[Allison K]

I run both programs/platforms, but if I had to choose one I'd go with VEX IQ.

Registration Fees - FLL team registration is $225 per team, VEX IQ is $100 for the first team and $50 for each additional team from the same organization. I can register four IQ teams for less than the cost of one FLL team. Recurring expenses are my biggest concern, so lower registration fees is a big deal.

# of Tournaments - FLL teams can only compete at one qualifying event, whereas VEX IQ teams face no particular limit. It's easy enough to run IQ events that tournaments can be scheduled to meet demand and allow kids to compete multiple times over the course of a season. (This may not be the case everywhere though? It's true of every area that I've checked, but you'll have to research your area specifically). Edited to add: Also, an IQ team will have 6+ matches plus robot and programming skills opportunities at each competition, whereas an FLL Team will only have the 3-4 matches. Couple that with the additional event opportunities and it's hard to turn down.

Base Kits - The VEX IQ brain has 12 smart ports (either motor or sensor) vs the EV3 brain with 8 ports total (4 motor, 4 sensor) making the IQ system more adaptable. The IQ kits also just in general are more parts for your money. The base LEGO kits I buy (core + expansion) cost $440 and include 3 motors, 5 sensors, and about 1500 structural parts. The base IQ kits that I buy cost $480 (super kit + foundation + competition) but include 6 motors, 7 sensors, 2000+ structural parts, and a tank tread kit.

Qualifying Structure - This is just personal opinion, but I like the VEX IQ tournament qualifying structure better. Having the best robot in FLL doesn't ensure moving on to states, as project and core values judging are equally weighted with robot. The VEX IQ qualifying structure is more weighted towards the robot and technical achievements.

Playing Field - The VEX IQ playing field is a set of snap together plastic pieces that can be broken down for storage. As as added bonus, the field doubles as a play table, with holes to use as a building base when it's not being used as a game field.

Personally, I find VEX IQ coaching to be less exhausting. The season isn't as tightly packed, and the opportunity for multiple events means that there's less pressure to have one perfect event. The kids enjoy the ability to drive their robots, and the programming skills challenge still gives them the opportunity to delve more into programming. The Autodesk VEX IQ software presents some exciting possibilities that I'm looking forward to.

The key advantage of LEGO (and reason that I still run FLL teams) is that it sells itself. Parents seek me out because they hear that I coach FLL teams. Hundreds of thousands of little LEGO fanatics run around with ears fine tuned to pick out any mention of the system.

I can't comment much on the game challenge because I'm pretty in love with both the FLL theme and the IQ game this year.

Allison