# CodingKids vs SAM Root

The clearest difference is rating: SAM Root at 3.8 against CodingKids's 2.2. SAM Root also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (46% vs 35%). CodingKids's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs monthly) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 13.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. CodingKids sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. SAM Root asks for nothing beyond the download.

SAM Root holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 2.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 20 and 42 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 35% of CodingKids's written reviews are positive against 46% of SAM Root's.

CodingKids ships an update every 9 days, SAM Root monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CodingKids | SAM Root |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.2 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/codingkids/id439627746/reviews) | **[3.8 (42 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sam-root/id1524652548/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 20 | **42** |
| Positive reviews | 34.8% of reviews | **46.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 60 MB | 92 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [BeyondApp Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/407475917) | [SAM Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/1033131753) |

## What reviewers say

### CodingKids

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/codingkids/id439627746)

This app teaches children to create their own games and interactive e-books in a single day. It offers features like text-to-speech, voice recognition, translation, and MIDI sound support, along with math coordinate tools. It's designed for kids to learn actual coding principles through hands-on game development.

**Highlights:** Game creation in one day, Interactive e-book builder, Text-to-Speech and Voice Recognition, Multi-language translation, MIDI sound support, Math coordinates and functions

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Donate to support AppCraft | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app for creating apps
- 👍 Powerful tools and user-friendly interface
- 🚀 Awesome way to show how apps are built

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy
- 👎 Confusing and hard to use
- 👎 Lack of documentation and instructions
- 👎 Too many ads and pop-ups

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when trying to add pictures
- No 'done' button when creating new scenes
- Embedded URLs crash the app
- Incompatible with older devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to publish apps to the App Store
- More tutorials and documentation
- Pinch-to-zoom and scroll features
- Group alignment and grouping of objects
- Import images from photo library


### SAM Root

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sam-root/id1524652548)

Learn programming through interactive robotics with three progressive coding levels, from graphical blocks to Python 3. Control robots in real-time or test your code with a built-in 3D simulator.

**Highlights:** Three progressive coding levels, Graphical blocks to Python 3, Real-time robot control, Built-in 3D simulator, Seamless level switching, Bluetooth robot pairing

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CodingKids free?

CodingKids is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is SAM Root free?

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

### Which has better reviews, CodingKids or SAM Root?

SAM Root is rated higher. CodingKids averages 2.2 out of 5 from 20 ratings, while SAM Root averages 3.8 from 42 ratings.

### Do CodingKids or SAM Root have ads?

Neither CodingKids nor SAM Root shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CodingKids or SAM Root?

CodingKids ships an update every 9 days, and SAM Root monthly. Most recently, CodingKids was updated on September 18, 2026 and SAM Root on September 22, 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.*