Compare plans
| Feature | Personal | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Embroidery file import Open existing .DST, .PES and other files to edit. | Included | Included |
| Vector graphics import Import .SVG, .AI or .PDF artwork and convert it straight to stitches. | Included | Included |
| Image import Bring in a reference PNG or JPG to trace over manually. | Included | Included |
| Machine formats .PES, .PEC, .DST, .JEF, .EXP, .VP3, .XXX and .U01. | Included | Included |
| Image export .SVG and .PNG, for sharing and listings. | Watermark | Included |
| Video export A video of your design stitching out, for social posts and listings. | Watermark | Included |
| Batch export Export one design to several formats at once, ready to sell as digital files. | Not included | Included |
| PDF run sheet A printable sheet with stitch-out instructions for the machine. | Not included | Included |
| Save locally Keep your work on your own machine. | Included | Included |
| Cloud storage Designs saved to your account, reachable from any device. | 10 designs | Unlimited |
| Public sharing Publish a design to the community gallery and share it by link. Anyone can open it in the browser, with nothing to install. | 5 designs | Unlimited |
| Zoom and preset levels Zoom freely, or jump straight to 1:2, 1:1, 3:1 and 6:1. | Included | Included |
| Screen calibration Match your screen size and DPI to real measurements, so what you see is true to size. | Included | Included |
| Ruler tools Measure distances directly on screen. | Included | Included |
| Studio setup Set your machine and hoop so designs are sized to fit them. | Included | Included |
| Thread management Build palettes from the threads you actually have on hand. | Included | Included |
| Jump & trim visualization See where the machine jumps between areas and where it trims the thread. | Included | Included |
| Vector graphics view See the underlying paths rather than the stitches. Perfect for vector modeling. | Included | Included |
| Stitch view See every individual stitch in the design. | Included | Included |
| Realistic view See how the finished piece will look before you stitch it. | Included | Included |
| Animated stitch sequence Play a design back stitch by stitch to check how it sews out. | Included | Included |
| Density analysis Measure how much thread and how many needle penetrations each part of a design puts on the fabric, and see where that goes outside professional limits. | Not included | Included |
| Curves, freehand, polygons Draw with curves, freehand strokes or polygon points, then adjust any point on the canvas. | Included | Included |
| Running stitch A single line of stitches, for outlines and fine detail. | Included | Included |
| Satin columns Dense parallel stitches across a shape, for smooth borders and lettering. | Included | Included |
| Tatami fill A repeating fill for larger areas, with adjustable angle and density. | Included | Included |
| Special fill Turn a flat tatami fill into a textured relief with a repeating pattern. | No export | Included |
| Fabric presets Start from settings suited to the fabric you are stitching on. | Included | Included |
| Auto-digitizing Turn an image straight into stitches instead of tracing it by hand. | No export | Included |
| Photostitch Turn a photograph into dense, photo-like stitching. | No export | Included |
| Image to pixel art Turn an image into a pixel art grid automatically, ready to stitch. | No export | Included |
| Pixel art editor Draw and edit the grid by hand, with brush sizes, your own palette and cell size, stitched as cross-stitch, mini-satin or tatami fill. | No export | Included |
| Fonts Ready-to-stitch fonts bundled with the app. | 6 | 6 |
| Font import Bring in your own typeface and stitch with it. | No export | Included |
| Lettering editing A specialized editor for digitized fonts, where you adjust how each letter stitches out. | No export | Included |
| Font cloud sync Edit how a font is digitized and save it to your account, ready to use in any design, in sync with all your devices. | Not included | Included |
| Commercial-use licence Sell the physical goods you embroider with Boldbobbin. | Not included | Included |
| Sell the files you export Sell the machine files themselves, in standard formats. | Not included | Included |
| Discord community Ask questions and share work with other makers. | Included | Included |
| Email support Reach us directly. | Not included | Included |
- No export: on the free plan you can do the work and see the result, and your designs still save. Exporting or publishing what it makes is the part that needs Pro.
- Watermark: image and video exports on the free plan carry a small Boldbobbin mark. Your machine files are never watermarked, on either plan.
- Unlimited is subject to fair use: store and publish as many designs as your own work needs. There is no hard cap, and we would only get in touch if a single account sat far outside normal use for one maker.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to install anything?
Not if you don't want to. Boldbobbin runs in any modern browser. You can also download the desktop app for Windows or Mac if you prefer working offline.
What file formats can I export?
Boldbobbin exports to standard embroidery formats including .PES, .PEC, .DST, .JEF, .EXP, .VP3, .XXX, and .U01, compatible with most home and commercial embroidery machines. You can also export .SVG and .PNG for visualization and sharing, plus a PDF run sheet with stitch-out instructions (Pro).
What machines does Boldbobbin work with?
It exports the formats used by most home and commercial machines, including Brother, Bernina, Janome, Elna, Pfaff, Husqvarna Viking, Baby Lock, Tajima, Ricoma, and BAI. You set your machine and hoop in the app so designs fit your setup.
Can I bring in my own images or designs?
Yes. Import a reference image (PNG, JPG, SVG, and more) to trace, or open existing embroidery files (.DST, .PES, and others) to edit.
With Pro, auto-digitizing takes it further: point it at an image and it converts the artwork into stitches for you, so you start from a finished design instead of tracing it by hand. Pro also turns an image into photostitch or pixel art cross-stitch. You can edit everything these produce.
Can I try auto-digitizing?
Yes. Auto-digitizing, photostitch, and pixel art cross-stitch all run on the free Personal plan, so you can point them at your own artwork, see exactly what they produce, and keep editing the result. Exporting what they make is the part that needs Pro.
Can I use my own thread colors?
Absolutely. You can set up your thread palette so designs automatically match the colors you actually have on hand.
Can I sell what I make with Boldbobbin?
With Pro, yes. The commercial-use licence lets you sell physical goods you embroider with Boldbobbin, as well as the machine files (.PES, .DST, and other standard formats) you export. The one exception is reselling Boldbobbin's native .vemb project file as a standalone product. You always own your designs on every plan. See our Terms for the details.
What happens to my Pro work if I cancel?
The commercial licence on every file you export while on Pro is permanent for that file. It stays valid even if you later downgrade or cancel, and you always keep your designs.
Anything you saved to the cloud stays there for at least six months after your subscription ends, and usually closer to a year. We do reserve the right to remove stored designs after that, but never automatically and never without warning: we'd email you at least a month in advance so you have time to download whatever you want to keep.
Does the free version watermark my work?
Only image and video exports. On the free plan, PNG and SVG previews and any video you export carry a small Boldbobbin mark; your machine files (.DST, .PES, and the rest) are never watermarked. Pro removes it.
If I have questions or feedback, how do I reach you?
We'd love to hear from you! Contact us anytime, or join us on Discord.