Comparison

StitchStash vs Purl

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

StitchStash

Organize your embroidery floss, plan projects, and avoid buying duplicates. Browse all DMC colors, track your existing threads, and build shopping lists. Match colors from photos to find the closest DMC threads.

Highlights
  • Organize DMC embroidery floss
  • Track thread collection
  • Create shopping lists
  • Plan embroidery projects
  • Match colors from photos
  • Sync across devices
Features
Read full description

StitchStash helps you organize your embroidery floss, match colors across brands, and plan every project, so you never accidentally buy the same skein twice. Multiple brands, one stash: Browse and search the full color catalog of every supported brand. Keep track of every thread you own and how many you have. See what's in your stash from any screen. No more guessing at the craft store. Mix several brands at once or focus on just one, and keep your whole collection in a single organized stash. Currently supported brands include DMC, Anchor, Cosmo, Olympus, CXC, Madeira, J. & P. Coats and Sullivans. Compare & convert between brands: Found a pattern in DMC but stitch with Anchor? Open any color to see the closest matches in other brands, so you can swap with confidence and never hunt for a substitute again. Color Matcher: Found the perfect color in a fabric, photo, or painting? Match it to thread in the brand you prefer: • Snap or pick a photo, then tap to sample any color • Pinch to zoom up to 10x for precise sampling • Use the color picker or enter a hex code • Get the closest matches ranked by accuracy You can also create a complete palette of up to 10 colors from a photo! Pattern Maker (Pro): Turn a favorite pet, a special memory, or your own artwork into a personal cross-stitch pattern. Crop your photo, choose the size in stitches and number of colors, and match it to your preferred thread brand. Use the threads you already own, adjust or merge colors, and preview the result. Save a PDF chart with symbols and a thread key straight to your project, with estimated skein quantities. You can reopen your saved pattern to keep refining it. Shopping List: Build a list of the threads you need. Use multi-select for bulk actions, swipe to move threads into your collection after buying, or export your list to Apple Reminders. Project Management: Plan and track your projects from start to finish: • Add a photo and attach a PDF pattern • Assign the threads you need with quantities • See which threads you own, which are missing, and which are on your shopping list • Add all missing threads to your shopping list in one tap • Add updates over time and keep track of how long you've worked on a project with the built-in timer Project Tools: Use the Fabric Calculator to work out the fabric size for your pattern based on your stitch count, fabric count, and preferred border. Use the Skein Calculator to estimate how many skeins your project needs. Pattern Tracker: Open your PDF pattern to zoom and pan in close. StitchStash remembers exactly where you left off. Go Pro to draw right on your pattern and mark off what you've finished with draw, erase, and undo. Sync across devices: Your collection, shopping list, and projects sync automatically via iCloud. Update your stash on iPhone and see it on iPad. StitchStash is built by a fellow stitcher for anyone who wants a simple, focused way to manage their threads without the clutter. Happy stitching!

About

Purl

Features
Read full description

Finally, a pattern tracker that doesn't lose your work. Just your patterns, always where you left them. Purl is the cozy companion for cross-stitch, knitting, and crochet makers who are tired of losing their place or losing their data. Mark your progress, organize your threads, and keep every project safely backed up — all in one calm, beautiful app. NEVER LOSE YOUR PLACE Purl scans your PDF pattern and lets you mark stitches directly on the chart. Row by row, stitch by stitch — your progress is saved automatically. Come back a week later and pick up exactly where you stopped. ONE APP, THREE CRAFTS Cross-stitch. Knitting. Crochet. Track all your projects in one place, with craft-specific tools for each. No more switching between apps. YOUR THREAD STASH, ORGANIZED Log your DMC and Anchor threads, track stock levels, and scan barcodes to add new colors instantly. Know exactly what you have — and what you need — before you start a project. REAL BACKUP, REAL PEACE OF MIND Your projects sync automatically across iPhone and iPad via iCloud. Everything is backed up to the cloud — only you can access it. Even if you lose your phone, your patterns are safe. PROGRESS PHOTOS Photograph your work as you go. Purl saves each photo with its date and completion percentage, so you can watch your project grow from first stitch to finished piece. WORKS IN 12 LANGUAGES English, Turkish, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Swedish, Polish, Russian, and Japanese. WHAT YOU GET - Unlimited pattern imports (PDF) - Cross-stitch chart viewer with stitch marking - Knitting row tracker - Crochet round counter - DMC & Anchor thread inventory with barcode scanner - Progress photo timeline - iCloud sync across all your Apple devices - Full backup & restore - 12 languages Purl. Your patterns, your progress, your peace of mind. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://qubillc.com/purl/privacy

Screenshots

StitchStash4 screens
Purl4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Purl at every 2 days against StitchStash's every 9 days. Purl also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.5). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. StitchStash sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Purl sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

StitchStash ships an update every 9 days, Purl every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
StitchStash versus Purl: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStitchStashPurl
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (25 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews83.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings25 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.516.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size61 MB119 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSaku StudioKADIR KARAKAS

In-app purchases

1 purchases

StitchStash

One-time1
  • Pro$4.95
1 purchases

Purl

One-time1
  • Purl Lifetime$9.99

Questions

Is StitchStash free?
StitchStash is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Purl free?
Purl is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do StitchStash or Purl have ads?
Neither StitchStash nor Purl shows ads.
Which is updated more often, StitchStash or Purl?
StitchStash ships an update every 9 days, and Purl every 2 days. Most recently, StitchStash was updated on October 14, 2026 and Purl on October 12, 2026.

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