Learn / Can you use Brother PE-DESIGN on a Mac?

Mac question · checked September 24, 2026

Can you use Brother PE-DESIGN on a Mac?

Brother lists only Windows requirements for PE-DESIGN, and its requirements page doesn't mention macOS. There is no Mac version listed.

Written by Tempore, the developer of Satinsmith, which is one of the options below. Facts about other products come from their makers' pages. Spotted a mistake? Email support@tempore.net and we will correct it.

The short answer

Brother's pages don't say whether PE-DESIGN is supported in a Windows virtual machine on a Mac, so ask Brother or your dealer before you rely on one.

What Brother PE-DESIGN 11 does: Digitizing and lettering, with built-in designs and fonts and a photo stitch tool.

Price: No price on Brother's product page.

Sources, read September 24, 2026: System requirements, Product page.

Your options on a Mac

OptionOn a MacDigitizingHow it is sold
Satinsmith (ours)Native Apple silicon app (M1 or newer), macOS 14 or laterYes, from DigitizerFree tier with five exports a month
EmbrillianceRuns natively on Mac and WindowsYes, with StitchArtist (sold separately)One-time purchases, bought separately and added together: Essentials $159 list ($139 in a sale running when checked)
StitchBuddyNative Mac app from the Mac App Store, macOS 12 or laterNoFree download (saves designs of up to 1,000 stitches)
Ink/StitchExtension for Inkscape (1.0.2 or later) on macOS 12 or later, with Apple silicon and Intel downloadsYes, inside InkscapeFree and open source (GPL-3.0)

The full comparison has what each one is good at, its limits and its sources.

Bringing your files

PE-DESIGN saves PES files, and Brother and Baby Lock machines sew them. Satinsmith opens PES files saved by PE-DESIGN versions 1 to 11 for free: the stitches, and the thread colors, design details and hoop name that newer versions store. It doesn't use PE-DESIGN's own editable objects inside the file, so lettering made in PE-DESIGN arrives as stitches, not as text you can retype.

Satinsmith also saves PES for your machine, so a Mac can stay in your Brother workflow. The PES format guide explains the versions.

Which fits?

  • You're used to PE-DESIGN and have a Windows computer: keep using it there.
  • You want to work on your Mac: choose a native option from the table, and send PES files to your machine as you do now.

Try Satinsmith with your own files

Opening, previewing and checking designs is free, with five exports a month. Download Satinsmith for an Apple silicon Mac with macOS 14 or later, or start with the free library lesson and its practice files.

Satinsmith is not affiliated with any company named here. Product names are trademarks of their owners and are used only to identify their products.