# Swift Playground vs Codecademy Go

The clearest difference is rating: Codecademy Go at 4.8 against Swift Playground's 3.7. Codecademy Go also leads on ratings volume (38K vs 1.8K) and device support (3 vs 1). Swift Playground's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Codecademy Go sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $29.99 per month. Swift Playground asks for nothing beyond the download.

Codecademy Go holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Codecademy Go has 38K ratings behind it against 1.8K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 46% of Swift Playground's written reviews are positive against 52% of Codecademy Go's.

Swift Playground ships an update every 2 months, Codecademy Go every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Swift Playground | Codecademy Go |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.7 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swift-playground/id908519492/reviews) | **[4.8 (38K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/codecademy-go/id1376029326/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1.8K | **38K** |
| Positive reviews | 45.7% of reviews | **51.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 1.4 GB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Apple Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284417353) | [Codecademy, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/762950099) |

## What reviewers say

### Swift Playground

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swift-playground/id908519492)

Learn to code and build real apps through interactive puzzles and challenges. Explore Swift and SwiftUI, Apple's powerful programming languages, with guided lessons and hands-on creation. Suitable for beginners of all ages, it offers a unique learning experience on iPad.

**Highlights:** Interactive coding puzzles, Build real apps with SwiftUI, Learn Swift programming, Explore 3D worlds, Smart coding assistance, Access iOS frameworks

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great for learning coding
- 👍 Fun and engaging way to learn
- 🚀 Helpful for beginners
- 👍 Visually appealing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy
- 🐛 Slow performance
- 🐛 Keyboard issues
- 🐛 Unreliable code execution

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to download or open lessons
- Crashes when running code
- Disappearing code and loss of progress
- Unresponsive keyboard and cursor issues

**Requested features**

- Support for more programming languages
- Ability to collaborate with others
- Better file management
- More advanced IDE features
- Improved code completion and error handling


### Codecademy Go

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/codecademy-go/id1376029326)

Practice coding skills on the go with personalized recommendations and daily flashcards. Reinforce concepts, review syntax, and track your progress to stay on track with your learning goals. Learn various tech skills like web development, data science, and AI.

**Highlights:** Personalized course recommendations, Daily coding flashcards, Practice coding syntax, Track progress and streaks, Learn AI, Web Dev, Data Science, and more, Streamlined onboarding

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plus Monthly Subscription | $29.99 | per month |
| Pro Monthly Subscription | $39.99 | per month |
| Plus Annual Subscription | $178.99 | per year |
| Pro Annual Subscription | $239.00 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Convenient for on-the-go learning
- 💡 Great companion to the website
- 🤩 Helpful for reviewing and practicing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable
- 🤔 Lacking in features compared to website
- 📱 Not optimized for tablets/iPads
- 🤯 Confusing for beginners

**Reported bugs**

- Practice questions not loading correctly
- Inability to progress through lessons
- Login and navigation issues
- Inconsistent performance across devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to continue courses from website
- More detailed explanations and feedback
- Customizable practice sessions
- iPad-specific interface


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Swift Playground free?

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

### Is Codecademy Go free?

Codecademy Go is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Swift Playground or Codecademy Go?

Codecademy Go is rated higher. Swift Playground averages 3.7 out of 5 from 1.8K ratings, while Codecademy Go averages 4.8 from 38K ratings.

### Do Swift Playground or Codecademy Go have ads?

Neither Swift Playground nor Codecademy Go shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Swift Playground or Codecademy Go?

Swift Playground ships an update every 2 months, and Codecademy Go every 6 weeks. Most recently, Swift Playground was updated on October 18, 2026 and Codecademy Go on October 19, 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.*