BlocksCAD vs MIT App Inventor
BlocksCAD
blockscad3d.com
MIT App Inventor
appinventor.mit.eduSide by side
| Figure | BlocksCAD | MIT App Inventor |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 2 |
| Spec score · Diy Makers | 8.2 (#5) | 8.6 (#4) |
| Audience | The site describes BlocksCAD as suitable for educators, students, makers, and parents, with lessons aimed at grades 3 and up. | The project’s stated vision is to enable anyone, including people who do not consider themselves coders, to create mobile apps. |
| Purpose | BlocksCAD is teacher-designed 3D modeling software that uses a block-based programming interface to help students learn geometry, math, and computer programming. | MIT App Inventor is a free, web-based platform for creating, testing, and sharing mobile apps using block-based programming. |
Plans
In their own words
BlocksCAD
BlocksCAD has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
MIT App Inventor
MIT App Inventor is a free, browser-based platform for creating, testing, and sharing mobile apps with block-based programming. Its Designer is used to choose components, and its Blocks Editor is where users program app behavior. Projects can include games and media, AI for images, sounds, and text, surveys and charts, maps, sensors, and internet-connected devices. The MIT AI2 Companion app supports testing as an app is built on iOS and Android devices over Wi-Fi. Users can share projects for others to load and remix, then package completed apps for installation on Android. Although apps can be built for Android and iOS, the getting-started information says packaged app building and installation are Android-only for now. The browser tool supports Chrome, Firefox, and Safari on most laptops and desktops, plus Chromebooks, iPads, and Android tablets. A Google account is required. Creators own their apps and can download or delete them from the server. MIT says it tracks site usage and project-development information and may log device and browser details.