TOP PICKS | 35 TOOLS

Best Coding Tools for High School Students

Coding is an invaluable literacy applicable to virtually any future career or field of study. These high school-level tools will help students build this essential 21st-century literacy by learning how code works and how to write code themselves. Once they're up to snuff, coding will give your students a new way to demonstrate knowledge and express themselves. And teachers, take note: There are tools here for those brand new to code as well as those looking for more of a challenge, so make sure to pick and choose to give every student a window into the world of programming.

If you're looking to begin coding lessons in your classroom, check out our Teaching Strategies for how to Get Started With Coding in Your Classroom.

Top Picks

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Block- and Text-Based Code

Code.org

Popular games, big names get kids and teachers pumped to program

Bottom line: A well-planned, -produced, and -curated set of free resources bound to get kids hooked on learning to code.

Grades: K–12 Price: Free

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Code for Life

Comprehensive coding platform has impressive resources for teachers

Bottom line: This learn-to-code program has the breadth and depth required to meet the needs of almost any teacher.

Grades: 1–12 Price: Free

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Microsoft MakeCode

Bring code to life with circuits, robots, Minecraft, and more

Bottom line: Once you purchase the hardware, MakeCode opens doors to an incredible diversity of coding applications.

Grades: 3–12 Price: Free Users can find links to purchase various hardware and kits that are featured in MakeCode's projects.

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CoSpaces Edu

VR design tool sparks creativity for those with the coding chops

Bottom line: This is a well-designed VR playground for experienced coders.

Grades: 4–12 Price: Paid $75 per year for 50 licenses; other license packages available for more students.

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micro:bit

Code games or fun displays with mini piece of hardware

Bottom line: This versatile tool for learning how to program with blocks or text is a nice fit for STEM classes and clubs.

Grades: 6–12 Price: Free, Paid The website and apps are free. A micro:bit is required, which costs around $14.99; accessories are also available for purchase.

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Block-Based Code

Itch

Full-featured tool makes teaching with Scratch easier than ever

Bottom line: Here you'll find resources for teaching with Scratch and a complete management tool to support student learning.

Grades: 1–12 Price: Free to try, Paid Free to try for two weeks. For .edu or nonprofit, $39 per year for individual teachers and 100 students. Request a quote for multiple teachers.

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Scratch

Creative sandbox opens the door to coding in any subject area

Bottom line: Scratch draws students of all types into coding and lays a foundation for future learning.

Grades: 1–12 Price: Free

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Cozmo

A little robot with big personality brings code to life

Bottom line: From Cozmo's engaging personality to endless programming possibilities, this little robot will capture your heart and spark imagination.

Grades: 2–12 Price: Free, Paid Requires Cozmo robot, sold separately for $179.99.

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SAM Edu

Wireless blocks promote design, engineering, and programming skills

Bottom line: With some perseverance, SAM is a great fit for PBL and STEAM, helping students learn programming skills through invention.

Grades: 2–12 Price: Free, Paid The app is free, but the SAM Labs kits, blocks, and accessories must be purchased. Kits cost $139-$599, blocks cost $31-$45, and accessories cost $17-$71.

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Kodu Game Lab

Open-ended game design and programming tool for visual thinkers

Bottom line: The 3D game-making environment and fun, visual logic will definitely grab some students, but others will need support the game just doesn't provide.

Grades: 3–12 Price: Free

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Human Resource Machine EDU

Challenging puzzles will grab the imagination of any coding enthusiast

Bottom line: For teachers with some coding background, this is a great game-based tool for learning to code.

Grades: 4–10 Price: Paid Requires a Filament Learning account for $5.99.

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Made with Code

Enticing projects and inspiring videos offer anyone an intro to coding

Bottom line: Solid intro to coding with diverse projects geared toward tween/teen girls; sets foundation to explore deeper level coding and logic activities.

Grades: 4–12 Price: Free

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Cargo-Bot

Challenging game helps kids learn to think like programmers

Bottom line: Cargo-Bot is a simple concept that packs a challenging punch and teaches valuable programming skills.

Grades: 5–12 Price: Free

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LearnToMod

Effective springboard to coding for dedicated Minecraft fans

Bottom line: For students who already know and love Minecraft, this is a valuable way to hook students into coding.

Grades: 5–12 Price: Free, Paid LearnToMod is free for teachers; $29.99 per year for everyone else.

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Algo Bot

Simple coding game a fun intro to algorithms

Bottom line: This coding game is a fun and helpful introduction to basic algorithm development, but other resources will be needed for more depth.

Grades: 6–12 Price: Paid $9.99

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Lightbot : Programming Puzzles

Simple design, but challenging fun for budding programmers

Bottom line: Challenging programming game best for motivated learners.

Grades: 6–12 Price: $2.99

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Thunkable

Build a working iOS or Android app, even without coding experience

Bottom line: A great way to help motivated students create real apps, though others will need more support.

Grades: 6–12 Price: Free Thunkable is free for now, but they note on their site that they may charge for some features in the future.

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7 Billion Humans

Amusing puzzler challenges kids, teaches programming principles

Bottom line: This high-quality puzzle game is a fun way for students to learn effective and efficient programming skills.

Grades: 7–12 Price: Paid $4.99

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GameSalad

Great interface, flexible publishing options make game-making a snap

Bottom line: Engaging interface and tutorials will empower budding game designers, but the price tag could be a deal-breaker for tight school budgets.

Grades: 7–12 Price: Paid Single Education license (teacher or student) is $149 per year; Classroom license for 30 students and 1 teacher is $1699 per year. Custom quotes are available for schools and districts.

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Text-Based Code

CodeCombat

Dungeon-crawling adventure where code is king

Bottom line: While not everyone loves fighting ogres, CodeCombat offers a classroom-ready platform and an authentic learning experience.

Grades: 4–12 Price: Free, Paid Intro course is free. Contact the developer to get set up with purchasing a group license for the classroom version.

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CodeMonkey

Puzzler's use of real code fills niche in crowded learn-to-code genre

Bottom line: A great intro to coding, with solid teacher support, gets kids using a real programming language and digging into some meatier concepts than other early coding tools.

Grades: 4–12 Price: Free to try, Paid Free to try up through level 30; individual accounts start at $39 per year. Home School subscriptions run $129 per year and allow for up to 5 students, along with opening up the teacher account, dashboard, and lesson plans. Contact CodeMonkey for classroom and school/district rates.

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Swift Playgrounds

Brilliantly designed iOS coding app great for newbies or pros

Bottom line: If iPad devices are available, this is an inspired choice for learning how to create and tweak code.

Grades: 4–12 Price: Free

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Mozilla X-Ray Goggles

Remix tool reveals code, can strengthen kids' understanding of the web

Bottom line: It's a blast to use and an easy way to get experimentation and prototyping going with plenty of student choice -- kids are really in the driver's seat!

Grades: 5–12 Price: Free

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Code Avengers

Challenging puzzles teach with real code; best for more advanced kids

Bottom line: A superb programming tutor, well worth the effort to keep students going.

Grades: 6–12 Price: Free to try, Paid Free 30-day trial; $25 per student per year. Contact for class and school-wide license deals.

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CodeHS

Computer science curriculum offers great feedback, fun challenges

Bottom line: Effective tools and clear lessons teach real programming, but you'll have to spend some cash to help kids master it.

Grades: 6–12 Price: Free to try, Paid Pricing is from $1,500–$3,000 per section, depending on the plan; individual plans are $25 per month and up. For more information, visit https://codehs.com/info/plans.

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Construct 3

Ideal 2D game builder supports students to create, innovate

Bottom line: Limitless game options, reasonable cost, and extensive support make this programming environment perfect for an educational setting.

Grades: 6–12 Price: Free to try, Paid There's a free edition to try. Educational licenses are $12.99 per month or $39.99 per year.

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Grasshopper: Learn to Code

First-class free app for learning to code with JavaScript

Bottom line: This app will no doubt help individual, motivated learners see how coding works using real code.

Grades: 6–12 Price: Free

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Hack 'n' Slash

Zelda-inspired puzzler lets players peek behind the code curtain

Bottom line: A great intro to variables and how algorithms work, this game would shine as a supplement to a larger unit on programming.

Grades: 6–12 Price: $13.37

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Codecademy

Terrific hands-on coding practice with live feedback

Bottom line: In this excellent coding application, in-game practice and real-time guidance crack open the world of programming and turn your students into whiz kids.

Grades: 7–12 Price: Free, Paid Codecademy Pro accounts include all content from free account plus access to real-world scenarios to solve, online assessments, and advisors who will answer questions and guide your progress.

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Codea

Well-thought-out coding platform for real game programming

Bottom line: Codea is a professional tool that has enough help features that kids can learn programming hands-on.

Grades: 8–12 Price: Paid $14.99

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Roblox

Popular game development platform has classroom potential

Bottom line: Teens who love gaming can learn to be developers, too, with Roblox's tools and hosting service.

Grades: 8–12 Price: Free, Paid Game creation and most gameplay is free, but some games and features require payment in Robux, which can be earned or purchased with U.S. dollars. Three additional Builders Club memberships are available, ranging from $57.95/year to $129.95/year. Paid subscribers won't see ads and get bonus gear and other perks.

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TapCoding

No games, just clear tasks for learning to code in Swift

Bottom line: Like an interactive textbook, TapCoding wastes no time to get older students programming.

Grades: 8–12 Price: Free, Paid The first three levels are free. The Builder's Curriculum ($5.99) and Master's Curriculum ($9.99) are available as in-app purchases.

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Vidcode

Cool coding tool tuned to teen girls' passions aids creativity

Bottom line: Learn-to-code programs for youths often too narrowly define what can be done with code; Vidcode expands the options, helping girls see code's value in culture and express themselves.

Grades: 8–12 Price: Free, Paid Free introductory projects; contact for pricing for intermediate and advanced projects/lessons as well as training and support resources.

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