Comparison

Purl vs Needlepoint Studio

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

Head to head
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

About

Needlepoint Studio

Organize your needlepoint projects, track your progress with photos, and manage your thread stash. Features a stitch library and a timer for your stitching sessions. Your data is private and stored locally.

Highlights
  • Project tracking with progress photos
  • Stitching session timer
  • Thread stash cataloging
  • Built-in stitch library with diagrams
  • Collection value and export
  • Private iCloud backup
  • Customizable themes
Features
Read full description

Learn to needlepoint, one stitch at a time. Needlepoint Studio teaches you the whole stitch library with animated, step-by-step lessons. Every stitch draws itself on the canvas, stroke by stroke, with a needle that shows exactly where the yarn goes. Play it, pause it, step through a single stitch, or slow it to half speed until it clicks. No other needlepoint app teaches this way. FOLLOW A GUIDED PATH Start with First Stitches, free for everyone. Then work through curated lessons in Beautiful Backgrounds, Texture Sampler, and Decorative Accents. Each path builds real skills in the order a teacher would give them. KEEP YOUR WHOLE CRAFT IN ONE STUDIO • Track every canvas from "kitted up" to finished, with progress photos and a before/after compare. • Time your stitching sessions and watch your streak and weekly minutes add up. A running timer stays on your Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island. • Give a canvas a finish-by date and see, in plain language, whether you're on pace to make it. • Organize your fiber stash and stretcher bars: brand, color, count, and how much you have left. • Flag what you're low on, then take the whole To Buy list to the shop as a shopping list, so you never buy the same thread twice. KNOW WHAT IT'S ALL WORTH See the value of your collection at a glance, and export an insurance-ready CSV or PDF report: proof of everything you own, ready when you need it. CELEBRATE EVERY FINISH Finished canvases join a gallery grouped by year. Share a single project's before-and-after, or a whole year of stitching, as a card made for the feed. YOURS, EVERYWHERE, FOREVER Everything backs up privately through your own iCloud account. Get a new iPhone and your studio is already there. Add Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets, including a new stitch to learn every day. Log a session with one tap or by asking Siri, and jump to any project or stitch from Spotlight search. GO PRO YOUR WAY: SUBSCRIBE, OR PAY ONCE AND OWN IT FOREVER Studio Pro unlocks the full stitch library, all learning paths, unlimited projects, finish-by pacing, collection and shopping-list export, the Year-in-Review card, and nine extra studio themes. Choose a monthly or yearly subscription (yearly starts with a 3-day free trial), or make a single lifetime purchase that's yours forever. Every plan works on all your devices and shares with your household through Family Sharing. Your data is never locked behind Pro: everything you've made stays visible, editable, and synced even if a subscription ends. Terms of Use: https://pandataps.com/terms/needlepoint Privacy Policy: https://pandataps.com/privacy/needlepoint Made for needlepointers.

Screenshots

Purl4 screens
Needlepoint Studio4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Purl at every 2 days against Needlepoint Studio's weekly. Purl also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.6). 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. Purl sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Needlepoint Studio sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Purl ships an update every 2 days, Needlepoint Studio weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 9, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Purl versus Needlepoint Studio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPurlNeedlepoint Studio
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size119 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKADIR KARAKASPanda Taps LLC

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Purl

One-time1
  • Purl Lifetime$9.99
1 purchases

Needlepoint Studio

One-time1
  • Studio Pro$9.99

Questions

Is Purl free?
Purl is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Needlepoint Studio free?
Needlepoint Studio is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Purl or Needlepoint Studio have ads?
Neither Purl nor Needlepoint Studio shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Purl or Needlepoint Studio?
Purl ships an update every 2 days, and Needlepoint Studio weekly. Most recently, Purl was updated on September 9, 2026 and Needlepoint Studio on September 24, 2026.

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