Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Scratch VS Tux Paint

Compare Scratch VS Tux Paint and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Scratch logo Scratch

Scratch is the programming language & online community where young people create stories, games, & animations.

Tux Paint logo Tux Paint

Tux Paint is a free, award-winning drawing program for children ages 3 to 12 (for example, preschool and K-6).
  • Scratch Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-17
  • Tux Paint Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-14

Scratch features and specs

  • Engaging Interface
    Scratch offers a visually appealing and user-friendly interface that makes it accessible for kids and beginners to learn programming concepts.
  • Community Support
    The platform has a large and active community where users can share projects, get feedback, and collaborate with others, fostering a sense of community and support.
  • Educational Value
    Scratch is designed with a strong pedagogical foundation, helping users to develop problem-solving skills, logical thinking, and creativity.
  • Drag-and-Drop Programming
    The block-based coding in Scratch eliminates syntax errors and simplifies the process of learning programming logic, making it ideal for beginners.
  • Free to Use
    Scratch is completely free to use, which makes it accessible to a wide audience without any financial barriers.
  • Portable
    Being web-based, Scratch can be accessed from any device with an internet connection, providing ease of access and flexibility.

Possible disadvantages of Scratch

  • Limited Advanced Capabilities
    Scratch is mainly designed for beginners and might not offer the depth or complexities needed for more advanced programming projects.
  • Performance Issues
    Larger projects can sometimes become slow or unresponsive, particularly on less powerful devices.
  • Simplified Programming
    The drag-and-drop nature of Scratch, while educational, might limit exposure to the syntax and intricacies of written programming languages.
  • Internet Dependency
    Scratch primarily requires an internet connection, which could be a limitation in areas with poor connectivity.
  • Age Focus
    The platform is highly targeted towards younger audiences, which might not be appealing or suitable for older learners or adults seeking beginner resources.
  • Privacy Concerns
    As with any online community, there are potential privacy and security risks, especially for younger users, which require careful monitoring and guidance.

Tux Paint features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Tux Paint is designed specifically for young children, featuring a simple, intuitive, and easy-to-navigate interface.
  • Educational Value
    The software is educationally beneficial, helping children to develop motor skills, creativity, and an understanding of basic computer operations.
  • Fun and Engaging
    It includes various fun tools, like stamps, sound effects, and magic tools, which keep children engaged and entertained.
  • Free and Open Source
    Tux Paint is free to download and use, and being open-source, it encourages community involvement and contributions.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    It runs on various operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it accessible to a wider audience.
  • Multilingual
    The software supports numerous languages, which is useful for children who speak different languages or are learning a new language.
  • Parental Controls
    Tux Paint includes parental controls, allowing parents to restrict certain features and ensure a safe environment for children.

Possible disadvantages of Tux Paint

  • Limited Advanced Features
    The software may lack advanced features that more experienced or older users might look for in a drawing program.
  • Frequent Crashes on Some Systems
    Some users have reported stability issues, such as crashes, particularly on older or less common operating systems.
  • Basic Toolset
    While suitable for beginners, the basic toolset may not satisfy users looking for more sophisticated drawing tools and capabilities.
  • Outdated Graphics and Interface
    The graphical interface can seem outdated compared to more modern applications, which might be a drawback for some users.
  • Not Suitable for Professional Use
    Tux Paint is aimed at children and lacks the features and precision tools needed for professional graphic design or digital art.

Analysis of Scratch

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Scratch is generally considered good for its intended purpose. It serves as an excellent introduction to programming for young learners and is praised for its simplicity, ease of use, and educational value.

Why this product is good

  • Scratch is a visual programming language designed primarily for children and beginners to learn the basics of coding and computational thinking. It promotes creativity, logic, and problem-solving skills in a user-friendly environment. Scratch provides a platform for users to create interactive stories, games, and animations, which can be shared within an active online community, fostering collaboration and feedback.

Recommended for

  • Children aged 8-16 who are interested in learning programming
  • Educators and parents seeking to introduce coding concepts
  • Beginners in programming who prefer a visual approach
  • Anyone looking to explore digital creativity through interactive media

Analysis of Tux Paint

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Tux Paint is considered to be a good software for its target audience. It is well-regarded for providing a fun and educational platform for children to explore their creativity while being easy to use.

Why this product is good

  • Tux Paint is a popular open-source drawing software designed specifically for children. It features a simple and intuitive interface, making it accessible for young users. The program includes a variety of drawing tools, fun sound effects, and informative tutorials, which encourage creativity and learning. The availability of numerous stamps and coloring pages further engages children and makes the creative process enjoyable.

Recommended for

    Tux Paint is recommended for children aged 3 to 12, educators looking for interactive teaching tools, and parents seeking to support their children's artistic development in a digital environment.

Scratch videos

Scratch 3.0 Review: My Thoughts About Scratch 3.0

More videos:

  • Review - Numark PT01 Scratch Review
  • Review - Meguiar's scratch X 2.0 review

Tux Paint videos

Tux Paint Review Halloween 2008

More videos:

  • Review - Tux Paint - Review/Download for Windows
  • Review - Amazing Rainbow in Tux Paint

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Scratch and Tux Paint)
Kids Education
100 100%
0% 0
Digital Drawing And Painting
Game Development
100 100%
0% 0
Graphic Design Software
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Scratch and Tux Paint

Scratch Reviews

  1. Pratham shah
    · nothing at none ·
    TOO GOOD

    It is just awesome. you can make so many things WITHOUT A TEAM! If you are starting then this is an awesome place to start at.

    🏁 Competitors: Python, Java, Code.org
    👍 Pros:    Good UI|Remix|Works perfectly|100% free|Many, many languages

Top 15 educational software to streamline the learning process
Scratch lets students create interactive stories, games, and animations. The coding projects allow students to experiment and express their ideas, developing 21st-century skills like computational thinking and creativity. Scratch introduces students to programming, STEM and digital literacy in a fun way.
16 Scratch Alternatives
It can even permit anyone to access its junior program through which kids can learn how to make any app by taking their focus on the study related to programming. Scratch also comes with facilitating users with the permission to mix all the programming blocks so that they can create multiple characters for singing, jumping, dancing, moving, and more.
Coding Websites That Help Kids Learn Programming In A Fun Way in 2023
Scratch, created by MIT students, teaches coding by allowing students to create tales, games, and animations using programming blocks. There is a vibrant online community as well as a step-by-step tutorial to assist those who are just getting started. Students can also use an offline editor to revise their work. ScratchJr, a simplified version of the software, is targeted at...
20 Best Scratch Alternatives 2023
Unlike Scratch, Snap targets not only kids but also high school and college students. The platform provides a solution for serious computer science study, while Scratch focuses on just the basics.

Tux Paint Reviews

We have no reviews of Tux Paint yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Scratch seems to be a lot more popular than Tux Paint. While we know about 569 links to Scratch, we've tracked only 13 mentions of Tux Paint. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Scratch mentions (569)

  • TikTok Is Harming Children at an Industrial Scale
    I anticipate my kid needing to live in a word with capitalism, it doesn't ncessarily mean that they need a Mastercard at 4 years old. Same with many other things: condoms, keys to a car, access to alcohol. There is a time for everything, and at the age of 4, a young human probably has not yet maxxed out on analog stimuli opportunities. I learned YouTube when it came out in 2006 and I was 21. I've got 19 years of... - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
  • How I Got Started in IT: My Journey to Becoming an Apprentice Support Engineer 🚀
    I've always been fascinated by the technology. I spent many hors playing video games and the first dive into the world of development was when I had to code a game on Scratch. The excercise looked pretty easy: Create a Tamagotchi-like game. Let me tell you - It wasn't easy at all for someone of a young age! There were many things that I needed to pay attention to: Things I have never heard of before! - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • Principles of Educational Programming Language Design
    I would be surprised if your first program was C++? Specifically, getting a decent C++ toolchain that can produce a meaningful program is not a small thing? I'm not sure where I feel about languages made for teaching and whatnot, yet; but I would be remiss if I didn't encourage my kids to use https://scratch.mit.edu/ for their early programming. I remember early computers would boot into a BASIC prompt and I... - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • There is no such thing as a global method (in Ruby)
    I've been teaching a teenager how to code with smalltalk (Scratch): https://scratch.mit.edu/. - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • Ask HN: Platform for 11 year old to create video games?
    A good place to start with kids that age is Scratch: https://scratch.mit.edu/. - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
View more

Tux Paint mentions (13)

  • KidPix
    Https://tuxpaint.org TuxPaint is an app that is very similar from 2002 onwards to current. I have been installing on many computers for small children since. Stamps and noises are the most loved features. - Source: Hacker News / 12 months ago
  • Sugar: An activity-focused, open-source software learning platform for children
    PBS Kids has a lot of games and activities on their website: https://pbskids.org/games If your kids watch any PBS shows them they'll recognize the characters. The activities were fun enough for our twins to learn how to use computer mice at age 3. Tux Paint is also really fun for young kids and a good way to learn mouse usage: https://tuxpaint.org/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • ⟳ 4 apps added, 28 updated at f-droid.org
    Tux Paint (version 0.9.30): A drawing program for children. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Instant flood fill with HTML Canvas
    I can also recommend https://tuxpaint.org/. I see they also have an app for Android nowadays, but no iOS it seems. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • Ask HN: Kids Computer
    This is going to depend on the age of the kid. I have given a cheap Laptop to my 6-year old and introduced her to Scratch[1] and Tuxpaint[2]. I let her use the mouse and keyboard more instead of tapping on a screen. The school is likely to introduce Scratch from next year. For older kids, they should be on a normal computer. My old MacBook Pro came handy for the elder one. She does the usual Python, games and... - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Scratch and Tux Paint, you can also consider the following products

Code.org - Code.org is a non-profit whose goal is to expose all students to computer programming.

Microsoft Paint - Paint (formerly Paintbrush) is a simple, ultra-basic graphics painting program that is included...

Godot Engine - Feature-packed 2D and 3D open source game engine.

GIMP - GIMP is a multiplatform photo manipulation tool.

GDevelop - GDevelop is an open-source game making software designed to be used by everyone.

MyPaint - MyPaint is a fast, distraction-free, and easy painting tool for digital artists.