Boldbobbin vs PEmbroider
Boldbobbin
boldbobbin.comPEmbroider
github.comSide by side
| Figure | Boldbobbin | PEmbroider |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $21/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 13 | 2 |
| Spec score · Embroidery Design Software | 9.4 (#1) | 8.3 (#7) |
| Documentation | Documentation covers installation, tutorials, core concepts, reference tables, how-to guides and troubleshooting, but warns that some pages await human review. | The project supplies a cheat sheet, full API, examples, FAQ, installation instructions and a tutorial video. |
| Headquarters | Zürich, Switzerland | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Licence | The terms identify Boldbobbin software code, interface design and technology as Boldbobbin GmbH property; no open-source licence is stated. | PEmbroider is released under GPLv3 and Anti-Capitalist Software License 1.4; adapted EmbroidePy file-writing code is MIT licensed. |
| Machine formats | Exports include DST, PES, PEC, JEF, EXP, VP3, XXX and U01 machine formats plus SVG and PNG previews. | It exports DST, EXP, JEF, PEC, PES, VP3 and XXX embroidery files. |
| Notable news | Boldbobbin's site says ETH Zurich formally recognized it as a spin-off in September 2026. | The Frank-Ratchye STUDIO hosted a full-day computational-embroidery workshop featuring PEmbroider on February 25, 2023. |
| Visualization | The editor offers vector, stitch and realistic render modes plus animated stitch playback. | Generated stitch paths can be visualized before export. |
| What it does | Boldbobbin converts artwork, lettering and imported designs into stitch files for embroidery machines. | PEmbroider is a Java library for generating computational embroidery designs inside Processing. |
Plans
Boldbobbin
- PersonalFree
- PersonalFree
- 500-credit pack$10, paid once
- Pro$21 a month
- 1,500-credit pack$25, paid once
- 3,500-credit pack$50, paid once
- Business$83.33 a month
- 8,000-credit pack$100, paid once
- Max$166.67 a month
- Pro subscription$252 a year
In their own words
Boldbobbin
Boldbobbin is an embroidery digitizing workspace for creating and editing machine-ready designs. Its auto-digitizing tool turns images into editable embroidery designs, and the software also offers photostitch and a pixel art editor. The editor supports parametric modeling, running stitch, satin columns, tatami fill, and special fills. Users can import their own fonts and adjust how each letter stitches. Exports include machine formats such as PES, PEC, DST, JEF, EXP, VP3, XXX, and U01, as well as SVG and PNG. The site lists compatibility references including Brother, Bernina, Janome, Elna, Pfaff, Husqvarna Viking, BAI, Tajima, Ricoma, and Baby Lock. Designs can be stored in the cloud and shared by URL for browser viewing. The free Personal plan is for non-commercial use, with six fonts and cloud storage for ten designs; image and video exports have a watermark, but machine files do not. Pro permits commercial sales of embroidered goods and exported machine files, but native.vemb project files cannot be resold standalone. Pro is $21 per month, billed yearly at $252.
PEmbroider
PEmbroider is a Java library for generating computational embroidery designs in Processing. Its drawing functions handle lines, shapes, and typography, while shape tools support overlap, cropping, merging, and a range of embroidery fills. Designs can start from SVG files or black-and-white PNG and GIF images. The library generates DST, EXP, JEF, PEC, PES, VP3, and XXX files for consumer CNC embroidery machines. It also exports PDF, SVG, TSV, and GCODE for other 2D output devices, including CNC routers and AxiDraw pen plotters. A modified Traveling Salesperson Problem solver creates shorter paths intended to reduce embroidery time and material use. PEmbroider can visualize files it generates, but cannot load or preview existing embroidery files. It integrates with Processing and can be installed through its Contribution Manager or from a ZIP library. The instructions require Processing 4.0a6 or later, with a separate download for Processing 3 users. It is free under GPLv3 and ACSL 1.4 and was developed during Endless March 2020 at Carnegie Mellon University's Frank-Ratchye STUDIO for Creative Inquiry.