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| Decision field | Free accountSwatchOnGlobalRemove | Open accessSwatch-to-Area Yarn EstimatorGlobalRemove | Free + paidThreadloop Sewing Pattern DatabaseGlobalRemove | Open accessFreeSewingGlobalRemove |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decision fit | ||||
| Primary job | Choose materials | Choose materials | Find patterns & fit | Find patterns & fit |
| Also useful for | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded |
| Area | Materials | Yarn | Patterns & fit | Patterns & fit |
| Best for | Sourcing swatches and low-MOQ fabric options | Documenting a bounded sample-to-area yarn calculation when the equivalent area is already known and genuinely comparable with the sample | Searching current and out-of-print sewing patterns | Custom-fit home sewing patterns |
| Know before using | SwatchOn's supplier status, counts, trust language, specifications, prices, availability, and account benefits are provider or supplier statements that can change. They do not independently establish fibre identity, performance, certification validity, mill ownership, production capacity, colour continuity, delivery, duty, or commercial fit. Review representative samples, test data, current certificates, the contracting entity, order terms, return limits, and landed logistics before purchase. | The worksheet does not establish that a sample represents a project, derive the area of shaped pieces, account for construction or openings, prescribe reserve, supply typical project quantities, round to packages, verify label values, guarantee required quantity, check dye-lot supply, or replace a tested pattern amount. Yarn, tool, maker, strand count, stitch or texture, density, treatment, finishing, planned area, and supply decisions remain project-specific. | Community members add and quality-control the records, so confirm sizing, measurements, fabric suggestions, format, availability, errata, license, and purchase terms with the designer or publisher. Adding an entry to a stash does not provide the pattern files. Saved searches and private PDF storage are paid Plus features, and a listing or review does not establish pattern accuracy or fit. | A generated pattern is not independent fit evidence or a production-ready graded block. The result still depends on accurate measurements, the selected design and options, ease assumptions, fabric behavior, construction, and representative test garments. An account stores saved patterns and measurement sets, so review the platform's privacy terms before retaining personal measurements. |
| Practical access | ||||
| For | Apparel brands | Makers | Makers | Makers |
| Location or jurisdiction | Global | Global | Global | Global |
| Access | Free account | Open access | Free + paid | Open access |
| Format | Marketplace | Stitch Authority | Community | Software |
| Source type | Commercial marketplace | Stitch Authority | Community database | Open-source project |
| Account, payment, and exit | ||||
| Access scope | Business or individual buyer sourcing fabric, trims, swatches, or custom printing through SwatchOn's marketplace and order workflow. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Sewer searching pattern records or organizing patterns, projects, fabric, notions, and private files. | Not yet reviewed at this level. |
| Before an account | Read the marketplace scope, material-category pages, service explanations, help articles, calculators, and legal policies. The checked signed-out pages do not expose the full product library, wholesale ordering, or sample-purchase workflow. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Browse the pattern database, guide, designers, publications, and public community areas without creating an account. | Not yet reviewed at this level. |
| Free-account boundary | After email verification, business and individual accounts receive product-library, wholesale-order, and sample-purchase access. A completed business profile and business proof add a sourcing manager and conditional swatch credits; the terms allow identity, business, or payment verification and account rejection. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | A free account needs no card and supports a stash, wishlist, projects, reviews, and personal organization. | Not yet reviewed at this level. |
| Payment boundary | The checked first-party pages disclose no recurring platform subscription. Buyers pay per sample or product order plus the checkout currency, shipping, duties, taxes, adjustments, and any agreed service fees; complimentary swatches or credits are conditional rather than universal free access. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Plus adds PDF pattern storage, collections, saved searches, bulk editing, and other workflow features on monthly or annual billing. | Not yet reviewed at this level. |
| Cancellation or exit | There is no subscription plan to cancel on the checked pages. The terms say a user may stop using the platform, while the privacy policy routes access, correction, portability, and deletion requests through support and permits retention for legal, accounting, dispute, and agreement-enforcement needs. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Cancel through an in-account link. Paid features remain through the current billing cycle, then the account returns to free features. | Not yet reviewed at this level. |
| Saved work and data | The platform can hold account and verification data, carts and orders, payment and shipping records, customs documents, artwork, supplier messages, reviews, and support tickets. The privacy policy offers copy, portability, correction, and deletion requests, but does not state a self-service full export, exact format, completion time, or complete deletion of retained transaction records. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | The terms say submitted materials remain yours, but the checked public pages do not explain a full export or how stored PDFs behave after downgrade. Keep originals outside the platform. | Not yet reviewed at this level. |
| Source and review | ||||
| What the source establishes | SwatchOn's current marketplace page exposes fabrics, trims, and prints, with swatch samples, in-stock catalogue colours, low-order-quantity options, and global logistics support. Current account guidance places the full product library, wholesale ordering, and sample purchasing behind email verification, while the terms describe supplier-provided listings, per-order payment, cross-border charges, sample limits, and marketplace responsibility. | The worksheet performs visible proportional arithmetic on user-entered sample dimensions, sample yarn length or weight-derived length, equivalent area, and optional reserve. Craft Yarn Council pattern-writing guidance says yarn amounts and package counts should be recorded in instructions, and its consumer guidance ties project instructions to a stated yarn amount and representative gauge; those sources do not establish a universal sample-to-area method, project range, or reserve. NIST defines 1 yard as exactly 0.9144 metre for the secondary unit display. | Threadloop's official guide describes an independent, fully crowdsourced database covering available and out-of-print sewing patterns. Its search supports pattern type, fabric type, age group, body type, cup size, level, format, file features, language, measurements, availability, and other filters; members can also track a stash, wishlist, projects, reviews, and discussions. Current terms state that the free plan requires no card, paid upgrades start billing immediately, cancellation retains paid features through the current cycle, and the account then returns to free features. | FreeSewing's official documentation says the browser editor drafts a selected design in real time from a measurement set rather than scaling or grading a standard-size pattern. Users can adjust design options and export the generated result, including as PDF; saving the pattern to an account is optional and is used to revisit it later. |
| Linked page reviewed | Jul 28, 2026 | Jul 28, 2026 | Jul 28, 2026 | Jul 21, 2026 |
| Next review due | Jan 24, 2027 | Jul 28, 2027 | Jan 24, 2027 | Jan 17, 2027 |
| Inspect | ||||
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