# Procreate vs PixelStitch

The clearest difference is price: PixelStitch at Free against Procreate's $12.99. PixelStitch also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.4) and review sentiment (88% vs 70%). Procreate's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ratings volume (51K vs 2). On ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

PixelStitch is free to download; Procreate costs $12.99 up front. PixelStitch sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Procreate asks for nothing beyond the download.

PixelStitch holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Procreate has 51K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of Procreate's written reviews are positive against 88% of PixelStitch's.

Procreate ships an update every 2 weeks, PixelStitch every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Procreate | PixelStitch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $12.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.4 (51K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/procreate/id425073498/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixelstitch/id6804157435/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **51K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 69.7% of reviews | **87.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#90** | — |
| Size | 1.1 GB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.3 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | +4 |
| Developer | [Savage Interactive Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/363433636) | [Dylan De Board](https://appshunter.io/developer/6804157839) |

## What reviewers say

### Procreate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/procreate/id425073498)

**Currently charting:** #90 Top Paid · Graphics & Design (US App Store)

This app provides a comprehensive digital art studio for iPad, offering tools for sketching, painting, illustration, and animation. It features a vast brush library, advanced layering, color management, and precision design tools for creative professionals and aspiring artists.

**Highlights:** Hundreds of handmade brushes, Advanced layer system, High resolution canvases, 3D Painting with Lighting Studio, Frame-by-frame animation, Precision design tools, Continuous auto-save

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth and intuitive drawing experience
- 💡 Vast selection of customizable brushes
- 👍 Simple and clean user interface
- 🚀 Efficient workflow with gestures and shortcuts
- 👍 Great value for the one-time purchase price

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional freezing and crashing issues
- 🔧 Limitations in the animation and audio features
- 🔧 Frustrations with the fill bucket tool and color selection
- 🔧 Lack of advanced organization tools like folders within folders

**Reported bugs**

- Random freezing and crashes, especially after recent updates
- Issues with the fill bucket tool not working as expected
- Problems with exporting animations and preserving the animation quality

**Requested features**

- Implement a proper stroke stabilizer and shape tools
- Add the ability to import audio and sync animations to audio
- Improve the fill bucket tool to work across layers
- Introduce a folder system for better organization of artworks


### PixelStitch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixelstitch/id6804157435)

Design, edit, and track your cross-stitch patterns with this comprehensive tool. Convert photos into editable patterns, utilize a vast color library, and export professional-quality pattern files. Enjoy seamless syncing across devices and offline access.

**Highlights:** Design and edit patterns stitch by stitch, Convert photos into editable cross-stitch patterns, Utilize DMC embroidery floss color library, Track stitching progress, Export professional pattern files (PDF, JPEG, PNG), Sync patterns across iPhone, iPad, and web, Offline support for designing and editing

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hobby Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Creator Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Hobby Annual | $24.99 | per year |
| Creator Annual | $59.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Procreate free?

Procreate costs $12.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is PixelStitch free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Procreate or PixelStitch?

PixelStitch is rated higher. Procreate averages 4.4 out of 5 from 51K ratings, while PixelStitch averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Procreate or PixelStitch have ads?

Neither Procreate nor PixelStitch shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Procreate or PixelStitch?

Procreate ships an update every 2 weeks, and PixelStitch every 5 days. Most recently, Procreate was updated on October 13, 2026 and PixelStitch on October 1, 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.*