There are tons of pattern making software options out there – each with different features and price points. Since it’s hard for one person to try them all, and one person’s opinion is just one opinion, I gathered a bunch of feedback to make this the most comprehensive article on pattern making software.

In December 2023, I surveyed 36 fashion industry pros – pattern makers, technical designers, and fashion designers who have YEARS of experience in digital pattern making.

Including what I’ve learned from my 15+ years of experience working in product development and from the pros I interviewed, I rounded up this list of the best pattern making software from beginner to advanced options.

Side Note: A lot of the people I interviewed were freelance pattern makers who are cost conscious. I’ve included comments below in regards to the best budget-friendly options!

Also, since prices aren’t listed on many pattern making software websites, we reached out as “freelance pattern makers” to see how much each costs if you’re paying out of pocket. We’ve included pricing below, gathered directly from each company as of January 2024.

1. Gerber AccuMark

Among the 36 fashion designers we surveyed, Gerber AccuMark was the most popular choice for professional use. If you’ve come across in-house pattern maker job openings, chances are they need someone who can use Gerber. 

Gerber AccuMark is a top of the line professional pattern making software that is used by many fashion companies and large-scale fashion manufacturers all around the world. Although it comes with a hefty price tag, it has aaall the tools and notations you need to make production ready patterns that the factories (and their machines) can understand. 

Some of Gerber’s features are automated pattern making, marker making, and advanced grading and measurement tools. You can also simulate how your garments will look like in real life using their add-on 3D software, enabling virtual fittings and reducing the need for physical prototypes.

Because of how comprehensive this software is, it’s harder to learn compared to its competitors like Optitex (more on this later!). But while it has a steeper learning curve, it’s faster to create patterns once you get used to it.

Here’s what Steph Thiel (LinkedIn), a freelance technical designer and pattern maker with over 8 years of experience has to say about Gerber compared to other fashion design software like CLO. 

“Gerber Accumark is my favorite. I do a lot of 3D sew-ups in CLO, but I’ve been working in Gerber for so long that I’m really efficient in it, so while I can draft in CLO, it’s nowhere near as fast for me as Gerber.” 

Here are other comments from industry pros who also consider Gerber to be the best professional pattern making software.

“I myself find for a production ready pattern with accurate notations it is still Gerber. The factories understand it.” – Katherine Schildmeyer (LinkedIn), 3D Apparel Design Expert

“I work with Gerber Accumark and I am very happy with it. As I worked as a Gerber trainer for 8 years, I know it by heart and I am very productive.” – Evelina Stoyanova (LinkedIn), Freelance Pattern Maker/ Gerber Accumark Trainer

“In a real design to production environment, not design as a stand-alone subject, there is nothing like Gerber out there, with Optitex as a close runner up.” – Jorge DeLeon Zamora (LinkedIn), Sales, Marketing, & Design VP

Price: Gerber offers custom pricing for different business sizes and needs. Based on Gerber’s website, a monthly subscription to their 2D pattern making software starts at $389. Their TechDesign bundle which includes their 2D, 3D, and PLM software starts at $599/month.

Free Trial: Free demo available upon request.

2. Lectra Modaris

Similar to Gerber, Lectra Modaris also offers advanced 2D and 3D pattern making solutions tailored for fashion companies and manufacturers. It provides comprehensive software tools for virtual prototyping, pattern grading, efficient marker making, and 3D simulation. Lectra Modaris is widely used in the fashion industry for its precise pattern creation.

Most fashion professionals we surveyed stated that both Gerber and Lectra are used widely for professional pattern making, and the differences between the two are minimal. 

“I have over 12 years of experience using the LECTRA system. Training new members is an easy task. Currently, I am using the Gerber system. Both options are good, however, there are small differences between them.” – Hiran Vithanage (LinkedIn), Sample and Product Development Manager

A couple of comments regarding Lectra was that it used to be the industry leading pattern making software (a decade or so ago) but Gerber has since upped their game and is now considered the top choice for industry use. 

“Gerber Accumark. I have over 20 years industry experience and even though I’m not a pattern cutter, this is what a lot of the companies I used to work for used. Some used Lectra but in my experience that was over 10 years ago I think. From what I know CLO3D and Gerber need to be used together.” – Jas Rehsi (LinkedIn), Freelance Fashion Designer

“At work I have seen Lectra Modaris, very outdated in Spain in terms of user experience. Gerber in Spain is much more widespread and up to date. It’s a program totally focused on pattern industrialization. I have no complaints. It has many functions and makes the work of pattern making agile, fast.” – Silvia López Balmaseda (LinkedIn), Pattern Maker

Notably, Lectra acquired Gerber in 2021, but both are still standalone software as of April 2025.

“Now Lectra and Gerber (acquired by Lectra) are the big ones with a complete suite and are ideally suited for large organizations. Their tight integration with their own hardware makes it a seamless experience for factories with large production capacities. They have a phenomenal R&D and keep upping the game especially with their hardware (cutters and spreaders).” – Dinesh D., CEO of Apparel BPO, a product development service company

Price: Lectra offers custom pricing for different business sizes and needs. They currently have three tiers for their pattern design module – Modaris Essential, Modaris Classic, and Modaris Expert. Modaris Classic, which is the middle tier and is recommended for independent designers and pattern makers, starts at $2,770 yearly.

Free Trial: Free demo available upon request.

3. Optitex

Optitex is another industry standard pattern making software known for its cutting-edge 2D and 3D capabilities. Just like Gerber and Lectra, it’s one of the leading professional pattern making software in the industry.

Using Optitex’s realistic fabric simulation and virtual prototyping tools, you can visualize and refine your designs before physical production.

Among Optitex’s best features are its automatic grading, accurate measurement tools, marker making tools, virtual prototyping, and 3D fitting simulations. It also includes a comprehensive library of patterns, templates and fabrics so you won’t have to do everything from scratch.

A couple of the comments we received when comparing Optitex to Gerber/Lectra was that people had an easier time learning Optitex and that it’s actually cheaper than Gerber. On the other hand, Optitex’s 3D module was said to be pricey and not as good as specialized 3D software like CLO. 

“I use Gerber now and have used Optitex in the past. Optitex was much easier to learn than Gerber.” – Carey Lorang (LinkedIn), Senior Fit Specialist and Technical Designer

And here’s a great comparison of Gerber, Optitex, and CLO by Alison Hoenes (LinkedIn), a Freelance Pattern Maker and Product Development Specialist:

“I work in Optitex for pattern drafting/grading and CLO for 3D sampling. I have also worked a bit in Gerber for pattern making as well as Optitex 3D. 

In my experience, here are the pros and cons. 

Optitex 

• Pros: it is made for pattern making and has full features for production-ready patterns. Converts and imports well with other software that factories have (like Gerber).
• Cons: it is pricey, their billing dept. is a hassle to work with, the 3D module is pricey and not as good as CLO. 

CLO 

• Pros: cheap, pattern making and 3D in one software, continual improvements to software. 
• Cons: 2D pattern making tools still catching up to their 3D level, default avatars not great for fitting. Also, I see a lot of low-quality patterns coming out of CLO because it is so easy for anyone to learn and create in the software without prior pattern making knowledge. 

Gerber 

• Pros: widely used by factories, has full production pattern tools, long history in the industry.
• Cons: very pricey, interface is kind of clunky and harder to learn (I learned Optitex first, so that might be why).”

You can connect with Alison through her website.

Price: Optitex offers custom pricing for different business sizes and needs. But for reference, an individual license for their pattern making module can start at around $4,331 a year.

Free Trial: Free demo available upon request.

4. CLO

CLO is a great 3D visualization and pattern design software that even beginners with ample pattern making knowledge can work with. It has a user-friendly interface and they offer tons of free tutorials online on how to use it. 

The software provides a range of editing tools for drawing and editing patterns in 2D, which can then be simulated and visualized in 3D. This allows for a seamless transition from 2D pattern making to 3D garment simulation within the same software platform.

Among the fashion professionals I surveyed, including my freelance students in FAST, this is the most popular choice for 3D design. It is widely accepted in the professional fashion industry, and many fashion brands highly desire CLO 3D skills (just check out CLO’s job board!).

Here are some of the features that Laetitia Dupuich (LinkedIn), a Freelance 3D Fashion Designer & Garment Technologist, is raving about in CLO.

“I have started working with CLO3D this year and it has some really good features for pattern making. I really like the fact that you can drape digitally and that it is compatible with many other software formats. Plus, the grading rules make grading much faster than it was by hand or on illustrator while still being an accessible software price-wise!” 

It’s also waaay cheaper than Gerber/ Lectra/ Optitex although of course, it’s not as comprehensive as these software that were intentionally made for pattern making and production. 

So, this means that the patterns often need some finessing before being considered production ready. Since CLO (or any 3D fashion design software for that matter), is intentionally made for 3D purposes, there are a few more steps to make the patterns production ready. 

“I have tried CLO in the past and found it to be great for design but difficult when sending it back into 2D for production. I had to do a lot of cleanup with notches and seam allowance. I believe (from colleagues who use and like CLO) that this has improved since then.” – Xochil Herrera Scheer (LinkedIn) of The Chicago Pattern Maker 

“You can do pattern making in CLO and VStitcher but not so great for production pattern making. Vendors prefer to make the production patterns in a 2D software and upload [the] .dxf file to the 3D. I’m not freelance so my company owns Gerber and VStitcher. Cost wise it might be cheaper for an individual to use the cheaper 3D software for the initial pattern creation and have [the] vendor make the production patterns.” – Carey Lorang (LinkedIn), Senior Fit Specialist / Technical Designer

Another thing that CLO gets 5/5 stars for is that they do a great job of listening to their customers, always taking feedback into consideration and bringing in new features with their continuous updates. Many people in my survey commented on this!

Like Freelance Fashion Designer and Artist Bri Foster (Website):

“I love the user interface and how involved the company is in applying feedback and offering amazing features. As a designer, pattern maker, and technical designer, it has everything I need to offer services for myself and my freelance clients. And the UI is really intuitive if you’re already a pattern maker or used to using Adobe Illustrator.”

Price: Subscription-based, plans start from $50/month for individuals/freelancers.

Free Trial: 30-day free trial available.

5. Browzwear / VStitcher

Browzwear (company) / VStitcher (product) is another popular option for those who want to integrate both 2D and 3D pattern making in their work.

In terms of tools and features, Browzwear and CLO are said to be comparable with each other, although Browzwear was said to have the most accurate fabric simulation compared to its competitors.

It’s Sylwia Szymczyk’s (LinkedIn) go-to when it comes to 3D fashion design. Sylwia works as a 3D Apparel Specialist at Timberland and has over 15+ years of 3D design experience.

“I would go for VStitcher as it has the most true-to-life fabric simulation and it is not overpacked with unnecessary tools. But then other tools are much better prepared for using meshes in external software. I think it is really a matter of preference.”

Browzwear / VStitcher is often compared against CLO. If you want an in depth comparison of the two, check out this podcast by Trudy Gardner (LinkedIn), a 3D Intimates & Swim Tech Designer.

🎧 Bringing Browzwear into the Mix with Experts Lisha Sanders and Sofia Luzon

In the podcast, she chats with Sofia Luzon (LinkedIn) and Lisha Sanders (LinkedIn), two pros in the 3D design and pattern-making field. They share aaalll the good stuff and the quirks working with CLO and Browzwear after years of use. 

Price: Browzwear offers custom pricing for different business sizes and needs. For reference, their freelancer license for VStitcher starts at $750/year.

6. TUKAcad

TUKAcad, a product of the company TUKAtech, offers a range of 2D pattern design and grading tools to create clothing patterns. Similar to CLO and Browzwear, TUKAcad is designed to cater to the needs of small to medium-sized fashion businesses. 

TUKAcad also has lots of nifty features such as marker making capabilities, automatic grading, a library of 2D pattern block templates, and video tutorials for each tool. If you want to virtually fit your patterns, TUKAcad has a sister software called TUKA3D, a 3D design software that you can use to seamlessly fit your patterns from the former app. 

Here’s what Xochil Herrera Scheer (LinkedIn) of The Chicago Pattern Maker loves about TUKAtech.

“I switched a few years ago to TUKAtech and have been super happy with it. Easy to navigate, affordable, zero issues with exporting DXF or converting files for various platforms. Their marker tool is great (I use it less often but do for some clients). I haven’t yet tested their 3D software, but it looks good.”

Price: Subscription-based, TUKAcad caters to beginners with a $19 per month plan, ideal for learning the basics. For professionals, there’s a $199 option with advanced features.

Free Trial: 14-day free trial available.

7. Adobe Illustrator

A huge disclaimer that I DO NOT recommend Adobe Illustrator for professional production pattern making by any means (nor do any of the pattern makers I interviewed). But there is a time and place when AI is a great choice, so I wanted to include it. 

Adobe Illustrator is commonly used amongst home or hobby sewists for pattern drafting and grading. Many home sewing pattern makers (think like the sewing patterns you buy at Joann’s or your local sewing store, or ones you might find on Etsy) use Illustrator for pattern making. But it is not (not that I’ve ever heard of, and the pattern makers I interviewed agreed!) used in the professional fashion industry for pattern making. So depending on your goals, Illustrator may not be the right choice despite its affordability.

If you try to send your AI pattern to factories, their advanced printing equipment will not be able to understand your files because AI is not optimized to speak the same “language” as their software.

But if you just want to make your own sewing patterns at home, you can definitely use Adobe Illustrator. 

Here’s how Alex Schaufele (LinkedIn), a self-taught pattern maker uses Adobe Illustrator to create home sewing patterns. 

“Illustrator is great for creating vectors. It allows for easily tracing/manipulating shapes, adjusting a path, and grading using different methods. The layers function is also great because you can do each size in individual layers. When exported to PDF for sales, people can turn off sizes they don’t want to make.”

So, if you want to get the most bang for your buck and are just starting to make digital patterns for hobby or home sewing purposes, AI is a good option. 

Price: Subscription-based, plans start from $22.99/month. Student and business plans available.

Free Trial: 7-day free trial available.

Pattern Making Software Comparison Chart

Using the feedback from our survey, here’s a comparison chart to easily reference pattern making software options.

Which Pattern Making Software Should You Use?

When it comes to choosing the best, it comes down to your unique needs, expertise, and budget constraints. Here’s what I think:

Professional Industry Standard

Gerber AccuMark, Lectra Modaris, and Optitex

If you want to work for large scale fashion brands and manufacturers, advanced industry level pattern making software such as Gerber, Lectra, and Optitex are your go-to. These pattern making software options offer complete and advanced tools that are necessary for large scale production with features like multiple size grading, automated pattern making, and add-on software for marker making and 3D simulations. 

The Best One: Based on our survey data, Gerber AccuMark is the best pattern making software for professional, production ready patterns.

Seamless 3D Design Workflow

CLO, Browzwear / VStitcher, and TUKAcad

3D pattern making software such as CLO, VStitcher, and TUKAcad stand out for their immersive 3D visualization and intuitive interface. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, these applications seamlessly transition between 2D and 3D, offering end to end solutions for designers and pattern makers. 

3D design is also becoming a highly desired and sought after skill in the fashion industry, so it’s definitely a good skill to learn.

The Best One: Based on our survey data, CLO is the best pattern making software for 3D design.

Pro Tip: A couple of professional pattern makers I surveyed also mentioned that they prefer to use a combination of software, for example, Gerber for 2D pattern making and CLO for 3D design. In the end, if you want the best of the best, nothing beats opting to choose a software that was intended for a specific use. This means that while the professional software I’ve mentioned above have their own 3D applications, they aren’t as much up to par with their 2D capabilities, and professionals find themselves having to use both the 2D pattern making software of Gerber/ Lectra/ Optitex coupled with a 3D software like CLO/ VStitcher/ TUKA3D as the best combo.

Home Sewing Patterns

Adobe Illustrator

For beginners, home sewists, or hobbyists who are just starting out learning digital pattern making, you can start out with vector software such as Adobe Illustrator (which you might already have!).

The Best One: Based on our survey data, Adobe Illustrator is the best pattern making software for home and hobby sewists. It was also the only one mentioned.

What’s the Best Pattern Making Software for Beginners?

Based on our survey data and my insights working with hundreds of freelancers across the world, CLO is considered the best 3D design and pattern making software, even for beginners (and freelancers!).

It has an intuitive interface that’s easy to learn even with just basic pattern making knowledge. With a fee of $50 a month, it’s waaay more affordable than industry standard applications like Gerber, Lectra, and Optitex but is equipped with all the tools you’ll need to create patterns and fit the clothes virtually. 

Plus, CLO’s great response to feedback reassures its users that they’re working with a software that’s continuously listening to its customers and adapting to the industry changes. 

What’s the Best Pattern Making Software?

Based on our survey data, Gerber Accumark ranks the best and most popular choice for professional pattern making software. But the “best” software depends on your unique needs and expertise. Whether it’s the precision Gerber, Optitex, and Lectra – the budget friendliness and immersive 3D capabilities of CLO, VStitcher, and TUKAcad – or the versatility of Adobe Illustrator, each option has its pros and cons. 

If you’d like to dig a little more into the data and some of the raw comments from pattern makers I surveyed, below is my LinkedIn post where I gathered some of the data for this post. There are a lot of interesting nuances about all the software mentioned, and some really fabulous pattern makers you can connect with!