Tattoo stencil app comparison
Stencify vs tat.ink
tat.ink is a free web tool that turns a photo of an existing tattoo or artwork into a stencil, and that is all it does. Stencify is the app for the everyday job: client references of any kind, converted, tried on, edited and printed from your phone. Here is how a one-trick web converter compares with a full stencil app.
- 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 tat.ink 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 convert client references regularly on a phone, want control over line weight, and want try-on and print in one app.
Stencify ahead or even on 12 of 12 features
tat.ink
Free preview
Paid HD downloads
- PlatformsWeb only, no app
- PlanPay per HD download
- Free to tryFree preview
- RatingNot an app, no store rating
Only if you need to flatten a photo of an existing tattoo once, in a browser, and will pay per HD download.
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 8, even on 4, tat.ink 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.
- A native app on iPhone, iPad and Android, with the camera roll and printer one tap away.
- Line weight and contrast controls, prompt editing and text-to-design.
- Try-on on a body model or client photo.
- A known annual price for unlimited use rather than paying per HD download.
What tat.ink offers instead
- A tool for flattening a photo of an existing tattoo into a stencil. Stencify converts any reference, including photos, sketches and text descriptions.
- Nothing to install and a free preview. Stencify gives two full free uses in a native app with line weight control, try-on and print-ready export.
- It ranks well on Google for photo-to-stencil searches. Stencify is the app working artists use at the chair, on iPhone, iPad and Android.
What a year costs
tat.ink is free to preview and charges for HD downloads and saving, with an account. Stencify is $47.99 a year unlimited. For a single cleanup of an existing tattoo photo you can get by with tat.ink. For a working artist converting references every week, a flat yearly price on a phone app is simpler and usually cheaper.
Which one should you pick?
Our recommendation: Stencify. It handles the whole job from photo to printed stencil in one app, 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 convert client references regularly on a phone, want control over line weight, and want try-on and print in one app.
Choose tat.ink only if you need to flatten a photo of an existing tattoo once, in a browser, and will pay per HD download. For everyone else paying per download in a browser adds up faster than a flat plan.
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, the time saved on the first few clients pays for the year.
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
Is tat.ink free?
The converter is free to use online with a preview. HD downloads and permanent saving are paid features that need an account.
When is tat.ink enough, and when do you need Stencify?
tat.ink is enough for a one-off cleanup of a photo of an existing tattoo in a browser. For client references of any kind, with line weight control, try-on, editing by text and print-ready export from your phone, you need a full stencil app, and Stencify does all of that for a flat price.
Can I use tat.ink on my phone?
It is a website, so it works in a mobile browser with uploads up to 5MB. There is no app. Stencify is a native app on iPhone, iPad and Android.
Other comparisons
Related reading
- Stencify vs the Alternatives - all eight comparisons in one place
- Stencify vs TattStencil - the free iOS app
- Stencify vs Line Ripper - the web studio with a free tier
- How to Make a Tattoo Stencil From a Picture - the photo workflow
From camera roll to printed stencil, in one app
Stencify converts, previews and prints on iPhone, iPad and Android for a flat yearly price.
