Coding for Kids
If you’re looking for a solid coding platform for your child to develop essential STEM skills, both Tynker and Kodable are excellent options for coding for kids. Here is a comparison of the two platforms to help you decide the best option for your child.
Tynker Overview
Tynker is a leading platform that offers an interactive and engaging way for kids to learn coding. Its program is designed around play-based learning, leveraging gamification to make it fun and intuitive for young learners to grasp complex coding concepts. Tynker’s comprehensive curriculum caters to the needs of beginners as well as advanced learners. One of Tynker’s unique selling propositions is its hybrid/blended learning approach, which combines both self-paced and live tutoring to cater to different learning styles. Tynker also provides two personalized 1:1 online coaching sessions with an expert to jumpstart your child’s coding journey. Tynker’s curriculum includes courses in game design, Minecraft modding, Animation, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, making it one of the few coding platforms to offer these courses to children as young as 5. With a range of courses and activities for your child to learn at their own pace and level up their skills over time, kids can design their games and apps and publish and share their projects in the kid-safe Tynker community.
Kodable Overview
On the other hand, Kodable is another popular coding platform for kids, focusing on self-guided learning. The platform is designed to be fun and engaging, with colorful graphics and game-based challenges that teach programming concepts. Kodable allows kids to create and customize their characters and challenges kids to use its spin on drag-and-drop programming. One of the unique features of Kodable is its socially conscious themes. Many challenges are centered around real-world issues, like cleaning up the beach or protecting endangered animals. This is a great way to introduce kids to social concepts and help them become more aware of the world around them.
Kodable vs Tynker: Quick Comparison
Tynker’s personalized coaching, hybrid learning approach, and comprehensive curriculum make it a top choice for parents looking to introduce their children to coding. Kodable’s focus on self-guided learning and socially conscious themes may appeal to some families. However, Kodable’s curriculum is not as comprehensive as Tynker offers. Kodable caps out around the fifth grade and offers a significantly smaller library of coding activities. As such, Kodable may not be suitable as your child grows older or for advanced learners. Overall, both platforms offer fun and engaging ways for kids to learn coding and develop essential STEM skills.
Here’s a more in-depth comparison between the two platforms, pricing information, and a more detailed look at the curriculum offered by each platform – followed by some advice for choosing the right coding education platform for your child if you’re considering Tynker or Kodable.
Kodable vs Tynker: Side-by-Side Comparison
| Tynker | Kodable | |
|---|---|---|
| Appropriate for Grades | K-12 | K-5 |
| Offers Live Instruction | Included with Paid Plans (two sessions); optional live instruction available for purchase | ⛔ |
| Curriculum Overview | 300 lessons in six progressive levels covering block coding and text coding. 33 electives including Minecraft Modding, game design and AI. 5,000+ coding activities, puzzles, and games; all skill levels. | 70 lessons ranging from math and ELA to digital citizenship and Javascript |
| Free Trial Available | Yes, no credit card is required | 7-day free trial requires credit card |
| Progress Tracking & Reporting | ✅ | ✅ |
| Used in Schools | Yes, 100,000+ | Yes (unknown) |
| Peer Support / Community | Kid-Safe Community | ⛔ |
| Trusted by Leading Brands | Apple, Google Education, NASA, Microsoft, BBC Learning, Lego, Mattel, Minecraft, Hot Wheels, Barbi, SMART | ⛔ |
| Mobile Apps | Three available: Tynker: available for iOS and Android Tynker Junior for ages 5-7: available for iOS and Android Mod Creator: available on iOS | One available; iOS only |
| Awards | Common Sense Media Learning National Parenting Awards Parents Choice Smart Media Digital Education Award Brain Child Mom’s Choice Parent’s Pick | Common Sense Media Teachers with Apps Best Apps for Kids Imagine K12 |
Kodable vs Tynker Coding for Kids Pricing Comparison
Both Tynker and Kodable offer three pricing options based on the duration of your subscription. However, Tynker offers significantly more value for your money compared to Kodable. For instance, Tynker offers 300 coding classes and a vast range of coding courses for students, while Kodable only offers 70 classes. Additionally, Tynker provides two coaching sessions with every paid subscription plan, which amounts to a value of $120, making Tynker’s overall price and product more attractive and better value overall.
Tynker Pricing
- Short-term plan: $20 per month billed quarterly
- Annual plan: $16 per month billed annually
- Lifetime plan: $360 as a one-time payment
Kodable Pricing
- Short-term plan: $9.99 billed monthly
- Annual plan: $79.99 billed annually
- Lifetime plan: $149.99 as a one-time payment
* Both Tynker and Kodable offer plans for multiple children.
Kodable vs Tynker: Coding for Kids Curriculum Comparison
| Tynker | Kodable | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Support for Pre-Readers | ✅ | ⛔ | Appropriate for introducing very young children to coding concepts and computational thinking. |
| Digital Literacy | ✅ | ✅ | An essential skill for any child growing up in today’s digital world. |
| Block coding | ✅ | ✅ | A good starting point for young children learning coding concepts and a foundation for more advanced coding concepts. |
| Creative coding, music, and animation | ✅ | ⛔ | Allows children to express their creativity while learning coding concepts and building practical skills. |
| Minecraft modding, mobs, and skins | ✅ | ⛔ | A popular application of coding concepts, but may be of less interest to children who are not already Minecraft fans. |
| Game Design | ✅ | Unknown | A popular and engaging way for children to learn coding and a practical application of coding concepts. |
| STEM | ✅ | ✅ | Encourages children to explore science, technology, engineering, and math through hands-on coding projects. |
| Web Development / HTML | ✅ | ⛔ | A practical skill for children interested in creating websites or web-based applications. |
| Python | ✅ | ⛔ | A widely-used programming language with many practical applications, including data science and machine learning. |
| Data Science | ✅ | Unknown | A growing field with many practical applications, including business, healthcare, and scientific research. |
| AI/ML | ✅ | ⛔ | A rapidly growing field with many practical applications, but may be more appropriate for older children with a stronger coding foundation. |
| Robotics and IoT | ✅ | ⛔ | A specialized area that may be of interest to children with a particular interest in these fields, but may require additional equipment and support. |
| AP Computer Science Courses | ✅ | ⛔ | AP Computer Science courses are designed to be equivalent to college-level computer science courses, providing students with a challenging and rewarding educational experience that can earn them college credit and demonstrate their readiness for higher education. |
Which Coding for Kids Platform is Right for Your Child?
While both Tynker and Kodable are solid coding platforms for kids, Tynker is the better choice if you want a complete coding education for your child that covers a wide range of programming languages and provides flexibility for parents and educators.
Tynker’s award-winning curriculum is more flexible than Kodable, allowing children to learn independently while providing resources for parents like 1:1 instruction and support in schools across the country. Kodable’s self-guided learning approach is helpful, but its lack of a clear learning path and focus on JavaScript can make it difficult for parents and educators to structure a child’s learning experience.
Another significant difference between Tynker and Kodable is the engagement factor. Tynker’s game-based approach to learning is highly engaging for children, with various programming challenges and projects that help children develop their coding skills while having fun. Kodable’s games are also engaging, but the lack of variety in its curriculum can make them less appealing to older children.
Finally, Tynker distinguishes itself from Kodable and other programs by offering exclusive features such as two 1:1 online courses with an expert included in every plan, and a variety of courses covering topics like Game Design and artificial intelligence, supported with a secure, extensive community of school-aged coders. So, if you’re looking for a coding platform that offers personalized coaching, a comprehensive curriculum, and a fun, engaging learning experience for your child, Tynker is the best choice.
More Coding for Kids Reviews & Comparisons
We hope you found our head-to-head software reviews helpful in your search to discover the best coding education resource for your child. If you’re eager to dive deeper, don’t miss out on our other insightful comparisons that can help you make a well-informed decision. Check out our head-to-head comparison of Tynker and codeSpark, a review of Tynker vs. CodeWizard, a look at how Tynker compares to IDTech, comparing Tynker with CodeMonkey, and we take a look at how Tynker stacks up against Code.org. We want every child to learn how to code before they graduate high school, so we welcome you on this journey and hope you find the ideal coding education platform for your child. Happy coding!
