# Pixel Art Maker vs Stitchly

The clearest difference is ads: Stitchly at none against Pixel Art Maker's shown. Stitchly also leads on chart position (#197 vs unranked). Pixel Art Maker's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs paid) and review sentiment (91% vs 80%). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pixel Art Maker sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Stitchly sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Pixel Art Maker against 4.8 for Stitchly. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11K and 2.3K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of Pixel Art Maker's written reviews are positive against 80% of Stitchly's.

Pixel Art Maker ships an update every 9 days, Stitchly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pixel Art Maker | Stitchly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (11K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-art-maker/id897806469/reviews)** | [4.8 (2.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stitchly-cross-stitch/id1467867656/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **11K** | 2.3K |
| Positive reviews | **90.7% of reviews** | 79.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#197** |
| Size | 15 MB | 40 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | +12 |
| Developer | [Nekomimimi](https://appshunter.io/developer/382809814) | [Subtlabs](https://appshunter.io/developer/1124491603) |

## What reviewers say

### Pixel Art Maker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pixel-art-maker/id897806469)

Create and animate pixel art with a user-friendly drawing tool. Convert photos into pixel art, customize color palettes, and export your creations as GIFs. Offers both free and premium features for enhanced capabilities.

**Highlights:** Pixel art drawing up to 256x256, Photo to pixel art conversion, Animated pixel art creation, Customizable color palettes, Export as animated GIF, Scalable artwork export

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Helpful for making mods
- 🚀 Great for pixel art and animations
- 🚀 Intuitive and practical
- 🚀 Lots of customization options

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or save issues
- 🐛 Difficulty moving or selecting specific pixels
- 🐛 Limited color palette options

**Reported bugs**

- Exported images not retaining transparency
- Color picker not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Add a redo button
- Implement layers and better color management
- Increase maximum canvas size
- Add a paint bucket tool
- Allow importing/exporting of animations


### Stitchly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stitchly-cross-stitch/id1467867656)

**Currently charting:** #197 Top Grossing · Lifestyle (US App Store)

Easily create custom cross-stitch patterns from photos or by drawing your own designs. Supports various stitch types and thread colors, with options to export as printable PDFs and track your progress. Perfect for both beginners and experienced crafters.

**Highlights:** Create patterns from photos, Draw custom designs, Supports DMC and Anchor threads, Includes advanced stitches, Export as printable PDF, Track stitching progress

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Special Offer | $39.99 | one-time |
| Full Version | $75.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💻 Great for designing patterns
- 🎨 Easy to use and intuitive
- 👍 Versatile tools and features
- 💰 One-time purchase, no subscription
- 🤝 Responsive and helpful customer support

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Limited free trial features
- 🔢 Restricted canvas size
- 🎨 Color accuracy issues
- 🔀 Difficulty rearranging/moving pattern elements
- 🔖 Lack of advanced stitch types (half, diagonal, etc.)

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when importing certain patterns
- Issues with grid and stitch alignment
- Inconsistent behavior when using undo/redo

**Requested features**

- Add support for more thread brands and colors
- Implement layering and grouping functionality
- Allow resizing and repositioning of the entire pattern
- Improve PDF export options and customization
- Add progress tracking and marking completed stitches


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pixel Art Maker free?

Pixel Art Maker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Stitchly free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pixel Art Maker or Stitchly?

Pixel Art Maker is rated higher. Pixel Art Maker averages 4.8 out of 5 from 11K ratings, while Stitchly averages 4.8 from 2.3K ratings.

### Do Pixel Art Maker or Stitchly have ads?

Pixel Art Maker shows ads; Stitchly does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pixel Art Maker or Stitchly?

Pixel Art Maker ships an update every 9 days, and Stitchly fortnightly. Most recently, Pixel Art Maker was updated on November 11, 2026 and Stitchly on November 10, 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.*