Comparison

Kodable Basics vs Lightbot

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

Lightbot

This programming puzzle game introduces players to coding logic through interactive challenges. Guide a robot using commands to solve levels, learning concepts like procedures, loops, and conditionals. It's designed for beginners, making coding accessible and fun for students.

Highlights
  • Programming puzzle gameplay
  • Introduces programming logic
  • Teaches procedures, loops, conditionals
  • 20 levels for beginners
  • Multiplayer progress tracking
  • Supports multiple languages
Features
Read full description

Get kids hooked on coding within minutes! Lightbot : Code Hour is a programming puzzle game- a game whose game mechanics require using programming logic to solve levels. This short teaser is meant to introduce players to programming who may have little to no experience. Anyone, anywhere, from grades K-12 can play, have fun and learn real programming logic! Simply guiding a robot to light up tiles and solve levels using commands, Lightbot cultivates a real understanding of procedures, loops, and conditionals. Educators around the world are choosing to use Lightbot first when introducing their students to programming, coding and Computer Science. Lightbot : Code Hour features 20 levels. The follow-on Lightbot : Programming Puzzles features 50 levels and 20 challenge stars to collect for when you want more of a challenge! This version of Lightbot can be played in English, French, Russian, Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Norwegian, Slovenian, Romanian, Indonesian, German, Polish, Danish, Croatian, Dutch, Slovak, Czech, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Thai, Hindi, Swedish, Finnish and Hungarian! Just hit the associated flag icon on the main screen to select a language. Lightbot features multiple save slots and separate progress tracking for multiple players. Multiple players can advance at their own pace in their own save slot, and also compete on number of levels finished, number of stars collected and number of overall commands used to complete the game. There are NO in-app purchases in Lightbot.

Screenshots

Kodable Basics4 screens
Lightbot3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Kodable Basics at 4.7 against Lightbot's 4.1. Kodable Basics also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 months) and ratings volume (21K vs 242). Lightbot's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and review sentiment (80% vs 55%). On price, ads 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. Lightbot asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Kodable Basics holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Kodable Basics has 21K ratings behind it against 242, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 55% of Kodable Basics's written reviews are positive against 80% of Lightbot's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Kodable Basics ships an update every 3 weeks, Lightbot every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Kodable Basics versus Lightbot: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKodable BasicsLightbot
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (21K ratings) — better4.1 (242 ratings)
Positive reviews54.6% of reviews79.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings21K — better242
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 6 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.05.1.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size422 MB48 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSurfScore, IncSpriteBox LLC

Customer experience

Kodable Basics

All ratings21,456 ratings
Positive93.7%
Neutral2.6%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews410 reviews
Positive54.6%
Neutral5.4%
Negative40.0%

Lightbot

All ratings242 ratings
Positive76.4%
Neutral5.0%
Negative18.6%
Written reviews187 reviews
Positive79.7%
Neutral5.3%
Negative15.0%

User reviews

Kodable Basics

From 21K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💡 Fun and educational coding game
  • 👍 Helps develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills
  • 🚀 Engaging for kids of various ages
  • 🎨 Ability to create custom characters and games

Room to improve

  • 💰 Subscription-based model with high costs
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🔒 Misleading trial period and automatic subscription
  • 📉 Declining quality and value over time

Lightbot

From 242 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great level design
  • 🤩 Fun and addictive
  • 🧠 Helps develop coding skills
  • 🎓 Good for kids and beginners
  • 🏆 Awesome game

Room to improve

  • 🤯 Levels too difficult
  • 🤏 Not enough space for code
  • 🕰️ Game too short
  • 🙄 Unclear tutorial
  • 🎵 Bad music

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

Lightbot

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Level 1-7 impossible to complete
  • Procedures level 5 glitched
  • Robot not moving as expected

Requested features

4 requests
  • More levels and content
  • Ability to create own games
  • Better tutorial and instructions
  • More music options

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

Lightbot

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Kodable Basics free?
Kodable Basics is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Lightbot free?
Lightbot is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Kodable Basics or Lightbot?
Kodable Basics is rated higher. Kodable Basics averages 4.7 out of 5 from 21K ratings, while Lightbot averages 4.1 from 242 ratings.
Do Kodable Basics or Lightbot have ads?
Neither Kodable Basics nor Lightbot shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Kodable Basics or Lightbot?
Kodable Basics ships an update every 3 weeks, and Lightbot every 6 months. Most recently, Kodable Basics was updated on October 2, 2026 and Lightbot on September 29, 2026.

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