turtle graphics is a programming method where learners give commands to a turtle on the screen to draw shapes. It was developed in the 1960s for the LOGO programming language, and it is still used today in many programming learning environments. Turtles is designed based on this idea so that both children and adults can enjoy learning programming. Acknowledgments: Turtles was inspired by many programming languages and learning environments, including LOGO, Squeak Etoys, Scratch, Python, and Swift. We thank the developers around the world who created and nurtured these ideas.
PictoBlox Junior Blocks
This app introduces beginners to coding through a fun, block-based interface. Explore AI, robotics, and create games, animations, and interactive projects. Develop essential 21st-century skills like creativity and logical reasoning.
- Block-based coding interface
- AI and Machine Learning exploration
- Robotics and hardware interaction
- Create games and animations
- Develop 21st-century skills
- Logic and algorithm concepts
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Junior Blocks is a block-based educational coding app for beginners with enhanced hardware-interaction capabilities and emerging technologies such as robotics and AI that make learning to code fun and engaging. Just drag and drop the coding blocks and make cool games, animations, interactive projects, and even control robots the way you want! ● 21st-Century Skills Junior Blocks opens doors for beginners to learn creative and physical computing in an engaging way and helps develop essential skills for today’s technology-driven world such as: - Creativity - Logical reasoning - Critical thinking - Problem-solving ● Coding Skills With Junior Blocks, learners can understand key coding concepts such as: - Logic - Algorithms - Sequencing - Loops - Conditional statements ● AI and ML for Education Users can explore Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning concepts like: - Face and text recognition - Speech recognition and virtual assistant - AI-based games ● Extensions for Making Countless DIY Projects Junior Blocks offers dedicated extensions to create exciting projects involving AI, robotics, Scratch project control via Bluetooth, programming wheels, sensors, displays, NeoPixel RGB lights, and much more. Boards Compatible with PictoBlox App: - Quarky - Wizbot Want to know more about Junior Blocks? Visit: https://thestempedia.com/product/pictoblox Getting Started with Junior Blocks: Projects that you can make:https://thestempedia.com/project/ Permissions required for: Bluetooth: to provide connectivity. Camera: for taking pictures, videos, face recognition, etc. Microphone: to send voice commands and use the sound meter. Storage: to store the images and videos taken. Location: to use the location sensor and BLE. Download Junior Blocks NOW and start the exciting world of coding and AI with these interactive coding blocks.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Turtles at 4.7 against PictoBlox Junior Blocks's 3.0. Turtles also leads on ratings volume (12 vs 2) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14). PictoBlox Junior Blocks's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 90%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Turtles holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Turtles has 12 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 90% of Turtles's written reviews are positive against 100% of PictoBlox Junior Blocks's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Turtles ships an update monthly, PictoBlox Junior Blocks every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Turtles | PictoBlox Junior Blocks |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (12 ratings) — better | 3.0 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 90.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 12 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 14 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 11 MB | 314 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Toshio Miyasaka | STEMpedia |
Customer experience
Turtles
PictoBlox Junior Blocks
In-app purchases
Turtles
No in-app purchases
PictoBlox Junior Blocks
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Turtles free?
Is PictoBlox Junior Blocks free?
Which has better reviews, Turtles or PictoBlox Junior Blocks?
Do Turtles or PictoBlox Junior Blocks have ads?
Which is updated more often, Turtles or PictoBlox Junior Blocks?
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