Comparison

Magic Needle vs Silk

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

Head to head
About

Magic Needle

Transform your photos into unique cross-stitch patterns with this mobile converter. It offers tools for pattern creation, embroidery tracking, and project management, making it ideal for both beginners and experienced crafters. Create personalized gifts or enjoy your hobby with ease.

Highlights
  • Create cross-stitch patterns from photos
  • Adjust scheme size and color count
  • Select fabric and floss brands
  • Track embroidery progress
  • Export patterns to PDF
  • Organize and track floss inventory
Features
Read full description

Create unique cross-stitch patterns from your favorite photos using the best mobile converter on the App Store. Perfect for both novice and expert cross-stitchers. Magic Needle is a great opportunity to make a memorable gift for your family, friends or yourself! UPLOAD PHOTO, ADJUST SETTINGS, START EMBROIDERING. That’s it, nothing to add. TOP FEATURES CREATE - Adjust scheme size and number of colors - Choose from global fabric and floss brands - Control advanced settings, like stitch type and number of strands to stitch with EMBROIDER - Select floss to focus on embroidering a particular color - Quick access to color palette with floss IDs - Mark stitched area and track your progress - Use color picker to find floss in the palette - Double-tap on color in the palette to find unmarked stitches - Tap and hold on color to see how many stitches left to embroider - Get summary with a list of flosses and number of skeins to buy EXTRA - Export pattern to PDF - Dark and light mode to help you embroidering with comfort for your eyes - Organize and track your floss in the catalog - Create patterns with your custom floss list - Stitches automatically deducted from the catalog when your mark them - Choose manually crafted cross-stitch patterns in our shop Magic Needle is designed for you to enjoy your favorite hobby. Terms of Use: https://magic-needle.io/terms Privacy Policy: https://magic-needle.io/privacy Search powered by Algolia

About

Silk

Discover a vast collection of cross stitch patterns and designs to fuel your creativity. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned pro, this app offers inspiration, resources, and tools to enhance your embroidery art. Explore new charts, view color palettes, and access material lists to bring your stitching projects to life.

Highlights
  • Huge collection of cross stitch charts
  • Multiple chart formats
  • View color palette while stitching
  • Zoom functionality for designs
  • Vertical and horizontal rulers
  • Material lists for stitching
Features
Read full description

Are you looking for new cross stitch designs to express your creativity? Silk – Cross Stitch Patterns app is here for you. Step foot into a world of endless creativity, breathtaking cross stitching art, useful resources and more with this exciting app dedicated to cross stitching enthusiasts. Whether you are beginner seeking inspiration and help on what to stitch next or you are a pro at cross stitching who needs to explore new designs, the Silk app is here to help you in countless ways. Try Silk – Cross Stitch Patterns now! Explore New Cross Stitch Patterns Are you getting bored of the pattern monotony in your cross stitching routine? Make things simpler, easier and more exciting with this app. Seek new creative inspiration, counter your art block and be your best creative self with the help of this amazing cross stitching app. Delicate, Traditional Cross Stitching Skill No need to waste your time watching long tutorials to find new patterns for cross stitching. We know just how much embroidery art means to you and we are here to help you by providing an amazing reserve of traditional, delicate cross stitching patterns. Features of Silk – Cross Stitch Patterns • Huge collection of beautiful, delicate cross stitch charts • Three formats of the cross stitching charts are available • Easily view the color palette while stitching the artwork • Zoom in to enlarge the blocks and zoom out to bring the whole design in appropriate perspective • Vertical and horizontal ruler is available to underline your stitching pattern • Complete material list by the mains of cross stitching such as Soied´Alger and DMC Are you ready to cross stitch and express your creativity? Download and use Silk – Cross Stitch Patterns today!

Screenshots

Magic Needle4 screens
Silk4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Silk at 4.8 against Magic Needle's 4.4. Silk also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs monthly) and iOS requirement (12.4 vs 15.6). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume 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. Magic Needle sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Silk sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Silk holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.1K and 501 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 55% and 54% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Magic Needle ships an update monthly, Silk every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Magic Needle versus Silk: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMagic NeedleSilk
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (1.1K ratings)4.8 (501 ratings) — better
Positive reviews54.9% of reviews — better54.2% of reviews
Number of ratings1.1K — better501
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.612.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size40 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperArtem ShalCSP Embroidery Digital UG haftungsbeschrankt

Customer experience

Magic Needle

All ratings1,120 ratings
Positive83.5%
Neutral4.8%
Negative11.7%
Written reviews164 reviews
Positive54.9%
Neutral9.8%
Negative35.4%

Silk

All ratings500 ratings
Positive95.6%
Neutral1.2%
Negative3.2%
Written reviews24 reviews
Positive54.2%
Neutral12.5%
Negative33.3%

User reviews

Magic Needle

From 1.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • ✨ Excellent for creating cross-stitch patterns
  • 📐 Accurate grid and color matching
  • 🎨 Customizable color palette
  • 💻 Convenient digital tracking of stitches

Room to improve

  • 🔒 Limited free features, requires subscription
  • 🎨 Restricted color selection
  • 🔧 Lack of editing tools for patterns
  • 💾 Issues with data/project loss after updates

Silk

From 501 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use interface
  • ✨ Beautiful pattern designs from European designers
  • 📊 Helpful stitch tracking and progress monitoring
  • 🎨 Ability to mark stitches and highlight progress
  • 💰 Reasonably priced patterns

Room to improve

  • 💳 Misleading free pattern pricing (charged unexpectedly)
  • 🔗 No cross-device synchronization of purchases or progress
  • 📱 iOS only (not available on Android or PC)
  • 🌐 Requires internet connection to function
  • 🔍 No search bar for browsing patterns

Bugs and requests

Magic Needle

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes when trying to upload photos
  • Stitching progress markers disappear unexpectedly
  • Difficulty setting desired number of colors

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add ability to edit/modify generated patterns
  • Implement a PDF export option
  • Improve syncing across devices
  • Introduce more advanced color management tools

Silk

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Free patterns charged $19.99 without clear notification
  • Purchased patterns disappearing from library
  • No synchronization between iPad and iPhone
  • App requires internet connection to open
  • Stitch timer continues even after erasing highlighted stitches
Show 1 more
  • Printing limitations without AirPrinter support

Requested features

11 requests
  • Search bar for pattern browsing
  • Cross-device synchronization of purchases and progress
  • Ability to import personal PDF patterns
  • Create custom pattern layouts
  • Expand to Android and PC platforms
Show 6 more
  • Offline functionality
  • Highlight stitching path planning tool
  • Custom thread color selection
  • Extended fabric count calculations (28ct linen support)
  • More diverse and modern pattern designs
  • Ability to add patterns from other sources

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Magic Needle

Subscriptions3
  • Premium3 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • Premium3 Days trial$29.496 Months
  • Premium3 Days trial$41.991 Year
One-time7
  • Simple pattern$0.99
  • Export to PDF$1.99
  • Medium pattern$1.99
Show 4 more
  • 1 pattern$2.99
  • Advanced pattern$2.99
  • 3 patterns$5.99
  • 7 patterns$9.99
10 purchases

Silk

One-time10
  • AlphabetsFree
  • NumbersFree
  • Ancient Land HCH 1811Free
Show 7 more
  • Black SwanFree
  • A Secret Sky: Bonus AlphabetFree
  • Frohe OsternFree
  • A Christmas Carol in Rose 1Free
  • A Christmas Carol in Rose 2$3.99
  • My Flower Garden$7.99
  • Christmas SAL 2020 Shooting St$8.99

Questions

Is Magic Needle free?
Magic Needle is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Silk free?
Silk is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Magic Needle or Silk?
Silk is rated higher. Magic Needle averages 4.4 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while Silk averages 4.8 from 501 ratings.
Do Magic Needle or Silk have ads?
Neither Magic Needle nor Silk shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Magic Needle or Silk?
Magic Needle ships an update monthly, and Silk every 5 days. Most recently, Magic Needle was updated on November 2, 2026 and Silk on November 3, 2026.

Other comparisons