Hopscotch

Hopscotch is a programming environment for creating games, animations, art, and stories without prior coding knowledge. Users can follow video tutorials or start a project from scratch, then publish it to the community for others to play and remix. It runs on Android, iOS, macOS, web, and Windows. The Free Account provides basic characters and essential coding blocks; Play Pass adds monthly seeds, uninterrupted play, and prioritized support. Unlimited adds drawing tools, custom art uploads, and unlimited drafts and published projects. Free educator and classroom accounts and lesson plans are available, though some tutorials require a subscription. Hopscotch describes its intended audience as ages 10 and up, and its help page says it is primarily designed for ages 9–15. A free trial is available for 7 days, with cancellation at any time. The service says it does not sell or rent personal information or display ads, and states its privacy and safety practices are COPPA-compliant. Paid plans start at $1.99/mo.

Hopscotch combines project creation, tutorials, and community sharing across mobile and computer platforms. Its free account covers basic creation, while extra tools and project capacity are part of paid plans.

Hopscotch suits learners ages 9–15 who want to make creative projects while learning programming. Educators can use its free accounts, classroom accounts, and lesson plans.

Hopscotch is a project-based coding app for young learners who want to make games, animations, art, and stories. It is best suited to children and educators looking for creative, guided entry points into programming; the free account is a useful start, but richer creation tools and unlimited project capacity cost extra.

Overview

Instead of requiring coding experience up front, Hopscotch lets learners build projects from scratch or follow video tutorials. They can publish work for others to play and remix, which gives projects an audience and makes community examples part of the learning experience. That model fits children motivated by making things, but it is less suited to learners seeking a conventional course sequence or a particular mainstream programming language.

Hopscotch is designed for ages 10 and up, and is also described as primarily serving ages 9–15. Educators can use free educator accounts, classroom accounts, and lesson plans, although some tutorials require a subscription.

Key features

• Project-based coding: Learners make games, animations, art, and stories without prior coding knowledge. Tutorials help newcomers get started; starting from scratch offers more room to explore.
• Community projects: Users can publish projects for others to play and remix. The educator page describes the community as moderated and COPPA-compliant, a relevant safeguard for a young audience.
• More room to create: The Unlimited plan adds drawing tools, custom art uploads, additional coding blocks, exclusive characters, and unlimited drafts and published projects. These additions matter most to frequent creators; the Free Account is limited to basic characters and essential coding blocks.
• Project linking: An Open Project block can link to other projects in the Hopscotch community, allowing creators to connect their work.
• Privacy and support: Hopscotch says it does not sell or rent personal information, sell user data, or display ads, and that its privacy and safety practices are certified COPPA-compliant. It also says it investigates data breaches involving personal information and trains staff on security concerns. Email support is available, with prioritized support on paid plans.

Pricing

Hopscotch is freemium, with a free trial advertised as seven days and cancellable at any time. Paid plans are billed monthly; the trial offer does not change the ongoing plan prices.

The Free Account is the low-cost way to try basic creation, but its 0 monthly seeds and basic tool set constrain what it offers. Play Pass is aimed at users who want uninterrupted play and a monthly seed allowance, not the expanded creation toolkit. Unlimited is the relevant upgrade for creators who want custom art and drawing tools or expect to build and publish without project caps. Both paid plans include prioritized support.

Platforms

Hopscotch is available on Android, iOS, macOS, web, and Windows. That range supports use across mobile devices and computers, rather than limiting learners to one device type.

Who it's for

Hopscotch is a strong fit for children around ages 9–15 who learn by making and sharing projects, as well as educators seeking classroom accounts and lesson plans. It is a weaker fit for families who want every creative tool at no cost, or learners whose priority is a course-led path in a specific language rather than Hopscotch's project environment.

Pros and cons

• Pro — Projects make coding tangible: Games, animations, art, and stories give young learners concrete outcomes to work toward.
• Pro — Sharing supports peer learning: Others can play and remix published projects in a moderated community.
• Pro — Multiple entry points: Video tutorials help beginners, while scratch creation supports independent experimentation.
• Con — The free account is narrow: It provides basic characters and essential coding blocks, with 0 monthly seeds.
• Con — The most useful creative upgrades require Unlimited: Custom art, drawing tools, and unlimited drafts and published projects are not part of the cheaper options.
• Con — Some educator tutorials require a subscription: The free educator offering does not guarantee access to every tutorial.

Alternatives

Consider coding learning software options if Hopscotch's project-first approach is not the right match. CodeHS is worth considering for its free teacher plan with 100+ courses, browser-based code editor, automatic code submission, and section management; it has no free trial. Codecademy offers a free Basic plan with limited course access and limited AI Learning Assistant access, making it an option for learners seeking courses, though its Plus price is not given.

Kodable may suit families comparing child-focused coding plans: its Monthly plan is $24.99 a month for full access to all apps and up to four child profiles, while the Yearly plan is $9.99 a year, billed at $119.99/year. Mimo offers Basic and Pro tiers with limited access on Basic and broader course and career-path access on Pro; prices are not given. Progate has a free plan with some introductory lessons and a Plus 12 Month plan for $9.92, paid once, billed as a $119.00 one-time payment at registration.

Scratch is a free alternative for creating and sharing projects, with an Annual Membership at $35 a year. freeCodeCamp is a free, open-source option under the BSD-3 license. MIT App Inventor is a free educational platform for building Android and iOS apps; packaged apps can be built and installed.

Verdict

Choose Hopscotch for a young learner who is more likely to engage by building and sharing creative projects than by following a conventional course. Its tutorials, community remixing, and broad device support make that approach accessible, while the free account gives basic creation a low-risk starting point. Look elsewhere if free access to advanced creative tools is essential, or if the learner needs a more course-led path; for unlimited project creation and the richer art tools, the relevant plan is $9.99 a month.