Comparison

ScratchJr 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

ScratchJr

This app allows young children to create their own interactive stories and games by snapping together graphical programming blocks. It fosters problem-solving, creative expression, and develops early numeracy and literacy skills in a fun, motivating context.

Highlights
  • Program interactive stories
  • Create games
  • Snap-together programming blocks
  • Develop problem-solving skills
  • Foster creative expression
  • Learn coding fundamentals
Features
Read full description

With ScratchJr, young children (ages 5-7) learn important new skills as they program their own interactive stories and games. By snapping together graphical programming blocks, children can make characters move, jump, dance, and sing. In the process, children learn to solve problems, design projects, and express themselves creatively on the computer. They also use math and language in a meaningful and motivating context, supporting the development of early-childhood numeracy and literacy. With ScratchJr, children don’t just learn to code, they code to learn. ScratchJr was inspired by the popular Scratch programming language (http://scratch.mit.edu), used by millions of people (ages 8 and up) around the world. The ScratchJr interface and programming language were redesigned to make them appropriate for younger children’s cognitive, personal, social, and emotional development. ScratchJr is a collaboration between the Lifelong Kindergarten research group at the MIT Media Lab, the Developmental Technologies research group at Tufts University, and the Playful Invention Company. The ScratchJr project has received generous financial support from the National Science Foundation (NSF DRL-1118664), Scratch Foundation, LEGO Foundation, and British Telecommunications. If you enjoy using this free app, please consider making a donation to the Scratch Foundation (www.scratchfoundation.org), a nonprofit organization that provides ongoing support for ScratchJr. We appreciate donations of all sizes, large and small.

About

Code Karts

This app introduces pre-coding concepts to young children through engaging racing puzzles. It teaches fundamental logic and problem-solving skills, preparing them for future coding endeavors with over 70 levels and two game modes.

Highlights
  • Logical puzzles presented as raceways
  • Teaches fundamentals of code while racing
  • Learn to count in binary
  • Over 70 levels
  • Two game modes: Classic and Competition
  • Intuitive UI for ages 4+
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 for 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

ScratchJr1 screens
Code Karts4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ScratchJr at Free against Code Karts's $4.99. ScratchJr also leads on ratings volume (1.9K vs 2) and review sentiment (67% vs 50%). Code Karts's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 3.9) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 11.0). On ads, in-app purchases 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

ScratchJr is free to download; Code Karts costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Code Karts holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ScratchJr has 1.9K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 67% of ScratchJr's written reviews are positive against 50% of Code Karts's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ScratchJr ships an update every 6 months, Code Karts every 15 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
ScratchJr versus Code Karts: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScratchJrCode Karts
PriceFree — better$4.99
Rating3.9 (1.9K ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.9% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1.9K — better2
Update frequencyEvery 6 months — betterEvery 15 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.09.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size51 MB252 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperScratch Foundation, Inc.EDOKI ACADEMY

Customer experience

ScratchJr

All ratings1,812 ratings
Positive72.5%
Neutral7.1%
Negative20.4%
Written reviews598 reviews
Positive66.9%
Neutral10.9%
Negative22.2%

Code Karts

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Bugs and requests

ScratchJr

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Freezing and crashing issues
  • Incorrect character movements and positioning
  • Saving and loading problems
  • Microphone and recording bugs

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more frames/scenes per project
  • Improve drawing/editing tools
  • Expand color and customization options
  • Enhance audio features and sound library
  • Integrate with the full Scratch platform

Code Karts

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

ScratchJr

No in-app purchases

None

Code Karts

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ScratchJr free?
ScratchJr is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Code Karts free?
Code Karts costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ScratchJr or Code Karts?
Code Karts is rated higher. ScratchJr averages 3.9 out of 5 from 1.9K ratings, while Code Karts averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do ScratchJr or Code Karts have ads?
Neither ScratchJr nor Code Karts shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ScratchJr or Code Karts?
ScratchJr ships an update every 6 months, and Code Karts every 15 months. Most recently, ScratchJr was updated on October 26, 2026 and Code Karts on October 22, 2026.

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