Free embroidery digitizing software
Embrizo is the best free way to start: a free account auto-digitizes images, shows the stitch preview and saves your designs, and the free design library downloads in every format; downloading your own designs needs a plan from $8 a month. Ink/Stitch is fully free and open source but has you set up stitches by hand, Brother's Artspira app has a free version, and Hatch, Wilcom, Chroma, BERNINA, Embird and SewArt offer time-limited trials or demos.
Free can mean open source, a time-limited trial or a free tier. Here's what each option gives you without paying.
- Top pick1Best overall
Embrizo
Browser auto-digitizer
MacAuto-digitizingFree accountA free account turns any image into stitches in the browser and shows the stitch count, colors and sew time, with no trial clock and nothing to install. The free design library downloads in every format, and plans for your own designs start at $8 a month.
- Auto-digitizing with a free account
- No time limit and no credit card
- Free designs in DST, PES, JEF and more
- Works on Mac, Windows and Chromebook
- Works on
- Any browser: Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook
- Price
- Free account; downloads from $8 a month billed yearly
- 2Completely free
Ink/Stitch
by the Ink/Stitch open-source project
MacAuto-digitizingFreeOpen source under GPL-3.0, with no limits or watermarks. It writes many machine formats.
Watch out: No automatic image-to-stitch: you trace in Inkscape, then set stitch types path by path.
- Works on
- Windows, Mac and Linux, inside Inkscape
- Price
- Free and open source
- 3Longest free trial
Hatch Embroidery 4
by Wilcom
MacAuto-digitizingFreeA 30-day free trial of every level, including auto-digitizing in Composer, plus a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Watch out: Windows only; after the trial auto-digitizing costs $699 once.
- Works on
- Windows only
- Price
- One-time, from $199 ($699 with auto-digitizing)
- 4Free professional trial
Wilcom EmbroideryStudio 2026
by Wilcom
MacAuto-digitizingFreeA 14-day trial of professional software, including auto-digitizing in the higher levels.
Watch out: Windows only, needs 16 GB RAM, and most prices aren't published.
- Works on
- Windows only
- Price
- Subscription or perpetual license, mostly unpublished
- 5Free trial for Ricoma users
Ricoma Chroma
by Ricoma
MacAuto-digitizingFreeA free trial of Ricoma's auto-digitizing software on Mac or Windows.
Watch out: After the trial, the first year is paid up front from $799.99.
- Works on
- Mac and Windows, online
- Price
- First year from $799.99, then monthly or yearly
- 6Free app for Brother owners
Brother Artspira
by Brother
MacAuto-digitizingFreeBrother's Artspira app has a free version for iPhone, iPad and Android that works with Brother wireless machines.
Watch out: Image to Embroidery needs Artspira+ ($12.99 a month or $119.99 a year), and designs can't be saved to USB.
- Works on
- iPhone, iPad and Android
- Price
- Free; Artspira+ $12.99 a month or $119.99 a year
- 7Free trial with auto-digitizing
BERNINA Embroidery Software 9
by BERNINA
MacAuto-digitizingFreeA 30-day trial of BERNINA Embroidery Software 9, which includes auto-digitizing in both levels.
Watch out: Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit) only, and priced through BERNINA dealers.
- Works on
- Windows only
- Price
- Creator or DesignerPlus, from BERNINA dealers
- 8Long demo of a modular suite
Embird 2026
by BALARAD
MacAuto-digitizingFreeEmbird's demo runs for 30 days or 100 starts, whichever comes first.
Watch out: Windows only, and the Digitizing Tools demo can't save designs.
- Works on
- Windows only
- Price
- One-time, $149 plus plug-ins
- 9Low-cost auto-digitizer demo
SewArt
by S&S Computing
MacAuto-digitizingFreeA 30-day demo of SewArt, an inexpensive Windows auto-digitizer.
Watch out: Saved files are limited to 3 colors in the demo; Windows only.
- Works on
- Windows only
- Price
- One-time, $75 ($93 on CD)
Quick comparison
| Software | Works on | Auto | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Embrizo | Any browser: Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook | Yes | Free account; downloads from $8 a month billed yearly |
| Ink/Stitch | Windows, Mac and Linux, inside Inkscape | No | Free and open source |
| Hatch Embroidery 4 | Windows only | Yes | One-time, from $199 ($699 with auto-digitizing) |
| Wilcom EmbroideryStudio 2026 | Windows only | Yes | Subscription or perpetual license, mostly unpublished |
| Ricoma Chroma | Mac and Windows, online | Yes | First year from $799.99, then monthly or yearly |
| Brother Artspira | iPhone, iPad and Android | Yes | Free; Artspira+ $12.99 a month or $119.99 a year |
| BERNINA Embroidery Software 9 | Windows only | Yes | Creator or DesignerPlus, from BERNINA dealers |
| Embird 2026 | Windows only | Yes | One-time, $149 plus plug-ins |
| SewArt | Windows only | Yes | One-time, $75 ($93 on CD) |
Prices and features of other programs from each vendor's website, checked October 2026.
Not included: Embrilliance, PE-DESIGN, Artistic Digitizer. Paid software; check the vendor or your dealer for current trial options.
Not included: Floriani Total Control U. Its trial mode includes every tool but can't save, export or import files.
Free account
See your design stitched before you buy anything
Create a free account to digitize any image, try every setting and watch it sew. Choose a plan only when you want to download files.
- Digitize and preview any image
- Realistic stitch preview and sew-out
- Download free ready-made designs
- No credit card needed
Questions
The quickest way to see what it does with your artwork is to try it. With a free account, digitizing and previewing cost nothing and take about a minute.
Is there completely free embroidery digitizing software?
Embrizo's free account auto-digitizes, previews and saves designs with no time limit; downloading your own designs needs a plan. Ink/Stitch is free and open source, but it runs inside Inkscape and you set up the stitches yourself.
Can I auto-digitize for free?
Yes. Embrizo's free account auto-digitizes and previews images with no time limit; you need a plan to download those designs. Trials of Hatch, Wilcom and Chroma include auto-digitizing for a limited time.
Are free embroidery designs available?
Yes. Embrizo's free design library has designs you can download in DST, PES, JEF and other formats with a free account.
What should I watch out for with free digitizers?
Check the formats it writes, whether it adds underlay and pull compensation, and whether you can sew a test before relying on it for customer work.
More comparisons
The fastest way from image to stitches
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