Comparison

CrossStitcher vs XStitch Plus

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

Head to head
About

CrossStitcher

Explore contemporary cross stitching with fresh designs and lifestyle inspiration. Learn new techniques and create unique gifts, accessories, and homestyle items. Perfect for all skill levels, from beginner to advanced.

Highlights
  • Contemporary designs
  • Lifestyle inspiration
  • Creative techniques
  • Trend-led projects
  • Technical advice
  • Gift and homestyle ideas
  • Expert-led technique demonstrations
Features
Read full description

CrossStitcher is the only cross stitching magazine that combines fresh contemporary ideas with lifestyle inspiration and creative techniques to help you make the most of your cross stitch hobby. Our pool of talented designers brings you a variety of trend-led projects alongside all the technical advice you’ll need to get started. You’ll find clever ideas for making your designs into gifts, accessories and homestyle items, while our expert-led Savvy Stitcher feature demonstrates a variety of new techniques for you to try. Whether your style is vintage, contemporary or quirky, you'll find something to get you stitching straight away - so grab a hoop, thread your needle and start stitching today! Be the stitcher you dream of being. We show you how! ---------------------------------------------- This is a free app download. Within the app users can purchase the current issue and back issues. Subscriptions are also available within the application. A subscription will start from the latest issue. -The subscription will renew automatically unless cancelled more than 24 hours before the end of the current period. You will be charged for renewal within 24 hours of the end of the current period, for the same duration and at the current subscription rate for the product. -You may turn off the auto-renewal of subscriptions through your Account Settings, however you are not able to cancel the current subscription during its active period. -Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase and any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when a subscription to that publication is purchased. -If a subscription offers a free trial, at the end of the trial period, you will be charged the full price of the subscription. You may cancel a subscription during its free trial period via the subscription settings on your iTunes account. This must be done 24 hours before the end of the subscription period to avoid being charged. Users can register for/ login to a pocketmags account in-app. This will protect their issues in the case of a lost device and allow browsing of purchases on multiple platforms. Existing pocketmags users can retrieve their purchases by logging into their account. We recommend loading the app for the first time in a wi-fi area so that all issue data is retrieved. If your app will not load past the splash page after a first install or an update, please delete and reinstall the app from the App Store Help and frequently asked questions can be accessed in-app and on pocketmags. If you have any problems at all please do not hesitate to contact us: help@pocketmags.com -------------------- You can find our privacy policy here: http://www.pocketmags.com/privacy.aspx You can find our terms and conditions here: http://www.pocketmags.com/terms.aspx

About

XStitch Plus

Manage your cross stitch projects and supplies with this comprehensive app. Track projects from start to finish, inventory threads and materials, and calculate fabric needs. Sync data across devices and share progress easily.

Highlights
  • Project Journal tracking
  • Stash inventory (threads, charts, linens)
  • Fabric calculator
  • Shopping list
  • Cloud data synchronization
  • Multi-device access
Features
Read full description

X-Stitch Plus is the best way to inventory and track all your cross stitch stash. This easy-to-use app was designed by cross stitchers for cross stitchers. Track all your projects from wish list to finished using the Journal feature. Load up to 5 photos per project. Use the inventory to track all your threads, charts, linens and embellishments. Tens of thousands of threads are pre-loaded so you don't have to type in details. Mill Hill beads are also pre-loaded so you can quickly add them to your inventory. Keep multiple photos for your charts and embellishments. Use the fabric calculator to easily determine fabric dimensions in inches and centimeters. The shopping cart helps ensure you remember exactly what you need when you're at the shop. And of course, these modules are interlinked so you can quickly share info between them, e.g., quickly create a Journal entry from one of your charts. Want to share? X-Stitch Plus supports sharing via Facebook, Twitter, E-Mail, Text and more. Another key benefit of X-Stitch Plus is all your data is stored in the cloud. View and update your data from any of your devices and they're all in sync. You can even access data from the original X-Stitch app. No need to reenter data. Check out the best cross stitch inventory app today with a 7-day free trial! Subscription Information Terms of Use: https://xstitchapp.com/?page_id=69 Privacy Policy: https://xstitchapp.com/?page_id=10 We offer one subscription: XStitch Plus Annual Subscription Subscription cost is $9.99 per year. It’s possible this will be shown in your local currency. Subscription provides full access to all app features with no restrictions. App features include Journal tracking with up to 5 photos per Journal item Inventory tracking for charts, threads, linens and embellishments Includes up to 5 photos per chart and 5 photos per embellishment Fabric calculator Shopping list Cloud storage Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. Cost is $9.99 per year. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user’s iTunes Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of the free trial period will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription.

Screenshots

CrossStitcher4 screens
XStitch Plus1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: XStitch Plus at 79% against CrossStitcher's 19%. XStitch Plus also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.6) and ratings volume (1K vs 258). CrossStitcher's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 weeks). 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. CrossStitcher sells 43 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and XStitch Plus sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

XStitch Plus holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 258 and 1K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 19% of CrossStitcher's written reviews are positive against 79% of XStitch Plus's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CrossStitcher ships an update fortnightly, XStitch Plus every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on September 21, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
CrossStitcher versus XStitch Plus: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCrossStitcherXStitch Plus
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (258 ratings)4.8 (1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews19.4% of reviews79.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2581K — better
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size20 MB22 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWarners Group Publications PLCPerformTec Ltd.

Customer experience

CrossStitcher

All ratings258 ratings
Positive91.1%
Neutral1.9%
Negative7.0%
Written reviews31 reviews
Positive19.4%
Neutral3.2%
Negative77.4%

XStitch Plus

All ratings1,021 ratings
Positive95.3%
Neutral1.7%
Negative3.0%
Written reviews92 reviews
Positive79.3%
Neutral6.5%
Negative14.1%

User reviews

CrossStitcher

From 258 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ✨ Inspires new projects
  • 👍 Access to past copies
  • 🔄 Company resolved glitch quickly
  • 📱 Can enlarge charts
  • 💻 View subscription online

Room to improve

  • 😞 App won't open
  • 🗑️ Purchased magazines gone after update
  • 💥 App crashes frequently
  • 💸 Money wasted on subscriptions
  • 🚫 Cannot access past issues

XStitch Plus

From 1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💻 Excellent organizational tool
  • 📊 Helpful inventory tracking
  • 🛒 Useful shopping list feature
  • 📸 Ability to add photos of projects
  • 🔍 Comprehensive thread/fabric database

Room to improve

  • 🔒 No option to add custom designers
  • 🔍 Difficult to search/add threads
  • 🗂️ Lack of project management features
  • 🔄 Inconsistent sync/login issues
  • 💰 Expensive subscription model

Bugs and requests

CrossStitcher

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • App won't open
  • Purchases lost after update
  • App crashes
  • Restore purchases not working
  • Unable to purchase new issues
Show 5 more
  • Buy button not functional
  • Continual login loop
  • Latest issue not downloading
  • Older purchases deleted
  • Error messages upon restoring issues

Requested features

4 requests
  • Option for printing pages
  • Show two pages side by side on iPad horizontal
  • Automatically download latest issue
  • Make features mentioned in app tour available

XStitch Plus

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Inventory data disappearing after subscription renewal
  • Login/access problems after updates
  • Inability to add certain thread types/brands

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add ability to mark projects as completed
  • Integrate shopping list with inventory
  • Allow custom designer/fabric entries
  • Improve search and data entry workflows
  • Provide more project tracking capabilities

In-app purchases

43 purchases

CrossStitcher

Subscriptions4
  • CrossStitcher 1M Auto Sub$3.991 Month
  • 3 Month Subscription$9.993 Months
  • 6 Month Subscription$16.496 Months
Show 1 more
  • 12 Month Subscription1 Month trial$59.991 Year
One-time39
  • July 2019 (id:785570)$5.99
  • February 2020 (id:785563)$5.99
  • November 2020 (id:785458)$5.99
Show 36 more
  • October 2020 (id:785459)$5.99
  • June 2020 (id:785464)$5.99
  • April 2020 (id:785466)$5.99
  • March 2020 (id:785467)$5.99
  • December 2021 (id:784474)$5.99
  • September 2019 (id:785568)$5.99
  • February 2026 (pp:1116162)$5.99
  • August 2025 (pp:1116152)$5.99
  • October 2016 (id:785532)$5.99
  • Summer 2020 (id:785463)$5.99
  • June 2025 (pp:1116156)$5.99
  • Summer 2015 (id:795822)$5.99
  • May 2025 (pp:1116158)$5.99
  • October 2021 (id:784478)$5.99
  • April 2025 (pp:1116142)$5.99
  • February 2025 (pp:1116138)$5.99
  • November 2015 (id:785500)$5.99
  • December 2020 (id:784500)$5.99
  • July 2020 (id:785462)$5.99
  • January 2025 (pp:1115995)$5.99
  • January 2019 (id:785551)$5.99
  • January 2017 (id:785535)$5.99
  • December 2024 (pp:1039974)$5.99
  • October 2015 (id:795747)$5.99
  • November 2024 (pp:1039979)$5.99
  • July 2016 (id:785529)$5.99
  • October 2024 (pp:1039984)$5.99
  • October 2017 (id:785545)$5.99
  • September 2020 (id:785460)$5.99
  • September 2024 (pp:1039989)$5.99
  • December 2017 (id:785547)$5.99
  • October 2019 (id:785567)$5.99
  • May 2020 (id:785465)$5.99
  • July 2024 (pp:1039999)$5.99
  • August 2020 (id:785461)$5.99
  • Complete Your C... (id:817685)$229.99
1 purchases

XStitch Plus

Subscriptions1
  • Annual Subscription$9.991 Year

Questions

Is CrossStitcher free?
CrossStitcher is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is XStitch Plus free?
XStitch Plus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, CrossStitcher or XStitch Plus?
XStitch Plus is rated higher. CrossStitcher averages 4.6 out of 5 from 258 ratings, while XStitch Plus averages 4.8 from 1K ratings.
Do CrossStitcher or XStitch Plus have ads?
Neither CrossStitcher nor XStitch Plus shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CrossStitcher or XStitch Plus?
CrossStitcher ships an update fortnightly, and XStitch Plus every 6 weeks. Most recently, CrossStitcher was updated on September 21, 2026 and XStitch Plus on September 21, 2026.

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