If you're an Apple quilter weighing your options, Quiltography and Quiltler 3 are the two names that come up most. They share a lot of DNA — both are native, touch-friendly apps that let you design blocks, photograph your stash, and calculate yardage. The real differences come down to which devices you use, how you like to pay, and a handful of features. Here's an honest head-to-head.
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What Quiltography and Quiltler 3 share
Both apps are built for Apple users and avoid the dated feel of desktop software. In both you can design quilt blocks and layouts with touch, build a digital fabric stash by photographing the fabrics you own, and calculate the yardage you'll need. If you've used one, the other will feel familiar. Neither locks you into a subscription the way browser tools tend to.
Quiltography's strengths (a fair look)
Quiltography has been around for a while and it's well-regarded for good reason.
- Mature and polished. Years of updates have produced a clean, dependable iPad experience.
- A strong template library. It ships with roughly 180+ block templates ready to drop into a design.
- Paper piecing & pixel designs. Foundation paper-piecing and pixel-style design tools are built in — great for certain traditional and photo-style projects.
- One-time purchase. You pay once (around the $20 range), with no ongoing cost.
If you exclusively use an iPad and want a proven, focused tool with mature paper-piecing, Quiltography is a perfectly good choice.
Where Quiltler 3 pulls ahead
Quiltler 3 is the newer app, and it's designed around the way many quilters actually work today — across several Apple devices.
- Runs on iPhone, iPad, Mac & Vision Pro. Quiltography is iPad-focused; Quiltler 3 works on your phone in the fabric aisle, your iPad on the couch, and your Mac at the desk.
- iCloud sync. Your designs and stash follow you across every device automatically — no exporting or emailing files to yourself.
- Free to try. Download free and create up to 3 quilts and 5 fabrics before deciding on any in-app purchase, so there's no upfront gamble.
- Custom Cut Designer. Create your own unique shapes, not just preset templates.
- Community sharing. Share designs and custom cuts in the community feed and get inspired by others.
- Automatic yardage + PDF. Quiltler generates a cutting and yardage summary you can export as a PDF to take shopping; try the fabric calculator to see it in action.
The multi-device test: If you ever start a design on one device and want to finish on another, Quiltler 3's iCloud sync makes it effortless. Try Quiltler 3 free and see how it follows you around.
Quiltography vs. Quiltler 3, side by side
Apps and prices change over time, so use this as guidance and confirm current details before buying.
| Feature | Quiltler 3 | Quiltography |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro | iPad (Apple) |
| Price model | Free + in-app purchases | Paid up front (~$20) |
| Free tier to try | Yes (3 quilts, 5 fabrics) | No |
| Block templates | Growing library | Yes (~180+) |
| Photograph your stash | Yes | Yes |
| Paper piecing | Custom shapes via Cut Designer | Yes |
| Custom shape designer | Yes (Cut Designer) | Yes |
| Automatic yardage + PDF | Yes | Yes |
| iCloud sync across devices | Yes | No |
| Community sharing | Yes | No |
Who should pick which
Choose Quiltography if you design exclusively on an iPad, prefer a single up-front purchase, and want its mature paper-piecing and pixel-design tools.
Choose Quiltler 3 if you use more than one Apple device (or might in future), want iCloud sync so your work travels with you, like the idea of trying the app for free first, and value a custom Cut Designer and community sharing alongside automatic yardage and PDF export.
If you're not sure, the free tier makes Quiltler 3 the low-risk place to start — you can build a few quilts before spending anything.
Try Quiltler 3 today
The best way to decide is to design something. Download Quiltler 3 free, photograph a few fabrics from your stash, and tile a block into a layout in minutes. New to digital design? Start with our guide to quilting on iPad, browse block patterns, or follow how to make a quilt from design to binding. You can also see how Quiltler compares to desktop software in our EQ8 alternative and the full app comparison.