Comparison

VEXcode 123 vs Spike™ LEGO® Education

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

Head to head
About

VEXcode 123

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From elementary school through college, VEXcode is a coding environment that meets students at their level. The intuitive layout of VEXcode allows students to get started quickly and easily. VEXcode is consistent across Blocks and Text, across VEX 123, VEX GO, VEX IQ, and VEX V5. As students progress from elementary, middle, and high school, they never have to learn a different blocks, code, or toolbar interface. As a result, students can focus on creating with technology, not trying to navigate a new layout. Drive Forward is the new Hello World We all know that robots attract kids to learn. VEX Robotics and VEXcode are providing opportunities for students of all ages to participate in learning the code that makes these robots work. VEX makes computer science come to life through collaborations, hands-on projects, and engaging experiences. From classrooms to competitions, VEXcode helps to create the next generation of innovators. Drag. Drop. Drive. VEXcode is the perfect platform for those new to coding. Students use the simple drag and drop interface to create functioning programs. Each block's purpose can easily be identified using the visual cues like its shape, color, and label. We've designed VEXcode to allow those who are new to robotics to get their robot up and running faster. Now, students can focus on being creative and learning computer science concepts, not stuck trying to figure out the interface. More accessible than ever VEXcode even helps across language barriers, allowing student to read blocks and comment programs in their native language. Drag & Drop. Powered by Scratch Blocks. Students and Teachers will feel instantly at home with this familiar environment. Video Tutorials. Grasp concepts faster. Built-in tutorials cover every aspect needed to get up to speed fast. And more tutorials are coming. Help is always there. Getting information on blocks is fast and easy. These resources were written by educators, in a form both teachers and students will grasp quickly. Drivetrain Blocks. A breakthrough in simplicity. From driving forward, making precise turns, setting speed, and stopping precisely, VEXcode makes it easier than ever to control a robot. VEXcode Privacy Policy: https://www.vexrobotics.com/software-privacy-policy

About

Spike™ LEGO® Education

This app facilitates playful STEAM learning for students, designed to work with specific LEGO® Education kits. It helps develop computational thinking through coding, encourages building and experimentation, and supports programming for various projects and competitions.

Highlights
  • Icon-block, word-block, and text-based coding
  • Develop computational thinking
  • Build, tinker, and experiment with LEGO® creations
  • Program and debug designs
  • Create stories with LEGO® Minifigures
  • Prepare for FIRST® LEGO® League competitions
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Engage every student in playful STEAM learning with the LEGO® Education SPIKE™ App. Designed for use with the LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Portfolio, the SPIKE App is a powerful tool that helps teachers facilitate engaging, hands-on STEAM learning.      When combined with SPIKE Essential or SPIKE Prime, the SPIKE App allows students to:  - Develop computational thinking skills using a progression of icon-block, word-block, and text-based coding. - Build, tinker, and experiment - progressing from simple creations to complex structures. - Learn to program, test and tweak designs, debug and optimize, create stories with LEGO® Minifigures, prepare for FIRST® LEGO® League competitions, and more! *** IMPORTANT***  This is not a standalone educational app. This app is used to program LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Essential and LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Prime, which are sold separately. Please contact your local LEGO Education reseller for further information.    LEARN MORE: LEGOeducation.com/Teacher-resources For app support, contact LEGO® Education at https://support.legoeducation.com. LEGO, the LEGO logo and the SPIKE logo are trademarks and/or copyrights of the LEGO Group. FIRST® LEGO® League is a jointly held trademark of FIRST® and the LEGO Group. ©2026 The LEGO Group. All rights reserved.

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Spike™ LEGO® Education at every 2 months against VEXcode 123's every 4 months. Spike™ LEGO® Education also leads on iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

VEXcode 123 ships an update every 4 months, Spike™ LEGO® Education every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
VEXcode 123 versus Spike™ LEGO® Education: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVEXcode 123Spike™ LEGO® Education
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.7 (3.7K ratings) — better
Positive reviews—68.2% of reviews
Number of ratings—3.7K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPadiPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS16.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size408 MB227 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVEX Robotics, Inc.LEGO Education

Bugs and requests

VEXcode 123

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Spike™ LEGO® Education

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Bluetooth connection issues
  • Unable to flash hub or connect
  • Incompatibility with programs written in previous version

Requested features

5 requests
  • Hub-to-hub control
  • RC features
  • Merge Inventor app into one
  • Add more color options for color sensor
  • Bring back Python coding support

In-app purchases

None

VEXcode 123

No in-app purchases

None

Spike™ LEGO® Education

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is VEXcode 123 free?
VEXcode 123 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Spike™ LEGO® Education free?
Spike™ LEGO® Education is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do VEXcode 123 or Spike™ LEGO® Education have ads?
Neither VEXcode 123 nor Spike™ LEGO® Education shows ads.
Which is updated more often, VEXcode 123 or Spike™ LEGO® Education?
VEXcode 123 ships an update every 4 months, and Spike™ LEGO® Education every 2 months. Most recently, VEXcode 123 was updated on October 13, 2026 and Spike™ LEGO® Education on October 25, 2026.

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