StitchBuddy HD vs Virtual Bead Board
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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.
Virtual Bead Board
Design and visualize jewelry creations on a virtual bead board. Organize your inventory, preview designs with AR try-on, and enhance product photos with automatic background removal. Sync your work across devices for seamless crafting.
- Virtual bead board design
- AR try-on preview
- Inventory management with PDF export
- Automatic photo background removal
- iCloud sync across devices
- Drawing canvas with 3D effect
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Virtual Bead Board - Design Your Perfect Jewelry. Create stunning jewelry designs on your iPhone or iPad with Virtual Bead Board. Whether you are a jewelry maker, crafter, artist, bead store owner, or design student, this app gives you a full set of tools to design, organize, and preview your work, all in one place. DESIGN ON A VIRTUAL BEAD BOARD Drag, drop, and arrange beads, clasps, and findings on a realistic bead board. Choose from multiple board styles and backgrounds. Position and resize elements with precision. Use the drawing canvas to sketch with pen, marker, paint, or eraser, including a 3D effect option. Visualize connection points so your designs are buildable in real life. MANAGE YOUR JEWELRY INVENTORY Add items with photos, names, categories, quantities, and notes. Track costs and see your inventory at a glance. Organize by category such as beads, clasps, pendants, and more. Export inventory reports as PDF for ordering or sharing. SEE DESIGNS IN AR TRY-ON Use your device camera to try on necklaces and jewelry virtually. Preview how a design will look before you make it. Works in portrait and landscape on both iPhone and iPad. PROFESSIONAL PHOTO TOOLS Remove backgrounds from jewelry photos automatically. Save cleaned-up images for inventory or listings. Save designs and images to your photo library. SYNC ACROSS YOUR DEVICES Your designs and inventory sync via iCloud across iPhone and iPad. Pick up where you left off on any device. Your data stays in your control. Perfect for jewelry makers, crafters, bead store owners, jewelry design students, and anyone who loves creating beautiful accessories. No account required to start. Download and begin designing today. Requires iOS 16.2 or later. Works on iPhone and iPad. AR try-on uses the device camera.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: StitchBuddy HD at Free against Virtual Bead Board's $9.99. StitchBuddy HD also leads on ratings volume (296 vs 3). Virtual Bead Board's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.1) and review sentiment (100% vs 63%). On ads, device support and iOS requirement 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
StitchBuddy HD is free to download; Virtual Bead Board costs $9.99 up front. StitchBuddy HD sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Virtual Bead Board asks for nothing beyond the download.
Virtual Bead Board holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: StitchBuddy HD has 296 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of StitchBuddy HD's written reviews are positive against 100% of Virtual Bead Board's.
StitchBuddy HD ships an update every 3 months, Virtual Bead Board weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | StitchBuddy HD | Virtual Bead Board |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $9.99 |
| Rating | 4.1 (296 ratings) | 4.7 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 63.3% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 296 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.2 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 9 MB | 73 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Matthias Arndt | Kimberly Beeler |
Customer experience
StitchBuddy HD
Virtual Bead Board
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
Virtual Bead Board
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
StitchBuddy HD
- StitchBuddy Go$19.99
Virtual Bead Board
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is StitchBuddy HD free?
Is Virtual Bead Board free?
Which has better reviews, StitchBuddy HD or Virtual Bead Board?
Do StitchBuddy HD or Virtual Bead Board have ads?
Which is updated more often, StitchBuddy HD or Virtual Bead Board?
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