Comparison

ScratchJr vs Code Land

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 Land

This app teaches children coding through engaging games and activities. It covers fundamental programming concepts, logic, and problem-solving skills, with content suitable for ages 4 and up. The app offers a safe, ad-free learning environment with regular new content.

Highlights
  • Learn coding concepts (loops, sequences, conditions)
  • Develop logical thinking and problem-solving
  • Hundreds of challenges across various worlds
  • Offline play supported
  • Child-friendly interface
  • Content for ages 4+
  • Supports multiple users
Features
Read full description

Code Land is an educational app that teaches coding to children by playing games. With activities spanning skill and reading comprehension levels, children can learn basic skills such as science, programming, logic, problem solving, and more. Code Land is accessible to everyone! All of our games and activities are specially designed and adapted to fit the level and abilities of each child. From visual games where you don't even need to know how to read, to advanced programming multiplayer games, there’s something for everyone. All games are designed to be fun and educational. They are set in a variety of situations, such as setting up a factory or getting out of a maze, all designed to appeal to users. Play and learn freely without pressure or stress. Think, act, observe, ask questions and find the answers with Code Land and the Learny Land suite of games. FEATURES: • Learn key coding concepts such as loops, sequences, actions, conditions, and events. • Develop logical thinking and problem solving skills • Hundreds of challenges spread across various worlds and themes. • No downloadable content means it’s easy to play offline. • Easy and intuitive scenarios, with child-friendly interfaces. • Content for everyone with no limiting stereotypes. • Content for 4 years old and up. • Supports multiple users. • No ads, no data collection. • No written communication between players or with other people. • No commitments or inconveniences; cancel at any time. • New content added regularly. SUBSCRIPTION: • Download and try the app for free, without any commitment. • The full, unlimited version works through a subscription model. • Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account. • The subscription is automatically renewed unless renewal is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. • Manage subscriptions and turn off auto-renewal through the users account settings after purchase. • Any unused part of a free trial period, if offered, will be lost when the user purchases a subscription to this publication. ABOUT LEARNY LAND: At Learny Land, we love to play, and we believe that games must form part of the educational and growth stage of all children; because to play is to discover, explore, learn and have fun. Our educational games help children learn about the world around them and are designed with love. They are easy to use, beautiful and safe. Because boys and girls have always played to have fun and learn, the games we make - like the toys that last a lifetime - can be seen, played and heard. At Learny Land we take advantage of the most innovative technologies and the most modern devices to take the experience of learning and playing a step further. We create toys that could not have existed when we were young. Read more about us at www.learnyland.com. Privacy Policy: We take Privacy very seriously. We do not collect or share personal information about your children or allow any type of third party ads. To learn more, please read our privacy policy at www.learnyland.com. Contact us: We'd love to know your opinion and your suggestions. Please, write to support@learnyland.com. Terms of Use: http://learnyland.com/terms-of-service/

Screenshots

ScratchJr1 screens
Code Land4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Code Land at 4.5 against ScratchJr's 3.9. Code Land also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 months). ScratchJr's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume 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 Land sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. ScratchJr asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Code Land holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.8K and 1.6K respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 67% and 66% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ScratchJr ships an update every 6 months, Code Land every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 13, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
ScratchJr versus Code Land: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScratchJrCode Land
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (1.8K ratings)4.5 (1.6K ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.8% of reviews — better66.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1.8K — better1.6K
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size51 MB821 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperScratch Foundation, Inc.Learny Land

Customer experience

ScratchJr

All ratings1,812 ratings
Positive72.5%
Neutral7.1%
Negative20.4%
Written reviews594 reviews
Positive66.8%
Neutral10.9%
Negative22.2%

Code Land

All ratings1,617 ratings
Positive87.6%
Neutral5.8%
Negative6.6%
Written reviews106 reviews
Positive66.0%
Neutral5.7%
Negative28.3%

User reviews

ScratchJr

From 1.8K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use for kids
  • 🚀 Great for coding and creating animations
  • 💡 Allows customization of characters and backgrounds
  • ⭐ Fun and engaging for young users

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Glitchy drawing/editing tools
  • 🔧 Limited number of frames/scenes per project
  • 🎨 Lack of color options and customization
  • 🔊 Poor audio quality and limited sound options

Code Land

From 1.6K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎉 Fun and engaging
  • 💻 Helpful for learning coding
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🧠 Improves problem-solving skills
  • 🌈 Colorful and appealing visuals

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive subscription
  • 🕰️ Limited free trial period
  • 🐛 Bugs and crashes
  • 🔇 Sound issues
  • 🤔 Confusing to earn in-game currency

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 Land

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Login screen freezes
  • Incompatible with older devices
  • In-app purchases not working properly

Requested features

4 requests
  • More levels and worlds to explore
  • Ability to create own games
  • Multiplayer or competitive modes
  • More age-appropriate content for older kids

In-app purchases

None

ScratchJr

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

Code Land

Subscriptions10
  • Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Code Land + All Learny Land apps$8.991 Month
  • Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$8.991 Month
Show 7 more
  • Monthly Subscription to Code Land$9.991 Month
  • Code Land premium. Annual7 Days trial$20.991 Year
  • Annual Subscription Offer7 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Code Land Unlimited7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Code Land + All Learny Land apps$49.991 Year
  • Code Land + All Learny Land apps$59.991 Year
  • Code Land Unlimited7 Days trial$69.991 Year

Questions

Is ScratchJr free?
ScratchJr is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Code Land free?
Code Land is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, ScratchJr or Code Land?
Code Land is rated higher. ScratchJr averages 3.9 out of 5 from 1.8K ratings, while Code Land averages 4.5 from 1.6K ratings.
Do ScratchJr or Code Land have ads?
Neither ScratchJr nor Code Land shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ScratchJr or Code Land?
ScratchJr ships an update every 6 months, and Code Land every 3 weeks. Most recently, ScratchJr was updated on October 13, 2026 and Code Land on October 13, 2026.

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