Best Knitting Apps in 2026 (Designers, Trackers & Stash)

June 17, 2026 · 5 min read

The best knitting app depends on what you actually do — design patterns, track rows, manage a yarn stash, or all three. Here are the apps worth your time in 2026, grouped by what they're built for, with honest notes on the tradeoffs.

For designing patterns and charts

1. Patterra

A browser-based knitting chart maker built for designers who want a modern canvas: pan, zoom, brush, color, and symbol tools that feel like a current design app. The standout feature is the Sizing workspace — grade a single chart across XS–XXL while keeping stitch ratios correct, then export a print-ready PDF with legend and stitch counts. Free to start, no install. See the chart maker →

Best for: pattern designers, indie publishers, and anyone designing colorwork, fair isle, or lace.

2. Stitch Fiddle

The long-running web tool for knitting and crochet charts. Solid editor for basic colorwork and a familiar interface for many knitters. The UI shows its age, and grading across sizes is limited compared to newer tools.

Best for: simple colorwork charts.

3. KnitBird / Intwined Pattern Studio

Desktop pattern design apps with deep symbol libraries. Powerful but installable software with a learning curve — best if you design full publication-ready patterns and want offline desktop tooling.

For tracking projects and rows

4. Knit Companion

The de-facto pattern reader on iPad and iPhone. Imports PDF patterns, highlights rows, tracks counts, and zooms into charts. If you knit from purchased PDF patterns, this is hard to beat.

5. Row Counter (various)

Simple tap-to-count apps replace the mechanical clicker on your needle. Good for plain stockinette or sock patterns. For complex charts, use a pattern reader instead.

For your stash and queue

6. Ravelry

Still the largest knitting and crochet community. Best for pattern discovery, yarn database, project journaling, and finding what other people made with the yarn you have. Web-first, mobile-friendly.

How to pick

  • Designing your own patterns? Start with Patterra. It's free, browser-based, and handles grading.
  • Knitting from PDFs? Knit Companion on iOS.
  • Managing yarn and queue? Ravelry.
  • Just need to count rows? Any row counter app — or a paper notebook.

The shortlist

Most knitters end up with two apps: one for designing or reading patterns, and one for community and stash. Patterra + Ravelry is a strong combo if you design; Knit Companion + Ravelry if you knit from purchased patterns.