# Pyonkee vs microbitIR

The clearest difference is update cadence: microbitIR at every 6 weeks against Pyonkee's every 4 months. Pyonkee's advantage is iOS requirement (13 vs 17.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Pyonkee ships an update every 4 months, microbitIR every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on September 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pyonkee | microbitIR |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.6 (51 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pyonkee/id905012686/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **51** | — |
| Positive reviews | 61.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 137 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SoftUmeYa, LLC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/905012689) | [Atsushi Yamada](https://appshunter.io/developer/301497489) |

## What reviewers say

### Pyonkee

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pyonkee/id905012686)

This app offers a real programming environment for creating games, animations, and stories using visual blocks. It's inspired by Scratch and optimized for touch devices, allowing users to learn logic, creativity, and collaboration through coding.

**Highlights:** Visual block-based programming, Create games, animations, and stories, Optimized for touch devices, Import sounds and pictures, Share projects easily, Connect with micro:bit, Utilize iPad sensors

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Familiarity to Scratch
- 👍 Good for learning to code
- 👍 Works offline
- 👍 Accessible on mobile
- 👍 Nostalgic for older Scratch users

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Ripoff of Scratch
- 👎 Confusing interface
- 👎 Bugs and glitches
- 👎 Performance issues (slow, crashes)
- 👎 Limited features compared to modern Scratch

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when importing photos
- App kicks user out
- Blocks not working
- Stamp and select features not working
- Forever if block issue

**Requested features**

- Update to Scratch 2.0/3.0
- Support for .sb3 and .sjr files
- Add clone blocks
- Add original Scratch Cat sprite
- Implement auto-save function


### microbitIR

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microbitir/id6443525690)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pyonkee free?

Pyonkee is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is microbitIR free?

microbitIR is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Pyonkee or microbitIR have ads?

Neither Pyonkee nor microbitIR shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pyonkee or microbitIR?

Pyonkee ships an update every 4 months, and microbitIR every 6 weeks. Most recently, Pyonkee was updated on September 29, 2026 and microbitIR on September 29, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*