The best cross stitch pattern makers
Six tools that turn a photo or a blank grid into a counted chart, compared on the things that decide whether you actually finish the piece: cost, how the conversion handles confetti, editing, export quality and what happens to your photo. We make one of them, and we say so.
How this was written. Each tool was used with the same test images (a pet photo, a logo and a pixel-art sprite) in September 2026. Prices and feature lists are from the vendors' own sites on that date and change; check before paying. Stitchpaper is our product, so it is included but not ranked first by default.
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Photo → pattern | Editor | Export | Photo privacy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FlossCross | Free | Yes | Full: backstitch, fractional stitches, photographed thread textures | PDF, OXS | Processed in browser, saved locally |
| Stitch Fiddle | Free tier; premium subscription | Yes | Full, multi-craft (knitting, crochet, cross stitch) | PDF, image; more on premium | Cloud account |
| Pic2Pat | Free | Yes, that is all it does | None | Uploaded to server | |
| Pixel-Stitch | Free | Yes | Basic | Uploaded to server | |
| Stitchly | Paid app | Yes | Full, mobile-first | App / account | |
| Stitchpaper | Free, no tiers | Yes, with pixel-art mode and background removal | Full crosses only: draw, fill, replace/merge colors, confetti cleanup | PDF, PNG, CSV thread list, project JSON | Never leaves your browser |
The tools
FlossCross
The strongest free editor. No registration, projects stored in your browser, photographed thread textures, backstitch and fractional stitches, and OXS files that open in other charting software. Its photo conversion is competent but produces confetti on photographs that you clean up by hand. If you design by hand or need backstitch today, this is the one to beat.
Stitch Fiddle
A multi-craft charting tool with a cloud account, progress tracking and apps. The free tier is capped (a limited number of charts, colors and grid size), with premium lifting the caps. Best if you also chart knitting or crochet and want your work synced across devices; least appealing if you dislike subscriptions.
Pic2Pat
The oldest photo converter still running. Upload a photo, pick a size and color count, download a PDF. There is no editor, so every confetti stitch in the output is yours to deal with on the fabric. Fine for a quick test of how a photo might chart.
Pixel-Stitch
A free online converter that ranks first for "convert photo to cross stitch pattern" on merit: simple, fast, sensible defaults. Editing is minimal, and the photo goes to their server.
Stitchly
A polished paid app aimed at phones and tablets, with a good converter and a full editor. Worth it if you stitch from a tablet and want progress tracking in the same app; expensive for occasional use.
Stitchpaper
Ours. Free with no premium tier, no account, and conversion that runs entirely on your device (there is no server to upload to). The converter has a pixel-art mode, connected-background removal and a one-click confetti cleaner, and the editor can replace or merge colors across the whole chart. Exports are a tiled symbol PDF with DMC key and floss estimates, a stitched preview, a CSV thread list and an editable project file. What it lacks today: backstitch, fractional stitches and OXS interchange. The full list of limits is on how it works.
Which one for you
- Converting a photo of a pet or person: Stitchpaper or Pixel-Stitch for the conversion; FlossCross if you then want to add backstitched outlines.
- Designing from scratch with backstitch and fractional stitches: FlossCross.
- Charting knitting or crochet too: Stitch Fiddle.
- Stitching from a tablet with progress tracking: Stitchly, or Stitchpaper's browser progress mode if you do not want to pay.
- Privacy matters (family photos): FlossCross or Stitchpaper, both of which process in the browser.
What we tested for
- Confetti. Isolated single stitches in odd colors are what make photo patterns miserable to stitch. We counted them at 30 colors, 120 stitches wide, on the same pet photo.
- Chart legibility. Symbol contrast, bold ten-lines, center marks, and whether pages tile with overlap.
- Thread key. DMC numbers, per-color stitch counts and a skein estimate.
- Editing after conversion. Can you merge two near-identical colors in one action? Can you fix an eye with a pencil?
- Where the photo goes. Browser-only, or uploaded.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free cross stitch pattern maker?
FlossCross for hand-designed charts with backstitch; Stitchpaper or Pixel-Stitch for photo conversion. All three are free without watermarks.
Is there a cross stitch pattern maker app?
Stitchly and Stitch Fiddle have apps. FlossCross and Stitchpaper are websites that work on a tablet browser without installing anything.
Which pattern maker uses DMC colors?
All six match to DMC. FlossCross uses photographed floss; the others, including Stitchpaper, use RGB approximations, so confirm shades against a real skein before buying.