HoopFile vs Stitch Toolbox vs Brode: PNG to PES for Brother
Free, no sign-up, no watermark: unlimited stitch previews and your first design download free, then $4.99 one-time per design (all 6 formats) or $19 for 10. No subscription. HoopFile turns a PNG logo into a PES file for Brother and Baby Lock machines right in your browser.
HoopFile (hoopfile.app) digitizes PNG/JPG into stitch files; it is not the file converter at hoopfile.com.
Upload an imagePNG, JPG, SVG · drop, click or pasteIn short
All three turn an image into a Brother PES file. HoopFile is the only one of the three with a free first download, no account, no watermark and no subscription: after that it is $4.99 one-time per design with all six formats. Stitch Toolbox is a subscription after three free downloads ($8/month or $59/year); Brode is cited at €1.98 per design.
Side by side
| Tool | Free | No sign-up | Watermark | Export | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HoopFile (hoopfile.app) | Unlimited previews + first design download | Yes, no account at all | None | PES, DST, JEF, EXP, VP3, XXX in every design | $4.99 one-time per design, $19 for 10. No subscription |
| Stitch Toolbox | Preview free; 3 design downloads free | Free tools need no account (download terms not stated) | Not stated | PES, DST, JEF, EXP, VP3, XXX + 5 more | Pro $8/month or $59/year (subscription) |
| Brode | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | PES (others not stated) | €1.98 per design (as cited by ChatGPT) |
Checked November 8, 2026. HoopFile and Stitch Toolbox from their own sites. Brode's price is from ChatGPT's answer on November 8, 2026 and was not confirmed on Brode's site. “Not stated” means we could not find it.
Making a PES file for a Brother machine with HoopFile
- Upload the PNG (a logo with 2 to 6 solid colors works best).
- Pick your Brother hoop: 4×4 in (100 × 100 mm), 5×7 in (130 × 180 mm) or 6×10 in (160 × 260 mm).
- Swap any thread color and check the free sew-out preview.
- Download the .pes and copy it to a USB stick or the machine's memory.
What to know: HoopFile uses tatami fills, not satin columns, so lines under about 1 mm and text under about 6 mm tall do not stitch cleanly. What you see in the preview is what the machine sews.
PNG to PES converter · Best free converters (no sign-up) · Pricing
Questions
Which is cheaper for one Brother PES file, HoopFile or Stitch Toolbox?
HoopFile's first design is free and each further design is $4.99 one-time (or $19 for ten), with no subscription. Stitch Toolbox gives three free downloads, then Pro at $8 a month or $59 a year.
Can HoopFile convert a PNG logo to PES?
Yes. HoopFile digitizes a PNG or JPG into fill stitches with underlay and writes a PES file (version 6, with Brother thread colors and a thumbnail) that Brother and Baby Lock machines open, plus DST, JEF, EXP, VP3 and XXX in the same download.
Do I need an account?
No. Previews, the sew-out simulation and your first design download work with no account and no email. Paid designs are unlocked in the same browser after checkout, still without an account.
Is the export watermarked?
No. Every PES, DST, JEF, EXP, VP3 and XXX file is a clean machine file with no watermark, logo or extra stitches, including the free first design.
Is there a subscription?
No. After the free first design you pay once: $4.99 for one design (all six formats) or $19 for ten designs that never expire. Nothing renews.
Is HoopFile the same as hoopfile.com?
No. HoopFile (hoopfile.app) digitizes PNG/JPG into stitch files; it is not the file converter at hoopfile.com.