PCStitch 11: Price, Free Trial, and a Browser Alternative
PCStitch 11 costs $49.95 once, Windows only, and its free trial is the full program with saving switched off — no time limit, you just can't keep what you make. It has been the go-to Windows cross-stitch software for over 20 years. Stitchmate is the browser alternative: it matches PCStitch's core stitching — French knots, blended threads, backstitch — and adds layers, 60+ thread brands, native PDF export, plus quality analysis tools PCStitch doesn't have. Already have PCStitch patterns? Stitchmate imports .PAT files directly — drag, drop, keep editing.
The short version
Don't have time for a deep dive? Here's the quick take.
Choose PCStitch if you...
- Need 60+ specialty stitches (such as Lazy Daisy), custom stitches, or Mill Hill beads
- Use Windows exclusively and prefer desktop software
- Want a built-in library of 2,000+ patterns, 90+ stitched alphabets, borders, and TrueType lettering
- Prefer a one-time $49.95 purchase
Choose Stitchmate if you...
- Want to import existing PCStitch .PAT files and keep editing
- Use Mac, Chromebook, iPad, or multiple devices
- Want FLOW score and confetti cleanup to ensure stitchable patterns
- Want French knots + blended threads with 60+ thread brands
- Want one-click Pattern Keeper export (no manual setup)
Platform & access
| Feature | Stitchmate | PCStitch |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Any browser (Windows, Mac, Linux, Chrome OS, iPad) | Windows only |
| Download required | No (optional desktop app for Mac and Windows) | Yes |
| .PAT file import | ✓ (drag & drop PCStitch files) | Native format |
| Free tier | ✓ (full editor, PNG export) | Free trial of the full program, no time limit (saving disabled until you buy) |
| Last updated | 2026 | 2018 (v11 maintenance release; v11 launched 2016) |
| Offline use | Desktop app (Mac, Windows, with a lifetime pass); browser needs a connection | ✓ |
| Progress tracking while stitching | ✓ Free progress tracker on any device, syncs, tracks backstitch | — (print the chart, or export for Pattern Keeper) |
Photo conversion
Stitchmate offers quality analysis tools to predict how a pattern will feel to stitch. PCStitch's import wizard has clear-region and brightness controls, plus an image underlay for tracing by hand.
| Feature | Stitchmate | PCStitch |
|---|---|---|
| Photo import | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pixel art mode | ✓ (1:1 color preservation) | — |
| Dithering options | ✓ | Not documented on PCStitch's site |
| FLOW score | ✓ | — |
| Confetti detection | ✓ | — |
| Confetti cleanup | ✓ (automatic, adjustable, global or brush) | — |
| Similar color warnings | ✓ | — |
Thread support
Stitchmate includes 60+ thread brand catalogs. PCStitch ships with DMC, Anchor, Weeks Dye Works, Crescent Colours, Threadworx, Caron, Kreinik, and others, plus a Floss Editor for creating custom lists. Stitchmate adds one-click brand remapping across the entire pattern.
| Feature | Stitchmate | PCStitch |
|---|---|---|
| Thread brands | 50+ (DMC, Anchor, Cosmo, Madeira, hand-dyed, and more) | DMC, Anchor, Weeks, Crescent Colours, Threadworx, Caron, Kreinik, and more + custom via Floss Editor |
| Hand-dyed threads | ✓ (Weeks Dye Works, Gentle Art, and more) | ✓ (Weeks, Crescent Colours, Caron, Threadworx) |
| Thread conversion | ✓ (1-click brand remapping across all 60+ brands) | Not documented on PCStitch's site |
| Blended threads | ✓ (2–4 strands, across all 60+ brands) | ✓ |
Stitch types
Both support the stitch types most patterns use. PCStitch goes further with 60+ specialty stitches, Mill Hill beads, and the option to create your own stitches, none of which Stitchmate has.
| Feature | Stitchmate | PCStitch |
|---|---|---|
| Full cross stitch | ✓ | ✓ |
| Half / quarter / three-quarter | ✓ | ✓ (plus petite stitches) |
| Backstitching | ✓ | ✓ |
| French knots | ✓ | ✓ |
| Blended threads | ✓ (2–4 strands, across all 60+ brands) | ✓ |
| Specialty stitches | — | ✓ (60+, such as Lazy Daisy; create your own) |
| Beads | — | ✓ (Mill Hill) |
Editing tools
| Feature | Stitchmate | PCStitch |
|---|---|---|
| Drawing tools | ✓ | ✓ |
| Selection tools | Rect, lasso, magic wand | Area selection (turn any area into an object) |
| Layers | ✓ | Movable objects (no layer stack) |
| Unlimited undo | ✓ | Multi-level |
| Max pattern size | 2000 × 2000 | Not documented on PCStitch's site |
Export options
Stitchmate has native PDF export with one-click Pattern Keeper compatibility. PCStitch has no built-in PDF export — users print to a third-party PDF printer and need specific symbol fonts for Pattern Keeper compatibility.
| Feature | Stitchmate | PCStitch |
|---|---|---|
| PDF export | ✓ (any paid option) | No native PDF (print-to-PDF via third-party) |
| Pattern Keeper compatible | ✓ (one-click, every paid option) | ✓ (manual: specific fonts + third-party PDF printer) |
| SVG export | ✓ (paid plans) | — |
| Realistic mockup previews | ✓ (frame/hoop) | — |
| Custom branding on PDF | ✓ (logo, QR code, socials; brandless on Plus Pass) | ✓ (designer logo on the info sheet, custom headers and footers; PDF via print-to-PDF) |
| Thread shopping list | ✓ | ✓ |
Pricing
PCStitch 11 is a single edition sold as a one-time $49.95 purchase, and its free trial is the full program with no time limit (saving is disabled until you buy). Stitchmate offers one-time options from $7.99 for one pattern (or $2 each in a 10-pack) to $99–149 lifetime, all including future updates. PCStitch prices from PCStitch's site as of September 2026.
| Option | Stitchmate | PCStitch |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | ✓ (full editor, PNG export) | Full-program trial, no time limit (saving disabled) |
| 1 pattern | $7.99 (PDF unlock forever, with edits) | — |
| Pattern packs | 5 for $12 or 10 for $20 ($2 each) | — |
| 30 days | $14.99 Personal Pass / $24.99 Plus Pass (one-time, not a subscription) | — |
| Lifetime / one-time | $99 Personal Pass / $149 Plus Pass (includes all future updates) | PCStitch 11: $49.95 (one-time) |
| Updates included | ✓ Always, including Free | No new major version since v11 (2016); last release September 2018 |
How they compare in practice
Feature lists tell part of the story. The other part is how the software feels in your hands.
PCStitch has accumulated two decades of features. It can do things Stitchmate can't — 60+ specialty stitches plus your own custom stitches, Mill Hill beads, and a library of 2,000+ patterns and 90+ stitched alphabets. If you need those capabilities, PCStitch is your choice. PCStitch 11 (2016) brought a ribbon interface and Windows 10 support, and the last release came in 2018. Pattern Keeper requires manual setup, and it runs on Windows only.
Stitchmate now matches PCStitch on the stitch types most stitchers use daily — French knots, blended threads, backstitch — and goes further with 60+ thread brands, a true layer system, native PDF export, and quality analysis tools PCStitch doesn't have. FLOW scoring tells you how stitchable your pattern is before you start, and automatic confetti cleanup handles scattered confetti stitches, which PCStitch has no automatic detection or cleanup for. The tradeoff is real — no specialty stitches, no beads — but for photo conversion and standard cross stitch, the quality tools make a noticeable difference.
Neither approach is wrong. PCStitch suits power users who need maximum specialty stitch variety. Stitchmate suits those who want a modern workflow with quality assurance built in.
For pattern sellers: Stitchmate's Plus Pass ($24.99 for 30 days or $149 lifetime) adds a commercial license and brandless PDFs; Pattern Keeper export comes with every paid option, and mockup images are free. PCStitch 11 ($49.95) is cheaper upfront and prints your designer logo and custom headers and footers, but PDFs go through a third-party PDF printer and there are no mockups.
The best way to compare? Try both.
PCStitch's free trial is the full program with no time limit; it just can't save. Stitchmate is free to start with PNG export. Open them side by side and see which workflow fits you better.
Works on any device — phone, tablet, or computer. No Windows required.
All comparisons · All features · 12-program review · Open .PAT files online · Photo converter · What is confetti? · DMC color chart · vs WinStitch · vs Stitchly · vs KG-Chart
Published by Stitchmate, one of the tools compared. Last updated Sep 20, 2026; competitor details are checked against each vendor's own site.
Actively developed — 85 updates in the past year, most recently . See what's new →
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between Stitchmate and PCStitch?
Stitchmate is a browser-based cross-stitch pattern maker that works on any device, while PCStitch is a Windows-only desktop application. Both support French knots, blended threads, backstitch, and extensive thread libraries (Stitchmate has 60+ brands; PCStitch ships DMC, Anchor, Weeks Dye Works, Kreinik and more, plus a Floss Editor). Stitchmate adds layers, FLOW score, confetti cleanup, native PDF export with Pattern Keeper compatibility, and can import PCStitch .PAT files directly. PCStitch offers 60+ specialty stitches (such as Lazy Daisy), Mill Hill beads, and a 2,000+ pattern library that Stitchmate doesn't have, but it prints PDFs through a third-party PDF printer and uses movable objects rather than layers.
Is Stitchmate a good alternative to PCStitch?
Yes. Stitchmate matches PCStitch on core features — French knots, blended threads, backstitch — and goes further with layers, 60+ thread brands, native PDF export, and quality analysis tools (FLOW score, confetti cleanup) with one-click Pattern Keeper export. If you use Mac, Chromebook, or iPad, Stitchmate works on any device. PCStitch remains better for 60+ specialty stitches (such as Lazy Daisy), custom stitches, Mill Hill beads, and its built-in library of 2,000+ patterns.
Can I import my PCStitch patterns into Stitchmate?
Yes. Stitchmate opens .PAT files from PCStitch 3 and 5–11 directly (version 4 files are not supported) — drag and drop into the editor. Colors, stitches, and backstitch transfer intact. You can then edit, re-export as a Pattern Keeper PDF, or remap to a different thread brand.
Does PCStitch work with Pattern Keeper?
Yes, but it requires manual setup — specific symbol fonts (PCStitch Symbols or PCStitch Symbols 2) and a third-party PDF printer like PDF Creator. Stitchmate offers one-click Pattern Keeper export with no additional configuration.
Is PCStitch free?
No, but the trial is unusually generous. PCStitch 11 is a one-time $49.95 purchase for Windows. The free trial is the complete program with no time limit — every feature works, but saving is disabled until you buy, so you can't keep what you design. Stitchmate is free to design and edit in any browser at sizes up to 2000x2000, and the printable PDF is the paid step, from $7.99 for a single pattern.
How much does PCStitch 11 cost?
PCStitch 11 is a one-time $49.95 purchase, and its free trial is the full program with no time limit (saving is disabled until you buy). Stitchmate offers a free tier (full editor, PNG export), a $7.99 single-pattern PDF unlock (forever, with unlimited edits), 5 patterns for $12 or 10 for $20, 30-day passes at $14.99 (Personal) or $24.99 (Plus), or lifetime at $99 (Personal) or $149 (Plus) with all updates included. For a handful of patterns Stitchmate costs less; for unlimited use, PCStitch 11 is cheaper upfront than a Stitchmate lifetime pass.
Which is better for needlepoint, Stitchmate or PCStitch?
They serve different needs. PCStitch's 60+ specialty stitches and Mill Hill beads suit counted-thread embroidery on fabric. It can size printouts to a stitches-per-inch count, but it has no dedicated needlepoint or tent-stitch mode, and wool lists are not documented on its site. Stitchmate charts needlepoint natively: tent and petite stitches on a canvas grid, mesh sizing from 10 to 28, and Appleton wool in the thread library.