Comparison

ScratchJr vs Comics Studio

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

Comics Studio

Features
Read full description

Creating comics has never been so easy. With the Comics Studio iPad application, children and adults can now create their own comics in no time. Come meet Sam, Marry, Bob, Joe and Jane. You can tell their story, using your own words and imagination.

Screenshots

ScratchJr1 screens
Comics Studio2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ScratchJr at none against Comics Studio's 4. Comics Studio's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 months) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 11.0). On price, ads 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

Both are free to download. Comics Studio sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. ScratchJr asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ScratchJr ships an update every 6 months, Comics Studio every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
ScratchJr versus Comics Studio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScratchJrComics Studio
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (1.8K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews66.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.8K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.08.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size51 MB45 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperScratch Foundation, Inc.GreenShpits

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

Comics Studio

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

ScratchJr

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Comics Studio

One-time4
  • one month pro version subscription$1.99
  • 3 months pro version subscription$4.99
  • 6 months pro version subscription$4.99
Show 1 more
  • 12 months pro version subscription$9.99

Questions

Is ScratchJr free?
ScratchJr is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Comics Studio free?
Comics Studio is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ScratchJr or Comics Studio have ads?
Neither ScratchJr nor Comics Studio shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ScratchJr or Comics Studio?
ScratchJr ships an update every 6 months, and Comics Studio every 3 weeks. Most recently, ScratchJr was updated on September 27, 2026 and Comics Studio on September 17, 2026.

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