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STEM Education 12 min read

Outschool vs MakerKids vs HIWVE Makers: An Honest Comparison

Outschool, MakerKids, and HIWVE Makers serve different families with different needs. Here's an honest breakdown of what each delivers and who each is right for.

First, a clarification that will save you time: Connections Academy is not the same category as the other programs on this list. Outschool, MakerKids, and HIWVE Makers are enrichment programs — they supplement whatever schooling your child already has. Connections Academy is an accredited, tuition-free public K-12 virtual school funded by state tax dollars. Comparing it to enrichment programs is like comparing a gym membership to a hospital. Worth knowing both exist; not the same thing.

So this comparison has two parts. First, what Connections Academy actually is and who it’s for. Then an honest look at Outschool, MakerKids, and HIWVE Makers as enrichment options — with the goal of helping you pick the one that fits your child, not the one with the best marketing.

Connections Academy: What It Actually Is

Connections Academy is a Pearson-backed virtual public school operating in most states across the US. It’s free — funded by the same state education dollars that would fund your child’s local public school. Students get real teachers, accredited coursework (Cognia-accredited), a full schedule from K–12, and can access it while learning at home.

Who it’s genuinely right for: Families who want a complete alternative to traditional public school with the structure of assigned teachers, graded coursework, and graduation credentials. Children who need a different pace or environment than their local school, without a private school price tag.

Who it’s not right for: Families looking to supplement their child’s existing schooling with enrichment, maker activities, or specialized STEM programs. Connections Academy replaces school; it doesn’t add to it.

Important caveat: Consumer reviews for Connections Academy are genuinely mixed. Positive reviews praise flexible scheduling and the completion of a full day’s work in 1–3 hours. Negative reviews cite communication difficulties with advisors and inconsistent teacher responsiveness. As a public school, it reflects the full range of public school quality — some states’ Connections schools are excellent; some are not. Availability also varies by state.

If you’re weighing a full school switch, Connections Academy is worth serious consideration as a tuition-free option. If you’re looking for an enrichment class for a child in traditional school, you’re looking at the wrong product.

The rest of this piece focuses on the three enrichment programs: Outschool, MakerKids, and HIWVE Makers.

What Each Program Is

Outschool is a marketplace — not a single program, but a platform hosting 100,000+ classes taught by independent instructors, covering nearly every topic imaginable: coding, math, history, art, creative writing, gaming strategy, animal science, you name it. Parents pay per class, ranging from about $10 to $30 per session on average (some go higher). There’s no subscription required; you browse and book what appeals to your child, session by session.

MakerKids is a dedicated maker education company based in Toronto, Canada, operating for 11+ years. Their curriculum covers coding, robotics, and Minecraft for children ages 6–13. They offer in-person classes in Toronto and online programs. Classes run 1–2 hours weekly on a monthly subscription basis. Their curriculum was built with input from engineers and entrepreneurs; they position themselves as educators focused specifically on maker skills rather than a general enrichment marketplace.

HIWVE Makers is a small-group live online program where children ages 8–15 build a working physical project — an arcade basketball game with sensors, microcontroller, LEDs, and code — over 6–10 weeks. The kit ships to the child’s home. Classes are 45–60 minutes weekly with a small group. The program is led by Ricky Flores, an engineer with 15+ years in consumer electronics at Apple, Samsung, and Texas Instruments. Pricing starts with a $9 trial, then $176–$250/month depending on plan length.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Dimension	Outschool	MakerKids	HIWVE Makers
Program type	Marketplace (100,000+ classes)	Dedicated maker curriculum	Focused project-based program
Content breadth	Extremely wide (any topic)	Moderate (coding, robotics, Minecraft)	Narrow (one project track: arcade game)
Curriculum depth	Variable — depends on the class	Structured, progression-based	Deep — single project built over weeks
Ages served	Varies by class (most K–12)	6–13	8–15
Format	Pay-per-class (no subscription)	Monthly subscription	Monthly subscription ($9 trial)
Cost range	$10–$30/session; $40–$120/month realistic	Not publicly listed (contact required)	$176–$250/month; $9 trial
Live vs self-paced	Both (depends on class)	Live weekly sessions	Live small-group weekly
Physical kit included	No	Some programs use physical materials	Yes — shipped to home, pre-soldered
Tangible output	None (skills/knowledge only)	Varies by program	Physical working arcade game
Instructor qualifications	Variable — any approved educator	Program-trained instructors	Industry engineer (Apple/Samsung/TI)
Group size	Variable (class-dependent)	Small group (weekly cohort)	Small group (10–20 kids)
Platform location	US-based, English	Toronto in-person + online	Online, US focus; bilingual EN/ES
Trustpilot rating	4.5/5 (3,210+ reviews)	Not available	Not available (newer, smaller scale)
Community	Low (new peers each class)	Moderate (consistent weekly cohort)	Moderate (consistent class group)
Commitment	None (book as you go)	Monthly (cancel policy applies)	6-10 week program commitment

What Each Is Genuinely Better At

Outschool is better when: Your child wants to explore many different subjects and interests. You don’t want a subscription commitment. You’re looking for a niche class that doesn’t exist anywhere else. Your child’s interests change frequently and you want flexibility to follow them. Outschool’s pay-per-class model means you can try five different topics in a month without financial exposure beyond what you book.

The honest downside of Outschool: quality varies significantly across instructors and classes. Outschool’s 4.5/5 Trustpilot rating is strong, but that average spans tens of thousands of classes with highly variable quality. An Outschool coding class might be excellent or might be a barely-prepared adult reading from a screen. Vetting individual classes and instructors is the parent’s job, not the platform’s.

MakerKids is better when: Your family is in the Toronto area and wants in-person instruction. Your child is ages 6–13 and interested specifically in coding, Minecraft, or robotics. You want a structured, consistent program over time rather than class-by-class exploration. Their 11+ years of curriculum development shows in a progression that individual Outschool classes typically don’t have.

The honest downside: MakerKids pricing isn’t publicly listed, which makes comparison shopping difficult. For US families, the primary in-person offering is geographically inaccessible. Online options exist but are secondary to their in-person core. And the “coding, robotics, Minecraft” curriculum, while solid, is oriented toward screen-based skills more than physical engineering.

HIWVE Makers is better when: You want your child to build a real physical thing they can take apart, demonstrate, and be proud of. The curriculum’s engineering depth — actual circuits, sensors, microcontrollers, and code — is appropriate for parents who want more than screen-based skill-building. The $9 trial makes it low-risk to evaluate before committing to a monthly plan.

The honest downside: it’s one project track. A child who finishes the arcade game program has a specific set of hardware and software skills, but if they wanted to learn game design, creative writing, or history, HIWVE Makers isn’t the place. The program is also younger than MakerKids (fewer years of iteration), and the community is smaller than Outschool’s at this point. At $176–$250/month, it’s also a meaningful monthly financial commitment.

Decision Matrix: Which to Choose

Your child’s situation	Best fit	Why
Wants to try 5 different subjects this year	Outschool	Unmatched topic breadth, no lock-in
Has specific focus: robotics, coding, Minecraft	MakerKids	Purpose-built curriculum, 11+ years refined
Wants to build a physical, working thing	HIWVE Makers	Physical kit shipped, real hardware and code
In Toronto, wants in-person instruction	MakerKids	Primary in-person offering
Needs full school alternative (free)	Connections Academy	Accredited public school, not enrichment
Parent wants verified instructor expertise	HIWVE Makers or vetted Outschool class	Vet Outschool instructors individually
Budget is very tight	Outschool (single class) or free resources	Pay-per-class is most budget-flexible
Child is 6–8 years old, new to STEM	MakerKids or Outschool	Both serve younger ages; HIWVE starts at 8
Child is 10–15 with real engineering interest	HIWVE Makers	Project depth and hardware complexity right for this range
Wants consistent peer community over months	MakerKids or HIWVE Makers	Consistent cohorts vs. Outschool’s class-by-class structure

The Question Nobody Asks But Should

Most parents compare programs by price and features. The question that actually predicts satisfaction is: What does success look like for your child after 3 months?

If success is “they tried seven different things and found two they loved” — Outschool.

If success is “they can explain how sensors and code interact, and they built something they can show grandparents” — HIWVE Makers.

If success is “they’re coding consistently and have a real peer group in the same learning community” — MakerKids.

If success is “they have a full school experience that isn’t a physical classroom” — Connections Academy.

The programs that work best are the ones that match your actual definition of success, not the one that sounds most impressive.

What to Watch for Over the Next 3 Months

Week 2–3: Is your child initiating anything related to the program outside of session time — talking about it, asking questions, trying something on their own? Self-initiated engagement is the leading indicator of real connection with the material.

Month 2: For marketplace programs (Outschool): is the quality consistent across the classes you’ve booked, or are you noticing significant quality variance that requires active management? For subscription programs: is the curriculum progression visible — is your child clearly building on what they learned two sessions ago?

Month 3 self-check: Can your child demonstrate or explain something specific they learned? A child who can describe how a sensor triggers code is in a different category from one who “took coding classes.” Concrete demonstration is the test.

For context on what the research shows about live instruction versus self-paced formats, see Live Online Classes vs Self-Paced Video for Kids. For the question of 1:1 tutoring versus group instruction, see Private Coding Tutor vs Group Class for Kids.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Outschool safe for kids?

Outschool requires background checks for instructors and has community guidelines for class content. All live classes are recorded and monitored. It’s not risk-free — parents should vet individual instructors and read class reviews before enrolling, especially for younger children. But it’s not unregulated either. For children under 10, consider observing the first session of a new class before leaving them alone in it.

MakerKids doesn’t list pricing. Is that a red flag?

It’s a friction point, not necessarily a red flag. Many enrichment programs don’t publish pricing publicly because costs vary by program, session length, and plan. Contact MakerKids directly to get actual pricing before comparing. The hidden pricing is frustrating for comparison shoppers but not evidence of a problem with the program.

My child finished Outschool classes and wants something more structured. What next?

This is a common transition. After children have explored multiple Outschool topics, they often find something they want to go deeper in — and Outschool’s marketplace model isn’t optimized for depth. Transitioning to a subscription program (MakerKids or HIWVE Makers for STEM/maker interests) makes sense once you’ve identified the specific interest to develop.

How do I know if an Outschool instructor is actually qualified?

Check the instructor’s profile for: years of experience teaching this subject, reviews on this specific class (not just their overall rating), the class description’s specificity (vague descriptions often mean less-prepared instructors), and whether they have credentials or relevant professional background. High overall ratings with low review counts for the specific class you’re considering warrant extra scrutiny.

HIWVE Makers is $200/month and Outschool can be $15/class. Is HIWVE really 10x better?

Not 10x better — different. A $15 Outschool class buys 45 minutes on one topic with one instructor you’ll likely never see again. HIWVE Makers’ monthly cost buys weekly live instruction over 6–10 weeks, a physical kit shipped to your home, a consistent peer group, office hours, and a finished working project at the end. They’re different products at different price points serving different goals. If your child wants breadth and exploration, Outschool is better value. If your child wants depth and a physical deliverable, the price comparison is less meaningful than the outcome comparison.

About the author

Ricky Flores is the founder of HIWVE Makers and an electrical engineer with 15+ years of experience building consumer technology at Apple, Samsung, and Texas Instruments. He writes about how kids learn to build, think, and create in a tech-saturated world. Read more at hiwavemakers.com.

Sources

Brighterly / myelearningworld. (2026). “Outschool Pricing: Your Complete Guide.” https://brighterly.com/blog/outschool-pricing/
Today’s Parent. (2025). “A Parent’s Honest Outschool Review 2025.” https://www.todaysparent.com/kids/school-age/outschool-review/
Connections Academy. “How Much Is Online School?” https://www.connectionsacademy.com/support/resources/article/how-much-does-online-school-cost/
Consumer Affairs. “Connections Academy Reviews.” https://www.consumeraffairs.com/education/connections-academy.html
MakerKids. “Coding, Robotics and Minecraft Programs for Kids 6-13.” https://makerkids.com/
EdTech Impact. (2026). “Outschool Reviews: Features, Price, Alternatives.” https://edtechimpact.com/products/outschool/
Afterschool Alliance. “STEM Learning in Afterschool: An Analysis of Impact and Outcomes.” https://www.afterschoolalliance.org/STEM-Afterschool-Outcomes.pdf

Written by Ricky Flores

Founder of HiWave Makers and electrical engineer with 15+ years at Apple, Samsung, and Texas Instruments. He writes about how kids learn to build, think, and create in a tech-driven world.