Comparison

Lightbot vs Code Karts

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

Head to head
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.

About

Code Karts

This app introduces children aged 4 and up to pre-coding concepts through engaging logic puzzles presented as a raceway. It teaches fundamental coding principles and problem-solving skills through interactive gameplay, including counting in binary.

Highlights
  • Pre-coding logic puzzles
  • Learn to count in binary
  • Develop sequencing and problem-solving
  • Over 70 levels
  • Two game modes
  • Intuitive UI for young children
Features
Read full description

Ready, Set, Code! Code Karts introduces pre-coding to children from the age of 4 through a series of logical puzzles presented in the form of a raceway. What’s more, it teaches kids the fundamentals of code while they race! New in version 4.0: Learn to count in binary with 5 new games! Kids will learn to count like a computer using only 0 and 1 numerals. These activities will sharpen their problem-solving skills and develop their understanding of the decimal system. With over 70 levels, a variety of puzzling obstacles, and two different game modes, there’s no shortage of educational content for kids to enjoy. In Code Karts, the objective is to use direction bricks to get the race car to the finish line. Through careful observation of the track ahead and some logical thinking, kids will quickly pick up on solutions to more and more difficult puzzles and will begin to absorb key elements of code-based thinking. For example, one of the obstacles, the switch, represents “if-then” statements, one of the most common programming tools. While there are a number of games that aim to teach children the fundamentals of code, we’ve found that they are often too difficult to truly educate their intended audience. Code Karts aims to teach the youngest of children the fundamentals of code, allowing them a deeper and more immediate understanding once they become old enough to actually begin writing code themselves. FEATURES: - 2 modes: Classic or Competition (race against the device) - Very intuitive User Interface for children from age 4 - Develop sequencing, problem solving and logic - 70+ levels - 21 languages In our technology-driven world, programming is becoming more and more of a vital skill. It’s a proven fact that the earlier you are introduced to something, the more likely you are to be able to master it as you learn. The same applies to code! By introducing kids to code at a young age, you can ensure that they get a head start in the fascinating realm of computer technology. And what’s a better way to introduce them than through Code Karts, our fun and engaging educational game! About EDOKI ACADEMY We founded EDOKI ACADEMY to bring our classroom experience with hundreds of children to the Digital world of tablets. As certified teachers, our aim is to develop a range of truly educational as well as beautiful apps based on the Montessori Method. All our apps can be used at home or in class. They can also be used by speech therapists. We are proud winners of several Awards from the Parent's Choice Foundation and Common Sense Media. For any support, please contact us on support@edokiacademy.com. PRIVACY POLICY We take personal data protection very seriously. We do not collect or share personal information about your child. You can read our privacy policy here: https://www.edokiacademy.com/en/privacy-policy/ CONNECT WITH US! If you have any support requests, comments, or questions do not hesitate to contact us at support@edokiacademy.com or visit the Edoki Academy Online Community at edokiacademy.com. We’d love to hear from you!

Screenshots

Lightbot3 screens
Code Karts4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Lightbot at none against Code Karts's 1. Lightbot also leads on rating (4.1 vs 3.8) and review sentiment (80% vs 61%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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. Code Karts sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Lightbot asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Lightbot holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 242 and 147 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Lightbot's written reviews are positive against 61% of Code Karts's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lightbot ships an update every 6 months, Code Karts every 4 months. Both last shipped on September 29, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Lightbot versus Code Karts: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLightbotCode Karts
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (242 ratings) — better3.8 (147 ratings)
Positive reviews79.7% of reviews — better61.2% of reviews
Number of ratings242 — better147
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 4 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS5.1.1 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size48 MB260 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSpriteBox LLCEDOKI ACADEMY

Customer experience

Lightbot

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

Code Karts

All ratings147 ratings
Positive68.0%
Neutral4.8%
Negative27.2%
Written reviews121 reviews
Positive61.2%
Neutral13.2%
Negative25.6%

User reviews

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

Code Karts

From 147 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great introduction to coding
  • 👍 Fun and engaging for kids
  • 👍 Good for logic and sequencing
  • 👍 Quick customer support
  • 👍 No ads

Room to improve

  • 👎 Requires purchase to continue
  • 👎 Purchase not restoring
  • 👎 Issues with family sharing
  • 👎 Tedious arrow interaction
  • 👎 Broken bonus level

Bugs and requests

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

Code Karts

Reported bugs

26 issues
  • Cannot restore purchases
  • Purchased content not unlocking on new devices
  • Family sharing not working for purchases
  • Bonus level is unplayable/unexitable
  • Back button not working in bonus level
Show 21 more
  • App stuck on 'please wait' screen
  • Errors when family member tries to access paid features
  • Purchase not applying across devices
  • Game won't open after purchase attempt
  • Levels not unlocking after purchase
  • Inconsistent silent mode
  • Binary counting errors
  • Frustrating race crashes
  • Car crashes on corners in races
  • Game freezes or pauses on first screen
  • Purchased features not unlocking on other devices
  • Trophy points not accumulating
  • Coins disappearing after iPad update
  • Coins not collecting
  • Error when trying to buy full version (no internet connection)
  • Black screen after completing level 20 on iPad 2
  • Buggy purchase process
  • App asks to buy again after previous purchase
  • Binary game has errors in Turkish dubbing
  • App doesn't work on iPad 3 (popup connection required)
  • Silent mode is inconsistent

Requested features

12 requests
  • Extend free trial
  • Improve arrow interaction
  • Add more levels
  • Add option to reset progress
  • Improve Turkish dubbing accuracy
Show 7 more
  • Fix binary counting errors
  • Add more complex challenges
  • Allow changing car speed
  • Fix car not cleaning issue
  • Provide clues for race crashes
  • Add dark mode option
  • Improve sound options

In-app purchases

None

Lightbot

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Code Karts

One-time1
  • Full Game Unlock$2.99

Questions

Is Lightbot free?
Lightbot is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Code Karts free?
Code Karts is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Lightbot or Code Karts?
Lightbot is rated higher. Lightbot averages 4.1 out of 5 from 242 ratings, while Code Karts averages 3.8 from 147 ratings.
Do Lightbot or Code Karts have ads?
Neither Lightbot nor Code Karts shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lightbot or Code Karts?
Lightbot ships an update every 6 months, and Code Karts every 4 months. Most recently, Lightbot was updated on September 29, 2026 and Code Karts on September 29, 2026.

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