Flowlab vs Scratch
Scratch is the playground where millions of kids first meet code, and it is brilliant at that job. But Scratch is not a game engine, and it doesn't try to be one. This page is for the moment that distinction starts to matter: when someone who loves making things in Scratch is ready to make real games.
Here's an honest look at what each tool is for, and how to tell when it's time for a real game engine.
Flowlab
Editor runs in the browser
Editor and games run in any modern browser.
Editor runs in the browser
A free offline app is also available.
Installation required
Optional offline app.
How you build logic
Blocks with typed inputs and outputs, wired together. Optional typed code uses the same block model.
How you build logic
Snap-together scripts attached to sprites; event-driven.
Coding experience required
Designed for first-time coders, ages 8-16.
Path to typed code
Custom Behaviors: typed code with the same block interface as visual logic (paid plans). Concepts transfer to languages like C# and TypeScript.
Path to typed code
Blocks only; no text-code view or official export to a text language.
Physics
Every object has physics; no setup.
Physics
Gravity and collisions are scripted by hand in each project.
Sprite / art editor
Paint Editor with bitmap and vector modes, plus large sprite libraries.
Sound & music tools
Sound and music creation tool included, in the browser.
Sound & music tools
Record and trim sounds, apply effects; sound library and a music extension.
Animation
Frame-based sprite animation, easing curves, shader effects.
Animation
Frame swaps plus scripted motion; no timelines or tweens.
Play & share in the browser
Every game gets a shareable play URL.
Play & share in the browser
Shared to the public community and remixable; sharing requires a verified account.
Native app export
iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac, on paid plans.
Native app export
Unofficial third-party packagers exist but are unsupported.
Publish to app stores
App Store, Google Play, independent marketplaces; mobile ad monetization supported.
Online multiplayer
Browser games.
Online multiplayer
Shared numeric cloud variables only; no rooms or matchmaking.
Classroom management
Built in: teacher dashboard with classes, student accounts, and included lessons.
Classroom management
Free Teacher Accounts: classes, teacher-created student accounts, class studios.
Student accounts without email
Students never need an email address, and Flowlab never emails students.
Student accounts without email
Teacher-created accounts need no email; independent child signups involve a parent email.
School SSO / LMS integration
Single sign-on plus roster import.
School SSO / LMS integration
Username and password only; Google sign-on has been announced for their next-generation platform.
Student privacy
No student email, no student marketing; children's privacy policy.
Student privacy
Minimal collection, no ads, no data sales; parental consent for minors.
Free tier
Free plan limits game size and excludes export.
Individual plans
Indie plan: unlimited games, all features, exports.
Individual plans
Donation-funded; nothing is paid.
Education pricing
Each set of 25 student upgrades includes a teacher account. Purchase via PO.
Open source
Editor and engine are open source; the website and community platform are not.
Where Scratch is the better choice
Free forever: donation-funded, no paid tiers, no upsells. Nothing else in this table can say that.
The gentlest on-ramp: designed for ages 8 and up with no prior experience; the youngest beginners belong here.
The community: the largest kids' coding community in the world, with over a billion shared projects to remix and learn from.
Open source and mission-driven: run by a nonprofit foundation, with strong student privacy and no ads.
Where Flowlab is the better choice
It's a game engine at the core: physics and collisions are built in, not hand-rolled. Every Scratch platformer starts by scripting gravity; every Flowlab platformer starts by playing.
Engine features included: shader effects, online leaderboards and achievements, and real built-in multiplayer, the kind of features Scratch projects can only approximate with workarounds.
Games that leave the site: Scratch projects live on scratch.mit.edu. Flowlab games export as native iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac apps you can publish and even sell.
A path to typed code: bundles teach functions, and Custom Behaviors let you write real typed code inside the same blocks, a step Scratch deliberately doesn't offer.
Classroom rostering: Clever, Google Classroom, and LTI single sign-on and roster import, plus teacher dashboards.
In the classroom
Setup, devices, student accounts, and how long it takes to get going.
Ready for the next step?
Free to try in the browser. Back to all comparisons.