Comparison

Kodable Basics vs RoboGarden Playground

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

Head to head
About

Kodable Basics

This app teaches children aged 4-10 foundational computer science concepts through engaging, game-based activities. It helps kids develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills by guiding them through mazes and allowing them to create their own games. The curriculum is designed to transition from basic logic to writing real code.

Highlights
  • Game-based learning approach
  • Develops critical thinking
  • Teaches coding concepts
  • Builds foundational computer science skills
  • Creative activities
  • Seasonal events
Features
Read full description

The coding curriculum used in over 50% of U.S. elementary schools, now at home! Kids go from solving their first maze at age 4 to writing real JavaScript by 5th grade, through games they actually ask to play. LOVED BY KIDS, TRUSTED BY SCHOOLS Rated 4.7 stars by 21,000+ families. Over 25 million downloads. Built with elementary teachers for more than a decade, and aligned to Common Core and CSTA standards, the same curriculum kids use in class. WHAT KIDS LEARN Ages 4-6 (no reading required): sequencing, patterns, and problem-solving through maze puzzles. This is the logic underneath all programming. Ages 7-10: conditions, loops, functions, and variables, leading to real typed JavaScript Every level builds critical thinking they'll use far beyond the screen MORE THAN LESSONS Kids design their own characters, build and share their own games, and jump into seasonal events. Creativity keeps them coming back long after the lesson ends. USING KODABLE AT SCHOOL? Sign in with your school account and your child's progress comes home with them. Some class content carries over free; Kodable Pro unlocks the full library at home. BUILT FOR FAMILIES No ads. Ever. Works offline for road trips, flights, and waiting rooms Designed to meet the strict privacy standards schools require TEACHERS: A complete K-5 STEM curriculum with 80+ scripted lesson plans and Google Classroom, Clever, and roster integrations is available at kodable.com. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION – Payment will be charged to iTunes Account – Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period – Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal – Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase – Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable.

About

RoboGarden Playground

Learn coding through fun, gamified missions designed for beginners. Develop essential skills like planning, problem-solving, and decision-making with engaging activities focused on STEAM subjects and life skills. All content is free to access.

Highlights
  • Gamified coding missions
  • STEAM and life skills focus
  • Problem-solving development
  • Decision-making practice
  • Sequencing and loops
  • Math operations practice
Features
Read full description

Looking for an easy and free way to learn to code? RoboGarden Playground has fused learning with fun and gamified missions in a single application that opens doors to everyone to code while playing and without any prior experience with programming. Also if you are looking forward to a brighter future for your kids, RoboGarden Playground helps develop planning skills, allow kids to solve problems by planning several different resolutions and then weighing pros and cons of each before deciding which one to go with. RoboGarden Playground enforces these skills and steer learners towards finding the right solution to every problem they face. The future job market will require that persistence, especially when it comes to programming. In the future, a lack of coding skills will be the equivalent of illiteracy now. Most jobs, even in the retail and fast food industries, will require basic knowledge of IT skills. RoboGarden Playground presents several coding activities which are a collection of coding missions that focus on STEAM subjects, good morals, and life skills while teaching coding in a fun and easy way. And all of them are FOR FREE. Coding activities Currently Supported are as follows First Steps - Learn Robo basic movement and get familiar with sequencing and motor actions while playing. Tasty but Healthy – Coding can help you make healthy choices by avoiding sugary sweets and go for the less sugary ones. Candy Shop – Apply basic sequencing concepts to solve some math operations (Addition/Subtraction). Discover Alien Message - Math will be easier while coding and using loops to minimize number of blocks. Discover The Universe - How to use if statement to make a decision and handle different scenarios and multiple test cases. What you will Practice Basic and Advanced Sequencing Coding Concepts. Decision making using IF- Conditions. Basic and conditioned Loops using multiple test cases. Math Basic Operation Practice. And much more related to morals and life skills. You start by downloading the game assets, selecting a mission then you will be able to build your own algorithm using the RoboGarden Coding Blocks and by keeping the playground application up to date, you will enjoy much more coding activities as we are always adding more activities to cover different coding concepts and programming languages and we are totally proud to tell you that all is FOR FREE. RoboGarden Playground is one application of the RoboGarden Complete Road map to teach coding from beginner to professional level in a fun and easy way. In App Purchases Provided: 1. RG PlayGround Remove Ads Subscribe to remove ads and enjoy coding now! A purchase amount of 1.99 USD and period monthly will be applied to your iTunes account on confirmation. Subscriptions will automatically renew unless canceled within 24-hours before the end of the current period. You can cancel anytime with your iTunes account settings. Any unused portion of a free trial will be forfeited if you purchase a subscription. Check out terms of use here: https://robogarden.ca/termsOfUse Check out privacy policy here: https://robogarden.ca/privacy

Screenshots

Kodable Basics4 screens
RoboGarden Playground1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Kodable Basics at 4.7 against RoboGarden Playground's 2.0. Kodable Basics also leads on ratings volume (21K vs 1). RoboGarden Playground's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, monetization model 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. Kodable Basics sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per month. RoboGarden Playground asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Kodable Basics holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Kodable Basics has 21K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Kodable Basics ships an update every 3 weeks, RoboGarden Playground weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Kodable Basics versus RoboGarden Playground: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKodable BasicsRoboGarden Playground
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (21K ratings) — better2.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews54.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings21K — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.010.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size422 MB197 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSurfScore, IncRoboGarden Inc.

Customer experience

Kodable Basics

All ratings21,468 ratings
Positive93.7%
Neutral2.6%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews411 reviews
Positive54.5%
Neutral5.4%
Negative40.1%

RoboGarden Playground

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Bugs and requests

Kodable Basics

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Inability to access app after subscription cancellation
  • Persistent crashes at certain levels or stages
  • Syncing and progress issues across devices
  • Unresponsive controls and UI elements

Requested features

4 requests
  • More free content and levels
  • Improved stability and performance
  • Customization options for parents/teachers
  • Better customer support and communication

RoboGarden Playground

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Kodable Basics

Subscriptions2
  • Kodable Monthly Plan7 Days trial$24.991 Month
  • Kodable Yearly Plan7 Days trial$119.991 Year
One-time5
  • 3-day Parent TrialFree
  • Fuzzes to Support Computer Science$4.99
  • Pre-Trial Parent Plan$19.99
Show 2 more
  • Parent Plan$29.99
  • Kodable Lifetime Plan$199.99
None

RoboGarden Playground

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Kodable Basics free?
Kodable Basics is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is RoboGarden Playground free?
RoboGarden Playground is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Kodable Basics or RoboGarden Playground?
Kodable Basics is rated higher. Kodable Basics averages 4.7 out of 5 from 21K ratings, while RoboGarden Playground averages 2.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Kodable Basics or RoboGarden Playground have ads?
Neither Kodable Basics nor RoboGarden Playground shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Kodable Basics or RoboGarden Playground?
Kodable Basics ships an update every 3 weeks, and RoboGarden Playground weekly. Most recently, Kodable Basics was updated on October 16, 2026 and RoboGarden Playground on October 3, 2026.

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