pixel2stitch vs Stitchwork
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
pixel2stitch
Transform your photos into detailed cross-stitch or bead art patterns. Adjust complexity, color palettes, and export printable PDFs with material calculations. Automatically saves progress and syncs across devices.
- Photo to pattern conversion
- Adjustable pattern size and color count
- Supports DMC, Anchor, Gamma, and Perler palettes
- Built-in editor for marking progress
- Progress tracking per color
- Exportable PDF patterns
- Thread and bead material calculator
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pixel2stitch makes it easy to turn your favorite photos into detailed cross-stitch and bead patterns — then edit, customize and stitch them your way. WHY YOU WILL LOVE PIXEL2STITCH: • Turn photos into patterns Import photos from your gallery, camera, files or clipboard and convert them into detailed stitch or bead patterns. Choose from DMC, Anchor, Gamma, Madeira, Dimensions, Olympus and PNK thread palettes, or create patterns using Perler fusible beads. • Make the pattern yours Choose a pattern size from 25 to 320 stitches on the long side and control the number of colors to make your pattern as detailed or as simple as you want. Use a thread or bead brand palette, or create your own palette using only the colors you already have. Work with transparent PNG images and remove unwanted backgrounds. Replace or remove any color from an existing pattern without starting over. Quickly adapt a pattern to the threads or beads you already have. • Smart editor and progress tracking Mark completed crosses or beads directly on your pattern and keep track of your overall progress or progress for individual colors. Your progress is saved automatically, and iCloud sync lets you continue your patterns across your devices. • Export and material calculation Printable PDFs: Export your pattern split into convenient pages. Material Calculator: Estimate the floss length or bead count for each color so you know how much material you need. • Ready-Made Pattern Library Explore a growing library of ready-made patterns with carefully crafted details and backstitch where available. Find a design you like, choose your preferred size and palette, and start stitching. Discover patterns created by the pixel2stitch community and submit your own designs for review. • Free to use pixel2stitch is free to download and use, with no subscription or in-app purchases required. The app is supported by advertising. Save up to two generated patterns per week without watching an ad. Preview and adjust as many patterns as you like — only saved patterns count toward the weekly limit. Need to save more than two patterns this week? Watch a rewarded video to save additional patterns. Save as many ready-made library patterns as you like — they don't count toward your weekly generation limit. THE MAIN ADVANTAGE — COMPLETE FREEDOM No subscriptions, no in‑app purchases — the only limit is your imagination. We believe creativity should be accessible to everyone. Turn your photos into something you can stitch. Start creating with pixel2stitch today.
Stitchwork
This app helps cross-stitchers track their progress on PDF patterns. Import your chart, mark stitches as you go, and sync progress across devices. It supports various stitch types and offers tools to help you find your place and track completion.
- Import PDF and photo patterns
- Tappable stitch-by-stitch tracking
- Real-time completion percentage
- iCloud sync across iPhone and iPad
- Support for fractional and back-stitches
- Finished-picture preview
- Progress and stitch journal
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The cross-stitch tracker for the PDF patterns you already own. Your first 3 patterns are free — then buy once. No subscription, ever. Stitchwork turns your pattern into a tappable, zoomable chart you mark off stitch by stitch, right through to the last one. And it never loses a stitch. Import a pattern PDF (or a photo of a chart) and Stitchwork lays a grid over it so every cell becomes tappable. Tap or drag to mark stitches done and watch your completion climb in real time. Your progress syncs across your iPhone and iPad through your own private iCloud — stitch on the couch with your iPad, check a color at the store on your phone, and pick up right where you left off. NEVER LOSE A STITCH • Per-stitch iCloud sync built to merge, not overwrite — edits from two devices combine, even offline • Handoff between iPhone and iPad — carry on at the exact spot in the chart you were looking at • Your patterns and progress live in your own private iCloud; we never see them • Export any pattern as a backup file you can re-import — your work is never locked in • No account to create, nothing to log into MADE FOR REAL CHARTS • Imports modern vector pattern PDFs — the grid snaps to your chart automatically • Scanned and printed charts too — photograph or scan a page and line the grid up • Opens .oxs pattern files as well as PDFs — WinStitch, MacStitch, FlossCross and Stitch Fiddle exports • Any pattern works: if auto-detect isn't perfect, just drag the grid to fit • Smooth on huge charts — 100,000+ stitches, fluid zoom and pan • Multi-page PDFs stitched into one continuous chart • See your finished size before you start — Stitchwork reads the fabric count from your chart and works out the inches and centimeters, on whatever fabric you're actually using EVERY KIND OF STITCH • Full stitches, plus half, quarter, and three-quarter fractional stitches • Back-stitch outlines you can tap to track • Block-fill and a quick-park mode for fast marking • Parking-method support for confident colorwork • Mark an area for frogging, then clear it in one step when you've unpicked it FIND YOUR PLACE • Row and column numbers down the edges, with a live position readout • A counting assistant — tap a landmark, tap where you're going, read off the count • Center marker and crosshair for lining up on fabric • Rotate the chart to match how you're holding your work TRACK EVERYTHING • Live completion percentage — always know exactly how far you've come • A finished-picture preview — your whole chart rendered in its thread colors, before you've stitched it • Per-symbol counts — see exactly how many of each symbol are left • Tap a symbol to highlight every cell that uses it • A Progress tab that rolls up every project with pace and time estimates • A home-screen widget with your current pattern's progress • A stitch journal with your daily history, and a Year in Stitches you can share • A library that stays tidy — in progress, finished and wishlist, with sorting and bulk actions YOUR FLOSS, ORGANIZED • Automatic floss list — every DMC color in your pattern • A full floss stash: what you own, what you still need, and a cross-project shopping list • Skein estimates and DMC-to-Anchor / Madeira conversions • A searchable catalog of 450+ DMC shades FAIR PRICING • A one-time purchase — no subscription, ever • Your first 3 patterns are free — then unlock unlimited with a single one-time purchase • Your patterns are always yours — nothing is ever deleted, upgrade or not Built by a stitcher who wanted a great cross-stitch tracker on iPhone and iPad — and decided to make one. Actively maintained, and shaped by what cross-stitchers actually ask for. Happy stitching!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: pixel2stitch at none against Stitchwork's 1. Stitchwork's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 days vs fortnightly). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. Stitchwork sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. pixel2stitch asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for pixel2stitch against 4.6 for Stitchwork. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 9 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
pixel2stitch ships an update fortnightly, Stitchwork every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | pixel2stitch | Stitchwork |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (6 ratings) | 4.6 (9 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 6 | 9 — better |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 96 MB | 22 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Pavel Grigorev | CHRISTOPHER JAMES HINCKLEY |
Customer experience
pixel2stitch
Stitchwork
In-app purchases
pixel2stitch
No in-app purchases
Stitchwork
- Unlimited Patterns$12.99
Questions
Is pixel2stitch free?
Is Stitchwork free?
Which has better reviews, pixel2stitch or Stitchwork?
Do pixel2stitch or Stitchwork have ads?
Which is updated more often, pixel2stitch or Stitchwork?
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