Comparison

codeSpark vs Tova Learn Japanese

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

codeSpark

This app offers hundreds of interactive coding games and activities for children aged 3-10. Kids can solve puzzles, design their own games and stories, and even participate in coding contests. It focuses on building essential coding concepts and problem-solving skills in a safe, ad-free environment.

Highlights
  • Hundreds of coding games and activities
  • Create your own games and stories
  • Puzzles to master coding concepts
  • Monthly coding contests
  • Multiplayer coding challenges
  • Pre-coding activities for preschoolers
Read full description

codeSpark: The Award-Winning Learn-to-Code App for Kids (Ages 3–10) 100s of coding games & activities—plus tools to create your own! Kids as young as 3 can start coding through play with puzzles, storytelling, and creativity tools designed just for them. Older kids can design and publish their own games, join monthly contests, and explore projects created by other kid coders. Get full access with a monthly or annual subscription—try membership free for 7 days! Annual subscribers can create up to 5 child profiles, making codeSpark perfect for families with multiple learners. OR play limited content through Hour of Code with no credit card required. Learn Coding Through Play - Puzzles – Master core coding and problem-solving concepts level by level - Create – Design and code your own games and interactive stories - Made by Kids – Play and explore games created by other young coders around the world - Monthly Coding Contests – Showcase creativity, code projects, and win prizes - Code Together – Join friends in a multiplayer water balloon fight while practicing coding logic - Pre-Coding for Preschoolers – Activities designed for early learners ages 3–4 - Adventure Maps – Unlock new puzzles and challenges while progressing through fun coding worlds Educational Benefits Backed by Research codeSpark’s curriculum is based on research from MIT, Princeton, and Carnegie Mellon. Kids learn the basics of computer science in a fun, accessible way—without words. - Coding concepts: sequencing, loops, conditionals, events, and debugging - Computational thinking: problem-solving, logic, pattern recognition, and creativity - Reinforces early skills: reading, math, and critical thinking - Builds confidence, perseverance, and collaboration through play - Encourages design thinking by letting kids turn ideas into working games and stories Kid-Safe & Ad-Free - Every game and story is reviewed before publishing to ensure safety - No ads, no micro-transactions, no distractions - Parent dashboard to manage profiles and track progress - A trusted environment for independent learning Praise from Parents & Teachers “My daughters are 6 and 8, and this is their new favorite game. Now they want to be programmers!” – Parent Review “I loved seeing how my children enjoyed working together on the puzzles.” – Parent Review Teachers and parents worldwide use codeSpark to introduce coding in classrooms, after-school programs, and at home. Kids stay motivated because the learning feels like play, and they are proud to share their creations. - Awards & Recognition - The LEGO Foundation – Pioneer in Reimagining Learning & Play - Children’s Technology Review – Editor’s Choice Award - Parent’s Choice Award – Gold Medal - Collision Conference – Kids & Family Silver Winner Why Families Choose codeSpark - Designed for kids ages 3–10 with no reading required - Builds STEM skills through fun, engaging coding challenges - Supports creativity with open-ended game and story design tools - Encourages collaboration through multiplayer games and contests - Trusted by parents, teachers, and schools worldwide - Helps kids see themselves as creators, problem-solvers, and future innovators Subscription & Download Start with a 7-day free membership trial. Subscriptions renew automatically; manage or cancel anytime in Account Settings. Annual subscribers can create up to 5 child profiles, making it easy to support the whole family. Privacy Policy: http://codespark.com/privacy/ Terms of Use: http://codespark.com/terms/ Start your child’s coding journey today with codeSpark—the award-winning learn-to-code app that makes programming fun, safe, and accessible for every kid ages 3–10!

About

Tova Learn Japanese

Features
Read full description

Learn to read Japanese in the order that works: kana first, a row at a time, then kanji one a day. KANA IN ABOUT A WEEK Hiragana and katakana are taught one row per lesson (か き く け こ), and you can do as many lessons a day as you like. Each one takes a few minutes: meet the kana, pick each one out, then read real words made only from kana you have already met. • Look-alike kana are tested against each other (さ and ち, シ and ツ), so you learn the difference. • Voiced and combined sounds (が, きゃ), small っ and long vowels are taught with real word pairs: きて and きって, おばさん and おばあさん. START WHERE YOU ARE Already read hiragana? Skip ahead, or take a short placement test that stops as soon as it finds your level. Anything you skip comes back for a quick check a few weeks later. ROMAJI THAT FADES Romaji helps at the start. Once you finish hiragana, readings switch to kana, with romaji one tap away. You can turn it back on in Settings. THEN KANJI, ONE A DAY Each kanji comes with a common word that uses it (毎日, 先生, 電車) and its reading in that word. Trace every stroke in the right order, then say the word out loud. Speech is checked on your phone; your audio never leaves it. REVIEW THAT CATCHES MIX-UPS Kana and kanji you have learned come back on a schedule, just before you would forget them. SEE SOMETHING WRONG? Every card has a "Does this look wrong?" button. Reports go straight to us and fixes ship in the next update. FREE AND PRO • Free: all hiragana and katakana, and the JLPT N5 kanji. • Pro: JLPT N4 and N3 (400+ more kanji), real-life paths, more than one new kanji a day, and no ads. SUBSCRIPTION Tova Learn Japanese Pro is $4.99/month or $39.99/year. Subscriptions auto-renew until canceled; manage or cancel anytime in iOS Settings → Subscriptions. Hiragana, katakana and JLPT N5 are free forever. Terms: https://tovatranslate.app/terms/ Privacy: https://tovatranslate.app/privacy/

Screenshots

codeSpark4 screens
Tova Learn Japanese4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: codeSpark at none against Tova Learn Japanese's shown. codeSpark also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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. codeSpark sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and Tova Learn Japanese sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

codeSpark ships an update fortnightly, Tova Learn Japanese every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
codeSpark versus Tova Learn Japanese: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametercodeSparkTova Learn Japanese
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (41K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews51.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings41K — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size126 MB53 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHomerZHUOER TANG

Bugs and requests

codeSpark

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Disappearing progress and lost stories
  • Inconsistent performance and crashes
  • Incorrect item purchases and coin deductions
  • Inability to access drafts and profiles
  • Incompatibility issues with newer devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more pet foos and customization options
  • Improve story sharing and collaboration features
  • Introduce more puzzles and challenges
  • Allow custom character and block creation
  • Implement better communication between coders

Tova Learn Japanese

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

8 purchases

codeSpark

Subscriptions8
  • codeSpark Academy Enrollment7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • codeSpark Academy Enrollment7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • codeSpark Academy Enrollment1 Month trial$9.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • codeSpark Academy Enrollment7 Days trial2 variants$12.991 Month
  • codeSpark Academy Enrollment7 Days trial$15.001 Month
  • codeSpark Academy Enrollment7 Days trial2 variants$79.991 Year
  • codeSpark Academy Enrollment7 Days trial$90.001 Year
  • codeSpark Academy Enrollment7 Days trial$99.991 Year
2 purchases

Tova Learn Japanese

Subscriptions2
  • Pro (Monthly)$4.991 Month
  • Pro (Annual)$39.991 Year

Questions

Is codeSpark free?
codeSpark is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Tova Learn Japanese free?
Tova Learn Japanese is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do codeSpark or Tova Learn Japanese have ads?
Tova Learn Japanese shows ads; codeSpark does not.
Which is updated more often, codeSpark or Tova Learn Japanese?
codeSpark ships an update fortnightly, and Tova Learn Japanese every 2 months. Most recently, codeSpark was updated on November 6, 2026 and Tova Learn Japanese on October 28, 2026.

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