Which Is Better, Hand Embroidery or Machine Embroidery?

Neither is better overall. Machine embroidery is better for speed, consistency and making the same design many times. Hand embroidery is better for a handmade look, low cost and stitching anywhere.

Which one suits you depends on what you want to make and how much time you have.

Machine embroidery is the better choice if you want to:

  • Finish projects quickly. A design that takes days by hand stitches in minutes on a machine.
  • Repeat a design exactly. Ten matching shirts or towels come out the same every time.
  • Add names and lettering. Clean, even text is far easier by machine.
  • Sell what you make. The speed makes it practical to take orders.
  • Stitch dense, filled designs. A machine fills large areas evenly.
  • Get good results without years of practice. The machine does the stitching, so beginners can produce neat work early.

Hand embroidery is the better choice if you want to:

  • Start for very little money. A hoop, needles, floss and fabric cost a few dollars.
  • Stitch anywhere. It needs no power and fits in a bag.
  • Make one-of-a-kind pieces. Every hand-stitched piece is slightly different.
  • Use raised and textured stitches. Stitches such as French knots and bullion stitches are a hand technique.
  • Enjoy the slow process. Many people stitch by hand to relax.

How they compare

  • Cost to start: hand embroidery costs very little. An embroidery machine costs from a few hundred dollars, plus thread, stabilizer and designs.
  • Time per project: hours or days by hand, minutes to an hour by machine.
  • Learning curve: hand embroidery means learning each stitch. Machine embroidery means learning stabilizer, hooping and file handling.
  • Look: hand work looks soft and individual. Machine work looks crisp and uniform.
  • Design size: hand embroidery has no limit. A machine is limited to its embroidery area, such as 4 x 4 or 5 x 7 inches.

Many people do both. They use a machine for gifts, clothing and orders, and stitch by hand for pleasure.

Learn more in is machine embroidery easy and what kind of machine do you need to do embroidery.

Ready to try machine embroidery? Browse our machine embroidery designs.

Have another question? See all the answers in our machine embroidery designs FAQ.