EZGlassPattern · Software compared
What is the best stained glass pattern software?
It depends on how you work: drawing every line yourself, tracing a photo, or starting from a photo and printing. Here is what each tool does, what it costs and which ones check that the pieces can be cut.
Updated
Photos never leave your device. The check runs in your browser.
Answer in 30 seconds
For drawing original designs on Windows, Glass Eye 2000 is the most complete. For hand tracing in a browser, VArtGlass. For generating a pattern from a photo or text, Pattrn-AI. For resizing and printing patterns you already have, Rapid Resizer. EZGlassPattern is the one that turns a photo into a pattern and automatically checks every piece can be cut, with a one-time price.
- Free options: Inkscape is free general vector software; EZGlassPattern's cut check and preview are free with no account.
- On a Mac or iPad: the browser tools (VArtGlass, Pattrn-AI, Rapid Resizer, EZGlassPattern) work; Glass Eye 2000 is Windows software.
- Cut checking: of the tools here, only EZGlassPattern lists an automatic check that flags pieces glass can't be cut into.
Stained glass pattern software compared (checked October 2026)
| Price | Runs on | Photo to pattern | Automatic cut check | 1:1 tiled print | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glass Eye 2000 | About $150 (Standard) to $450 (Professional Plus); higher editions more | Windows | AutoTrace in Professional Plus | Not stated | Yes |
| VArtGlass | $5.50/month or $55/year; 10-day free trial | Browser on computers and tablets | No: you trace over the photo by hand | Not stated | Yes, numbered sheets |
| Pattrn-AI | Free for 2 generations; $5/month for 20; $10/month for 50 | Browser | Yes, also from text | No: you fix impossible cuts by hand in its editor | Yes (Pattern Resizer) |
| Rapid Resizer | From $39/year (Basic); Designer $59/year; Pro $119/year | Browser on phones, tablets and computers | Picture Stencil Maker (photo to stencil) | Not stated | Yes |
| Inkscape | Free, open source | Windows, Mac, Linux | General bitmap tracing | No | By arranging pages by hand |
| Adobe Illustrator | $22.99/month (annual plan) | Windows, Mac | Image Trace (general vector tracing) | No | Yes (print tiling) |
| Procreate | $12.99 one-time | iPad only | No: you draw over the photo | No | Not stated |
| EZGlassPattern | Free check; $5 one-time 30-day pass; $39 Lifetime | Any modern browser: Mac, Windows, iPad, Chromebook | Yes, at the piece count you choose | Yes, with one-click fixes | Yes, with registration marks |
Key takeaways
- Glass Eye 2000 is the full CAD option — drawing tools, libraries and printing, but Windows-only and the priciest.
- General design apps can draw anything — Inkscape, Illustrator and Procreate know nothing about glass, so you check every cut yourself.
- Only one tool here checks cuttability automatically — EZGlassPattern flags sharp inside corners, deep curves, slivers, crowded junctions and open seams at your real size.
- You can mix tools — draw anywhere, export PNG, SVG or PDF, and drop it into the free cut checker.
Dedicated stained glass software
Glass Eye 2000 is long-standing Windows design software with full drawing tools, a glass library, piece numbering, materials estimates and full-size tiled printing. Independent reviews list Standard at about $150 and Professional Plus, which adds AutoTrace for photos, at about $450. There is no native Mac version.
VArtGlass is a browser-based vector editor for stained glass. You import a photo or sketch as a background and draw the lines yourself, then print 1:1 on numbered sheets and calculate glass, copper foil and lead came. It costs $5.50 a month or $55 a year, with a 10-day free trial (vartglass.com).
Pattrn-AI generates patterns from a photo or a text prompt, and has a digitiser for hand drawings, a resizer for multi-page printing and a colour simulator. Its vectoriser lets you "fix impossible cuts, reshape figures" in the editor: that is manual editing, not automatic detection. Plans run from free (2 generations) to $10 a month (pricing).
Rapid Resizer is a web app for enlarging any pattern to full size and tiling it across pages. It also numbers pieces, previews glass colours with a material estimator, and has a Picture Stencil Maker that turns a photo into a stencil. Plans start at $39 a year (pricing).
General design apps
Inkscape is free and open source on Windows, Mac and Linux, with bitmap tracing. Adobe Illustrator has Image Trace and print tiling, from $22.99 a month. Procreate is a $12.99 iPad drawing app, popular for sketching patterns over a photo with an Apple Pencil.
All three are good at drawing and know nothing about glass. A line that looks fine on screen can make an inside corner glass won't turn into, or a strip too thin to survive once the foil or lead takes its share. If you design in one of them, check the result before you cut.
Where EZGlassPattern fits
EZGlassPattern is narrower than a drawing program on purpose. Drop a photo or an existing pattern, set the finished size and copper foil or lead came, and every piece is checked at that size: sharp inside corners, deep inside curves, pieces trapped inside other pieces, slivers, thin necks, tiny pieces, crowded junctions and open seams. Each problem comes with a fix.
Then download a tiled 1:1 PDF with a numbered key, a colour key and a shopping list, plus the cut lines as SVG. It runs in your browser and photos never leave your device. The check is free; exports are a $5 one-time Project Pass for 30 days or $39 Lifetime (pricing).
Frequently asked questions
Is there free stained glass pattern software?
Yes. Inkscape is free, general vector software. EZGlassPattern's cut check, preview and difficulty score are free with no account; Pattrn-AI's free plan includes 2 generations; VArtGlass has a 10-day free trial.
What stained glass software works on a Mac?
Browser-based tools work on any Mac: EZGlassPattern, VArtGlass, Pattrn-AI and Rapid Resizer. Inkscape and Illustrator have Mac versions. Glass Eye 2000 is Windows software, so it needs Windows in a virtual machine.
How much does Glass Eye 2000 cost?
As of October 2026, independent reviews list Standard at about $150 and Professional Plus at about $450, with higher editions costing more.
Should I use Illustrator or dedicated stained glass software?
Illustrator is better for free-form drawing; dedicated tools add glass-specific features such as piece numbering, materials estimates and, in EZGlassPattern's case, a check that every piece can be cut. Many people draw in Illustrator and check the result in a dedicated tool.
Which stained glass software checks if a pattern can be cut?
Of the tools compared here, only EZGlassPattern lists an automatic cut check that flags problem pieces with a fix. Pattrn-AI's editor lets you fix impossible cuts by hand. You can drop a pattern from any tool into our free checker.
Can I design stained glass patterns on an iPad?
Yes. Procreate is iPad-only and good for drawing over a photo. EZGlassPattern, VArtGlass and Rapid Resizer run in an iPad browser; a computer is easier for printing tiled PDFs.
Sources
Competitor details were checked in October 2026 and may have changed since. Corrections are welcome through our contact page.
- Glass Eye 2000 review and edition prices (omidsaffari.com)
- Glass Eye 2000 at Delphi Glass (retailer listing)
- VArtGlass features and pricing (vartglass.com)
- Pattrn-AI features (pattrn-ai.com)
- Pattrn-AI pricing (pattrn-ai.com/pricing)
- Rapid Resizer features (rapidresizer.com)
- Rapid Resizer pricing (rapidresizer.com/buy)
- Inkscape (Wikipedia)
- Adobe Illustrator plans (adobe.com)
- Adobe Illustrator Image Trace (helpx.adobe.com)
- Procreate on the App Store
The check is free. Pay once when you print.
No account and no card for the cut check. A Project Pass is $5 one-time for 30 days of printable pattern packets, with no subscription. Lifetime covers everything, forever.
Related
- Is my stained glass pattern cuttable?The free checker: drop a pattern and see which pieces can't be cut at your finished size, with one-click fixes.
- Make a stained glass pattern from a photoPhoto to pattern: choose a piece count, set the real size, fix flagged pieces, and print a full-size pattern.
- Looking for a Glass Eye 2000 alternative on a Mac?Glass Eye 2000 is Windows-only; an honest comparison for Mac users (as of October 2026).
- Looking for a Pattrn-AI alternative?An honest comparison with Pattrn-AI (as of October 2026): what each does better, pricing, and the cut check.
- Looking for a VArtGlass alternative?An honest comparison with VArtGlass (as of October 2026): hand tracing vs automatic lines and a cut check.
- Which cuts are impossible in glass?The cuts glass can't do (inside corners, enclosed pieces) and the ones that usually fail, with fixes.