Comparison

StitchBuddy HD vs Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet

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

Head to head
About

StitchBuddy HD

Manage, edit, and preview machine embroidery designs on your mobile device. Modify designs at the stitch level, change thread colors, and sync across devices. Supports various file formats and printing options.

Highlights
  • Rotate, flip, move, resize designs
  • Modify designs without changing stitch count
  • Copy, paste, and combine designs
  • Change thread colors and palettes
  • 3D stitch display and zoom options
  • File management with previews
  • Convert between embroidery formats
Features
Read full description

Have your machine embroidery designs always at hand, wherever you are! Enjoy beautiful previews on your iPhone and iPad, manage and modify designs down to stitch level, and stay in sync with your computer. Features: • Rotate, flip, move, resize, or delete selected parts or the entire design. • Resize selected parts or the entire design (without adjusting the stitch count). • Copy and paste to duplicate parts, or to combine different designs. • Center a design in the hoop. • Add basting stitches to fix the underlay. • Change individual thread colors, or replace the entire palette. • Select from several different manufacturer thread charts. • Reorder threads and delete color changes. • Display options incl. zooming, 3D stitch display, or stitch structure. • File management with folders and design previews. • Print detail sheets via AirPrint. • Share design files, detail sheets, or real-size templates (PDF). • Multiple levels of Undo while editing. • Convert designs to other embroidery file formats. • Synchronization between different devices via iCloud. • Supports various storage locations including USB sticks. • Open designs in other applications or share by AirDrop. Supported import formats (read): • Janome JEF, JEF+, JPX, SEW • Brother PES, PEC • Melco EXP • Bernina EXP+ (not supported by Preview / Thumbnail) • Tajima DST • Pfaff VP3, KSM, PCS, PCQ, PCD Supported export formats (write): • Janome JEF • Brother PES v1.0 (130 x 180 mm), PEC • Melco EXP • Bernina EXP+ • Tajima DST • Pfaff PCS You can test StitchBuddy HD with all functions for free (saving designs is limited to 1,000 stitches). Unlock this limitation via In-App purchase if you like StitchBuddy HD and want to support its development ... and please share your experience with others by leaving a rating or review! Additional information, FAQs and video tutorials can be found at StitchBuddy's website. NOTE: StitchBuddy HD does not digitize embroidery designs.

About

Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet

Transform your iPad into a professional wireless drawing tablet for demanding creative work. Enjoy customizable workspaces, gesture shortcuts, and high-speed connectivity for efficient digital art creation on Mac and PC.

Highlights
  • Wireless or USB connectivity
  • Customizable gesture shortcuts
  • Keyboard support
  • Pressure curve customization
  • Second display functionality
  • Optimized for Apple Pencil
Features
Read full description

Go beyond a drawing tablet with Astropad Studio. Start a free 14-day trial today! Astropad Studio is the ultimate wireless drawing tablet, designed for the most demanding creative work. With complete workspace customization, Studio allows artists to work faster and more efficiently, with the freedom to work in the studio, at home, or on-the-go. Built for creative professionals with features like: · Wifi or USB connectivity · Built in 2nd display · Crystal clear & ultra-fast · Gesture shortcut customization · Keyboard support · Customizable pressure curves · Magic Gestures: Create your own gesture shortcuts with touch-Pencil combinations · Shortcut Sets: Sidebar shortcuts automatically adapt to match whatever Mac app you’re working in · Unlimited upgrades · Works on Mac and PC $14.99 monthly or $79.99 annually ___ STREAMLINED PRODUCTIVITY · Pinch to Zoom: Pinch to zoom and pan in Mac or PC Apps · Liquid Extreme: Up to 5x faster than baseline Liquid · Wifi & USB: Use your iPad as a drawing tablet plugged in or wirelessly · Keyboard Support: Access our built-in keyboard or use your own Bluetooth keyboard · Velocity Control: Analyzes network conditions dozens of times per second to balance image quality and latency COMPLETE CUSTOMIZATION · Magic Gestures: Create your own gesture shortcuts with touch-Pencil combinations · Shortcut Sets: Sidebar shortcuts automatically adapt to match whatever Mac app you’re working in BUILT FOR CREATIVES · Apple Pencil Optimized: Designed exclusively for the precision of Apple Pencil · Color Corrected: True to your source material with color corrected output and retina resolution ___ SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS · Mac: OS X 10.14 or later · PC: Windows 10 64-bit, build 1809 or later · iPad iOS 13.1 or later: iPad Mini 4 (2015+), iPad Air (2014+), iPad Pro (2016+), iPad 5th generation (2017+) · Optimized for iPad Pro and Apple Pencil SUBSCRIPTION TERMS · $14.99 monthly or $79.99 annually · Price may vary by location. ___ Subscriptions will be charged to your credit card using your iTunes account. Your subscription will automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. ___ MORE RESOURCES Download the free desktop companion app: astropad.com/downloads FAQ: astropad.com/faq Support: support@astropad.com Twitter: @astropad Instagram: @astropadco Facebook: facebook.com/astropadco ___ Privacy Policy: http://astropad.com/studio/privacy.html Terms of Use: http://astropad.com/studio/terms.html

Screenshots

StitchBuddy HD4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet at 4.7 against StitchBuddy HD's 4.1. Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet also leads on ratings volume (3.8K vs 296) and iOS requirement (13 vs 17.0). StitchBuddy HD's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and review sentiment (63% vs 46%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. StitchBuddy HD sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet has 3.8K ratings behind it against 296, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 63% of StitchBuddy HD's written reviews are positive against 46% of Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
StitchBuddy HD versus Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStitchBuddy HDAstropad Studio Drawing Tablet
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (296 ratings)4.7 (3.8K ratings) — better
Positive reviews63.3% of reviews — better46.3% of reviews
Number of ratings2963.8K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPad
Requires iOS17.013 — better
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB103 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMatthias ArndtAstro HQ

Customer experience

StitchBuddy HD

All ratings296 ratings
Positive77.0%
Neutral3.0%
Negative19.9%
Written reviews128 reviews
Positive63.3%
Neutral6.3%
Negative30.5%

Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet

All ratings3,772 ratings
Positive92.8%
Neutral2.1%
Negative5.1%
Written reviews607 reviews
Positive46.3%
Neutral7.4%
Negative46.3%

User reviews

StitchBuddy HD

From 296 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great app for beginners
  • 💡 Excellent storage management
  • 👍 User-friendly and intuitive
  • 👍 Syncs between devices
  • 👍 Affordable pricing

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Difficult to use
  • 🐛 Doesn't work as described
  • 🐛 Crashes frequently
  • 🐛 Limited functionality
  • 🐛 Cannot create designs

Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet

From 3.8K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Works great
  • 🚀 Fantastic drawing experience
  • 🚀 Seamless integration with desktop apps
  • 👍 Customizable shortcuts and gestures
  • 👍 Pressure sensitivity and cursor preview

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive subscription model
  • 🐛 Crashes and connection issues
  • 🐛 Laggy performance, especially over Wi-Fi
  • 💡 Lacks dual-screen functionality

Bugs and requests

StitchBuddy HD

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Cannot open certain file formats (e.g., HUS)
  • Inconsistent performance across devices
  • Unexpected behavior when importing designs

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add ability to create designs from scratch
  • Improve file transfer options (e.g., AirDrop)
  • Enhance color editing capabilities
  • Provide more comprehensive tutorials and documentation

Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Frequent crashes and disconnects
  • Compatibility issues with certain apps
  • Unresponsive or glitchy input

Requested features

3 requests
  • Ability to use iPad as a secondary display
  • More affordable one-time purchase option
  • Improved stability and performance

In-app purchases

1 purchases

StitchBuddy HD

One-time1
  • StitchBuddy Go$19.99
3 purchases

Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet

Subscriptions3
  • Subscription14 Days trial$14.991 Month
  • Subscription14 Days trial$99.991 Year
  • Astropad Studio Annual14 Days trial$99.991 Year

Questions

Is StitchBuddy HD free?
StitchBuddy HD is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet free?
Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, StitchBuddy HD or Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet?
Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet is rated higher. StitchBuddy HD averages 4.1 out of 5 from 296 ratings, while Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet averages 4.7 from 3.8K ratings.
Do StitchBuddy HD or Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet have ads?
Neither StitchBuddy HD nor Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet shows ads.
Which is updated more often, StitchBuddy HD or Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet?
StitchBuddy HD ships an update every 3 months, and Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet every 3 months. Most recently, StitchBuddy HD was updated on November 6, 2026 and Astropad Studio Drawing Tablet on November 6, 2026.

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