If you're looking for cross stitch software, the first question is usually whether you need to pay. We've taken our time reading the websites of the most popular programs so we can tell you what each one does, what it offers for free and who it's for. The details come from their own websites, checked on 15 November 2026, and prices may change.
A heads-up before we start: PyA Stitch Studio is ours. We've included it in the comparison, and we also tell you where the others beat us.
The comparison at a glance
| Program | Where it runs | What you get free | Price | Special stitches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PyA Stitch Studio | Browser (phone, tablet and computer) | Charts up to 150 × 150 stitches and 30 colours, with PDF | €5 per chart, up to 400 × 400 stitches and without branding | ¾ stitch, half stitch, French knot, backstitch and blends, free too |
| Pic2Pat | Browser (phone, tablet and computer) | Chart and PDF up to 1000 × 1000 stitches | Free (they sell thread and fabric kits) | Full stitches only |
| Stitch Fiddle | Browser, on any device | 15 charts, 50 colours, up to 300 × 300 stitches | Premium: €2 a month | Half stitch, quarter stitches, knots and beads, Premium only |
| Stitchmate | Browser, Mac and Windows | Design, touch up, track progress and export as PNG | The PDF: €5.49 for one chart or €17.99 for ten | Half stitch, quarter stitches, backstitch and French knot |
| FlossCross | Browser | Everything, no sign-up | Free | Backstitch, half stitch and petite stitch |
| PCStitch 11 | Windows | Free download to try it out | $49.95 | Quarter stitches, ¾ stitch, half stitch and automatic backstitch |
| WinStitch / MacStitch Premium | Windows and Mac | Demo | £46 or $47 plus tax | Quarter stitches, half stitch, ¾ stitch and French knot |
PyA Stitch Studio
Who it's for: you want to turn a photo into cross stitch and make it look lovely from your phone, with the DMC threads ready to order.
- An artificial intelligence model draws the backstitch outlines, and the program treats faces, hair and animal fur separately.
- Every tool is in the free version: three-quarter stitch (¾), half stitch, knots, text, blends of two threads, clean-up of stray stitches and checkerboard transitions.
- The free PDF is printable. It tells you how much fabric to cut and how many skeins of each colour you need, leaving out the ones you already have.
- The threads are DMC colours from our shop, in stock, and they go into your basket along with the fabric.
- The QR code on the PDF opens My embroidery, where you mark your progress on your phone. You can also open other designers' charts there, as a PDF or .oxs file.
- Your photo never leaves your device.
Where others beat us: the free size (Pic2Pat goes up to 1000 × 1000 stitches without paying) and thread brands, because we only work with the DMC colour card (for Luca-S, there's our converter).
Try PyA Stitch Studio with one of your own photos.
Pic2Pat
Who it's for: you want a large chart from a photo, free and without any fuss.
- It's free, and so is the PDF: the site pays its way by selling thread and fabric kits.
- Your photo stays on your device; only the finished chart is sent to make the PDF.
- It goes up to 1000 × 1000 stitches and works with seven thread brands, including DMC, Anchor and Madeira.
- It's available in 20 languages and its charts work in Pattern Keeper.
What it lacks: charts are full stitches only, and the adjustments are made to the image (contrast, brightness, saturation), not stitch by stitch.
Stitch Fiddle
Who it's for: you design often, for other crafts too, and want your charts saved in the cloud.
- It works in the browser on any device and syncs your charts.
- You can upload photos in the free version too.
- Premium costs €2 a month and doesn't renew automatically.
What the free version limits: 15 charts, 50 colours and 300 × 300 stitches. Special stitches (half stitch, quarter stitches, knots, beads), fill, changing colours, the vector PDF and downloads without their branding are Premium only.
Stitchmate
Who it's for: you make lots of charts and want to keep track of the threads you have at home.
- It converts the photo on your device, without uploading it.
- Designing, touching up, tracking your progress and keeping tabs on your threads are all free.
- It has half stitch, quarter stitches, backstitch and French knot.
- It opens charts in PDF and .oxs, as well as PCStitch and Pattern Maker files, and has an app for Mac and Windows.
What you pay for: the printable PDF, from €5.49 per chart (or €17.99 for ten). For free, you can keep up to 10 charts at a time.
FlossCross
Who it's for: you want a free editor on your computer, without creating an account.
- Free, with no sign-up. Your charts are saved only in your browser.
- It uses 498 DMC colours and starts from a photo or from a blank grid.
- It has backstitch, half stitch and petite stitch, exports to PDF and opens and saves .oxs files.
PCStitch
Who it's for: you've been stitching for years, you design on a Windows computer and you don't mind paying for a licence.
- It costs $49.95 and runs on Windows 7 or later.
- It has quarter stitches, three-quarter stitch (¾), half stitch and automatic backstitch around an area of colour.
Worth knowing: the latest PCStitch 11 update listed on its website is from 25 September 2018.
WinStitch and MacStitch
Who it's for: you design a lot, from scratch, on a Windows or Mac computer.
- The Premium version costs £46 or $47 plus tax, and you can try a demo first.
- It goes up to 999 × 999 stitches and 255 colours.
- It has quarter stitches, half stitch, ¾ stitch and French knot.
To follow your stitching: Pattern Keeper and My embroidery
Pattern Keeper is an Android app that opens PDF charts so you can mark what you've stitched; it has a free trial, and the iPhone version is in development. My embroidery, our own, works free in your phone's browser: you open it with the QR code on your chart, or open another designer's chart there as a PDF or .oxs file. Stitchmate also has free progress tracking.
Which one should you choose?
- You want a large chart from a photo, free and without much touching up: Pic2Pat.
- You design from scratch on your computer and want every option: WinStitch or MacStitch.
- You make lots of charts and want to keep track of the threads you have: Stitchmate.
- You want a free editor without creating an account: FlossCross.
- You want to turn a photo into cross stitch and make it look lovely from your phone, with well-handled faces, outlines and the DMC threads in a single order: PyA Stitch Studio.
Frequently asked questions
Is there professional cross stitch software that's free?
The classic desktop programs, like PCStitch or WinStitch, are paid, and you can try them first. Online, there are free options: FlossCross, Pic2Pat (full stitches only) and PyA Stitch Studio, which gives you all its tools and the PDF free up to 150 × 150 stitches.
Which cross stitch software works on a phone?
The ones that run in the browser: PyA Stitch Studio, Pic2Pat, Stitch Fiddle and Stitchmate. PCStitch, WinStitch and MacStitch are installed on a computer.
Do I have to upload my photo to the internet?
It depends on the program. Pic2Pat, Stitchmate and PyA Stitch Studio say on their websites that the photo stays on your device. If that matters to you, check each program's website before you use it.
Can I stitch the chart with another brand of thread?
Yes. If your chart is in DMC and you'd rather use Luca-S, use our DMC ⇄ Luca-S converter. To choose your fabric, see our guide to turning a photo into a cross stitch pattern.