XStitch Plus vs Markup R
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
XStitch Plus
Manage your cross stitch projects and supplies with this comprehensive app. Track projects from start to finish, inventory threads and materials, and calculate fabric needs. Sync data across devices and share progress easily.
- Project Journal tracking
- Stash inventory (threads, charts, linens)
- Fabric calculator
- Shopping list
- Cloud data synchronization
- Multi-device access
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X-Stitch Plus is the best way to inventory and track all your cross stitch stash. This easy-to-use app was designed by cross stitchers for cross stitchers. Track all your projects from wish list to finished using the Journal feature. Load up to 5 photos per project. Use the inventory to track all your threads, charts, linens and embellishments. Tens of thousands of threads are pre-loaded so you don't have to type in details. Mill Hill beads are also pre-loaded so you can quickly add them to your inventory. Keep multiple photos for your charts and embellishments. Use the fabric calculator to easily determine fabric dimensions in inches and centimeters. The shopping cart helps ensure you remember exactly what you need when you're at the shop. And of course, these modules are interlinked so you can quickly share info between them, e.g., quickly create a Journal entry from one of your charts. Want to share? X-Stitch Plus supports sharing via Facebook, Twitter, E-Mail, Text and more. Another key benefit of X-Stitch Plus is all your data is stored in the cloud. View and update your data from any of your devices and they're all in sync. You can even access data from the original X-Stitch app. No need to reenter data. Check out the best cross stitch inventory app today with a 7-day free trial! Subscription Information Terms of Use: https://xstitchapp.com/?page_id=69 Privacy Policy: https://xstitchapp.com/?page_id=10 We offer one subscription: XStitch Plus Annual Subscription Subscription cost is $9.99 per year. It’s possible this will be shown in your local currency. Subscription provides full access to all app features with no restrictions. App features include Journal tracking with up to 5 photos per Journal item Inventory tracking for charts, threads, linens and embellishments Includes up to 5 photos per chart and 5 photos per embellishment Fabric calculator Shopping list Cloud storage Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. Cost is $9.99 per year. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user’s iTunes Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of the free trial period will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription.
Markup R
This app allows users to mark up any stitch chart from any designer. It can automatically detect grids, symbols, and colors from PDFs or photos, and even stitch together multi-page charts. Users can track progress, identify stitch counts, and utilize built-in shade cards for thread colors.
- Load any chart from any designer
- Automatic grid, symbol, and color detection
- Stitch multi-page charts together
- Automatic symbol and thread color detection
- Built-in shade cards (DMC, Anchor, Madeira)
- Track progress and statistics
- Customizable markup tools
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• Powerful markup made simple Spend less time managing your chart and more time stitching, with a clear interactive view that makes every symbol and remaining stitch easy to find. • Free two-week trial Try every feature free for two weeks and experience how Markup R-XP can make your stitching simpler and more enjoyable. • Easy chart importing and setup Start stitching sooner, even when your chart is a PDF, scan, image or photo, with tools that straighten the chart and help detect its grid and symbols - even one that’s angled or curled in a book! • Automatic thread setup Save setup time and avoid colour-matching mistakes by identifying threads from the chart key, creating blended symbols and choosing from a wide range of built-in manufacturer shade cards. • Multi-page and Stitch-Along support Enjoy multi-page charts as one seamless, correctly counted design without troublesome page boundaries and expand Stitch-Along (SAL) projects as new sections are released. • Comprehensive stitch and annotation tools Keep every detail of your work in one place by marking full and fractional stitches, adding backstitch, and recording instructions or reminders with text and freehand annotations. • Organised projects and detailed progress Always know where you are and what remains, with keys, reference pictures, finished samples, notes and detailed progress information kept together and easy to find. • Customisable to suit you Create a clearer, more comfortable stitching experience by personalising the app theme, grids, guides, colours, sizes and other display options. • Help, community and regular improvements Find answers when you need them, connect with a friendly community of stitchers and enjoy ongoing improvements inspired by user feedback.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: Markup R at free with in-app purchases against XStitch Plus's subscription. XStitch Plus's advantage is review sentiment (80% vs 68%). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. XStitch Plus sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per year and Markup R sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for XStitch Plus against 4.8 for Markup R. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1K and 3K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of XStitch Plus's written reviews are positive against 68% of Markup R's.
XStitch Plus ships an update every 6 weeks, Markup R monthly. Both last shipped on September 26, 2026.
| Parameter | XStitch Plus | Markup R |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (1K ratings) | 4.8 (3K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 79.6% of reviews — better | 67.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1K | 3K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Subscription | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 22 MB | 148 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | PerformTec Ltd. | Kewin Lawson Smith Limited |
Customer experience
XStitch Plus
Markup R
User reviews
XStitch Plus
From 1K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💻 Excellent organizational tool
- 📊 Helpful inventory tracking
- 🛒 Useful shopping list feature
- 📸 Ability to add photos of projects
- 🔍 Comprehensive thread/fabric database
Room to improve
- 🔒 No option to add custom designers
- 🔍 Difficult to search/add threads
- 🗂️ Lack of project management features
- 🔄 Inconsistent sync/login issues
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
Markup R
From 3K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use and intuitive
- 🚀 Speeds up stitching process
- 💡 Helpful features like highlighting symbols and tracking progress
- 🤝 Excellent customer support and responsiveness
- 🎨 Customizable to user preferences
Room to improve
- 🐛 Issues with grid alignment and symbol recognition
- 💰 Yearly subscription cost may be high for some users
- 🔍 Steep learning curve for some features
- 🔌 Battery drain concerns with extended use
Bugs and requests
XStitch Plus
Reported bugs
3 issues- Inventory data disappearing after subscription renewal
- Login/access problems after updates
- Inability to add certain thread types/brands
Requested features
5 requests- Add ability to mark projects as completed
- Integrate shopping list with inventory
- Allow custom designer/fabric entries
- Improve search and data entry workflows
- Provide more project tracking capabilities
Markup R
Reported bugs
3 issues- Crashes and freezes when marking up certain patterns
- Inconsistent symbol highlighting and placement
- Difficulty loading and aligning some scanned patterns
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to track floss stash and needed supplies
- Syncing across multiple devices
- Improved support for password-protected PDFs
- Font size controls for rulers and labels
- Rotation/flipping options for patterns
In-app purchases
XStitch Plus
- Annual Subscription$9.991 Year
Markup R
- Yearly Access$19.991 Year
- Markup R-XP Full$9.99
Questions
Is XStitch Plus free?
Is Markup R free?
Which has better reviews, XStitch Plus or Markup R?
Do XStitch Plus or Markup R have ads?
Which is updated more often, XStitch Plus or Markup R?
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