The five
Ink/Stitch
A free, open-source extension of the Inkscape drawing program, on Windows, Mac and Linux, translated into many languages. It is the only free program that really digitizes: fills, rail satins, running stitches, lettering, every format. Its limit: you have to learn Inkscape (paths, nodes, layers) and then Ink/Stitch (per-object parameters). Allow several evenings before a first clean logo. No production or quoting features. Recommended if you enjoy drawing software.
Wilcom TrueSizer
Free, Windows and Mac. Opens files in every format, resizes them with stitch recalculation (the real value of TrueSizer) and converts them. Creates nothing. Recommended for adapting a file you have received.
Brother MyEditor and PE-Design Lite
Free for owners of Brother machines. They edit PES files: size, rotation, merging designs, lettering with the built-in fonts on some versions. No image digitizing.
Bernina ARTlink
Free, Windows. Opens, converts and lightly edits; converts to ART, Bernina's native format. No digitizing.
Embroidery Tool Shed
Free, Windows. Utilities: conversion, resizing, cataloguing, a few lettering features depending on the modules. Very popular in hobbyist groups. No image digitizing.
And the Discovery plan
Broderly Discovery is free without limit for drawing, opening every format, converting an image to embroidery, writing text, making a patch, previewing in 3D and checking quality, in the browser, on every system. What is counted: producing the machine file, 3 per month, for designs up to 30 000 stitches. The honest comparison: Ink/Stitch is more powerful for a graphic designer and will stay free without limit; Discovery is simpler for everyone, and paid beyond a few files per month.
What to avoid
The "free Wilcom" and "Hatch crack" on download sites: pirated versions, never updated, often bundled with malware, and a badly generated file costs needles. The "free" online converters that charge for the download without saying so: read the pricing page before uploading your image.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ink/Stitch hard?
Yes for someone who has never used vector drawing software; no for a graphic designer. The community and the documentation help.
Is there a free version of Hatch?
A full 30-day trial, then purchase. No permanent free version.
Does Discovery stay free?
Yes, with no bank card and no time limit. Only file production is counted.
Go further
The studio is free to draw, open and check designs. Your first machine file takes five minutes.
Updated 2026-09-24.