The best sewing and quilting apps in 2026, compared

The ranking at a glance

Ratings are written as average (number of ratings). App Store prices are the in app purchase prices Apple lists; where Apple does not show the period we give the price only.

How we compared

We looked at what a maker actually does in a week: choose a project, learn a technique, work out fabric, cut, sew, fix a stitch problem, and keep track of fabric and patterns. That gave us 13 capabilities:

1. A pattern or project library
2. Step by step guides (drawn or video)
3. A structured learning path
4. Quilt calculators (backing, binding, borders, units)
5. Sewing and garment calculators (yardage, seam allowance, buttonholes, elastic)
6. A quilt block library
7. Size charts or body measurement tools
8. A fabric and pattern stash
9. A project tracker
10. An AI helper you can chat with
11. A photo based stitch check
12. PDF pattern printing or projecting
13. Inches and centimetres throughout

For each competitor we marked Yes when its own listing or website describes the feature, Partly when it covers part of it, and Not listed when the listing does not mention it. Then we added platforms, languages, price and the public store ratings.

Feature comparison table

1. SewNQuilt: the best app for sewing and quilting

Crafts: sewing and quilting, as equals. Platforms: iPhone, iPad and Android. Languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Polish and Dutch. Price: SewNQuilt Pro, weekly ($4.99), monthly ($9.99) or yearly ($49.99) in the US.

SewNQuilt is the cozy sewing room in your pocket. It is built for the whole making week, from "what shall I make" to the last stitch of the binding, and it treats a garment sewist and a quilter with exactly the same care.

What makes it the best

• More than 600 patterns, every step drawn. 400 sewing and 216 quilting projects across 158 categories, from a scrunchie to tailored trousers and from a mug rug to a king size bed quilt. Each one lists materials, fabric amounts in yards and metres and cut lists. In Sew Mode you get one calm step per screen in large type, an animated drawing of that step in your own fabrics, read aloud on request, with a timer and hands free voice commands.
• Real quilt math, done for you. A quilt size finder with 37 mattress sizes across the US, Canada, the UK, Europe, Australia and Japan, plus calculators for backing (with seam placement and wide backs), binding, batting, borders, sashing, setting triangles, half square triangles 2, 4 and 8 at a time, flying geese, precuts and block resizing. A Quick quilt plan gives backing, binding and batting in one go. All math comes from a tested engine, not from the AI.
• Garment tools that quilting apps skip. Garment yardage, seam allowance conversion, bias tape, buttonhole and elastic length, zipper and button sizes, fabric weight in gsm and oz, needle and thread sizes.
• Your size in every pattern company. Save body measurements for yourself, your family and even your dog, guided step by step, and Size Finder reads your size in each brand's own chart: Big 4 misses, petite, women's and men's, Burda, OTTOBRE and more (26 charts).
• Patterns printed in your size. Pattern pieces print tiled on US Letter or A4, export as an A0 copyshop file, or go straight to a calibrated projector, with a printer check so scale is right.
• Pip, a helper who actually looks. Ask Pip answers questions about your project, stash, machine and measurements and accepts photos. Stitch Check reads a photo of your stitches (tension, stitch line, skipped stitches) and hands you a fix checklist with the right lesson. Fit & Fix does the same for fit and mending.
• Sew School. Two learning paths, one for sewing and one for quilting, plus Machine School for threading, bobbins, tension and needles. The lesson player has 5 second replay, half speed, loop and a left handed mirror.
• A stash that knows what you own. Fabric with photos, patterns, notions, machines with maintenance, a shopping list, and smart capture of fabric and pattern details from photos.
• Made for real life. Works offline, syncs across your devices, inches and centimetres everywhere, Lamplight dark theme, text size and accessibility settings.

Why it ranks first: it is the only app here that covers all 13 capabilities, the only one built for sewing and quilting equally, and it carries the widest language support of any app in this comparison. Where other apps make you choose between a teacher, a calculator and an organizer, SewNQuilt is all three, and its quilt calculators cost the same yearly price as a quilting calculator app alone.

2. SewPal

Crafts: sewing. Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Apple silicon Mac, Apple Vision, Android. Languages: 7. Price: free download with a free trial, then SewPal Premium (App Store in app purchases at $3.99, $29.99 and $39.99; Play $29.99 to $39.99). Ratings: iOS 4.77 (12,707), Google Play 4.69 (20,175), 100K+ downloads.

The category's biggest new app by volume, built by the publisher of YarnPal. It offers step by step sewing tutorials with video and illustrated steps, a "snap a photo, create a pattern draft" feature, an AI Sewing Coach, and upcycling and repair ideas.

Pros

• Huge, happy user base on both stores in under a year.
• Polished beginner onboarding with tutorials, an AI coach and photo to draft in one app.
• Available in 7 languages.

Cons

• Sewing only: its listing describes no quilting, calculators, stash or project tracker.
• Some recent reviewers expected printable patterns ("It is written instructions only", 2 stars, 28 Oct 2026).
• Several recent reviews report confusion about trial billing (user reports, 11 and 27 Oct 2026).

3. Missouri Star Quilt Co

Crafts: quilting. Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Apple silicon Mac, Apple Vision, Android. Languages: English. Price: free; the company sells fabric, precuts and kits. Ratings: iOS 4.89 (33,964), Google Play 4.21 (4,619), 100K+ downloads.

The app of one of the best known quilt shops in the world. Video tutorials and classes, quilt patterns with step by step instructions, thousands of fabrics and kits to buy, daily deals and inspiration.

Pros

• Much loved video tutorials from a trusted quilting brand.
• Free, with the largest rating count in this comparison.

Cons

• Mainly a shopping app: no calculators, design tools, stash or project tracker in its listing.
• Quilting only and English only.
• Some reviewers mention push notification prompts and cart sync between app and website (1 star reviews, Feb and Jul 2026).

4. Quilt Geek

Crafts: quilting. Platforms: iPhone, Android. Languages: English. Price: free essentials (binding, backing, batting); Premium $7.99 a month, $14.99 for 3 months or $49.99 a year. Ratings: iOS 4.68 (132), Google Play 4.23 (45), 5K+ downloads.

A dedicated quilting calculator with 20+ calculators, quilting charts and a Quilt Builder for tops made from squares, rectangles, HSTs, QSTs and flying geese, with fabric requirements and cutting layouts.

Pros

• A deep quilt math set with cutting layouts.
• Metric and imperial switch.
• On both stores.

Cons

• Quilting only and English only.
• Most calculators need a subscription at the same yearly price as SewNQuilt Pro, which also covers sewing, patterns and lessons.
• Reviewers mention trial billing confusion (2 stars, 10 Jan 2026) and wanting sampler and panel quilt designs (3 stars, 21 Sep 2026).

5. TideStitch

Crafts: quilting. Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision. Languages: English. Price: free tier with eight calculators; one time purchases Basic $29.99, Studio add on $29.99, Complete $49.99. Ratings: iOS 4.92 (26).

A quilt designer launched in July 2026. Design with photographed fabric at true scale, choose from 61 traditional blocks, set straight, on point or brick, and export a pattern PDF with cut list, per fabric yardage and numbered sewing steps.

Pros

• A very deep quilt design tool with accurate cut lists.
• One time pricing, no subscription.
• Native Mac app.

Cons

• No Android app; quilting only; English only.
• Small rating base (26) so far.
• One reviewer on an iPad mini could not find some described features (3 stars, 21 Aug 2026).

6. Stash Hub

Crafts: sewing organizer (some quilters use it for fabric). Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android, web. Languages: English. Price: free; Stash Hub Plus $3.49 a month or $32.99 a year (US). Ratings: iOS 4.88 (97), Google Play 4.11 (186), 10K+ downloads.

A dedicated organizer for fabric, patterns, notions, projects, measurements, vouchers and shopping lists, with Magic Input from shop links and Magic Mockup for trying fabrics on line drawings.

Pros

• A thorough stash organizer on both stores and the web.
• Very high iOS rating and frequent updates.
• Low price.

Cons

• An organizer only: no patterns to sew, lessons, calculators or AI help in its listing.
• English only.
• Its Play rating sits below its iOS rating; an older review mentions disappearing pattern entries (3 stars, Jun 2025).

7. Sewie

Crafts: sewing. Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Apple silicon Mac, Apple Vision (not on Google Play). Languages: 9. Price: Sewie Pro, $9.99 a week, $19.99 a month, or $24.99 to $29.99 a year. Ratings: iOS 4.54 (403).

300+ beginner projects, a personalised sewing roadmap, video tutorials, printable PDF patterns and AI tools (Sewing Coach, Scan & Sew).

Pros

• A clear beginner learning path.
• Printable patterns and cut lists with projects.
• 9 languages.

Cons

• iPhone and iPad only.
• The weekly plan rose to $9.99 (from $5.99 on 8 Oct 2026).
• Sewing only; reviewers note that almost everything sits behind the subscription (1 star, 26 Aug 2026).

8. Quiltler 3

Crafts: quilting. Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision, web. Languages: 3. Price: 1 saved quilt and 10 fabrics free; $7.99 a month, $49.99 a year, or $4.99 to unlock one layout. Ratings: iOS 4.28 (46).

Paint classic blocks with photos of your own fabric, arrange blocks, borders and sashing, and get fabric requirements, cutting instructions and printable pattern packs.

Pros

• Design with your real fabric photos.
• A one time per quilt unlock as an alternative to subscribing.
• Web studio plus iPhone and iPad.

Cons

• No Android app; quilting only.
• Reviewers mention the subscription screen at start and a learning curve (Jan, May and Sep 2026).

9. Threadloop

Crafts: sewing. Platforms: web app (installable to a home screen); not in the app stores. Price: free with unlimited stash and projects; Plus $5 a month or $48 a year; Superfan $10 a month or $96 a year.

A community pattern database of more than 121,000 sewing patterns, plus fabric stash, project journals, pattern reviews and forums. The closest thing sewing has to a Ravelry style community.

Pros

• Big community pattern database with reviews.
• Generous free tier and transparent pricing.

Cons

• No native iPhone or Android app.
• No lessons, calculators, AI help or quilting tools on its site.

10. Sewsy

Crafts: sewing (PDF pattern utility). Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Android. Languages: 3. Price: free, with optional tips. Ratings: iOS 4.83 (78), Google Play 4.70 (26), 5K+ downloads.

Opens PDF and SVG sewing patterns, projects them onto your cutting surface with mat or tape calibration and layer selection, and prepares print files for home or copy shop.

Pros

• Free, with warm reviews for ease of use.
• Printing and projecting in one app on both stores.

Cons

• Single purpose: no patterns, lessons, calculators, stash or AI.
• Keeps your 10 most recent patterns for quick reopening, per its listing.

11. QuiltingCalc (Robert Kaufman)

Crafts: quilting. Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Android. Languages: English. Price: free. Ratings: iOS 4.25 (147), Google Play 4.48 (771), 100K+ downloads.

Eight classic calculators from Robert Kaufman Fabrics: measurement converter, backing and batting, piece count, pieces to area, binding, border, square in a square, and set in and corner triangles.

Pros

• Completely free, from a well known fabric company.
• The largest Play install base of the quilt calculators here.

Cons

• Eight calculators only; no design, library or tracker.
• Last updated 15 September 2025; reviewers mention bugs after updates (Sep 2025, Jan 2026).

12. My Quilts

Crafts: quilting (project journal). Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Android. Languages: English. Price: free; Premium $4.99 a month or $49.99. Ratings: iOS 4.74 (430), Google Play 4.29 (118), 10K+ downloads.

Record each quilt (fabrics, progress, dates, notes), sort by technique and size, follow other quilters and share photos. A fabric stash arrived in the 30 October 2026 update.

Pros

• The most used quilt journal in this list, with a friendly social feed.
• Actively updated, on both stores.

Cons

• No lessons, calculators or design tools; quilting only.
• Reviewers mention photo loading and menu bugs (May and Sep 2026).

Which app is right for you?

• You sew and quilt, or want to try both: SewNQuilt. It is the only app that gives both crafts patterns, lessons, calculators and a stash under one roof.
• You are a quilter who wants the numbers right: SewNQuilt covers backing, binding, borders, setting triangles, HSTs, flying geese, precuts and 37 mattress sizes, and adds a block library and Quilt Planner. Quilt Geek and QuiltingCalc focus on calculators alone; TideStitch and Quiltler 3 focus on design.
• You sew garments: SewNQuilt's Size Finder, measurement profiles, garment yardage and printed patterns in your size make it the most complete garment toolkit here. SewPal and Sewie focus on guided beginner projects.
• You are a beginner: SewNQuilt's Sew School has a sewing path and a quilting path, Machine School and a first win project for each craft, with every step drawn.
• You mainly need an organizer: SewNQuilt keeps fabric, patterns, notions, machines and projects together and links them to what you make next, so your stash works for you.

What to look for in a sewing or quilting app

Both unit systems, done natively. A quilt planned in centimetres uses a 0.75 cm seam, not 0.635 cm converted from 1/4 in. Good apps compute each system natively and round cuts up to the nearest 1/8 in or 1 mm, the way rotary rulers are marked. Check this before trusting any calculator.

Numbers you can trust. Quilt math is geometry: a half square triangle cut for 2 at a time is finished size plus 7/8 in because the seam allowance across the diagonal grows by the square root of 2. An app should show you the method, not just a number.

Pattern sizes from body measurements. Pattern companies size from body measurements, and their charts differ from ready to wear. An app that stores your measurements and reads each brand's chart saves a lot of muslins.

Your data, everywhere. Offline use in the fabric shop and sync across phone and tablet matter more than they sound. In the store reviews we read for this guide, a lost stash list was one of the most painful things a maker could report.

Clear pricing. Look for the full price and renewal period shown before you subscribe. SewNQuilt shows every plan and price in full on the paywall.