# Markup R vs BeadPainter

Markup R and BeadPainter are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Both are free to download. Markup R sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per year and BeadPainter sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Markup R ships an update monthly, BeadPainter every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Markup R | BeadPainter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (3.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/markup-r-xp/id1559524491/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **3.1K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 66.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 318 MB | 64 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Kewin Lawson Smith Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1503192202) | [Alexandra Duzhinskaya](https://appshunter.io/developer/1802402914) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### BeadPainter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beadpainter-beading-studio/id6746971764)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hobby | $9.99 | per month |
| Pro | $59.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Markup R free?

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

### Is BeadPainter free?

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

### Do Markup R or BeadPainter have ads?

Neither Markup R nor BeadPainter shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Markup R or BeadPainter?

Markup R ships an update monthly, and BeadPainter every 3 weeks. Most recently, Markup R was updated on October 20, 2026 and BeadPainter on October 6, 2026.

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