SOFTWARE

KG-Chart alternative: which cross stitch software should you choose?

Practical guide · 5 min read · updated on November 1, 2026

KG-Chart LE was long the free program everyone recommended for making charts on a PC. It still works, but many stitchers now want a tool that also runs on a tablet and is still being developed. Here’s what to know before you switch.

What KG-Chart is

KG-Chart is Japanese software by KG Software. Its LE (“Light Edition”) version is free, and a paid version adds exchange formats and selection tools. It only installs on Windows; there is no official Mac version. Its interface has changed little in years and its French translation isn’t official (source: Petites Croix).

Why look for an alternative

• Stitching with the chart on a tablet or phone.
• A modern interface, designed for today’s screens.
• Cleaning up isolated stitches before printing.
• A tool that still gets new features.

Free alternatives

stixiva opens in the browser and on Windows, free during the beta with an account: photo to pattern, stitch-by-stitch drawing, 21 stitch types, DMC and Anchor threads, PDF pattern and Stitch mode to check off your stitches. Stitch Fiddle and FlossCross are online too, and Pic2Pat converts a photo without editing. Each has its own listing, with prices taken from its website, in the software comparison : Stitch Fiddle, FlossCross, Pic2Pat.

Switching from KG-Chart to stixiva

stixiva doesn’t open KG-Chart’s own files. Two routes: if your chart exists as a PDF or an image, the studio’s assistant reads it square by square and turns it into an editable chart; if the paid version of KG-Chart exports it in a format the studio reads (OXS, PCStitch .pat), it opens directly.

All the details are on the cross stitch softwarepage, with the table of free and online software.