# Hopscotch vs Playground Engineer

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Playground Engineer at none against Hopscotch's 10. Playground Engineer also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5). Hopscotch's advantage is ratings volume (15K vs 5) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hopscotch sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Playground Engineer asks for nothing beyond the download.

Playground Engineer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hopscotch has 15K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Hopscotch ships an update every 2 weeks, Playground Engineer every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hopscotch | Playground Engineer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (15K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hopscotch-programming-for-kids/id617098629/reviews) | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/playground-engineer/id1577032559/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **15K** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 70.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 203 MB | 58 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hopscotch Technologies](https://appshunter.io/developer/490514281) | [SATYANANDA CORP](https://appshunter.io/developer/1448631757) |

## What reviewers say

### Hopscotch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hopscotch-programming-for-kids/id617098629)

This app allows children to create their own games, art, and stories using kid-friendly programming. Users can share their creations with a moderated community, play and remix projects from others, and learn to code through interactive video tutorials.

**Highlights:** Create games, art, and stories, Kid-friendly programming interface, Share creations with a moderated community, Play and remix projects from other users, Learn coding through video tutorials, Build advanced games and apps

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, iMessage stickers

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month Subscription with free trial | $7.99 | per month |
| Hopscotch Monthly Subscription | $7.99 | per month |
| Hopscotch Monthly Subscription | $7.99 | per month |
| Hopscotch Monthly Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Hopscotch Yearly Subscription | $39.99 | per year |
| 1 Year Subscription with free trial | $79.99 | per year |
| 1 Year Subscription with free trial | $79.99 | per year |
| Hopscotch Yearly Subscription | $79.99 | per year |
| Hopscotch Yearly Subscription | $79.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use for beginners
- 🚀 Powerful coding tools
- 💡 Encourages creativity and problem-solving
- 👍 Supportive community
- 🚀 Great for learning coding

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Subscription model restricts free access
- 🐛 Glitches and bugs
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔒 Limited account/login options
- 🔒 Concerns about child safety and moderation

**Reported bugs**

- Projects disappearing or not saving properly
- Shapes/objects not displaying correctly
- Crashes and freezes when using certain features
- Subscription/login issues

**Requested features**

- Add cloud variables and multiplayer support
- Allow custom sounds and profile pictures for free
- Improve the 'Newest' tab to better showcase new projects
- Restore old features like unlimited free projects
- Add a 'reset' button for projects


### Playground Engineer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/playground-engineer/id1577032559)

This program mentors young minds to become leaders in digital innovation. Participants develop essential skills like creativity, critical thinking, and leadership while building their own iPhone apps and games.

**Highlights:** Digital Innovation Leadership Program, Enhances creativity and critical thinking, Develops leadership skills, Teaches technology application, Create iPhone apps and games

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hopscotch free?

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

### Is Playground Engineer free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hopscotch or Playground Engineer?

Playground Engineer is rated higher. Hopscotch averages 4.5 out of 5 from 15K ratings, while Playground Engineer averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do Hopscotch or Playground Engineer have ads?

Neither Hopscotch nor Playground Engineer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hopscotch or Playground Engineer?

Hopscotch ships an update every 2 weeks, and Playground Engineer every 3 weeks. Most recently, Hopscotch was updated on October 31, 2026 and Playground Engineer on October 30, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*