What Wilcom is
Wilcom makes EmbroideryStudio, the software many professional digitizers use. The 2026 version comes in four levels, from Lettering at £599 + VAT to Designing at £3,499 + VAT, and the two top levels can also be rented at £69 or £99 a month + VAT. It runs on Windows. You control every stitch angle, density and underlay by hand, which is why it takes weeks to learn properly. Wilcom also makes Hatch, its range for home embroiderers.
Wilcom and Embify side by side
| Wilcom EmbroideryStudio 2026 | Embify | |
|---|---|---|
| Price to start | £599 to £3,499 + VAT, one-off | Free preview, £5 per file |
| Monthly option | £69 or £99 a month + VAT | £29, £79 or £249 a month for 20, 60 or 200 files |
| Runs on | Windows (Mac only through Parallels) | Any browser: Mac, Windows, iPad, phone |
| Install | Yes, plus a licence | Nothing to install |
| First file | Hours, once you have learned it | Under a minute for most logos |
| Hand digitizing, stitch by stitch | Yes | No |
| Opens EMB files | Yes, it is Wilcom's own format | No |
| Sew-out preview before you pay | On screen, after you digitize | Yes, free, with a Sew Score |
| Machine formats | Dozens | DST, PES, JEF, EXP, XXX, VP3, TAP |
Wilcom prices from Wilcom Software UK, checked 23 Oct 2026. Embify prices from our pricing page.
When Wilcom is still the right choice
- You digitize for paying customers most days and want control over every stitch.
- The work is complex: 3D puff, appliqué, sequins, photo-style shading or multi-hoop jobs.
- Your customers or your team expect EMB files.
- You already know it well, and that skill is earning you money.
When Embify is the better fit
- A customer sends a logo and you need a DST or PES today, not after a course.
- You work on a Mac, an iPad or a phone.
- You need a handful of files a month, so a four-figure licence would never pay for itself.
- You want to see the sew-out, and a warning if it will sew rough, before you spend anything.
From logo to machine file
- Upload your logoPNG, JPG or SVG up to 10 MB. Embify traces it and removes the background.
- Check the sew-outSee the stitches, the thread colours and the Sew Score before you pay.
- Download for your machinePick DST, PES, JEF, EXP, XXX, VP3 or TAP. £5 per file, or use a plan.
Common questions
Is there a free alternative to Wilcom?
Ink/Stitch is free and open source, but you digitize by hand inside Inkscape. Embify's upload and sew-out preview are free; a machine file is £5 or part of a plan.
Can Embify open my Wilcom EMB files?
No. EMB is Wilcom's own working format. Export a DST or PES from EmbroideryStudio or Hatch and Embify's stitch file editor can resize and turn it, and save it for another machine.
Does Embify work on a Mac?
Yes. It runs in Safari or Chrome on any Mac, and on iPads and phones. There is nothing to install.
Will an Embify file sew as well as a hand-digitized one?
For most logos and lettering, yes. Every design gets a Sew Score, and Embify says plainly when a design will sew rough. Very small text and photo-style artwork are where a skilled digitizer still wins.
Is Embify made by Wilcom?
No. Embify is independent and based in the UK.
Sources
- Wilcom EmbroideryStudio 2026 UK prices (Wilcom Software UK)
- Wilcom help: EmbroideryStudio on a Mac with Parallels Desktop
- Wilcom: EmbroideryStudio e4.5 end of support
Every outside fact on this page was checked on 23 Oct 2026.