Quilt math is the same everywhere — perimeter plus ten, divided by forty — so the difference between calculator apps is price, platform, whether your results are saved, and whether the app also helps you design. Here is every option we could verify, including ours, with what each does well and where it stops. Prices and features checked August 26, 2026.
Free. No trial, no subscription, no account needed — ever. Save results on this device, or sign in to keep them on every device.
Any browser (phone, tablet, desktop). Add to home screen for an app icon.
Good at
27 interactive calculators — binding, bias binding, backing (44″ and wide-back), batting, borders, sashing, HST, QST, flying geese, setting triangles, precuts, cutting layouts with a diagram, quilt kits, pricing, longarm cost, T-shirt and rag quilts — plus printable charts. Inches or centimeters. Save any result on your device, or sign in free to keep it on every device. The same math runs the Quilt Designer, so a design's cutting chart and the calculators never disagree.
Limits
Web-only: there is no App Store listing, so it works offline only as far as your browser caches it. No block designer inside the calculator pages themselves — that lives in the free Pattern Designer.
$49.99/yr after a 7-day trial (annual plan only); $7.99/mo with no trial. Binding and backing calculators are free.
Platform
iPhone, iPad, Mac (M1+), Android, Apple Vision
Good at
A polished, well-organised app from the two quilters behind the Designed to Quilt blog: 20+ calculators with step-by-step tutorials, metric and imperial, saved calculations, and a new Quilt Builder (August 2026) that designs a grid block from squares, HSTs, QSTs and flying geese, then returns yardage by fabric, cutting diagrams and construction steps. Reviewers praise its accuracy and the finished/unfinished toggle.
Limits
Everything beyond binding and backing is behind the subscription. There is no account and data is stored only on the device — the terms say saved projects are not backed up or synced. No web version. Several App Store reviews object to the free listing converting to a yearly charge after the trial.
Primarily a quilt design app, with calculators for fat quarters, yardage and shopping lists that use your photographed stash and real prices. iCloud sync and Apple Pencil support.
Limits
Apple-only and subscription-only. The calculators are a side feature of the designer rather than the point.
Eight free calculators — binding, bias binding, backing, batting, border, HST, flying geese and yardage — each with a clear explanation of the math and a link to a tutorial.
Limits
The free web set is deliberately smaller than the paid app; the pages are built to move you into the Quilt Geek trial. No saving, no metric toggle on the web versions.
General calculator sites with solid single-purpose quilting tools — Sew Simple Math's bias binding calculator and Omni's quilt binding calculator are both accurate. quiltcalculator.com covers backing, binding, borders, yardage, strips, sashing and shapes.
Limits
No quilting context beyond the one calculator, no saved results, and ads on some of them.
How to choose
You want it free and on every device — use a browser-based set with saving. Results you saved at home should be on your phone in the shop.
You want a native app and a block builder in one place — Quilt Geek, if the yearly price is fine. Check that the trial is the annual plan before you tap.
You design first and calculate second — Quiltler (Apple) or the free NiftyFifty Quilt Designer, which prints yardage and a cutting chart for whatever you lay out.
You need one number right now — any of the free single-purpose web calculators will do; they all use the same formulas.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free quilting calculator app?
Yes. NiftyFifty's calculators are free with no trial, subscription or account, and they run in any phone or desktop browser — add the page to your home screen for an app icon. Quilt Geek is free to download but only its binding and backing calculators are free; the rest needs a $49.99 yearly subscription after a 7-day trial. Designed to Quilt and Quilter's Paradise also offer free web calculators.
What is the best alternative to Quilt Geek?
If you want the same calculators without the subscription, NiftyFifty covers everything on Quilt Geek's list — including bias binding, quarter-square triangles, quilt kitting and fabric-saving cutting layouts — free, in inches or centimeters, with results you can save. If you specifically want a native iOS app with an in-app block builder and are happy to pay yearly, Quilt Geek is the more polished native app.
Does NiftyFifty have an app in the App Store?
Not yet. The calculators are a website that works like an app: open it on your phone, tap Share, then Add to Home Screen. Results save on your device even without an account.
Which quilting calculator works in centimeters?
NiftyFifty's newer calculators and Quilt Geek both switch between metric and imperial. Most free web calculators are imperial only.