stixiva
Who is it for?
Make, edit and reuse charts, from photo to PDF pattern.
Free during the public beta, with an account, no credit card.
Comparison · checked on October 16, 2026
stixiva vs Markup R-XP ?
Markup R-XP is an iPhone, iPad and Android app to mark up your patterns and track your stitching. stixiva is an online cross stitch studio, made in France. Here’s what sets them apart, criterion by criterion.
- 14 more criteria with stixiva
- 1 more criterion with Markup R-XP
- Official, dated sources
Markup R-XP
Who is it for?
Track any pattern, paper or PDF, on iPhone, iPad or Android.
Two-week trial, then £14.99 a year (before tax).
Side by side
stixiva and Markup R-XP, criterion by criterion
| Criterion | stixiva | Markup R-XP |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free during the public beta, with an account, no credit card | Two-week trial, then £14.99 a year (before tax) |
| Devices | Browser (computer, tablet, phone) and Windows 10 and 11 | iPhone, iPad and Android |
| Thread and bead brands | 26: 8 floss brands (DMC, Anchor, Madeira, Sullivans, Gamma, PNK Kirov, Splendor and Mandarin Floss), 15 fuse bead brands (Perler, Hama, Artkal S, Hama Mini, Hama Maxi, Perler Mini, Perler Caps, Nabbi, Artkal A, Artkal C, Artkal M, Artkal R, Yant, Mard and Mill Hill), 2 diamond painting brands (Diamond Dotz and Diamond Painting) and one yarn brand (Red Heart) | Color cards for common thread ranges (number not stated) |
| Maximum size | 512 × 512 stitches | Not stated |
| Free PDF patternPrint or download your pattern as a PDF without paying. | Yes: Free during the public beta. | No: Doesn’t create patterns: it opens PDFs and images from any designer. |
| No account to get startedTry it without creating an account. | Partly: The site’s 44 free tools work without an account; the studio needs a free account. | Not stated |
| In the browserNothing to install: it opens in a browser. | Yes | No |
| Windows softwareSoftware to install on Windows. | Yes | No |
| Mac softwareSoftware to install on a Mac. | No: On a Mac, the studio opens in the browser. | No |
| iPhone, iPad or Android appAn app to install from an app store. | No: On tablets and phones, the studio opens in the browser. | Yes |
| French interfaceThe interface is available in French. | Yes | Not stated |
| Photo to patternTurn a photo into a cross stitch chart. | Yes | No |
| Isolated stitch cleanupFind and merge isolated stitches (“confetti”). | Yes | No |
| LayersWork on several layers. | Yes | No |
| Fractionals and backstitchHalf, quarter and three-quarter stitches and backstitch. | Yes | Partly: Marks backstitch, fractionals and blackwork. |
| BeadsPlace embroidery beads on the chart. | Yes | Not stated |
| SymmetryDraw in mirror or radial symmetry. | Yes | No |
| 3D or realistic previewSee the stitched piece before you start. | Yes | No |
| Opens .pat, .xsd, .oxsOpen patterns from PCStitch, Pattern Maker or in OXS format. | Yes | No |
| Paper or scanned patternDigitize a photo, scan or PDF of a symbol chart. | Yes | Partly: Opens photos and scans of paper charts to mark them up, and detects symbols and colors; the chart doesn’t become editable. |
| Embroidery machine filesOpen machine embroidery files (PES, DST, JEF…). | Yes | No |
| Switch thread brandsSwitch a whole project from one thread brand to another. | Yes | No |
| Thread stashKeep track of the skeins you already own. | Yes | Not stated |
| Stitch trackingCheck off your stitches as you go. | Yes | Yes |
✓ yes½ partly✕ no? not stated on the official website
What stixiva adds
- Free PDF pattern. The PDF pattern (A4, Letter or A3, symbols and thread key) is free during the public beta, like the whole studio.
- In the browser. The studio opens in a recent browser, on a computer, tablet or phone.
- Windows software. There is also a Windows 10 and 11 app (64-bit).
- In French. The site, the studio and its guides are written in French.
- Photo to pattern. A photo becomes an editable chart with 2 to 64 colors, computed on the device.
- Isolated stitch cleanup. The studio finds isolated stitches; you choose which to merge and which shades to protect, with before and after side by side.
- Layers. Up to 32 layers per project.
- Beads. Beads go on the chart, with their key.
- Symmetry. Radial symmetry draws a mandala in a single stroke.
- 3D or realistic preview. The preview shows your piece stitched in a hoop, in 3D, which you can rotate.
- Opens .pat, .xsd, .oxs. stixiva opens PCStitch (.pat), Pattern Maker (.xsd), OXS and Super Point de Croix Deluxe (.wxs) patterns.
- Embroidery machine files. stixiva opens PES, DST, JEF, EXP, VP3, HUS and XXX machine embroidery files.
- Switch thread brands. A whole project switches from one brand to another in one click, among 26 brands: 8 floss brands (DMC, Anchor, Madeira, Sullivans, Gamma, PNK Kirov, Splendor and Mandarin Floss), 15 fuse bead brands (Perler, Hama, Artkal S, Hama Mini, Hama Maxi, Perler Mini, Perler Caps, Nabbi, Artkal A, Artkal C, Artkal M, Artkal R, Yant, Mard and Mill Hill), 2 diamond painting brands (Diamond Dotz and Diamond Painting) and one yarn brand (Red Heart).
- Thread stash. Note the skeins you already own, and build the list of the ones you’re missing.
What Markup R-XP does well
- Available on iPhone, iPad and Android.
- Accepts patterns from any designer: PDFs, images and scans of paper charts.
- Symbol and color detection, page stitching, statistics and backup.
In the table, Markup R-XP has one criterion that stixiva doesn’t: an iPhone, iPad or Android app.
Markup R-XP details
- Free PDF pattern : Doesn’t create patterns: it opens PDFs and images from any designer.
- Fractionals and backstitch : Marks backstitch, fractionals and blackwork.
- Paper or scanned pattern : Opens photos and scans of paper charts to mark them up, and detects symbols and colors; the chart doesn’t become editable.
Switching from Markup R-XP to stixiva
Markup R-XP and stixiva complement each other: stixiva creates and edits the chart, its stitching mode tracks your stitches, and its assistant makes a scanned pattern editable.
No sign-up
Try it before you leave Markup R-XP
stixiva’s free tools run in your browser, no account needed: enough to judge for yourself.
Photo to pattern
A preview of your photo as a cross stitch chart, threads included.
Cross stitch name generator
Type a name, get its chart to stitch.
Small free motifs
Hearts, flowers, animals, borders: ready-to-stitch charts, with their threads.
Floss converter
DMC, Anchor, Madeira, Sullivans: the official and the closest equivalent.
Skein calculator
How many skeins to buy, for your fabric and strand count.
DMC color chart
All 482 Mouliné Spécial colors, by number or name.
Sources
This comparison is published by stixiva, one of the programs compared. The other programs’ listings are taken from their official websites, linked below, on October 16, 2026. The names mentioned are trademarks of their respective owners; stixiva is not affiliated with any of them. Has something changed? Email contact@stixiva.com and we’ll correct the listing.
Other comparisons
Is stixiva a free alternative to Markup R-XP?
During its public beta, the whole stixiva studio is free with an account, PDF pattern included. Markup R-XP: Two-week trial, then £14.99 a year (before tax).
Can I bring my Markup R-XP patterns into stixiva?
Markup R-XP and stixiva complement each other: stixiva creates and edits the chart, its stitching mode tracks your stitches, and its assistant makes a scanned pattern editable.
Is this comparison impartial?
It is published by stixiva: that’s why each cell comes from Markup R-XP’s official website, cited at the bottom of the page and checked on October 16, 2026, and why the page also says what Markup R-XP does that stixiva doesn’t.
Try stixiva alongside Markup R-XP
Open one of your patterns or drop in a photo: the whole studio is free during the public beta.
Create my free accountFree during the beta, no credit card.