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Both help kids turn ideas into games and stories. Scratch teaches coding with visual blocks, and it is free. HeyOtto lets kids build in real code with AI help, and parents can see every project. Many kids benefit from both.
Quick answer
It depends on what they want to learn. Scratch makes coding logic visible with blocks, and it is a great free first step. HeyOtto lets kids describe an idea, build it with AI help, and read and change the real code.
They are not either-or. Many kids learn the ideas in Scratch and then see them in real code.
Scratch teaches the logic. HeyOtto shows the same logic in real code.
Side by side
Two good tools with different approaches. Here is where each fits.
| Feature | HeyOtto | Scratch |
|---|---|---|
| Who makes it | HeyOtto, AI for kids and teens ages 8–18 | Lifelong Kindergarten group, MIT Media Lab |
| Ages | Yes8–18 | YesMainly 8–16 |
| How kids code | YesReal text code (HTML, JavaScript, CSS and React), with AI help | YesSnap visual blocks together |
| AI help | YesOtto explains, asks questions and helps fix bugs | NoVisual block coding; no AI building help |
| What kids make | YesGames, apps and websites | YesGames, animations and interactive stories |
| Concepts learned | YesLoops, events, variables, state, debugging, in real code | YesSequencing, events, loops, conditions, variables |
| Sharing and community | Yes | Public community with remixing, comments and moderation |
| Parent visibility | YesParents see every project and conversation | No parent monitoring tools described |
| Who sets up the account | YesA parent | Kids or adults; limited info collected |
| Best fit | YesKids ready to build with real code and AI help | YesBeginners learning coding logic with blocks |
Two approaches
The biggest difference is how kids build. Neither one guarantees learning on its own; kids learn most when they ask why something works.
What it does
Kids snap together visual blocks to control characters, movement, sound and game logic, then share and remix projects in a moderated community.
Where it stops
Doesn't help kids build with AI the way HeyOtto does, and doesn't move kids into the text code used to build apps and websites.
What it does
Kids describe an idea, Otto helps build a first version, and kids read, change and debug the real code. Projects save so they can keep improving them.
Where it stops
Isn't a public community for sharing and remixing like Scratch, and doesn't use blocks.
Which is better for…
Here is how the two compare for the things parents ask about most.
Both work well, in different ways.
Scratch
Blocks control sprites, movement, scoring and collisions: a great way to learn how games work
HeyOtto
Build JavaScript games with Otto, then change the speed, rules and levels in real code
Try
Build a maze in Scratch, then rebuild it in HeyOtto
The aim is not one tool forever. It is matching the tool to what your child wants to learn now.
Which should you choose?
Use both
Scratch and HeyOtto fit together. The ideas kids learn with blocks are the same ones they use in real code.
A "when key pressed" block in Scratch is a key event in JavaScript. Seeing the link helps kids understand both.
See starter projectsFive steps
Events, loops, conditions and variables.
Practice collisions and scoring with blocks.
Describe the same game and see it in JavaScript.
Which code does what each block did?
Turn it into a web page or add new features.
Same safety, every feature
Kids build inside the same HeyOtto account, with the same filters, controls and alerts as everything else in HeyOtto.
Projects stay in your family's account, and parents can see every one.
No ads or ad pixels in the logged-in kids' experience.
Teens 13–18 get the same protections.
FAQ
Straight answers for parents choosing a coding tool. HeyOtto publishes this comparison, so we link Scratch's own pages for you to check.
No. Scratch teaches coding logic with blocks and is a great first step. HeyOtto is a next step into real text code with AI help. Many kids use both.
Yes. Scratch is free to use.
For many first-time coders, yes. Blocks make the logic visible without syntax errors. Kids who already have an idea and want to build it in real code may prefer HeyOtto.
Not the way HeyOtto does. Scratch is visual, block-based coding. It has a face-sensing extension, but kids don't build with AI the way they do in HeyOtto. They build everything themselves with visual blocks.
Yes. In HeyOtto, kids build games, apps and websites in HTML, JavaScript, CSS and React, with Otto explaining the code.
When they are comfortable with events, loops, conditions and variables in Scratch and want to build things blocks can't. HeyOtto shows those same ideas in JavaScript.
Scratch's parent page doesn't describe monitoring tools. It suggests reviewing the community guidelines with your child. HeyOtto's Parent Dashboard shows every project and conversation.
Coding uses the same filters, controls and alerts as the rest of HeyOtto, and parents can see every project.
Choose by goal. For a free, visual first step into coding, start with Scratch. For AI help, real code and parent visibility, try HeyOtto.
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No. Scratch teaches coding logic with blocks and is a great first step. HeyOtto is a next step into real text code with AI help. Many kids use both.
Still need a hand?
Compare
How HeyOtto compares with other tools families ask about.
A general AI assistant vs AI built for kids and teens.
Read the comparisonKeep exploring
Start wherever your child is. Scratch is a great first step, and HeyOtto is ready when they want to build in real code, with you able to see every project.