# XStitch Plus vs Markup R

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 66%). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

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 4.7 for Markup R. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1K and 3.1K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of XStitch Plus's written reviews are positive against 66% of Markup R's.

XStitch Plus ships an update every 6 weeks, Markup R monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | XStitch Plus | Markup R |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xstitch-plus/id1281394467/reviews)** | [4.7 (3.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/markup-r-xp/id1559524491/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1K | **3.1K** |
| Positive reviews | **79.6% of reviews** | 66.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 22 MB | 318 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PerformTec Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/906882971) | [Kewin Lawson Smith Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1503192202) |

## What reviewers say

### XStitch Plus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xstitch-plus/id1281394467)

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.

**Highlights:** Project Journal tracking, Stash inventory (threads, charts, linens), Fabric calculator, Shopping list, Cloud data synchronization, Multi-device access

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Annual Subscription | $9.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💻 Excellent organizational tool
- 📊 Helpful inventory tracking
- 🛒 Useful shopping list feature
- 📸 Ability to add photos of projects
- 🔍 Comprehensive thread/fabric database

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 No option to add custom designers
- 🔍 Difficult to search/add threads
- 🗂️ Lack of project management features
- 🔄 Inconsistent sync/login issues
- 💰 Expensive subscription model

**Reported bugs**

- Inventory data disappearing after subscription renewal
- Login/access problems after updates
- Inability to add certain thread types/brands

**Requested features**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/markup-r-xp/id1559524491)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Yearly Access | $19.99 | per year |
| Markup R-XP Full | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes and freezes when marking up certain patterns
- Inconsistent symbol highlighting and placement
- Difficulty loading and aligning some scanned patterns

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is XStitch Plus free?

XStitch Plus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Markup R free?

Markup R is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, XStitch Plus or Markup R?

XStitch Plus is rated higher. XStitch Plus averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1K ratings, while Markup R averages 4.7 from 3.1K ratings.

### Do XStitch Plus or Markup R have ads?

Neither XStitch Plus nor Markup R shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, XStitch Plus or Markup R?

XStitch Plus ships an update every 6 weeks, and Markup R monthly. Most recently, XStitch Plus was updated on October 24, 2026 and Markup R on October 27, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*