Quilt Planner Open app

Updated

The best quilt design apps of 2026

Which quilt design app is best?

How do quilt design apps compare?

Quilt design apps compared by price, platforms, free plan, yardage, fabric photos, and best use, October 2026
FeatureQuilt PlannerElectric Quilt 8 (EQ8)QuiltographyPreQuiltQuiltler
PriceFree$239.95 one-time$14.99 one-timeBasic about $7.50/mo or $50/yrFree plan; $7.99/mo or $49.99/yr
PlatformsAny browser (works offline)Windows and Mac desktopiPadAny browserWeb, iPhone, iPad
Free to startYesNo accountNoNoNoYes1 saved quilt
YardageYesPlus bindingYesYesYesYes
Your fabric photosYesAt true scaleYesYesYesYes
Best forPlanning colors, then buying fabricDesigning patterns to sellDetailed blocks on iPadSaving quilts onlineSyncing quilts across devices

1. Best free quilt design app

Quilt Planner

Quilt Planner is a free quilt design app that runs in any browser, with yardage, binding, and a printable pattern.

Good

  • Free in any browser. No account, no sign-up.
  • Swap one fabric and the whole pattern recolors.
  • Yardage for every fabric, with binding, rounded to the ⅛ yard.
  • Printable PDF pattern with a cutting list.
  • Photograph a fabric and see the print at true scale.
  • 9 quilt patterns and 13 classic blocks to start from.

Watch out for

  • Grid-based: squares, half-square triangles, and blocks. No curves or appliqué.
  • Quilts stay on your device; no cloud sync.
Open Quilt Planner, free

2. Best for professional designers

Electric Quilt 8 (EQ8)

Electric Quilt 8 is desktop quilt design software for Windows and Mac, sold for $239.95.

Good

  • The largest block and fabric libraries.
  • Detailed yardage, templates, and printing.
  • One purchase, no subscription.

Watch out for

  • Desktop only, with a steeper learning curve.
  • Using it on both Windows and Mac takes an extra Migration Kit.
Electric Quilt 8 (EQ8) website ↗

3. Best for detailed block design

Quiltography

Quiltography is a $14.99 iPad app for designing quilts and blocks.

Good

  • Pay once, no in-app purchases.
  • Block templates, fabric photos, and yardage.

Watch out for

  • iPad only.
  • Turning a photo into a quilt is a separate $4.99 app (photoQuilt).
Quiltography website ↗

4. Best browser subscription with cloud saves

PreQuilt

PreQuilt is a browser-based quilt design tool sold by subscription, from about $50 a year.

Good

  • Runs in any browser and saves to the cloud.
  • Quick color and print mockups.

Watch out for

  • A subscription, and it needs an internet connection.
  • Basic saves up to 50 quilts and 250 fabric swatches.
PreQuilt website ↗

5. Best for a fabric stash on every device

Quiltler

Quiltler is a quilt design app for the web, iPhone, and iPad, with a free plan and paid subscriptions.

Good

  • Web plus iPhone and iPad apps, synced.
  • A photo library for your fabric stash.

Watch out for

  • The free plan keeps one saved quilt and ten fabric photos.
  • Most features need a subscription; a Designer plan is $99/yr.
Quiltler website ↗

Which quilt design app should you choose?

Quilt design app FAQ

What is the best free quilt design app?

Quilt Planner is free in any browser with no account, and includes yardage, binding, and a printable pattern. Quiltler also has a free plan, limited to one saved quilt.

What is the best quilt design app for iPad?

For a one-time price, Quiltography ($14.99). For syncing with a phone, Quiltler. To spend nothing, Quilt Planner runs free in Safari on iPad.

Do quilt design apps calculate yardage?

All five on this list estimate fabric yardage. Quilt Planner also adds binding and rounds each fabric up to the next ⅛ yard, from cut sizes with your seam allowance.

Is there a free alternative to Electric Quilt 8?

Quilt Planner is free and runs in any browser. It covers planning a quilt from squares, half-square triangles, and blocks, with yardage and a printable pattern; EQ8 goes further with curves, appliqué, and a far larger library.

Which quilt design apps work offline?

Quilt Planner keeps working offline once it has been opened, and Electric Quilt 8 is installed desktop software. PreQuilt needs an internet connection.

Is Electric Quilt 8 worth it?

If you design a lot of quilts, or patterns to sell, its libraries and printing are hard to beat. For planning one quilt at a time, a free app covers most of it.

Can I plan a quilt without an app?

Yes. Pick a pattern, sketch it on graph paper, and work out yardage by hand or with a calculator like our free quilt yardage calculator.

Try it on your next quilt: start from a pattern or check your yardage.

Design a quilt free