Looking for a knitCompanion alternative?
Rowpip does one job: it shows the row you're on as a number you can read at a glance, and adds a row when you tap. It does that on Apple Watch and Wear OS as well as on your phone, so the count can stay on your wrist while you knit.
- Free
- No ads
- Counts on your wrist
Coming soon to the App Store and Google Play
knitCompanion and Rowpip, side by side
As of October 2026. Prices are from the US App Store.
| Feature | Rowpip | knitCompanion knitting & more |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone | Coming soon | Yes |
| Android | Coming soon | Yes |
| Apple Watch | Coming soon | No |
| Wear OS | Coming soon | No |
| Price model | Free | Free Basics; Setup + Essentials $29.99 a year |
| App Store privacy label | No label yet: Rowpip collects no data | Data Not Collected |
| Sync | Between a phone and its watch | Through iCloud |
| Patterns and notes | No pattern library and no notes | Magic Markers, scribble notes and chart recognition |
| Works offline | Yes | Yes |
| Counting hands-free | Watch gestures, and volume keys on Android phones | Voice commands |
Why people look for a knitCompanion alternative
We can't know your reason. These are things the store pages and the website of knitCompanion said in October 2026 that may be part of it.
No Apple Watch app
knitCompanion has no Apple Watch app. Its hands-free option is voice commands.
The full app is a yearly subscription
Its free tier is called Basics. Setup + Essentials costs $29.99, an annual subscription with a 7-day free trial.
Sources: App Store, Google Play, Website
What's different about Rowpip
Rowpip is the app we make, so read this part with that in mind.
A counter on your wrist
Rowpip runs on Apple Watch and on Wear OS. On an Apple Watch that has the double tap gesture, tapping thumb and finger together twice adds a row, with no touch on the screen.
Phone and watch agree
A paired phone and watch show the same count, within about 2 seconds while both are in reach. Each also works offline and catches up when they reconnect.
Watch gestures and volume keys
With a watch, Rowpip counts without a tap on the glass: a deliberate turn of the Digital Crown on Apple Watch, or of the bezel or crown on Wear OS, adds a row or takes one off. On an Android phone the volume keys can do the same.
Auto-count Experimental
On the watch, Rowpip can try to keep count for you: you knit one row while the watch learns your rhythm, and after that it counts your stitches and moves on to the next row. We haven't found another app that counts rows from wrist motion (as of October 2026). It's experimental: it may work well for some ways of knitting and badly for others, and counting by hand always works.
What knitCompanion does that Rowpip doesn't
knitCompanion has Magic Markers, scribble notes and chart recognition, and links to Ravelry and Dropbox. It takes hands-free voice commands, and it syncs through iCloud. It also runs on iPad, Mac and Amazon Fire.
Rowpip has no pattern library and no notes, so it can't stand in for a pattern app. It is made for phones and watches, and an iPad or Mac app isn't part of it.
Frequently asked questions
Is Rowpip a good alternative to knitCompanion?
For counting rows, yes, and most of all if you want the count on your wrist: Rowpip runs on Apple Watch and Wear OS, and as of October 2026 knitCompanion has no Apple Watch app.
For working from a chart, no. knitCompanion has Magic Markers, scribble notes and chart recognition, and Rowpip has no pattern library and no notes.
Does knitCompanion have an Apple Watch app?
No, not as of October 2026. knitCompanion runs on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Android and Amazon Fire, and its hands-free option is voice commands.
Rowpip counts on Apple Watch with a tap or a turn of the Digital Crown, and with a double tap on watches that have the gesture.
Is knitCompanion free?
Its Basics tier is free, and row tracking and counters for every project are free too. Setup + Essentials costs $29.99 as an annual subscription, with a 7-day free trial (US price, October 2026).
Rowpip is free, with no ads and no account.
When can I get Rowpip?
Soon. Rowpip is coming to the App Store for iPhone and Apple Watch, and to Google Play for Android phones and Wear OS watches.
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Keep the count where your hands are
Rowpip is free. It counts on Apple Watch and Wear OS, and it asks for no account.
Coming soon to the App Store and Google Play