Comparison

CrossStitcher vs Fantastitch

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

Fantastitch

This app is an interactive viewer for digital cross-stitch patterns. It allows users to upload their own designs or use free ones, mark progress, and isolate symbols or colors for easier stitching. It also tracks project progress and material usage.

Highlights
  • Interactive pattern viewing
  • Mark and erase stitched areas
  • Isolate symbols and colors
  • Track daily/monthly progress
  • Canvas and thread usage insights
  • Adjustable rulers and grids
Features
Read full description

Fantastitch is a free interactive viewer for digital cross-stitch patterns developed by Merejka. You can upload your own patterns or download Merejka’s free patterns, open them in the viewer, and stitch without needing a paper scheme at all. The interactive mode allows you to mark already stitched areas on the pattern or erase your marks. You can also isolate a specific symbol or color and highlight it for easier stitching. The application shows you the required strands for stitching and makes your work enjoyable and efficient. Additionally, you can switch between different preview modes and adjust the visibility of various pattern elements. Fantastitch also provides useful insights into your daily, monthly, or overall progress, as well as the canvas and thread usage for each cross-stitching project. You can settings, such as rulers, grids. Fantastitch includes many other helpful features to make your cross-stitching experience easy and pleasant. Try Fantastitch today — it’s free.

Screenshots

CrossStitcher4 screens
Fantastitch4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: CrossStitcher at 4.6 against Fantastitch's 3.4. CrossStitcher also leads on ratings volume (260 vs 8). Fantastitch's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 43) and review sentiment (43% vs 23%). On price, update cadence, ads 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. Fantastitch asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

CrossStitcher holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CrossStitcher has 260 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 23% of CrossStitcher's written reviews are positive against 43% of Fantastitch's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CrossStitcher ships an update every 3 weeks, Fantastitch every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
CrossStitcher versus Fantastitch: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCrossStitcherFantastitch
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (260 ratings) — better3.4 (8 ratings)
Positive reviews22.6% of reviews42.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings260 — better8
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWarners Group Publications PLCMerejka sp. z o.o.

Customer experience

CrossStitcher

All ratings260 ratings
Positive91.2%
Neutral1.9%
Negative6.9%
Written reviews31 reviews
Positive22.6%
Neutral3.2%
Negative74.2%

Fantastitch

All ratings5 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive42.9%
Neutral14.3%
Negative42.9%

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

Fantastitch

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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
None

Fantastitch

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CrossStitcher free?
CrossStitcher is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Fantastitch free?
Fantastitch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, CrossStitcher or Fantastitch?
CrossStitcher is rated higher. CrossStitcher averages 4.6 out of 5 from 260 ratings, while Fantastitch averages 3.4 from 8 ratings.
Do CrossStitcher or Fantastitch have ads?
Neither CrossStitcher nor Fantastitch shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CrossStitcher or Fantastitch?
CrossStitcher ships an update every 3 weeks, and Fantastitch every 2 weeks. Most recently, CrossStitcher was updated on October 29, 2026 and Fantastitch on October 22, 2026.

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