Stitchmate vs Stitchly
First things first: they're different products — the
similar names trip everyone up. Stitchly is a well-rated native app for iPhone, iPad, and Android with a one-time
unlock. Stitchmate is a browser-based editor with pattern import, 50+ thread brands, quality analysis, and a dedicated needlepoint mode
The short version
Don't have time for a deep dive? Here's the quick take.
Choose Stitchly if you...
- Work primarily on an iPad and want a native app feel (Apple Pencil included)
- Want a fully offline native app with Apple Pencil drawing
- Prefer offline, on-device storage with no account anywhere
- Like a single one-time unlock (~$40) for unlimited patterns on one platform
Choose Stitchmate if you...
- Switch between devices — browser-based with cloud sync, including Windows and Chromebook
- Need to open existing patterns — .OXS, .PAT, .XSD, or PDF charts
- Want FLOW scoring and confetti cleanup for photo conversions you'll actually enjoy stitching
- Chart needlepoint natively — tent stitch rendering, mesh sizing, and wool brands
- Use thread brands beyond DMC and Anchor (50+ catalogs, one-click remapping)
Platforms & pricing
The fundamental difference: Stitchly is a native app you install; Stitchmate is a website you open. Everything else follows from that.
| Feature | Stitchmate | Stitchly |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Any browser — Mac, Windows, iPad, iPhone, Android, Chromebook | iPhone, iPad, Mac (M1+), Android 8+ |
| Install required | None | App Store / Google Play |
| Pricing model | Free editor; $5.99/pattern PDF unlock, or $99–$149 one-time plans | Free with limits; one-time full unlock (from $39.99, US App Store) |
| Purchase works across platforms | ✓ (one account, any browser) | — (iOS and Android purchases are separate) |
| Pattern storage | Cloud sync across devices (local-first on desktop app) | On-device only; transfer via AirDrop/Files |
| Works offline | Desktop app; browser needs a connection | ✓ (fully offline, data stays on device) |
Threads & stitch types
| Feature | Stitchmate | Stitchly |
|---|---|---|
| Thread brands | 50+ (DMC, Anchor, Cosmo, Madeira, Appleton wool, hand-dyed, and more) | 13+ palettes, incl. multiple DMC lines and DMC Tapestry Wool |
| Max pattern size | 2000 × 2000 | 300 × 300 |
| Brand remapping | ✓ (one click, whole palette) | Not advertised |
| Fractional stitches (¼, ½, ¾) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Backstitch & French knots | ✓ | ✓ |
| Blended threads | ✓ (2–4 strands) | Not advertised |
| Layers | ✓ | Not advertised |
Photo conversion & quality
Both convert photos with guided settings. Stitchmate adds analysis tools that predict how the result will feel to stitch — the difference shows most on busy photos.
| Feature | Stitchmate | Stitchly |
|---|---|---|
| Photo import | ✓ (real-time preview while tuning) | ✓ (settings wizard) |
| Trace over a background image | ✓ | ✓ |
| FLOW score | ✓ (0–100 stitchability rating) | — |
| Confetti cleanup | ✓ (automatic, adjustable, global or brush) | Not advertised |
| Progress tracking while stitching | ✓ Free progress tracker: any device, syncs, tracks backstitch (plus Pattern Keeper compatible PDFs) | ✓ (built in — highlight and mark stitches) |
Import, export & interoperability
The biggest practical gap. Stitchly is a closed ecosystem — its files open only in Stitchly. Stitchmate is built to exchange patterns with the rest of the software world.
| Feature | Stitchmate | Stitchly |
|---|---|---|
| Open other software's patterns | ✓ (.OXS, .PAT, .XSD — drag & drop) | — (Stitchly files only) |
| Import PDF patterns | ✓ | — |
| PDF export | ✓ (paid plans; symbols + thread key, Pattern Keeper compatible) | ✓ (full version; incl. skein counts) |
| PNG export | ✓ (free) | ✓ (incl. 1:1 canvas printing) |
| Realistic mockup previews | ✓ (frame/hoop) | Not advertised |
Needlepoint
Stitchly is genuinely popular with needlepointers — for years it's been one of the most-recommended charting apps in the needlepoint community. The difference is between an app needlepointers use and a mode built for needlepoint.
| Feature | Stitchmate | Stitchly |
|---|---|---|
| Needlepoint approach | Dedicated craft mode | Cross stitch charts used for needlepoint |
| Tent stitch rendering | ✓ (charts draw as diagonals, like the finished piece) | — (crosses) |
| Mesh-count sizing | ✓ (10–28 mesh; legend says canvas, not fabric) | — (Aida counts) |
| Wool thread brands | ✓ (all 430 Appleton shades + DMC) | DMC Tapestry Wool palette |
| Petite stitches (fine detail) | ✓ | Not advertised |
| Convert cross stitch chart to needlepoint | ✓ (one step) | — |
Stitchly vs Stitchmate: yes, the names are confusing
We hear it constantly, so let's settle it: Stitchly and Stitchmate are unrelated products from different developers. Stitchly (by Subtlabs) is a native app on the App Store and Google Play. Stitchmate is this site — a browser-based editor at stitchmate.app. Neither is a rebrand, fork, or version of the other; the names just landed close.
If a friend or a forum comment recommended "Stitchly" for charting, they may have meant either one — the recommendation threads mix them up too. The practical tiebreaker: if they mentioned an iPad app with progress tracking, that's Stitchly. If they mentioned a website with photo conversion, thread brand remapping, or needlepoint mode, that's here.
How they compare in practice
Stitchly earns its 4.8-star App Store rating. As a native app it feels immediate on a tablet — drawing with an Apple Pencil, tracking progress stitch by stitch, everything stored on your device with no account. The one-time unlock is fair, and there's a genuine community of tutorial creators around it. Its limits show at the edges: patterns cap at 300×300 stitches, they live in Stitchly's own format that nothing else opens, there's no way to import a PDF chart or another program's files, and an iOS purchase doesn't carry to Android (or vice versa) — Stitchly's own FAQ is upfront about that.
Stitchmate is built around the opposite instinct: openness. It opens .OXS, .PAT, and .XSD files from other software, imports PDF charts, remaps palettes across 50+ thread brands, and exports Pattern Keeper compatible PDFs — your patterns arrive from anywhere and leave in formats the rest of the stitching world reads. On top of that sit the quality tools — FLOW scoring and confetti cleanup — and the needlepoint mode with true tent stitch rendering and mesh sizing, plus a diamond painting mode with round and square drills.
The honest split: Stitchly is the better stitching companion — design and track progress in one offline app. Stitchmate is the better pattern workshop — more brands, more formats, more analysis, on more devices.
The bottom line
Stitchly is the right choice if you live on your iPad, want design and progress tracking in one offline app, and are happy inside a single ecosystem. It's a well-made app with a loyal following — including many needlepointers.
Stitchmate is the right choice if your patterns need to move — between devices, between file formats, between thread brands, or between crafts. The editor is free on any browser; you pay only when you export a printable PDF, from $5.99 for a single pattern.
For needlepointers specifically: Stitchly works, as thousands of canvas stitchers can attest. Stitchmate is built for it — tent stitch rendering, mesh sizing, Appleton wool, and one-step chart conversion. Both appear in our review of 8 needlepoint chart programs.
Used Stitchmate? Tell others how it went.
The best way to compare? Try both.
Stitchly has a free version on the app stores; Stitchmate is free to try in the browser you're already using. See which fits your workflow.
Works on any device — phone, tablet, or computer. No download required.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Are Stitchly and Stitchmate the same app?
No — and the similar names confuse people constantly. Stitchly is a native app for iPhone, iPad, Mac (M1+), and Android, developed by Subtlabs. Stitchmate (stitchmate.app) is a browser-based pattern editor that runs on any device, including Windows and Chromebooks. Different developers, different products, different platforms.
What's the difference between Stitchmate and Stitchly?
Stitchly is a polished native app: photo conversion, drawing tools, built-in progress tracking, and offline local storage, unlocked with a one-time purchase. Stitchmate is a browser editor: pattern file import (.OXS/.PAT/.XSD), 50+ thread brands, FLOW quality scoring, confetti cleanup, cloud sync across devices, a free progress tracker that syncs and tracks backstitch, Pattern Keeper compatible export, and a dedicated needlepoint mode with tent stitch rendering and mesh-count sizing.
How much does Stitchly cost?
Stitchly has a free version with limitations; the full version is a one-time in-app purchase (listed from $39.99 on the US App Store), with no subscription. One caveat from Stitchly's own FAQ: purchases don't transfer between iOS and Android — the platforms use separate payment systems.
Can Stitchly open PDF patterns or files from other software?
No — Stitchly imports only its own Stitchly files (shared via AirDrop or the Files app). It cannot open PDF charts or patterns from MacStitch, PCStitch, or other software. Stitchmate opens .OXS, .PAT, and .XSD files by drag and drop, and imports PDF patterns.
Is Stitchly or Stitchmate better for needlepoint?
Stitchly is popular with needlepointers — its site notes many customers use it for needlepoint, with a DMC Tapestry Wool palette and thick-line settings. Its charts are still cross stitch charts, though. Stitchmate charts needlepoint natively: true tent stitch rendering on a canvas grid, mesh-count sizing from 10 to 28, petite stitches, wool brands including all 430 Appleton shades, and one-step conversion of existing cross stitch charts.
Does Stitchmate have progress tracking like Stitchly?
Yes. Stitchmate's progress tracker is built into the editor and free on every pattern: mark stitches by tap or drag, highlight one color, park threads, and track backstitch per segment. It runs in the browser on any device and syncs across them, which Stitchly's device-local tracking does not. Stitchly's in-app tracking is still genuinely good on an iPad, and Stitchmate also exports Pattern Keeper compatible PDFs if you track on Android.
Can I move my patterns between Stitchly and Stitchmate?
Not directly — Stitchly's format is proprietary and it doesn't export interchange formats like .OXS. If you have the same design as an image or a charted PDF, you can rebuild it in Stitchmate via photo or PDF import. Going the other way, Stitchly can't open Stitchmate's files either.