mBlock vs Ozobot Classroom
mBlock
makeblock.com
Ozobot Classroom
classroom.ozobot.comSide by side
| Figure | mBlock | Ozobot Classroom |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 2 |
| Spec score · Robotics Education Software | 8.8 (#3) | 8.6 (#5) |
| Company headquarters | LinkedIn lists headquarters in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China. | LinkedIn lists Ozobot headquarters in Newport Beach, California. |
| Company size | LinkedIn lists the company size as 501–1,000 employees. | LinkedIn lists Ozobot at 11–50 employees and as privately held. |
| Purpose | mBlock 5 is a coding platform for robotics, STEM, and coding learning. | Ozobot Classroom is a K–12 STEAM lesson portal and companion software for Ozobots used in schools. |
| Rating on Apple App Store | 3.1 out of 5 from 155 ratings. | 4.6 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings |
| Rating on Google Play | 2.9 out of 5 from 2.06K reviews. | 3.1 out of 5 from 592 reviews |
| Support | The maker links to an mBlock user guide, downloads, and resources from its software page. | Ozobot lists [email protected] and +1 (310) 318-0070 for help and provides a Classroom Help page with setup and Color Code resources. |
| System requirements | The desktop download lists Windows 7 or Windows 10 64-bit and macOS 10.12 or newer; Android requires 6.0+ ARM and iOS requires 10.0+ on the download page. | Educators can use Chromebook, macOS or Windows 10 computers with Chrome or Edge; Bluetooth 4.2 or later is recommended for device use. |
| What it does | mBlock is a Scratch-based coding platform for creating games, animations and robot programs with blocks or Python. | Ozobot Classroom is a K–12 STEAM lesson portal and companion software for Ozobot robots, supporting coding with or without screens. |
Plans
In their own words
mBlock
mBlock 5 is a free coding platform for robotics, STEM, and coding learning. It supports block-based coding and Python, with a one-click switch between the two. Users can create games and animations, then program Makeblock robots and other open-resource hardware. The platform includes AI and IoT features, with integrations described for Microsoft Cognitive Services and Google deep learning. Supported devices listed include CyberPi, mBot Neo/mBot2, mBot, mBot Ranger, Ultimate 2.0, mBot Mega, mTiny, Codey Rocky, and xLight. The Extension Builder allows third parties to develop device and sprite extensions. mBlock is available on Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web, and Windows. The web version supports direct Bluetooth or serial connections, but not the Bluetooth dongle. The mBlock Python editor programs devices only for CyberPi, and its Upload mode uses MicroPython rather than third-party Python 3 libraries. The Extension Builder works only in Google Chrome.
Ozobot Classroom
Ozobot Classroom is a free K–12 STEAM lesson portal and companion software for Ozobot robots used in schools. Its library offers about 700 standards-aligned lessons across grades K–12 in computer science, math, ELA, science and social-emotional learning. Lessons use screen-free Color Codes or on-screen Ozobot Blockly coding. Teachers can use pacing guides with up to 30 lessons per grade, create and share lessons, and set up and manage devices. Boosted Bluetooth can update up to 18 bots at once. The web application requires no download; teachers use Chromebook, Mac or Windows 10 computers with Chrome or Edge. Students can use Color Codes without a screen or OzoBlockly on a computer or tablet, including iPads and Android tablets. Teachers can share lesson links through Google Classroom or another LMS, but importing rosters through the former Classes feature is no longer available. Ozobot says Classroom is FERPA- and COPPA-compliant, collects no student data and does not allow educators to create student accounts. Bit robots cannot connect to Classroom devices because they are not Bluetooth-enabled, so some features are unavailable with Bit.