Is Scratch Addons Free and Open Source?

Updated

Yes. Scratch Addons is free and open source. The official site describes it as "free, open source, and built by a community of Scratchers," and it is distributed as a browser extension that combines new and existing features and themes for the Scratch website and project editor. There is no paid tier mentioned on the site, and no pricing or payment links appear in the available page content. If you want extra features and themes for Scratch without paying, this is the intended use case.

What "free and open source" means here

  • Free to use: The site presents the extension as free, with no pricing signals, checkout links, or payment platforms listed.
  • Open source: The project states its code is open source, so it can be publicly viewed. The site does not spell out the specific license in the available content, so check the project's repository if the exact license matters to you.
  • Community-built: Scratch Addons says it is built by a community of Scratchers, which is the stated basis for its development and maintenance.

What you actually get

Scratch Addons works by bundling addons — individual features and themes — into one configurable extension. Each addon can be turned on or off, and its settings adjusted through the extension's interface.

The site lists these highlights (a partial selection, not the full set):

Addon What it does
Thumbnail uploader Adds a dropdown next to "Set Thumbnail" so you can set a project thumbnail to any image, including GIFs
Follow topics after posting Automatically follows forum topics you post on
Larger "Save Now" button Enlarges the editor's Save Now button for easier clicking
Block switching Right-click a block to switch it to a related block
Clone counter Shows the total number of clones above the stage in the editor
Cloud games Shows how many Scratchers are on multiplayer projects and their usernames
Hex color picker Adds hex code inputs to color pickers
Confirmations Asks for confirmation before actions under your Scratch account, such as sharing projects
Copy link to comment button Adds a "Copy Link" button next to "Report" on comments
Data category tweaks Provides tweaks for the Data (Variables) block category
Fix sprite pane glitching Fixes a bug where scripts, costumes, and sounds can't be dragged into sprites without the pane jumping
File drag and drop Lets you drag images and sounds into the sprite pane or costume/sound list, and text files into lists or "ask and wait" inputs
Enhanced clean up tool Improves the code area's clean up feature with multiple columns and suggestions for removing unused variables and lists
Developer tools Adds copy/cut/paste blocks, swap variables, and make-space options to the right-click menu
Messages in editor (Listed as a highlight; full description truncated in the source)

Because addons are individually configurable, you can keep the extension minimal or enable a large set of changes.

Language support

Scratch Addons is not English-only. The site states it is available in Spanish, Russian, Japanese, French, and many more languages.

How to install

The site has an Install section, and the extension is described as a browser extension for the Scratch website and project editor. Install it through the official Scratch Addons site or the browser extension store listing it points to, rather than a third-party mirror — that keeps you on the channel the project itself distributes.

Practical notes before you decide

  • No account or payment is described for using the extension. The site does not mention login requirements or paid access, and it also does not state that anything is free beyond the extension itself — so treat "free" as applying to the extension as described.
  • Open source is a trust signal, not a guarantee. You can inspect the code, but the available page content does not include the repository link or license text. If code review matters to you, locate the project's repository from the official site.
  • Addons change Scratch's interface. Features like Confirmations, Larger "Save Now" button, and Developer tools alter default behavior. If you want Scratch to look and behave exactly as usual, enable only the addons you need.
  • Some addons fix bugs (for example, the sprite pane glitching fix), which can be a reason to install even if you don't want visual changes.

If your goal is simply to confirm cost and licensing: Scratch Addons is free and open source, built by the Scratchers community, and installable through its official channels.