Comparison

Exactly vs Markup R

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

Head to head
About

Exactly

Access magazines and newspapers on your iPad and iPhone in their original full-color format. Enjoy interactive features like live web links and zoom capabilities. Explore free content from numerous publications or use your subscription for the latest issues.

Highlights
  • Full-color digital editions
  • Live web links
  • Zoom and swipe navigation
  • Thumbnail page view
  • Bookmark pages
  • Offline reading sync
Features
Read full description

Exactly brings magazines and newspapers to the iPad and iPhone in their original full-colour format. Each page is delivered just as it appeared in the print edition, but with live links to web sites, phone numbers and more. Access free content from over 80 titles, or use your Exact Editions subscription to read the latest issues on the day they're published. • Swipe pages left and right, or tap the page edges to flip to next/previous page. • Switch between single or double-page layout. • Pinch or double tap pages to zoom. • Use the animated thumbnail view to flick through the pages. • Tap any page links to web sites, email addresses, phone numbers or maps. • Tap contents-page links to jump to a particular article. • Bookmark individual pages or lists of search results. • Tap the star icon to sync for offline reading. • Network connection required otherwise.

About

Markup R

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
Read full description

Spend your stitching time stitching, not counting. Markup R-XP is a cross stitch pattern tracker that turns your PDF, paper, book and magazine cross stitch patterns into digital charts you can zoom, highlight and mark off as you stitch. No more taping pages together, no more highlighter on your paper patterns, and no more hunting for the square you stopped on. Join thousands of stitchers who've made their cross stitch charts easier to follow. Try it free for 14 days. STITCH THE CHARTS YOU ALREADY OWN Your cross stitch charts, from any designer, in one digital workspace. • PDF pattern import: open cross stitch PDFs from independent designers, Etsy shops and major publishers • Paper, book and magazine scanning: photograph a printed pattern and Markup R-XP lines it up into a digital grid • Full Chart mode: join multi-page charts into one continuous chart, so page joins stop being a counting puzzle • Free cross stitch charts included: start stitching straight away with ready-to-go designer charts NEVER LOSE YOUR PLACE Spend less time finding your place and more time enjoying every stitch. • Last-stitch marker: reopen your project and pick up where you stopped • Symbol highlighting: tap a symbol to light up every matching stitch across the whole chart • Detailed zoom: zoom right in on tiny symbols and busy confetti sections MADE FOR THE WAY YOU STITCH From a beginner's first kit to a full-coverage piece. • Parking method: track parked threads with your own markers, ideal for full-coverage and confetti-heavy charts • Backstitch layer: mark backstitch separately, with snap-to-grid, solid or dashed lines • Fractional stitches: track them alongside your full stitches • Thread palettes: DMC, Anchor, Madeira and other floss ranges built in • Stitch-alongs (SAL): add new chart parts as they release without losing your progress WATCH YOUR PROGRESS GROW Make every stitching session count. • Track stitches completed, stitches remaining and percentage done • Set daily goals and keep your stitching streak going • See every WIP move closer to a finished piece YOUR STITCHING WORKSPACE ON IPHONE AND IPAD • Works on iPhone and iPad • Back up and transfer projects between supported devices MADE FOR CROSS STITCHERS Markup R-XP is built by a dedicated small team. Join our global stitching community to share tips, find help and get more from your cross stitch and embroidery projects. Questions or feedback? Contact us at info@markuprxp.co.uk or visit markuprxp.co.uk

Screenshots

Exactly4 screens
Markup R4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Markup R at 4.7 against Exactly's 2.2. Markup R also leads on review sentiment (66% vs 27%) and update cadence (monthly vs every 5 months). Exactly's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On price, ads, monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Markup R sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per year. Exactly asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Markup R holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Markup R has 3.1K ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 27% of Exactly's written reviews are positive against 66% of Markup R's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Exactly ships an update every 5 months, Markup R monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Exactly versus Markup R: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterExactlyMarkup R
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.2 (14 ratings)4.7 (3.1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews26.5% of reviews66.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings143.1K — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.616.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB318 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperExact Editions LtdKewin Lawson Smith Limited

Customer experience

Exactly

All ratings14 ratings
Positive28.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative71.4%
Written reviews49 reviews
Positive26.5%
Neutral8.2%
Negative65.3%

Markup R

All ratings3,055 ratings
Positive94.2%
Neutral1.5%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews354 reviews
Positive66.1%
Neutral5.4%
Negative28.5%

Bugs and requests

Exactly

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Markup R

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

5 requests
  • 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

In-app purchases

None

Exactly

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Markup R

Subscriptions1
  • Yearly Access$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Markup R-XP Full$9.99

Questions

Is Exactly free?
Exactly is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Markup R free?
Markup R is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Exactly or Markup R?
Markup R is rated higher. Exactly averages 2.2 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while Markup R averages 4.7 from 3.1K ratings.
Do Exactly or Markup R have ads?
Neither Exactly nor Markup R shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Exactly or Markup R?
Exactly ships an update every 5 months, and Markup R monthly. Most recently, Exactly was updated on October 23, 2026 and Markup R on October 27, 2026.

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