MIT App Inventor vs Valentina
MIT App Inventor
appinventor.mit.eduValentina
smart-pattern.com.uaSide by side
| Figure | MIT App Inventor | Valentina |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | €6.88/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 2 | 5 |
| Spec score · Diy Makers | 8.6 (#4) | 7.8 (#7) |
| Privacy | MIT says it tracks site usage and information about projects and their development, and may log IP address operating system and browser software. | The website privacy policy says its logs may collect IP addresses, browser type, ISP, timestamps, transition or exit pages, and possibly clicks. |
| Purpose | MIT App Inventor is a free, web-based platform for creating, testing, and sharing mobile apps using block-based programming. | Valentina is open-source software for creating clothing patterns, with a focus on parametric patterns. |
| Support | MIT directs users to a community forum where community experts answer questions, rather than promising commercial support contracts. | The paid Basic plan includes developer support, while the Free plan provides community support without developer support. |
Plans
Valentina
- FreeFree
- Basic€8.26 a month
- Premium€16.51 a month
- Basic€82.57 a year
- Premium€165.15 a year
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.
Valentina
Valentina is clothing-pattern software for building and modeling patterns, with an emphasis on parametric sizing. Measurements, increments, formulas, and construction rules can be used to rearrange patterns. It supports 2D pattern making and size grading, and exports SVG, PDF, PNG, OBJ, PS, EPS, and DXF. The software runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows. Stable downloads list an AppImage for Linux, Windows 7+ 32-bit and Windows 10+ 64-bit packages, and macOS packages for Intel, Apple Silicon, and Universal systems. Valentina is GPLv3+ licensed, and its FAQ says there are no restrictions on the kind of work made with it. It supports.val files from Seamly2D, though the reverse compatibility is not supported; DXF import is unavailable. The Free plan is free and includes source code access, historical versions, and community support, but no current binaries, manual, or developer support. Basic is €8.26 a month and Premium is €16.51 a month.