APP GUIDE

knitCompanion alternatives: simpler knitting apps for iPhone

knitCompanion is one of the most capable knitting apps around, especially for charts. But plenty of knitters download it, open a pattern, and realize they mostly wanted a counter that understands repeats. If that’s you, here’s what else to try, and when knitCompanion is still the best fit.

Full disclosure: we make CozyKnit. What we say about other apps is limited to what they publish about themselves, checked in November 2026.

When to stay with knitCompanion

• Your patterns are mostly large charts: lace, colorwork, cables across many panels.
• You like working line by line inside the PDF, with the app highlighting where you are.
• You need it on Android as well as iPhone. knitCompanion runs on both.

When something simpler fits

• Most of your patterns are written instructions, not charts.
• You mainly need to know which row of the repeat you’re on, how many repeats are done, and when the next decrease is due.
• You want to start counting in a minute, without setting up each pattern first.

Alternatives for iPhone and iPad

CozyKnit

Built around the counter. Free features include unlimited projects and counters, row repeat counters, widgets and a Lock Screen card, focus sessions, pattern upload and a yarn stash. Pro adds shaping counters (“decrease every 6th row 8 times”, counted for you), row-by-row instructions on the counter, and PDF highlights, notes and bookmarks. iPhone and iPad only.

YarnBuddy

Projects, patterns, counters and yarn in a clean, Apple-style app. Free for up to 10 projects, with a yearly or one-time Pro upgrade.

Ribblr

If you buy most of your patterns, Ribblr’s interactive pattern format includes row tracking built in. It works with patterns in Ribblr’s own format.

A quick test

Open the pattern you’re knitting now and find the trickiest instruction, like “work 4 rows even, then decrease on the next RS row, 6 times”. Try setting it up in each app. The one where that takes the least thought is the one you’ll keep using.

For the full comparison, including Android options, see the best knitting apps in 2026.