Compare
Craft Studio vs WinStitch & MacStitch
Ursa Software's WinStitch and MacStitch are desktop veterans with deep specialty-stitch support and a new version every year. Craft Studio takes the opposite approach: one continuously updated studio in your browser, on every device, with updates included in the plan.
Side-by-side comparison
How Craft Studio stacks up against WinStitch & MacStitch on the features that matter to makers.
Platforms
Runs in any modern browser — Windows, Mac, iPad, Chromebook, or your phone. Nothing to install, patterns sync through your account.
Desktop apps: WinStitch for Windows 10/11, MacStitch for macOS 10.14+.
Updates and upgrades
New features ship continuously and are included in the plan — there's never a new version to buy.
A new version each year. Upgrading a 2021-or-later Premium license to the 2026 release costs £14.
Editor model
Real layers — stack fills, outlines, and text independently — plus a reusable motif, border, and alphabet library.
Deep specialty-stitch toolbox: full, half, and quarter stitches, beads, French knots, chain stitch, and backstitch.
Image import
Edge-aware photo import with Faithful, Simplified, and Poster modes, quantized to your palette in real time.
Photo-to-chart conversion with manual refinement.
Thread support
Full DMC catalog plus other brand palettes, searchable by number or name, with photo extraction and color-theory palette generation.
Over 30 thread types plus custom thread sets.
Exports and printing
PNG, SVG, and printable PDF with symbol keys.
PDF and PNG export, printing up to A2 with thread-quantity calculations. Premium adds one-click Pattern Keeper-compatible PDFs — valued by chart sellers.
Trying it out
A 7-day free trial with full access — save, export, and publish during the trial.
A free demo with most features, but it can't print, export charts, or save motifs.
Pricing
Everything for $9.99/month or $99/year after a 7-day free trial — every craft, export format, and feature included. Cancel anytime; your saved patterns are never deleted.
One-time purchase: Premium around £39/$45 plus tax, Standard around £30/$31. Annual upgrades are optional and paid.
WinStitch & MacStitch details and prices checked August 2026. Spotted something out of date? Let us know.
Which one is right for you?
Every tool has strengths. Here's our honest take.
Choose Craft Studio if…
- You move between devices or platforms and want your patterns everywhere.
- You want layers, motifs, and community features alongside the editor.
- You'd rather never think about version upgrades.
Stick with WinStitch & MacStitch if…
- You sell charts and need Pattern Keeper-compatible PDF export.
- You chart French knots, beads, and fractional stitches in detail.
- You work offline and prefer a one-time purchase.
Frequently asked
- Can I import my WinStitch or MacStitch patterns into Craft Studio?
- Export your chart as a PNG image from WinStitch or MacStitch, then drop it into Craft Studio's image import. The tracer maps the cells to your chosen palette so you can keep editing.
- Does Craft Studio export Pattern Keeper-compatible PDFs?
- Craft Studio exports clean, machine-generated PDFs with symbol keys. If Pattern Keeper compatibility is essential to your chart-selling workflow, WinStitch Premium's dedicated one-click export is the safer bet — that's an honest point in their favor.
- Is Craft Studio cheaper than WinStitch?
- Over one year, no: WinStitch Premium is a one-time ~£39/$45 versus Craft Studio's $99/year. Over several years — especially if you'd buy WinStitch's annual upgrades — the gap narrows, and Craft Studio includes cloud sync, thirteen crafts, layers, and the community gallery in that price.
Ready to try it?
Start a 7-day free trial with full access — import your existing patterns as images and keep designing where you left off.
Start your free trial