MIT App Inventor vs NetsBlox
MIT App Inventor
appinventor.mit.eduNetsBlox
netsblox.orgSide by side
| Figure | MIT App Inventor | NetsBlox |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Spec score · Coding Learning Software | 8.5 (#5) | 7.7 (#25) |
| Audience | The project’s stated vision is to enable anyone, including people who do not consider themselves coders, to create mobile apps. | The terms say NetsBlox is targeted mainly at users ages 12–20, while welcoming everyone. |
| Integrations | The documentation covers Web and XML services, Google Sheets, CloudDB, sensors, Google Play uploading and external hardware connections. | Documented service integrations include Google Maps, ThingSpeak, ParallelDots, and Azure Translation. |
| Self-hosting | MIT publishes source intended for experienced operators who want to run their own App Inventor instance, using Google App Engine and Java 11. | The installation guide recommends Docker and says NetsBlox requires MongoDB and filesystem access for blob storage. |
| What it does | MIT App Inventor is a browser-based, block-programming environment for creating, testing and sharing mobile apps. | NetsBlox is a cloud-based visual programming language for creating networked programs such as multiplayer games. |
Plans
In their own words
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.