Comparison

XStitch Plus vs Cross Stitch Journal

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Project Journal tracking
  • Stash inventory (threads, charts, linens)
  • Fabric calculator
  • Shopping list
  • Cloud data synchronization
  • Multi-device access
Features
Read full description

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.

About

Cross Stitch Journal

This app helps you manage your cross stitch projects from initial idea to finished piece. Track progress, record stitching details, and visualize your accomplishments with various charts and summaries. It also includes a fabric calculator and data import functionality.

Highlights
  • Track projects from start to finish
  • Record date, time, and stitches
  • Built-in stitching timer
  • Project progress and status charts
  • Fabric size calculator
  • Data import from spreadsheet
Features
Read full description

Cross Stitch Journal is the best app for tracking your cross stitch projects from start to finish. When you find a design that you would like to stitch, create a project in the Wishlist. From there the project can be moved from the Wishlist through the Have Chart, Ready to Start, Started, and Finished stages as you collect supplies and stitch your project. The list of Finished projects can be used to documents all your stitching accomplishments. Features - Track projects from start to finish - Record date, time and stitches every time that you stitch a project - Use the built-in timer to record times when you start and stop stitching - Started project summary shows completed stitches, percentage complete, and number of remaining stitching days to completion - Project charts show project progress over time - Project status charts show percentage complete for each started project - Summary charts show projects stitched over a certain time period. - Dashboard view shows the number of projects in each stage - List projects in each stage (I think this belongs at the top of the list along with other general uses like track projects and record stitching days) - Project logs show when a project was stitched - Fabric calculator can be used to easily calculate fabric size for any fabric count - Pause projects to remove them from project lists. - Archived projects are permanently removed from project lists. - Deleted projects also remove logs for that project. - Previous data tracked using the Cross Stitch Journal spreadsheet can be imported into the app. Cross Stitch Journal can be used for free to track up to three projects. Unlocking the app will allow you to track an unlimited number of projects. Unlocking will also allow you to import data from the Cross Stitch Journal spreadsheet. Download Cross Stitch Journal and start tracking your cross stitching today.

Screenshots

XStitch Plus4 screens
Cross Stitch Journal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Cross Stitch Journal at freemium against XStitch Plus's subscription. Cross Stitch Journal also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). XStitch Plus's advantage is ratings volume (1K vs 27). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. XStitch Plus sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per year and Cross Stitch Journal sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for XStitch Plus against 4.8 for Cross Stitch Journal. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: XStitch Plus has 1K ratings behind it against 27, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of XStitch Plus's written reviews are positive against 83% of Cross Stitch Journal's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

XStitch Plus ships an update every 2 months, Cross Stitch Journal every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
XStitch Plus versus Cross Stitch Journal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterXStitch PlusCross Stitch Journal
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (1K ratings)4.8 (27 ratings) — better
Positive reviews79.6% of reviews83.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1K — better27
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFreemium — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS18.017.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB36 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPerformTec Ltd.Blitstitch Labs LLC

Customer experience

XStitch Plus

All ratings1,047 ratings
Positive95.6%
Neutral1.4%
Negative3.0%
Written reviews93 reviews
Positive79.6%
Neutral6.5%
Negative14.0%

Cross Stitch Journal

All ratings26 ratings
Positive96.2%
Neutral0.0%
Negative3.8%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral8.3%
Negative8.3%

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

Cross Stitch Journal

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

XStitch Plus

Subscriptions1
  • Annual Subscription$9.991 Year
1 purchases

Cross Stitch Journal

One-time1
  • Unlock Full Application$5.99

Questions

Is XStitch Plus free?
XStitch Plus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Cross Stitch Journal free?
Cross Stitch Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, XStitch Plus or Cross Stitch Journal?
Cross Stitch Journal is rated higher. XStitch Plus averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1K ratings, while Cross Stitch Journal averages 4.8 from 27 ratings.
Do XStitch Plus or Cross Stitch Journal have ads?
Neither XStitch Plus nor Cross Stitch Journal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, XStitch Plus or Cross Stitch Journal?
XStitch Plus ships an update every 2 months, and Cross Stitch Journal every 3 weeks. Most recently, XStitch Plus was updated on November 11, 2026 and Cross Stitch Journal on November 3, 2026.

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