# PictoBlox vs Lumen

The clearest difference is update cadence: Lumen at every 2 weeks against PictoBlox's every 14 months. PictoBlox's advantage is review sentiment (48% vs 22%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

PictoBlox ships an update every 14 months, Lumen every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PictoBlox | Lumen |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.4 (59 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pictoblox-coding-robots-and-ai/id1554839634/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **59** | — |
| Positive reviews | **48.1% of reviews** | 22.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 178 MB | 75 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.3 | **13.0.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [STEMpedia](https://appshunter.io/developer/1472734454) | [UNext Learning Private Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1599046900) |

## What reviewers say

### PictoBlox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pictoblox-coding-robots-and-ai/id1554839634)

Learn to code with a block-based platform that integrates robotics, AI, and machine learning. Create games, animations, and control hardware using intuitive drag-and-drop Scratch blocks. Ideal for beginners to develop 21st-century skills.

**Highlights:** Block-based coding, Robotics control, AI and Machine Learning, IoT projects, Game and animation creation, Hardware interaction

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for learning AI
- 👍 Good for robotics
- 👍 Intuitive block interface
- 👍 Fun for beginners
- 👍 Good for short projects

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and glitches
- 🐛 Projects not saving
- 🐛 Freezes and crashes
- 🐛 Lagging issues
- 🐛 Difficult to navigate

**Reported bugs**

- Birthday date not appearing during account creation
- Purple screen and reset when saving project
- Microphone activated unexpectedly
- Space instead of left arrow in hat block
- Projects not saving on iPad and laptops

**Requested features**

- Zoom in feature for drawing
- Pixelated text option
- Custom controls (thumbsticks, levers)
- Move variables with finger
- Drag code to other sprites


### Lumen

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lumen/id1636279777)

This app offers a personalized online learning experience with 24/7 access to course materials, live classes, and collaborative tools. Monitor your progress, interact with professors and peers, and manage your assignments and schedule all in one place.

**Highlights:** 24/7 online learning access, Live classes and professor interaction, Peer collaboration and discussions, Performance tracking and assessments, Offline content downloads, Assignment submission and reminders

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PictoBlox free?

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

### Is Lumen free?

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

### Do PictoBlox or Lumen have ads?

Neither PictoBlox nor Lumen shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PictoBlox or Lumen?

PictoBlox ships an update every 14 months, and Lumen every 2 weeks. Most recently, PictoBlox was updated on October 24, 2026 and Lumen on October 30, 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.*