Wilcom EmbroideryStudio alternative
A Wilcom alternative for the Mac, and for Windows.
Wilcom EmbroideryStudio is sold for Windows PCs and listed as not compatible with macOS; the Decorating edition is US$790 a year. Qepe runs natively on both, for €149 a year with every tool.
Not released yet. From the first release: 7 days free, then €149 a year with every tool, beside what the others sell today.
Side by side
| Qepe | Wilcom EmbroideryStudio Decorating 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price, first year | €149, or €99 for the first 100 shops | US$790 |
| Each year after | €149 | US$790 |
| Plans | One, with everything | Four editions |
| On a Mac | Native, on Apple silicon | Not compatible with macOS |
| On Windows | Windows 10 and 11 | Included |
| Free trial | 7 days, export included | 14 days |
| AI credits | 1,000 every year | Not in this plan |
Read on 21 October 2026; prices without tax, and they can change. AI credits: none of the three pages lists them. Names and trademarks belong to their owners and are used only to compare; Qepe is not affiliated with them. The full comparison, with its sources
Why shops choose Qepe
Native on a Mac
EmbroideryStudio needs a Windows PC; Qepe installs on a Mac with Apple silicon, or on Windows 10 and 11.
One licence, every tool
No editions to choose between: Auto Digitizer, Quality, lettering, patches and appliqué are all in it.
The first version made for you
The Auto Digitizer asks what a digitizer would ask, then makes the design; Quality says what to look at.
In seven languages
Every screen and message in English, Albanian, German, Spanish, French, Serbian and Turkish.
Questions
- Can Qepe open Wilcom .EMB files?
- No. EMB is Wilcom’s own format. Export the design as DST or another machine format, and Qepe opens it to recolour, move or add a name.
- Is Qepe’s licence a subscription too?
- It is yearly, like the Decorating subscription: €149 a year with every tool, every update and support in the year, and 1,000 AI credits.
- Does it run on Windows as well?
- Yes, on Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit), with the same tools and files as on a Mac.
- Is there a cheaper alternative to Wilcom?
- Qepe is €149 a year with every tool. Wilcom EmbroideryStudio Decorating 2026 is US$790 a year at a reseller, whose page, on 21 October 2026, listed it as not compatible with macOS. Qepe runs on a Mac and on Windows.
Your next logo, ready to embroider.
Turn the next logo your customer sends into a checked, machine-ready file, on your Mac or PC.
Not released yet. From the first release: 7 days free, then €149 a year