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

• Powerful markup made simple Spend less time managing your chart and more time stitching, with a clear interactive view that makes every symbol and remaining stitch easy to find. • Free two-week trial Try every feature free for two weeks and experience how Markup R-XP can make your stitching simpler and more enjoyable. • Easy chart importing and setup Start stitching sooner, even when your chart is a PDF, scan, image or photo, with tools that straighten the chart and help detect its grid and symbols - even one that’s angled or curled in a book! • Automatic thread setup Save setup time and avoid colour-matching mistakes by identifying threads from the chart key, creating blended symbols and choosing from a wide range of built-in manufacturer shade cards. • Multi-page and Stitch-Along support Enjoy multi-page charts as one seamless, correctly counted design without troublesome page boundaries and expand Stitch-Along (SAL) projects as new sections are released. • Comprehensive stitch and annotation tools Keep every detail of your work in one place by marking full and fractional stitches, adding backstitch, and recording instructions or reminders with text and freehand annotations. • Organised projects and detailed progress Always know where you are and what remains, with keys, reference pictures, finished samples, notes and detailed progress information kept together and easy to find. • Customisable to suit you Create a clearer, more comfortable stitching experience by personalising the app theme, grids, guides, colours, sizes and other display options. • Help, community and regular improvements Find answers when you need them, connect with a friendly community of stitchers and enjoy ongoing improvements inspired by user feedback.

Screenshots

Exactly4 screens
Markup R4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Markup R at 4.8 against Exactly's 2.2. Markup R also leads on review sentiment (68% 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, 4.8 against 2.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Markup R has 3K 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 68% of Markup R's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Exactly ships an update every 5 months, Markup R monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 26, 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)4.8 (3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews26.5% of reviews67.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings143K — 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 MB148 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 ratings2,971 ratings
Positive94.7%
Neutral1.4%
Negative3.9%
Written reviews337 reviews
Positive67.7%
Neutral5.3%
Negative27.0%

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 4.8 from 3K 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 September 24, 2026 and Markup R on September 26, 2026.

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