Comparison

ScratchJr vs OctoStudio

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

OctoStudio

Create animations and games using coding blocks on your mobile device. Bring your own photos and sounds to life, and share your interactive projects with others. Developed by the creators of Scratch at MIT, it's a free and fun way to learn coding.

Highlights
  • Create animations and games
  • Use coding blocks
  • Incorporate photos and sounds
  • Interactive project features
  • Share projects as video or GIF
  • Offline project creation
  • Learn coding through play
Read full description

With OctoStudio, you can create animations and games on your mobile phone or tablet. Made by the creators of Scratch at MIT. Code an animated story or game using your own artwork, sounds, and ideas. OctoStudio is completely free of charge - with no ads, no in-app purchases, and no data collected. Create projects without needing an internet connection. Available in more than 30 languages. OctoStudio is developed by the Lifelong Kindergarten group, the MIT Media Lab team that invented Scratch, the world’s most popular coding language for kids. Create • Create animations, games, and anything else you can imagine • Combine emojis, photos, drawings, sounds, and movement • Make your projects come alive with coding blocks Interact • Make interactive games you can play by tilting your phone • Shake your phone or use a magnet to start your project • Make your projects speak aloud • Code your phone to buzz or turn on and off the flashlight • Collaborate across phones using the beam block Share • Record your project as a video or animated GIF • Export your project file for others to play • Send to family and friends Learn • Get started with intro videos and ideas • Explore and remix sample projects • Develop creative thinking and problem-solving skills • Learn to code in a playful and meaningful way OctoStudio has been designed in collaboration with educators in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, India, Korea, Mexico, South Africa, Thailand, Uganda, United States, and other countries around the world. To learn more about OctoStudio or share your feedback, please visit us at www.octostudio.org

Screenshots

ScratchJr1 screens
OctoStudio4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: OctoStudio at 4.8 against ScratchJr's 3.9. OctoStudio also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 6 months) and review sentiment (83% vs 67%). ScratchJr's advantage is ratings volume (1.8K vs 64) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

OctoStudio holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ScratchJr has 1.8K ratings behind it against 64, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of ScratchJr's written reviews are positive against 83% of OctoStudio's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ScratchJr ships an update every 6 months, OctoStudio monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
ScratchJr versus OctoStudio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScratchJrOctoStudio
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (1.8K ratings)4.8 (64 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.8% of reviews83.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.8K — better64
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size51 MB51 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperScratch Foundation, Inc.Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Customer experience

ScratchJr

All ratings1,812 ratings
Positive72.5%
Neutral7.1%
Negative20.4%
Written reviews584 reviews
Positive66.8%
Neutral10.8%
Negative22.4%

OctoStudio

All ratings64 ratings
Positive95.3%
Neutral1.6%
Negative3.1%
Written reviews24 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral4.2%
Negative12.5%

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

OctoStudio

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

ScratchJr

No in-app purchases

None

OctoStudio

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ScratchJr free?
ScratchJr is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is OctoStudio free?
OctoStudio is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ScratchJr or OctoStudio?
OctoStudio is rated higher. ScratchJr averages 3.9 out of 5 from 1.8K ratings, while OctoStudio averages 4.8 from 64 ratings.
Do ScratchJr or OctoStudio have ads?
Neither ScratchJr nor OctoStudio shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ScratchJr or OctoStudio?
ScratchJr ships an update every 6 months, and OctoStudio monthly. Most recently, ScratchJr was updated on October 2, 2026 and OctoStudio on October 1, 2026.

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