Cross-stitch pattern software for Etsy sellers
Create cross-stitch patterns your customers can actually stitch
Pattern Keeper compatible PDF exports. Confetti cleanup tools that work. Commercial licensing included. Browser-based—works on Mac, Windows, and iPad.
One-click Pattern Keeper export. No font workarounds. No installation.
Design a pattern in PCStitch. Export to PDF. Load it into Pattern Keeper to test—and half the symbols are missing. Wrong fonts. Broken page breaks.
Back to the software. Change the font. Re-export. Test again. Still broken.
Meanwhile, your customers expect Pattern Keeper compatibility. The reviews that mention it aren't kind when it doesn't work.
PCStitch hasn't had a major update since 2016. WinStitch works better, but you're still tied to a desktop app—transferring files between machines, no iPad option, no working from a coffee shop on your laptop without syncing headaches.
If you're selling patterns on Etsy, you need software that keeps up with what buyers expect in 2026.
StitchMate exports PDFs in the format Pattern Keeper expects. Symbol fonts embed correctly. Page breaks fall where they should. Test your pattern once, list with confidence.
The PDF export produces Pattern Keeper-ready files by default. No font substitution tricks. No third-party PDF printers. No "export and pray."
Color legend with thread codes. Stitch counts per color. Thread usage estimates. Cover page with your branding (Pro). Everything Etsy buyers expect.
A dedicated confetti tool lets you brush over problem areas—the algorithm detects and removes scattered single stitches automatically. For manual control, the regular brush tool lets you paint over individual stitches.
Pattern Keeper has over 100,000 reviews on the Google Play Store. For many stitchers, it's become the default way to follow a pattern—highlighting colors, tracking progress, and eliminating the need for printed charts.
The problem: Not all PDFs work with Pattern Keeper. The app needs specific formatting—embedded fonts, clean grid structure, proper color encoding. When your pattern doesn't load correctly, your customer sees broken symbols, missing sections, or garbled colors. Then you get the support email. Or worse, the one-star review.
Pattern Keeper parses PDFs to extract the chart grid, symbol fonts, and thread information. For this to work, your PDF needs:
PCStitch users spend hours on workarounds: avoid certain fonts, use specific third-party PDF printers, export at particular settings. Even then, results are inconsistent. One pattern works; the next doesn't. Forum threads are full of "half my chart was missing" stories.
WinStitch added a dedicated "Pattern Keeper Export" button—acknowledgment that compatibility isn't automatic.
StitchMate's PDF export produces Pattern Keeper-ready files by default. The technical details:
No font selection dialogs. No third-party PDF printers. No "export and pray." Export once, test once, list with confidence.
Even with compatible exports, always test your pattern in Pattern Keeper before selling. Load it, check that all symbols appear, verify the thread list imported correctly. Takes two minutes. Saves you a refund request.
| Task | Desktop software | With StitchMate |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern Keeper test | Export → test → fix fonts → re-export → test again | Export → test → done |
| Confetti cleanup | Select each stitch, replace one at a time | Brush an area, algorithm cleans it up |
| PDF formatting | Print to PDF, check fonts, adjust margins | One-click export |
| Work on multiple devices | Transfer files between computers | Open in any browser, pick up where you left off |
| Mac compatibility | PCStitch: No. WinStitch: Yes. | Yes—Mac, Windows, iPad, Chromebook |
The export uses vector rendering with embedded symbol fonts. Patterns stay crisp at any zoom level—no pixelated symbols when customers print at home. File sizes stay reasonable for email delivery.
Every symbol has been designed for balanced visual weight—no symbols that dominate the chart or disappear at small sizes. The result is a pattern that's easy to read whether your customer prints at 100% or zooms in on a tablet.
Every PDF export includes:
Pro tier adds:
The Hobby tier is for personal projects—stitching gifts, designing for yourself, learning the tools. It doesn't include commercial rights.
The commercial license is straightforward: patterns you create with Pro are yours to sell. No royalties, no per-pattern fees, no reporting requirements.
Desktop software with commercial rights costs $50-80 once. At $5-8 per pattern, you break even after 10-15 sales.
StitchMate Pro costs $99/year or $149 lifetime. If you're releasing patterns weekly, that's roughly $2 per pattern annually—and you're working in software that runs on any device and exports Pattern Keeper-ready PDFs without workarounds.
The lifetime option makes sense if you're committed to selling long-term. Pay once, own the commercial license forever. No subscription to track.
| PCStitch Pro | WinStitch | StitchMate Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $80 once | ~$52 once | $99/year or $149 lifetime |
| Commercial use | Included | Included | Included |
| Pattern Keeper export | Workarounds needed | One-click | One-click |
| Runs in browser | No | No | Yes |
| Last updated | 2016 | 2023 | 2026 |
Create a test pattern, export the PDF, load it in Pattern Keeper. See exactly what your customers will see. When you're ready to sell, upgrade to Pro.
Start a test patternFree tier includes full editing and preview. Pro tier required for commercial use.