Cross-Stitch: Color by Number is a digital embroidery simulator for mobile devices that allows users to create patterns from photos.
Product velocity
Maintenance
Daily rank 🇺🇸
#107
▼13Entertainment · grossing
Sentiment
4.4
211k reviews
Nemesis
Fragmented field
The App DNA
What makes this app unique?
Users hire this app for low-stakes creative relaxation and the ability to turn personal photos into custom embroidery projects.
For Casual mobile gamers and hobbyists interested in digital embroidery and coloring activities.
What does it look like?
Key features
Tool that transforms user-uploaded images into custom cross-stitch patterns. [Revenue Link: Premium-tier gate ($9.99/month) — direct paid-conversion lever for power users seeking personalized content.]
Continuous addition of new embroidery designs. [Revenue Link: Content-refresh loop — increases session frequency and long-term retention.]
How much does it cost?
Subscription-based model anchored at $9.99/month, gating custom photo conversion and ad-free access.
Velocity
Maintenance developmentnew contentUX improvementsperformanceShow more...
The app exhibits a maintenance-level release cadence, with only two updates recorded over the last three months across Android and iOS platforms. Development is currently focused on content discovery and general performance refinements. The latest release added a recommended patterns feature to improve navigation, while previous updates focused on stability and theme curation. Given the current frequency of updates, the development momentum remains stable but limited in scope.
Who built it?
炳甲 梁
3 apps tracked · Entertainment
Mandala Coloring Book
Doodle Magic - Draw, PaintUser Sentiment
What do users think recently?
Review voice lately leans frustrated. Users appreciate the core cross-stitch mechanic provides a relaxing and satisfying creative outlet for long-term players and the ability to import personal photos allows for an endless supply of custom stitching projects, but report aggressive ad frequency and intrusive pop-ups disrupt the gameplay experience for both free and paying users.
How are ratings & reviews evolving?
Weekly average review rating
What users say, by theme
- The core cross-stitch mechanic provides a relaxing and satisfying creative outlet for long-term players
- The ability to import personal photos allows for an endless supply of custom stitching projects
- Aggressive ad frequency and intrusive pop-ups disrupt the gameplay experience for both free and paying users
89 of 99 recent reviews analyzed · high confidence · Frustrated overall
Read the full review analysisUnlock 2 more frustration themes and 2 user requests, each backed by review evidence.
Access the full report for freeCompetition
Competitive landscape for Cross-Stitch: Color by Number
How's the Entertainment market?
Cross-Stitch: Color by Number holds a #94 Grossing rank in the US Board Game category. The gap between its free-to-play entry and premium-gated conversion suggests monetization friction for casual users.
The rivals identified
The Analyst's Read
Key takeaways for Cross-Stitch: Color by Number
Where is it heading?
Casual puzzle interest is shifting toward higher-fidelity experiences, leaving this app exposed to churn if technical reliability does not improve. The reliance on AI-generated content risks alienating the core hobbyist base, which will compress lifetime value if not balanced with high-quality, hand-crafted assets.
- Technical instability and progress loss following the latest update frustrate users, which compounds the rating drag already visible on Android.
- The shift toward AI-generated art packs reduces the perceived quality of content, accelerating churn pressure on the casual base.
The SWOT
- Photo-to-stitch conversion tool functions as a primary retention hook for power users
- Untapped B2B partnerships with craft-education platforms could diversify distribution channels
Next best moves
Ship cloud-save because it is the top-requested missing feature → unlock data-loss frustration
+ 2 more prioritized movesThe counter-intuitive read
The reliance on AI-generated content is a short-term…
Read the full takeSince the last report: The report shows a shift toward active content quality management and the identification of B2B growth channels, while maintaining the core technical and monetization challenges identified previously.
Bottom line
Cross-Stitch: Color by Number retains core users through its photo-conversion tool, but technical instability and ad-heavy design threaten the long-term funnel, so the PM must prioritize cloud-save implementation to stabilize the user base.
Unlock 1 critical friction, 1 market threat, 2 more prioritized moves and the analyst’s take.
Access the full report for freeFAQ
Is Cross-Stitch: Color by Number free to play?
Does the app support cloud saving for my progress?
Is this app suitable for children?
Sources
Report last updated