BeadPainter vs ThreadABead Pattern Reader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
BeadPainter
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BeadPainter is your creative studio for seed bead jewelry—from making your first peyote ring to creating professional patterns you can share or sell. Design beadwork on an interactive canvas, manage your bead inventory, and preview every edit in live 3D. Create with real images of MIYUKI Delica beads, turn images into patterns, and follow guided weaving instructions to bring your designs to life. DESIGN YOUR NEXT PIECE • Create rings, earrings, bracelets, pendants, and custom patterns • Design with peyote, brick, and loom stitch layouts • Choose cylinder or rounded beads • Adjust bead proportions for seed beads, tube beads, and larger rounded beads DRAW, EDIT, AND EXPERIMENT • Draw naturally with full Apple Pencil support • Use pencil, eraser, fill, and eyedropper tools • Move, duplicate, repeat, or edit selected areas • Turn selections into reusable stamps • Trace reference images with pinning, layers, and opacity controls • Move and zoom the canvas, or rotate it in 90-degree steps • Display row numbers and symbols for easier pattern reading • Add, remove, or shift rows and columns • Rename, duplicate, and save versions of your patterns FIND THE RIGHT BEADS • Browse MIYUKI Delica catalogs in sizes 8/0, 10/0, 11/0, and 15/0 • Design with 1,200+ real bead images • Search by bead number or hue • Find the closest Delica matches to your custom colors • Preview glossy, matte, metallic, and sparkle finishes SEE YOUR DESIGN IN LIVE 3D • Watch every edit update instantly in 3D • Preview flat beadwork and cylindrical designs • Edit in 2D and view in 3D side by side on iPad • Explore bead shapes, sizes, colors, and finishes before you start weaving MAKE IT, ONE BEAD AT A TIME • Prepare with material checklists • Learn with step-by-step stitch tutorials • Follow adaptive, row-by-row guidance for your own patterns • Mark your last bead and pick up where you left off • Track your progress as you weave EXPORT, PRINT, AND SHARE YOUR PATTERNS • Create professional PDFs with pattern charts, material lists, bead counts, and flow charts • Add your logo, author details, copyright, and license text • Choose portrait or landscape PDF layouts • Share editable BeadPainter files START FREE Create from day one with ready-made jewelry templates, core drawing tools, and live 3D previews. Design loom bracelets, fringe earrings, and peyote rings with the free essentials. HOBBY PLAN Make with confidence using step-by-step tutorials, adaptive weaving guidance, progress tracking, and unlimited projects. PRO PLAN Build your pattern collection with advanced editing tools, image-to-pattern conversion, bead shape controls, and premium matte, metallic, and sparkle finishes. Export branded PDFs and get commercial use rights to share or sell your patterns. Whether you’re planning a handmade gift, learning a new stitch, or designing your next pattern collection, BeadPainter helps you move from first idea to finished jewelry. Download BeadPainter and bring your next beadwork idea to life. Terms of Service: https://beadpainter.nl/terms Privacy Policy: https://beadpainter.nl/privacy EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
ThreadABead Pattern Reader
This app is a secure PDF reader designed for bead patterns. It offers tools to easily follow designs, including adjustable markers and navigation aids. A subscription allows importing and reading your own PDF patterns.
- Secure PDF viewing
- Adjustable reading markers
- Focus Mode
- Per-pattern notes
- Page thumbnails
- Import personal PDF patterns
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The ThreadABead Pattern Reader is a secure, purpose-built PDF reader designed specifically for viewing ThreadABead bead patterns and your own personal PDF patterns. View your purchased ThreadABead patterns with tools that make reading and following designs easier, including adjustable reading markers, Focus Mode, per-pattern notes, and page thumbnails for quick navigation. You can also subscribe to Personal Library to import and read your own non-ThreadABead PDF patterns in the same reading environment. Features: • Secure PDF viewing • Access your purchased ThreadABead patterns after sign-in • Personal Library subscription for your own imported PDF patterns • Horizontal and vertical reading markers • Compact arrow, full-width marker, and Focus Mode • Per-pattern notes • Page thumbnails for quick navigation • Reading progress and marker preferences can sync across devices with iCloud Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
BeadPainter and ThreadABead Pattern Reader are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. BeadPainter sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and ThreadABead Pattern Reader sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $12.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
BeadPainter ships an update every 3 weeks, ThreadABead Pattern Reader every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | BeadPainter | ThreadABead Pattern Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 2 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 4 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.1 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 65 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Alexandra Duzhinskaya | ThreadABead Ltd |
In-app purchases
BeadPainter
- Hobby$9.991 Month
- Pro$59.991 Year
ThreadABead Pattern Reader
- Personal PDF Library7 Days trial$12.991 Year
Questions
Is BeadPainter free?
Is ThreadABead Pattern Reader free?
Do BeadPainter or ThreadABead Pattern Reader have ads?
Which is updated more often, BeadPainter or ThreadABead Pattern Reader?
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