Loomerly vs ThreadABead Pattern Reader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Loomerly
Easily create custom seed bead patterns for loom, peyote, and brick stitches. Convert photos or draw your own designs, and export them as printable PDFs with word charts. Perfect for both beginners and experienced beaders.
- Create loom, peyote, and brick stitch patterns
- Convert photos into bead patterns
- Draw and trace custom designs
- Export printable PDFs with word charts
- Supports Miyuki, Toho, and Preciosa beads
- One-time purchase, no subscriptions
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Loomerly is the best seed bead pattern maker app on iPhone and iPad. Easily create your own loom, peyote and brick stitch patterns with this simple yet powerful beading app. • Perfect for beginners and professionals • Convert your photos or draw your own designs • Use Miyuki, Toho and Preciosa beads • Choose from loom, peyote, and brick stitch grids • Export your work as a printable PDF • Generate word charts for your patterns • No subscriptions (pay once, enjoy forever) IT WORKS LIKE MAGIC When converting a photo, use our custom-built wizard tool to effortlessly choose the best settings for your image and see the results instantly. TRACE OVER IMAGES When drawing your own designs, you can show an image in the background. This can be super helpful as a reference to trace over. You can also show the original image after converting a photo, which makes tidying up your patterns even easier. MAKE YOUR MASTERPIECE Once your pattern is finished and you’re ready to get beading, simply print your pattern on your home printer. You can also include a word chart (row-by-row overview). JOIN THOUSANDS OF HAPPY CUSTOMERS... "This is probably the best program I have ever used for beading and I’ve been doing this for over 20 years. Thank you for coming into my life" - By Tennah W on the App Store "I have been searching for years for something like this that works on the iPad. Very similar to software that I have for Windows, but with the portability and convenience of iOS. No regrets so far on taking the plunge and unlocking. Thank You So Much For Making This !" - By Visionhorse on the App Store "This is a great tool for beading design. It is intuitive and easy to use. I like the complete list of Myuki Delica colors to choose from to create custom color palettes for projects. I like to tinker with patterns and the last few designs I could not have done without this tool to help to visualize the result. There are a lot more features that I still need to explore but one of my other favorites is the ‘duplicate’ option that I use to easily copy my designs for creating pattern variations. This is definitely a winner!" - By devaah on the App Store BECOME AN AMAZING DESIGNER Our mission is to make it easier and more fun to create your own seed bead designs. Why? Because being creative makes you happier and healthier. FAQ Is the full version a one-time purchase? Yes. There are no subscriptions. You can create and export as many patterns as you like with the one-time purchase. Can I unlock my other devices using the same purchase? Yes. You can unlock the full version on your iPhone, iPad and Mac (M1 chip or later) with just one purchase. Can I share the purchase with my family? Yes. Family Sharing is enabled. Can I sell my patterns? Yes. You can also add your store details to your PDF exports. Do I have to buy the materials separately? Yes. The app is only for creating patterns. Where is my data stored? Your data is stored on your device. All processing is done locally on your device. Your data is never transmitted to third parties. TRY IT NOW Try Loomerly now on your iPhone, iPad or Mac. The full version is a one-time purchase. Find out more at loomerly.com Loomerly™ is a trademark of Subtlabs Ltd
ThreadABead Pattern Reader
This app is a secure PDF reader designed for bead patterns. It offers tools to easily follow designs, including adjustable markers and navigation aids. A subscription allows importing and reading your own PDF patterns.
- Secure PDF viewing
- Adjustable reading markers
- Focus Mode
- Per-pattern notes
- Page thumbnails
- Import personal PDF patterns
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The ThreadABead Pattern Reader is a secure, purpose-built PDF reader designed specifically for viewing ThreadABead bead patterns and your own personal PDF patterns. View your purchased ThreadABead patterns with tools that make reading and following designs easier, including adjustable reading markers, Focus Mode, per-pattern notes, and page thumbnails for quick navigation. You can also subscribe to Personal Library to import and read your own non-ThreadABead PDF patterns in the same reading environment. Features: • Secure PDF viewing • Access your purchased ThreadABead patterns after sign-in • Personal Library subscription for your own imported PDF patterns • Horizontal and vertical reading markers • Compact arrow, full-width marker, and Focus Mode • Per-pattern notes • Page thumbnails for quick navigation • Reading progress and marker preferences can sync across devices with iCloud Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: Loomerly at 815 against ThreadABead Pattern Reader's 2. Loomerly also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 4 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). ThreadABead Pattern Reader's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and monetization model (freemium vs paid). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Loomerly sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and ThreadABead Pattern Reader sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $12.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
ThreadABead Pattern Reader holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Loomerly has 815 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Loomerly ships an update every 8 days, ThreadABead Pattern Reader every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Loomerly | ThreadABead Pattern Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (815 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 82.1% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 815 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days — better | Every 4 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Freemium — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 34 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Subtlabs | ThreadABead Ltd |
Customer experience
Loomerly
ThreadABead Pattern Reader
Bugs and requests
Loomerly
Reported bugs
4 issues- Word chart generator inaccurate for tapered patterns
- Occasional crashes or data loss when using the app
- Difficulty editing or removing overlaid images
- Incompatibility issues with older devices
Requested features
8 requests- Add option to highlight center point of patterns
- Implement a cursor to track current row when beading
- Allow transferring patterns between devices
- Integrate bead inventory management and color recommendations
- Add support for more bead types (bugle, tila, etc.)
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- Implement a true mirror/flip functionality
- Introduce layering capabilities for more complex designs
- Expand the bead color database, especially for popular brands
ThreadABead Pattern Reader
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Loomerly
- Special Offer$29.99
- Full Version$75.00
ThreadABead Pattern Reader
- Personal PDF Library7 Days trial$12.991 Year
Questions
Is Loomerly free?
Is ThreadABead Pattern Reader free?
Which has better reviews, Loomerly or ThreadABead Pattern Reader?
Do Loomerly or ThreadABead Pattern Reader have ads?
Which is updated more often, Loomerly or ThreadABead Pattern Reader?
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