Stitchmate vs WinStitch
WinStitch has over 30 years of feature depth behind it. Stitchmate is a modern alternative with the same core capabilities — French knots, blended threads, 60+ thread brands, layers, backstitch — plus quality analysis tools WinStitch doesn't have. Both export Pattern Keeper-compatible PDFs. Already have WinStitch patterns? Export them to .OXS and Stitchmate opens them — drag, drop, keep editing.
The short version
Don't have time for a deep dive? Here's the quick take.
Choose WinStitch if you...
- Need specialty stitches like Hardanger, chain stitch, beads, or buttons/sequins
- Have custom thread sets you've built over years
- Need knitting or Tunisian crochet charts
- Need TrueType text layers for lettering
- Prefer a one-time desktop license (£46 / $47 + tax)
Choose Stitchmate if you...
- Want to bring WinStitch charts over (export to .OXS) and keep editing
- Want to work on any device without installing software
- Want FLOW score and confetti cleanup to ensure stitchable patterns
- Want French knots + blended threads with 60+ thread brand catalogs
- Want Pattern Keeper export in every paid option, from $7.99 for one pattern
Platform & access
| Feature | Stitchmate | WinStitch |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Any browser (Windows, Mac, Linux, Chrome OS, iPad), plus a Windows & Mac desktop app with a lifetime pass | Windows & Mac (desktop app) |
| Download required | No | Yes |
| Mobile / tablet | ✓ | Companion iPad/iPhone app (MobiStitch) for small charts; not the full editor |
| .OXS file import | ✓ (drag & drop WinStitch files) | Exports .OXS (2021+ versions); native format is .chart. Also opens PCStitch .PAT v4–7 |
| Free tier | ✓ (PNG export, full editor) | Demo of the full app (can save; can't print or export charts you make). The simpler MiniStitch app is free to £15 |
| Last updated | 2026 | 2026 |
| Development history | New | 30+ years (since 1993) |
| Progress tracking while stitching | ✓ Free progress tracker on any device, syncs, tracks backstitch | ✓ Markup menu in the desktop app (mark stitched squares on screen) |
Photo conversion
Stitchmate offers quality analysis tools to predict how a pattern will feel to stitch. WinStitch offers blend creation during import and the ability to overlay your source image behind the grid while editing — useful for manual tracing.
| Feature | Stitchmate | WinStitch |
|---|---|---|
| Photo import | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pixel art mode | ✓ (1:1 color preservation) | — |
| FLOW score | ✓ | — |
| Confetti detection | ✓ | — |
| Confetti cleanup | ✓ (automatic, adjustable strength, global or brush-targeted) | Basic (Despeckle) |
| Similar color warnings | ✓ | — |
| Automatic blend creation | — | ✓ |
| Onion skin (overlay image while editing) | ✓ | ✓ |
Thread support
Both offer extensive thread libraries. Stitchmate includes 60+ brand catalogs with perceptual color matching (CIEDE2000). WinStitch has 30+ brands (with extra thread packs sold as add-ons) plus custom thread set support — an advantage if you've built your own palettes over the years.
| Feature | Stitchmate | WinStitch |
|---|---|---|
| Thread brands | 50+ (DMC, Anchor, Cosmo, Madeira, and more) | 30+ brands |
| Hand-dyed threads | ✓ (Weeks Dye Works, Gentle Art, and more) | ✓ (Weeks, Gentle Arts, Dinky Dyes, etc.) |
| Thread conversion | ✓ (1-click brand remapping across all 60+ brands) | Per thread (replace a palette thread with one from any brand list) |
| Custom thread sets | — | ✓ |
Editing tools
| Feature | Stitchmate | WinStitch |
|---|---|---|
| Drawing tools | ✓ | ✓ |
| Selection tools | Rect, lasso, magic wand | Rect, lasso |
| Layers | ✓ (all plans) | ✓ |
| Text tool | ✓ (cross stitch fonts) | ✓ (any TrueType font) |
| Image layers | — | ✓ |
| Symmetry modes | ✓ | ✓ |
| Unlimited undo | ✓ | ✓ (multi-level) |
| Max pattern size | 2000 × 2000 | 999 × 999 (up to 254 colors) |
Stitch types
Both support the stitch types most patterns use — full, half, quarter, backstitch, and French knots. WinStitch goes further with specialty stitches (Hardanger, chain stitch, beads) that Stitchmate doesn't have.
| Feature | Stitchmate | WinStitch |
|---|---|---|
| Full cross stitch | ✓ | ✓ |
| Half stitch | ✓ | ✓ |
| Quarter stitch | ✓ | ✓ |
| Three-quarter stitch | ✓ | ✓ |
| Petite stitch | ✓ | ✓ |
| Backstitching | ✓ | ✓ |
| French knots | ✓ | ✓ |
| Blended threads | ✓ (2–4 strands, across all 60+ brands) | ✓ (across 30+ built-in brands + custom sets) |
| Beads | — | ✓ (including bugle beads) |
| Specialty stitches | — | ✓ (Hardanger, chain, diamond, etc.) |
| Buttons / sequins | — | ✓ |
Export options
Both include Pattern Keeper-compatible export in what they sell today. Stitchmate includes it in every paid option (from $7.99 for one pattern, or $2 each in a 10-pack). WinStitch includes a one-click Pattern Keeper export in every current license (£46 / $47 + tax).
| Feature | Stitchmate | WinStitch |
|---|---|---|
| PDF export | ✓ (any paid option) | ✓ (advanced PDF, vector symbols) |
| Pattern Keeper compatible | ✓ (every paid option) | ✓ (one-click export) |
| PNG / image export | ✓ | ✓ |
| SVG export | ✓ (paid plans) | — |
| Realistic mockup previews | ✓ (frame/hoop) | ✓ |
| Thread shopping list | ✓ | ✓ |
| Custom branding on PDF | ✓ (logo, QR code, socials; brandless on Plus Pass) | ✓ (logo, copyright) |
| Colorways (alternate palettes) | — | ✓ |
| Crochet / knitting export | ✓ C2C crochet only — no Tunisian or knitting | ✓ (knitting, C2C and Tunisian crochet) |
Pricing
WinStitch is a one-time £46 / $47 + tax license for Mac or Windows, with a discounted bundle for both. New yearly versions are optional paid upgrades, or you can add Lifetime Upgrades when you buy. Stitchmate offers non-renewing one-time access — pay once, keep the features for the duration you choose, including all updates. WinStitch prices from Ursa Software's site as of September 2026.
| Option | Stitchmate | WinStitch |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | ✓ (full editor, PNG export) | Demo (can save; can't print or export charts you make) |
| 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 license | $99 Personal Pass / $149 Plus Pass (commercial license; $49 to upgrade Personal to Plus) | £46 / $47 + tax (Premium, the only edition sold; Standard discontinued) |
| Upgrades | Always included, including Free | Optional: £14 to the 2026 version from Premium 2021+, £25 from Standard, Lite or PCStitch; or a Lifetime Upgrades add-on |
How they compare in practice
Feature lists tell part of the story. The other part is how the software feels in your hands.
WinStitch is mature and capable. With over 30 years of development, it's packed with features — layers, custom thread sets, specialty stitches, colorways, knitting and crochet output. The interface reflects that depth: powerful but dense, with menus and options for workflows you may never use. It's designed for users who need everything.
Stitchmate takes a different approach. Instead of exposing every option, it surfaces the ones that matter most for the current task — and adds analysis tools WinStitch doesn't have. FLOW scoring catches stitchability problems before you commit to a project, and automatic confetti cleanup handles the scattered stitches that make photo conversions tedious. The result is fewer niche features, but more confidence in the patterns you produce.
Neither approach is wrong. WinStitch suits power users who need maximum flexibility. Stitchmate suits those who want a streamlined workflow with quality assurance built in.
Craft scope: WinStitch reaches into knitting and crochet charts (including C2C and Tunisian) and has dedicated diamond-painting output, and Ursa also sells a separate Diamonds app. MacStitch has long been a charting tool of choice among professional needlepoint designers, handling canvaswork through a "plastic canvas / tapestry" chart type with tent stitches and Appleton wool, sized by holes per inch. Stitchmate's dedicated needlepoint mode renders charts as true tent stitches with mesh-count presets and wool thread brands. Its diamond painting mode works with round/square drills, DMC drill codes, and true-size canvas math, and C2C crochet and fuse-bead modes round out five crafts in one editor. WinStitch still covers knitting and Tunisian crochet, which Stitchmate doesn't. How the two compare against the rest of the needlepoint field is covered in the needlepoint chart software review .
Thread colors: Stitchmate's color values were sampled directly from scanned official thread catalog cards — the same reference cards manufacturers provide to retailers. When you see DMC 3371 on screen, it matches what you'll see in your hand. Color accuracy varies across pattern software, and small differences compound across a 50-color palette.
PDF symbols: Every symbol in Stitchmate's PDF export was selected and tested for legibility at print size. Similar-looking symbols are spaced apart in the assignment order. The goal: a printed chart you can actually read without squinting or second-guessing whether that's a circle or a dot.
These aren't headline features. They're the kind of details you only notice when they're missing.
For pattern sellers: Both work. WinStitch (£46 / $47 + tax) or a Stitchmate Plus Pass ( $24.99 for 30 days or $149 lifetime ) include Pattern Keeper compatibility and commercial use. Both can put your logo on the PDF. WinStitch offers custom thread sets and colorways; Stitchmate offers quality scoring and brandless PDFs.
Looking for a WinStitch alternative? If you're on an iPad or Chromebook, or just want browser-based access without a desktop install, Stitchmate handles the same core workflows — and you can bring your existing charts with you as .OXS files.
The best way to compare? Try both.
WinStitch offers a free demo (it saves, but can't print or export the charts you make). 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 desktop software required.
All comparisons · All features · 12-program review · Open .OXS files online · Photo converter · What is confetti? · DMC color chart · vs PCStitch · vs Stitchly · vs KG-Chart
Published by Stitchmate, one of the tools compared. Last updated Sep 18, 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 WinStitch?
Stitchmate is browser-based and works on any device, while WinStitch is a desktop app for Windows and Mac. Both support French knots, blended threads, layers, backstitch, and Pattern Keeper PDF export. Stitchmate has 60+ thread brand catalogs, FLOW score quality analysis, confetti cleanup, and opens .OXS files exported from WinStitch. WinStitch has specialty stitches (Hardanger, beads, buttons, sequins), custom thread sets, a built-in Markup menu for ticking off stitched squares, and knitting, crochet (C2C and Tunisian) and diamond-painting output.
Is Stitchmate or WinStitch better for Pattern Keeper?
Both export Pattern Keeper compatible PDFs. WinStitch includes a one-click Pattern Keeper export in every license it sells today (Premium, £46 / $47 + tax). Stitchmate includes Pattern Keeper compatibility in every paid option: $7.99 for one pattern, 10 patterns for $20, a 30-day pass from $14.99, or a lifetime pass from $99.
Which has more thread brands, Stitchmate or WinStitch?
Both offer extensive thread libraries. Stitchmate includes 60+ brand catalogs in the editor — DMC, Anchor, Cosmo, Madeira, plus hand-dyed brands like Weeks Dye Works and Gentle Art — with colors matched using perceptual color science (CIEDE2000). WinStitch supports 30+ brands (extra thread packs are sold as add-ons) and adds custom thread set support, so you can define your own thread palettes.
Can I import my WinStitch patterns into Stitchmate?
Yes, through .OXS. WinStitch and MacStitch save charts in their own .chart format, and the 2021 and later versions can export any chart to .OXS from the Import/Export menu. Export your chart as .OXS, then drag and drop it into the Stitchmate editor. Colors, full and partial stitches, backstitch, and thread palettes transfer. You can then edit, re-export as a Pattern Keeper PDF, or remap to a different thread brand. Custom thread sets, TrueType text layers, and specialty stitches like Hardanger or beads are not imported since Stitchmate doesn't support those features.
Does Stitchmate support French knots and blended threads?
Yes. French knots are fully supported in the editor, PDF export, and file imports. The realistic renderer shows them with proper 3D lighting. Blended (multi-thread) colors — 2 to 4 strand mixing — are also supported, with blend info carrying through to PDF export.
Is WinStitch still being updated?
Yes, WinStitch is actively maintained with yearly versions (the current version is 2026). Ursa Software has been developing it for over 30 years, since 1993. Stitchmate is also actively developed with frequent feature releases.
Is WinStitch or Stitchmate better for needlepoint?
MacStitch/WinStitch is the tool many professional needlepoint designers have historically used, and it handles tent-stitch charting through its tapestry / plastic-canvas chart type, with tent stitches and Appleton tapestry wool, sized by holes per inch. Stitchmate has a dedicated needlepoint mode: charts render as true tent stitches on a canvas grid, sizing works in mesh count (10–28), petite stitches handle fine detail, and the thread library includes all 430 Appleton wool shades.
Which is cheaper, Stitchmate or WinStitch?
WinStitch is a one-time £46 / $47 + tax license (Premium is the only edition sold now; the older Standard edition is discontinued). New yearly versions are optional paid upgrades (£14 from Premium 2021 or later), or you can add Lifetime Upgrades when you buy. Stitchmate offers one-time (non-renewing) options: $7.99 for a single pattern PDF (forever, with unlimited edits and re-exports), 5 patterns for $12 or 10 for $20, a Personal Pass at $14.99 for 30 days or $99 lifetime, or a Plus Pass with a commercial license at $24.99 for 30 days or $149 lifetime, all including future updates.