# Cross Stitch vs Ship Jam

The clearest difference is rating: Ship Jam at 4.9 against Cross Stitch's 4.7. Cross Stitch's advantage is ratings volume (688 vs 62). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cross Stitch sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Ship Jam sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Ship Jam holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cross Stitch has 688 ratings behind it against 62, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 50% and 50% positive.

Cross Stitch ships an update every 2 weeks, Ship Jam every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cross Stitch | Ship Jam |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (688 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cross-stitch-pixel-art/id6446945308/reviews) | **[4.9 (62 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ship-jam/id6475584358/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **688** | 62 |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 121 MB | 214 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [尚辉 曾](https://appshunter.io/developer/1675458663) | [Playcus Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1451803459) |

## What reviewers say

### Cross Stitch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cross-stitch-pixel-art/id6446945308)

Create beautiful pixel art by painting by number. Select from hundreds of images or import your own photos to design unique cross-stitch artworks. Enjoy a relaxing and fun experience with innovative painting modes.

**Highlights:** Hundreds of pre-made pictures, Import photos to create art, Paint by number system, Simultaneous 3x3 plaid stitching, Up to 300x300 stitches, 128 color options

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly Plan | $9.99 | per month |
| Premium 6 Monthly Plan | $34.99 | per 6 months |
| Premium Yearly Plan | $59.99 | per year |
| 3,000 beans | $2.99 | one-time |
| 5,000 beans | $3.99 | one-time |
| 6,000 beans | $3.99 | one-time |
| Block Ads | $5.99 | one-time |
| 12,000 beans | $6.99 | one-time |
| 24,000 beans | $9.99 | one-time |
| 36,000 beans | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Beautiful and varied picture selection
- 👍 User-friendly difficulty level options
- 🎯 Relaxing and stress-relieving gameplay
- 🌈 Multiple color variations available
- 📦 Pictures grouped by category for easy browsing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📺 Excessive and overwhelming ads
- 💰 Paywall blocks most content without purchase
- 🐛 Completed artwork doesn't display correctly
- 🔧 Broken ad system prevents earning beans
- 📱 Side menu takes up unnecessary screen space

**Reported bugs**

- Completed pictures show as incomplete
- Pattern won't open after app update
- Ads not loading, preventing bean collection
- In-progress photos don't update accurately
- Clicking wrong cell triggers error messages

**Requested features**

- Add more pictures and expand content library
- Implement checkmarks for purchased and completed pictures
- Option to minimize or hide side menu
- Full-screen picture display mode
- Add more cat breeds (Bengals) and horse pictures


### Ship Jam

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ship-jam/id6475584358)

A vibrant color-matching puzzle game where players arrange ships to create harmonious patterns. Compete with others and discover new gameplay mechanics in this engaging experience.

**Highlights:** Color matching gameplay, Ship arrangement puzzles, Community features, New gameplay mechanics, Leaderboards

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 250 Coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| Treasure offer coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| No Ads | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bundle Remove Ads | $5.99 | one-time |
| 750 Coins | $5.99 | one-time |
| Golden Pass | $9.99 | one-time |
| 1600 Coins | $11.99 | one-time |
| Trainee Pack | $15.99 | one-time |
| Master Pack | $23.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cross Stitch free?

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

### Is Ship Jam free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Cross Stitch or Ship Jam?

Ship Jam is rated higher. Cross Stitch averages 4.7 out of 5 from 688 ratings, while Ship Jam averages 4.9 from 62 ratings.

### Do Cross Stitch or Ship Jam have ads?

Both Cross Stitch and Ship Jam show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Cross Stitch or Ship Jam?

Cross Stitch ships an update every 2 weeks, and Ship Jam every 3 weeks. Most recently, Cross Stitch was updated on November 3, 2026 and Ship Jam on October 30, 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.*