BugBotLab vs Sphero Edu
BugBotLab
bugbotlab.comSphero Edu
edu.sphero.comSide by side
| Figure | BugBotLab | Sphero Edu |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | 7.8 (#15) |
| Classroom tools | Paid teacher tools include a live class view, progress board, mark book, assignments, tests, certificates, lesson materials and custom tasks. | Educators can manage classes and assign lessons and activities. |
| Headquarters | The maker lists its registered office as 103 Ouseley Road, Wraysbury, Staines-Upon-Thames, TW19 5JJ. | Greenville, Texas, United States |
| Integrations | The School plan supports sign-in with school Google or Microsoft accounts. | Clever can sync teacher and student accounts and class rosters; changes in Sphero Central do not update Clever. |
| Purpose | BugBotLab offers a Python course in which students write programs to drive a robot in a browser simulator or on BugBot hardware. | Sphero Edu is a coding app for programming Sphero robots, with lessons and activities for learning. |
| 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. | Sphero customer support is available Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Central Time. |
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.
Sphero Edu
Sphero Edu is a coding app for programming Sphero robots, with lessons and activities for learners. Depending on the app version, learners can use Draw, Blocks, JavaScript, or Python; a Drive mode connects to compatible robots over Bluetooth. The app includes hundreds of lessons, including standards-aligned activities. Educators can manage classes and assign work, and users can create programs to share with the community. Sphero Edu is free, with app and web access; robot programming requires a compatible Sphero robot. It runs on Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, and the web. Web robot connections use Web Bluetooth, which is listed as supported in Chrome and Edge, but not Safari, Firefox, or Opera. The web app supports BOLT+, BOLT, RVR/RVR+, and Mini, rather than every robot supported by native apps. Users can drive, program, and complete lessons without logging in or sharing personal information. Google Classroom roster syncing is read-only.