Software · head to head
Shima Seiki vs Stoll
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Shima Seiki the Internet Archive's capture of Shima Seiki's homepage on 29 December 2020 named five distinct product categories, Knitting Machines, Design System/Software, CAD/CAM Systems, Inkjet Printing Machine, and PLM Solutions, all sold via an Inquiry form with no price figure published.; Stoll the flat knitting machine business under the Stoll brand was discontinued and its Reutlingen production site closed on 31 October 2025, per the vendor's own site; only spare parts and existing software licence keys remain available
- They diverge on capability: Shima Seiki covers Stitch pattern creation, Stoll covers Pattern creation.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Shima Seiki and Stoll actually diverge.
| Attribute | Shima Seiki | Stoll |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $250/month | $300/month |
| Founded | 1962 | 1880 |
Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Windows), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Shima Seiki
- Stitch pattern creation
- Color selection
- Machine control
- Visualization
- Shima Seiki machines
- CAM systems
- Japanese language support
- Chinese language support
Only in Stoll
- Pattern creation
- Machine programming
- Stitch simulation
- Stoll machines
- CAD systems
- German language support
- Spanish language support
Both cover
- Knit design
- Production planning
- User authentication
- Desktop deployment
- Windows support
- English language support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Shima Seiki
- Knit design
- Machine programmingnot Stoll
Stoll
- Knit design
- Production optimizationnot Shima Seiki
Both are used for knit design, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Shima Seiki
- The Internet Archive's capture of Shima Seiki's homepage on 29 December 2020 named five distinct product categories, Knitting Machines, Design System/Software, CAD/CAM Systems, Inkjet Printing Machine, and PLM Solutions, all sold via an Inquiry form with no price figure published.
Stoll
- The flat knitting machine business under the Stoll brand was discontinued and its Reutlingen production site closed on 31 October 2025, per the vendor's own site; only spare parts and existing software licence keys remain available
Pricing, plan by plan
Shima Seiki
$250/month- Essential$250/month
- Basic design
- Standard features
- Professional$500/month
- Advanced design
- Integration
- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Full solution
Stoll
$300/month- Basic$300/month
- Basic design
- Advanced$600/month
- Advanced features
- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Full solution
Which should you pick?
Choose Shima Seiki if
- You need stitch pattern creation.
- You work on Windows.
- You also want color selection.
Choose Stoll if
- You need pattern creation.
- You work on Windows.
- You also want machine programming.
Questions people ask
- Is Shima Seiki or Stoll better?
- Neither clearly leads. Shima Seiki starts at $250/month and Stoll at $300/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Shima Seiki or Stoll?
- Shima Seiki starts at $250/month and Stoll at $300/month.
- Does Shima Seiki or Stoll run on more platforms?
- Both run on Windows, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- What is Shima Seiki best used for?
- Shima Seiki is most often used for knit design, machine programming. Of those, machine programming is not what Stoll is typically brought in for.
- What can Shima Seiki do that Stoll cannot?
- Shima Seiki covers Stitch pattern creation, Color selection, Machine control, Visualization. Stoll covers Pattern creation, Machine programming, Stitch simulation, Stoll machines. Both handle Knit design, Production planning, User authentication, Desktop deployment.