What are the differences between VEX and FIRST competitions?

[Mterrell221]

Hi all,

As you can tell from my question, I'm very new to the world of robotics competitions. As I have been doing research on the different competitions out there, I've noticed that the two major players in the space are FIRST and VEX. I'm curious to hear about the differences between the two competitions and have a couple of questions and would love to hear a few responses from true enthusiasists.

I noticed that VEX robotics kits are generally cheaper than FIRST's, are the quality of the kits comparable?

Are there teams that compete in both FIRST and VEX competitions? Are these teams typically FTC or FRC teams?

When considering which program to choose VEX or FIRST what are the main considerations?

I appreciate any responses to my post. As I said, I'm new to the world of robotics but am very excited to get involved!