| Brother PE-Design 11 | Broderly | |
|---|---|---|
| Publisher | Brother, Japan | Broderly, France |
| Price | ≈ $1,780 to $2,425 depending on the dealer, one-time purchase, Windows | €0 Discovery · €9.99/month · €19.99/month · €29.99/month |
| Installation | Windows, protection key | None: browser, Windows, Mac, Linux, iPad |
| Language | English, French and others | French, English, Spanish, Italian, German |
| Formats written | PES, PEN, and export to the common formats | DST, PES, EXP, JEF, VP3, HUS |
| Auto-digitizing | Yes (PhotoStitch, auto-punch) | Yes, with a detail slider and shape preview; photos with density gradient |
| Manual digitizing | Yes, complete | Yes: nodes, Bézier, booleans, stitch styles, two-rail satin |
| Shop production | No | Multi-head, needles, stops, run sheet, machine sheet, quote, series |
| Patches | Appliqué wizard | Placement, tack-down, background, border, following outline, SVG/DXF cut line |
Where Brother PE-Design 11 is better
Brother integration: built-in fonts and designs compatible with the machines, specific features (PEN, monograms, wireless sending to compatible Brother machines). Brother PhotoStitch for photos. Mature manual digitizing and tutorials at every Brother dealer.
Where Broderly is better
The price: €19.99 a month, against $1,800. Mac and iPad. The six formats: PE-Design is built around PES; if you one day add a Janome or a Tajima, Broderly follows. Complete patches, the quality check, per-fabric settings, the quote and name series. The PES produced by Broderly carries the Brother palette and the preview thumbnail, like PE-Design.
Verdict
If you own several high-end Brother machines and stitch photos, PE-Design remains consistent. For a PE800, an SE2000 or a PR670 and logos, names and patches, Broderly does the job for a fraction of the price, on any computer.
Frequently asked questions
Does Broderly write PES files readable by every Brother?
Yes, PES version 1 with a PEC section, the 64-colour Brother palette and a thumbnail, the most widely read variant, from the PE-770 to the PR1055X. See the Brother page.
Can I send wirelessly to my Brother?
Through the Artspira app or the machine's Wi-Fi transfer, by giving it the downloaded PES file. Broderly has no direct Brother link.
Does PE-Design run on Mac?
No, Windows only.
Go further
The studio is free to draw, open and check designs. Your first machine file takes five minutes.
Updated 2026-09-24.