# Cross Stitch vs Spread Blast

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Spread Blast at none against Cross Stitch's 12. Cross Stitch's advantage is ratings volume (688 vs 4). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cross Stitch sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Spread Blast asks for nothing beyond the download.

Cross Stitch holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cross Stitch has 688 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Cross Stitch ships an update every 2 weeks, Spread Blast every 9 days. Both last shipped on October 22, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cross Stitch | Spread Blast |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (688 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cross-stitch-pixel-art/id6446945308/reviews)** | [4.5 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spread-blast/id6664071091/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **688** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 121 MB | 144 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) | [Rocketship Studios LLP](https://appshunter.io/developer/1456752660) |

## 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 (12)**

| 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 |
| 10,000 beans | $6.99 | one-time |
| 12,000 beans | $6.99 | one-time |
| 24,000 beans | $9.99 | one-time |
| 36,000 beans | $14.99 | one-time |
| 50,000 beans | $19.99 | 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


### Spread Blast

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spread-blast/id6664071091)

Drag and drop colored shapes onto a grid to group similar colored balls. Group 100 or more to blast them and clear levels by collecting the target number of beads.

**Highlights:** Drag and drop shape placement, Group similar colored balls, Blast groups of 100+ balls, Collect beads to clear levels, Multiple levels to complete

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cross Stitch free?

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

### Is Spread Blast free?

Spread Blast is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Cross Stitch or Spread Blast?

Cross Stitch is rated higher. Cross Stitch averages 4.7 out of 5 from 688 ratings, while Spread Blast averages 4.5 from 4 ratings.

### Do Cross Stitch or Spread Blast have ads?

Both Cross Stitch and Spread Blast show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Cross Stitch or Spread Blast?

Cross Stitch ships an update every 2 weeks, and Spread Blast every 9 days. Most recently, Cross Stitch was updated on October 22, 2026 and Spread Blast on October 22, 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.*