What runs on Mac
| Software | Mac | iPad | Image digitizing | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broderly | Yes, in Safari, Chrome or Firefox | Yes | Yes | €0 then from €9.99/month |
| Embrilliance StitchArtist | Yes, native app | No | Mostly manual | $169 to $649 |
| Ink/Stitch | Yes, via Inkscape | No | From vectors | Free |
| Hatch (Wilcom) | No, Windows 11 only | No | Yes | $199 to $1,199 |
| Wilcom EmbroideryStudio | No | No | Yes | $999 to $3,999 |
| Brother PE-Design 11 | No | No | Yes | ≈ $1,800 |
Why the browser settles it
Embroidery software needs to compute stitches, show a preview and write a file. None of that requires Windows; it is the legacy of the historic vendors that imposes it. Broderly does drawing, vectorising, stitch generation and the relief preview in the browser, on any system, including a MacBook Air with Apple Silicon or an iPad with a keyboard. On iPad, pinch to zoom and drag-and-drop from Photos work.
Sending the file to the machine from a Mac
The machine file downloads like any file, then copies to the machine's USB stick with Finder. Direct writing into the stick folder is available in Chrome and Edge on Mac; Safari does not allow it yet. Brother machines with Wi-Fi also accept sending through the Artspira app from the iPad.
Frequently asked questions
Which browser on Mac?
Recent Safari, Chrome, Edge or Firefox. Chrome or Edge for direct writing into the machine folder.
And on Linux?
Same: Broderly runs in Chrome or Firefox on Linux, and Ink/Stitch is native there.
Go further
The studio is free to draw, open and check designs. Your first machine file takes five minutes.
Updated 2026-09-24.