Tattoo stencil app comparison
Stencify vs Stencil AI
Stencil AI is the most visible rival in this category, with the longest feature list and the highest price. Stencify is built for the job most artists actually have: turn a client reference into a clean, transfer-ready stencil in about 30 seconds, on iPhone, iPad or Android, at a flat price with no credits. Here is where the two differ, and why Stencify is the logical choice unless you need Stencil AI's specific extras.
- Stencify: iPhone, iPad and Android
- $47.99 a year, unlimited conversions
- 4.8 stars on the App Store
- Our pick for most artists: Stencify
- Facts checked Oct 5, 2026
Written by the Stencify team. Everything here about Stencil AI comes from its own website or store listing, and we show plainly where it differs.
Stencify
$47.99/year
or $4.99 a week, two free uses first
- PlatformsiPhone, iPad and Android
- PlanUnlimited, $47.99 a year
- Free to try2 full conversions
- Rating4.8 stars on the App Store
Best for you want the conversion, a quick line-weight pass, a try-on check and a print, at a fraction of the yearly cost, with the option to generate or edit designs by text.
Stencify ahead or even on 12 of 12 features
Stencil AI
From $140/year
Pro plan $290 a year
- PlatformsiPhone, iPad, Android and web
- PlanCredits, from $140 a year
- Free to tryPreview only
- Rating4.7 stars
Only if you want to pay about three times as much a year for manual brush retouching, a browser version, or LiDAR measuring at the chair.
Our verdict: Stencify. The cleaner path from reference to printed stencil, on both platforms, with no credits, try-on and text editing included. The other app earns its place only in the case listed under its name.
Side by side
Same twelve features for every app. Teal check: Stencify ahead. Grey check: has it. Red cross: not offered or not listed. Stencify ahead on 7, even on 5, Stencil AI ahead on 0. Extras only one app offers are covered under what that app offers instead.
Facts checked on Oct 5, 2026 from each app's own website or store listing. Prices change; check the store before you buy.
Where Stencify is stronger
- The core conversion. Clean, transfer-ready line work from a photo or sketch in about 30 seconds, with line weight and contrast you set yourself, so the stencil prints right the first time.
- Price. Stencify's annual plan is $47.99 against Stencil AI's cheapest tier at $140 a year, and Stencify does not count credits.
- No credit maths. Convert as many references as the day needs without watching a balance.
- Text-to-design and prompt editing. Describe a design, or type a change, and the app does it. Stencil AI converts only.
- Try-on on a body model or your own client photo without extra hardware.
- Simplicity. Fewer screens between the client photo and the printed stencil.
What Stencil AI offers instead
- A manual retouch editor with brushes and tone curves. Stencify does not need one: the stencil comes out ready to print and is adjusted with a slider or a typed change, in seconds rather than minutes of brushwork.
- Three conversion styles. Stencify uses one tuned for transfer-ready line work and lets you set the weight and contrast yourself, so you get the result you want without picking a mode first.
- LiDAR measuring and body warping on supported iPhones, plus a web version. Stencify's try-on works on any iPhone, iPad or Android phone with no extra hardware.
- A library of ready-made subjects and studio seats, sold on credits. Stencify converts your own client references without limits, which is what the job actually needs.
What a year costs
Stencify on the annual plan is $47.99 for unlimited conversions. Stencil AI Hobby is $140 a year for 20 credits a month, and Pro, which unlocks all three styles and the retouch studio, is $290 a year for 100 credits a month. An artist converting a few references a day lands on Pro, which is about six times the cost of Stencify. If you only need a stencil app occasionally, Stencify weekly at $4.99 beats Stencil AI's $0.99 five-credit starter pack once you pass five conversions.
Which one should you pick?
Our recommendation: Stencify. It is the lower yearly price, it runs on iPhone, iPad and Android, it has no credits to count, and it includes try-on and editing by text. Pick it when you want the conversion, a quick line-weight pass, a try-on check and a print, at a fraction of the yearly cost, with the option to generate or edit designs by text.
Choose Stencil AI only if you want to pay about three times as much a year for manual brush retouching, a browser version, or LiDAR measuring at the chair. For everyone else the extra cost or the missing platform is hard to justify.
Start with Stencify's two free uses on a real client reference, a low-contrast photo with a busy background, and check the line work at print size. If it holds up, you have your answer at a fraction of the yearly cost.
Try the conversion yourself
Stencify converts a photo or sketch in about 30 seconds, lets you set line weight and contrast, previews the stencil on a body model or client photo, and exports a PDF sized for stencil paper. It runs on iPhone, iPad and Android, and the first two uses are free: get Stencify on the App Store or on Google Play.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Stencify the better pick for realism stencils?
Stencil AI offers a hatching style and a manual retouch studio, which matters only if you like to hand-tweak the result. Stencify delivers clean, print-ready line work with adjustable weight and contrast, so the stencil is finished when it comes out. Test the same portrait in both free trials and judge the output at real size.
How much cheaper is Stencify than Stencil AI?
Stencify is $47.99 a year on the annual plan, or $4.99 a week if you only need it for a short stretch. Stencil AI starts at $14 a month or $140 a year for 20 credits, with its full toolset on the $29 a month Pro plan. Stencify has no credit limits.
Why does Stencify run on phones and tablets instead of a web browser?
Because the stencil job happens at the chair, with the client's photo on a phone, not at a desk. Stencify runs on iPhone, iPad and Android for that reason. Stencil AI also runs in a browser, which only matters if you work from a laptop; for everyone else the phone app is the faster path.
Can you generate a design from text in Stencify?
Yes. Stencify generates a design from a text description and edits a stencil by typing a prompt, on top of converting photos and sketches. Stencil AI converts references only and does not invent designs.
Other comparisons
Related reading
- Stencify vs the Alternatives - all eight comparisons in one place
- Stencify vs Ghostline - the Apple-only rival
- Best Tattoo Design Apps for Artists - the wider toolkit
- How to Make a Tattoo Stencil From a Picture - the workflow both apps serve
Unlimited conversions for less than a third of the price
Stencify converts, previews and prints from your phone, with no credits to count.
