Comparison

ScratchJr vs Little Scientist

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

Little Scientist

This educational app introduces children to a wide range of scientific concepts, from quantum physics to rocket science, using phonics and engaging content. It aims to make learning about science, math, and technology fun and accessible for young minds.

Highlights
  • Phonics-based learning
  • Quantum physics concepts
  • Rocket science exploration
  • Newtonian physics
  • General relativity basics
  • Math and technology topics
Features
Read full description

Little scientist app helps kids learn to read through phonics modern science and technology, let you children learn about everything from quantum physics, rocket science, Newtonian physics general relativity., and much more. Let your children learn about everything about science, maths and modern technology to phonics with these educational app that are free and fun for kids.

Screenshots

ScratchJr1 screens
Little Scientist4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Little Scientist at 100% against ScratchJr's 67%. Little Scientist also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 6 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ScratchJr ships an update every 6 months, Little Scientist every 2 days. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
ScratchJr versus Little Scientist: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScratchJrLittle Scientist
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (1.9K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews66.9% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.9K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.010.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size51 MB157 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperScratch Foundation, Inc.padhmaranga madhurshika

Customer experience

ScratchJr

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

Little Scientist

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

Little Scientist

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

ScratchJr

No in-app purchases

None

Little Scientist

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ScratchJr free?
ScratchJr is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Little Scientist free?
Little Scientist is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do ScratchJr or Little Scientist have ads?
Neither ScratchJr nor Little Scientist shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ScratchJr or Little Scientist?
ScratchJr ships an update every 6 months, and Little Scientist every 2 days. Most recently, ScratchJr was updated on October 29, 2026 and Little Scientist on October 29, 2026.

Other comparisons