Algodoo

Algodoo is 2D simulation software for creating interactive scenes, exploring physics, building inventions, designing games, and experimenting in science classes. Users can draw with shapes and tools including boxes, circles, polygons, gears, brushes, planes, ropes, and chains, then add elements such as fluids, springs, hinges, motors, thrusters, light rays, tracers, optics, and lenses. Graphs and visualizations can show forces, velocities, momentum, X/Y components, and angles. Objects can be moved, rotated, scaled, cut, or cloned, and scenes can be explored through clicking, dragging, tilting, or shaking. Algobox lets users save, browse, share, and download creations from a library of over 50,000 scenes. The maker presents Algodoo as a tool for students and children learning physics at school or home, and provides videos and webinars about educational scenes and demonstrations. It is available on iOS, macOS, and Windows. The Mac and PC download is free; the iPad version is listed without a price. The newest version does not work with Windows 7, though an older version is offered for Windows 7 and earlier.

Algodoo combines physics simulation, scene authoring, and a substantial library of shared creations.

Algodoo suits students, teachers, and children exploring physics through interactive scene-making. It can also fit science classes and home learning, with a large shared scene library and learning videos and webinars.

Overview

Algodoo is 2D physics simulation software for making interactive scenes, inventions, games, and classroom experiments. It is best suited to students, children, and teachers who want to explore physics by building and manipulating objects. Its strongest case is approachable, visual experimentation; look elsewhere for 3D work or a more specialized simulation platform.

Key features

Scene creation starts with familiar shapes and useful mechanical parts: boxes, circles, polygons, gears, brushes, planes, ropes, and chains. Users can add fluids, springs, hinges, motors, thrusters, light rays, tracers, optics, and lenses, then interact with scenes by clicking, dragging, tilting, or shaking. Moving, cutting, scaling, rotating, and cloning objects makes iteration part of the activity rather than a separate setup task. That breadth suits exploratory lessons and simple inventions, though the software is explicitly 2D and does not offer 3D visuals.

Analysis tools can graph results and visualize forces, velocities, momentum, X/Y components, and angles. These views give learners a way to connect what they see in a scene to measured physical quantities. Algobox adds a substantial source of material: users can save and share their own scenes, or browse and download from a library of more than 50,000 creations. Official videos and webinars cover educational scenes and physics demonstrations, while the lesson library supports its classroom use.

Pricing

Algodoo uses a freemium model, with no free trial. The Mac and PC version is a free download at no cost. It is proprietary software, provided as is without warranty, so the zero price does not mean an open-source license or a warranty-backed product.

The iPad plan covers 2D scene creation, physics-based construction and simulation, and Algobox access, but has custom pricing. Algodoo for iPad is available from the App Store, also at custom pricing. The free Mac and PC download is the clear fit for users who want to start without a stated purchase price; iPad users should confirm the current price before choosing that version.

Platforms

Algodoo is available for iOS, macOS, and Windows in a hybrid delivery model. The maker says the desktop software runs on Windows and Mac OS and is optimized for Intel-powered Classmate PCs and SMART Board interactive whiteboards. The newest version does not work with Windows 7, though an older version is offered for Windows 7 and earlier. That makes version compatibility worth checking before deploying it on older classroom machines.

Who it's for

Algodoo is a strong fit for children learning physics at home, students exploring cause and effect, and teachers building interactive demonstrations for science classes. Its combination of editable scenes, physical components, visual analysis, and shared examples supports learning through experimentation. It is less suitable for anyone whose work depends on 3D visualization.

Pros and cons

• Pros: A wide set of drawing and physics elements lets learners build varied 2D experiments rather than only view prepared demonstrations.
• Pros: Graphs and visualizations of forces, motion, momentum, and angles help connect scene behavior with physical quantities.
• Pros: Algobox offers more than 50,000 scenes to browse, download, save, and share, giving classes a large pool of starting points.
• Cons: The software is limited to 2D, so it is the wrong choice when a lesson or project requires 3D visuals.
• Cons: The newest version does not support Windows 7; older Windows machines require the earlier version.
• Cons: The iPad price is custom pricing, while the free Mac and PC software is proprietary and provided without warranty.

Alternatives

For a broader directory of options, see Physics Simulation Software. Choose Open Source Physics instead if you need a free option spanning Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web, and Windows. Physics Classroom Physics Interactives is another free option, available on Android, iOS, and web.

OpenFOAM is free and open source under GPL, with support and code customisation offered as separate services. Choose OpenSim for a free, open-source software platform; downloading it requires a SimTK account. Xcos is a free option distributed with Scilab, while GNU FisicaLab is free software under GNU GPL version 3 or later.

SimFlow offers a free plan and a free trial. FeenoX is a free option whose plan description notes that it has no graphical interface.

Verdict

Its editable scenes, analysis tools, and deep library of shared creations make experimentation its strongest selling point. Choose another tool if 3D visuals are essential, and check the iPad price or Windows version compatibility before committing.