BugBotLab vs EdScratch
BugBotLab
bugbotlab.comEdScratch
edscratchapp.comSide by side
| Figure | BugBotLab | EdScratch |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | £12.42/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 1 |
| Spec score · Robotics Education Software | 8.3 (#7) | 8.9 (#1) |
| Browser support | The maker says the course runs in a browser and works on school laptops, Chromebooks and iPads. | The maker lists Chrome, Edge and Opera for Edison V3 computers, and Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge and Opera for V3 iPad and Edison V1/V2. |
| Headquarters | The maker lists its registered office as 103 Ouseley Road, Wraysbury, Staines-Upon-Thames, TW19 5JJ. | Grange, South Australia, Australia |
| Integrations | The School plan supports sign-in with school Google or Microsoft accounts. | The maker describes EdScratch projects and programming challenges used with the EdCreate Edison robot creator’s kit. |
| Purpose | BugBotLab offers a Python course in which students write programs to drive a robot in a browser simulator or on BugBot hardware. | EdScratch is a Scratch-based, vertical drag-and-drop visual programming language for Edison robots. |
| Support | The terms say support is available by email or BugBot Teach's problem-reporting feature, with replies within two working days and faster replies for paid plans in term time. | The maker provides tutorials, troubleshooting FAQs, a warning-message guide, and contact options for support. |
Plans
BugBotLab
- FreeFree
- Teacher plan£149 a year
- Founding school School plan£495 a year
- School planPrice not published
In their own words
BugBotLab
BugBotLab is a browser-based Python course where students program a BugBot robot in a simulator or on BugBot hardware. The course lists 409 lessons, progressing from first code through vision and machine learning. Students join classes with a six-letter code and do not need email addresses or accounts. It runs in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari on school laptops, Chromebooks, and iPads. Teacher tools include live class views, progress boards, mark books, assignments, tests, certificates, lesson materials, and custom tasks. School sign-in supports Google or Microsoft accounts. A new teacher receives 30 days of School plan access without a card; after the trial, one class remains free. Paid plans include a 149.00 GBP yearly Teacher plan and school plans. BugBotLab says data is stored in London, deleted on request or after twelve months unused, and not sold or used to train AI models. The BugBot robot is listed separately at £199 each or £999 for five, ex VAT.
EdScratch
EdScratch is a free, browser-based block programming environment for Edison robots. Its vertical drag-and-drop language is based on Scratch and is described as suitable for students aged 10 and up, including those new to coding. It has versions for Edison V2 and V3, with blocks for driving, LEDs, sound, data, events, control, sensing, operators, and comments. Programs can control robot inputs, manipulate data, and use variables. A built-in bug box checks programs and displays warnings. Users can save programs to a computer and load saved EdScratch files into the online app. Edison V3 can receive programs by USB from a computer or by optical flashing from an iPad; V1 and V2 use the EdComm cable. A free lesson set offers 98 student activity options across six units, along with a teacher’s guide. EdScratch runs online on the web, Windows, macOS, iPadOS, and Android, and requires an internet connection. The interface is in English, while lesson resources are available in multiple languages.