Comparison

LEGO® TECHNIC® CONTROL+ vs LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Inventor

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

Head to head
About

LEGO® TECHNIC® CONTROL+

Enhance your LEGO Technic building experience with realistic driving controls and interactive features. Engage in challenges, unlock achievements, and enjoy authentic sound effects for a new level of play.

Highlights
  • Realistic multi-function control mode
  • One-touch screen control schemes
  • Challenges and achievements
  • Unlockable badges
  • Inspiring videos
  • Authentic sound effects
  • Real-time data
Features
Read full description

"Take your LEGO® Technic™ experience to a new level of awesome realism: • Get a uniquely designed experience for each LEGO Technic CONTROL+ model. • Drive your models with razor-sharp realism with the multi-function control mode. • Try alternative control schemes with the one-touch screen. • Test your handling skills, complete challenges, unlock badges and watch inspiring videos in Challenges & Achievements mode. • Enjoy authentic sound effects, controls, features and functions – plus real-time data. Here are some models you can connect to the CONTROL+ app... • LEGO Technic Batmobile™ Tumbler (42239) • LEGO Technic Lamborghini Revuelto Super Sports Car (42214) • LEGO Technic Porsche GT4 e-Performance Race Car (42176) • LEGO Technic Off-Road Buggy (42124) • LEGO Technic 6x6 Volvo Articulated Hauler (42114) • LEGO Technic App-Controlled Top Gear Rally Car (42109) • LEGO Technic Liebherr R 9800 (42100) • LEGO Technic 4X4 X-Treme Off-Roader (42099) … and the list keeps growing! (Remember that each of these sets is sold separately.) Every model gets its own unique CONTROL+ experience. Whether it’s a rally car, a 4X4, or even a six-wheeler – and whether it has a boom, an arm, or a bucket – you’ll be able to command it with incredible precision and realism. Is your device compatible? Please go to LEGO.com/devicecheck to check if your device is compatible. Ask your parents’ permission before going online. For app support, contact LEGO Consumer Service. For contact details, refer to http://service.LEGO.com/contactus The Dark Knight Trilogy and all related characters and elements are © & ™ DC and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. The “Lamborghini” and “Lamborghini Bull and Shield” trademarks, copyrights, designs and models are used under license from Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A, Italy. © 2025 Gameloft. All Rights Reserved. All manufacturers, cars, names, brands and associated imagery are trademarks and/or copyrighted materials of their respective owners. Porsche GT4 e-Performance under license of Porsche AG. BBC logo™ and © BBC 1996. Top Gear logo™ and © BBC 2005. Licensed by BBC Studios. “Liebherr” is a trademark of Liebherr-International AG, used under license by LEGO System A/S. The Volvo trademarks (word and device) are registered trademarks of Volvo Trademark Holding AB and are used pursuant to a license. We will utilize your personal information to manage your account and review anonymized data to provide a safe, contextualized and excellent LEGO experience. You can learn more here: https://www.LEGO.com/privacy-policy - https://www.LEGO.com/legal/notices-and-policies/terms-of-use-for-lego-apps/ Our privacy policy and terms of use for apps are accepted if you download this app. LEGO, the LEGO logo, the Brick and Knob configurations and the Minifigure are trademarks of the LEGO Group. ©2025 The LEGO Group."

About

LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Inventor

Build and code intelligent robots with interactive instructions and a visual, drag-and-drop interface. Explore over 50 activities, utilize machine learning for object recognition, and share creations with a fan community.

Highlights
  • Interactive building instructions
  • Drag-and-drop coding interface (Scratch-based)
  • 50+ coding activities
  • Machine learning for object/sound recognition
  • Community section for fan models
  • Remote control functionality
  • Python coding support
Features
Read full description

The LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor App will be discontinued on October 1, 2026, with no further updates or support. Resources on LEGO.com will guide you in transitioning your play experience to the LEGO Education SPIKE Prime App. Note: A full 1:1 experience or firmware replacement cannot be guaranteed. Create intelligent remote-control robots and vehicles using interactive in-app building instructions, with the LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Robot Inventor App! For use with the LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor (51515) set, this companion app has everything you need to build Charlie, Tricky, Blast, M.V.P. and Gelo, each with their own unique abilities. Then get ready to code and play your way through 50+ challenging activities. A fun build-and-play experience As you construct each robotic toy using the step-by-step building instructions in the app, you’ll complete a series of fun coding activities along the way. But if you prefer, you can also download a PDF version. Coding, the fun way If you’ve ever used a visual coding environment, you’ll be right at home with the Robot Inventor App’s colourful drag-and-drop canvas based on Scratch. Each coding element is grouped into categories so you can quickly find what you’re looking for. As well as using the coding canvas to complete the 50+ activities included in the app, you can also code your own activities for an even greater challenge – or, if you’re a more advanced coder, you can also use Python. Take control The Robot Inventor App includes a remote-control feature so you can get your robot walking, dancing and firing with just a few taps! You can also customise it to create your own personalised controller. Learn while you play While you’re building, coding and playing with your robots, you’ll also be exploring, experimenting and learning. Advanced machine learning Using your device’s camera or microphone, you can train your models to recognise and react to objects and sounds… even your own voice! A community of fan models The Community section of the app lets you build and code a growing collection of fun models submitted by some of our fans. Share your cool creation If you’ve designed and built your own amazing robot, you can take a photo of it and upload it to LEGO Life for everyone to see. You can also get loads more inspiration from what others have created. Key Features: Intuitive drag-and-drop coding interface based on Scratch 50+ fun and challenging activities for beginners and more advanced users Machine learning with advanced object and sound recognition Community section with fan models and inspiration Hub to hub connection for extended play possibilities Help Centre with lots of tips for learning and exploring Text-based Python coding for more advanced users Bluetooth connectivity for wireless communication Remote control for instant action Consistent experience across iOS, macOS. Digital building instructions included in the app Kids gain STEM skills through playful learning IMPORTANT: This is not a stand-alone app. It’s used to build and code interactive LEGO robot toys included with the LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor (51515) set. To check whether your device is compatible with the Robot Inventor 51515 set and Robot Inventor App, visit www.LEGO.com/devicecheck. LEARN MORE: For more information about LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor, visit www.LEGO.com/themes/MINDSTORMS/about. There’s also lots more for kids at www.LEGO.com/kids/MINDSTORMS. For app support, contact LEGO Consumer Service at service.LEGO.com/contactus. LEGO, the LEGO logo, the Minifigure, MINDSTORMS and the MINDSTORMS logo are trademarks and/or copyrights of the LEGO Group. ©2022 The LEGO Group. All rights reserved.

Screenshots

LEGO® TECHNIC® CONTROL+4 screens
LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Inventor4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: LEGO® TECHNIC® CONTROL+ at 4.8 against LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Inventor's 4.0. LEGO® TECHNIC® CONTROL+ also leads on ratings volume (9.3K vs 227) and review sentiment (69% vs 59%). LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Inventor's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). 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

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® TECHNIC® CONTROL+ holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LEGO® TECHNIC® CONTROL+ has 9.3K ratings behind it against 227, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of LEGO® TECHNIC® CONTROL+'s written reviews are positive against 59% of LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Inventor's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
LEGO® TECHNIC® CONTROL+ versus LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Inventor: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLEGO® TECHNIC® CONTROL+LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Inventor
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (9.3K ratings) — better4.0 (227 ratings)
Positive reviews69.0% of reviews — better59.1% of reviews
Number of ratings9.3K — better227
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2.0 GB587 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLEGOLEGO

Customer experience

LEGO® TECHNIC® CONTROL+

All ratings9,253 ratings
Positive94.4%
Neutral2.6%
Negative3.0%
Written reviews526 reviews
Positive69.0%
Neutral12.4%
Negative18.6%

LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Inventor

All ratings227 ratings
Positive73.6%
Neutral6.2%
Negative20.3%
Written reviews137 reviews
Positive59.1%
Neutral16.1%
Negative24.8%

User reviews

LEGO® TECHNIC® CONTROL+

From 9.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Seamless Bluetooth connection
  • 👍 Great for little children and adults
  • 👍 Realistic sounds and missions
  • 👍 Onboard sensors provide useful feedback

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Connectivity issues and app crashes
  • 🐛 Buggy controls and calibration problems
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 🔒 Lacks Bluetooth permission access
  • 👎 Limited customization options

LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Inventor

From 227 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great for coding and building robots
  • 🚀 Excellent hub-to-hub communication
  • 💡 Powerful Python coding capabilities
  • 👍 Intuitive block-based programming
  • 👍 Fantastic Christmas gift

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Connectivity issues with Bluetooth and hubs
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing
  • 🔋 Battery life and charging problems
  • 🐛 Compatibility issues with older LEGO Mindstorms
  • 🐛 Buggy and unstable app

Bugs and requests

LEGO® TECHNIC® CONTROL+

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App gets stuck in firmware update loop
  • Incorrect motor activation during calibration
  • Bluetooth connection randomly drops
  • Steering and throttle controls are swapped
  • App crashes when losing a battle race

Requested features

5 requests
  • Custom control profiles for user-built models
  • Support for MFi controllers
  • Ability to edit saved movements
  • Configurable control schemes
  • Improved firmware update process

LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Inventor

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Motors not working as expected
  • Sensors not being detected
  • App not loading or getting stuck on startup
  • Firmware update issues
  • Inability to connect to the hub

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add support for Nintendo Switch controllers
  • Implement 360-degree view for building instructions
  • Introduce line and bar graphs
  • Add a time sensing block with 12/24-hour options
  • Improve remote control functionality

In-app purchases

None

LEGO® TECHNIC® CONTROL+

No in-app purchases

None

LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Inventor

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is LEGO® TECHNIC® CONTROL+ free?
LEGO® TECHNIC® CONTROL+ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Inventor free?
LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Inventor is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, LEGO® TECHNIC® CONTROL+ or LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Inventor?
LEGO® TECHNIC® CONTROL+ is rated higher. LEGO® TECHNIC® CONTROL+ averages 4.8 out of 5 from 9.3K ratings, while LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Inventor averages 4.0 from 227 ratings.
Do LEGO® TECHNIC® CONTROL+ or LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Inventor have ads?
Neither LEGO® TECHNIC® CONTROL+ nor LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Inventor shows ads.
Which is updated more often, LEGO® TECHNIC® CONTROL+ or LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Inventor?
LEGO® TECHNIC® CONTROL+ ships an update every 2 months, and LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Inventor every 2 months. Most recently, LEGO® TECHNIC® CONTROL+ was updated on September 26, 2026 and LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Inventor on September 17, 2026.

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