Stencil AI vs Stencil IQ
Stencil IQ turns a photo into a line drawing for tattoo transfer, Cricut cutting, screen printing or woodworking, and can draw a design from a text description. Stencil AI does one thing: tattoo stencils from a reference, in three styles, with retouch, Warp, LiDAR measuring and true-size printing. One is wide, the other is deep.
Stencil AI is used by 5,000+ paying tattoo artists, holds 4.7 stars from 220+ US App Store ratings, and is built and quality-checked by working tattoo artists.
Written by the Stencil AI team; we make one of the two apps compared here. Every Stencil IQ figure comes from App Store listing (id6760045252) and stenciliq.app, checked on 2026-10-01. Where its listing says nothing, the table says “Not listed” rather than guessing.
The short answer
- For a tattoo artist, Stencil AI. Three conversion styles including Hatching for realism, a retouch editor, Warp to the body, LiDAR measuring, multi-stencil sheets, Tattoo Mode, a 1,000+ subject library and studio seats, on iPhone, iPad, Android and web.
- For a crafter or a shop that also cuts vinyl, Stencil IQ has things we do not. SVG export for cutting machines, screen-printing stencils, scroll-saw patterns, and text-to-design.
- Price: Stencil IQ $59.99 a year on its listing; Stencil AI from $13.99 a month or $139.99 a year. Stencil IQ needs iOS 18.5, a very recent floor.
Feature by feature
The bottom line: a line drawing that also has to cut cleanly on a Cricut is, by design, an outline. A tattoo stencil of a portrait is a tonal map. Stencil AI's Hatching style exists for the second case; Stencil IQ is built around the first. Compare the eyes on a portrait and it shows.
| Feature | Stencil AI | Stencil IQ |
|---|---|---|
| Built forThe row that explains the rest | Tattoo stencils only | Tattoo, Cricut/SVG, screen printing, woodworking |
| Conversion styles | 3 — Outline, Standard, Hatching | Standard or Studio quality; text-to-design "Stencil Studio" |
| Shadows and depth | Preserved and printable as cross-hatching | Clean continuous line work; "no muddy grays" |
| Generate a design from textStencil IQ wins; Stencil AI converts references only | ||
| SVG export for cutting machinesStencil IQ wins | ||
| Retouch after generating | Brushes, tap-to-remove fills, tone curves | Not listed |
| Print at true size | AirPrint to thermal printer; sizing not listed | |
| Mirror for transfer | ||
| Preview on skin | Tattoo Mode overlay on the client at the chair | On-skin placement preview before printing |
| Warp stencil to body curve | ||
| Measure on skin with LiDAR | ||
| Multi-stencil / tiled printing | Several per sheet, each at its own size | |
| Ready-made stencil library | 1,000+ subjects | |
| Multi-artist studio seats | ||
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad, Android and web | iPhone and iPad only (no Google Play listing found) |
| Minimum iOSStencil IQ needs a 2026-era iOS | iOS/iPadOS 16.4 | iOS 18.5 |
| Interface languages | 16 | 7 |
| Price | from $13.99 / month, or $139.99 / year | $59.99 / year |
| App Store ratings (US) | 220+ at 4.7 | 30+ at 4.8 |
What Stencil IQ has going for it
- Breadth. SVG for Cricut and Silhouette, screen-printing stencils, pyrography and scroll-saw patterns. If the same shop cuts vinyl and tattoos, one app covers both.
- Text-to-design. Describe a design and get line art, with no reference. Stencil AI deliberately does not do this.
- A cheaper yearly price, $59.99 against our $139.99, for a tool that does less on the tattoo side and more elsewhere.
Where the output differs
Stencil IQ's listing describes the target precisely: clean, continuous line work with clean line separation and no muddy greys. That is exactly what a cutting machine or a screen needs, and for bold tattoo designs it is enough.
A portrait is a different problem. The information is in the mid-tones, and continuous outlines discard them. Stencil AI's Hatching style renders those mid-tones as cross-hatching that prints and transfers, which is why it exists as a separate style from Outline. We will not characterise Stencil IQ's internals beyond its listing; run one portrait through both.
At the chair
Both preview placement on skin, and both mirror for transfer. Stencil AI adds Warp, which bends the stencil along a shoulder or forearm before printing, LiDAR measuring on iPhone Pro models so the print width is the measured placement, and Tattoo Mode, which keeps the screen awake with stencil, photo and overlay one tap apart for the whole session.
Platforms and price
Stencil IQ is iPhone and iPad only (no Google Play listing found) and needs iOS 18.5, which excludes any iPhone more than a couple of years old. Stencil AI needs iOS/iPadOS 16.4 and runs on iPhone, iPad, Android and web on one account. Stencil IQ lists $59.99 a year; Stencil AI is from $13.99 a month, $139.99 a year on Hobby, $29.99 a month on Pro.
What artists say about Stencil AI's output
“Saves me SOOOO much time tracing out the designs. And the stencils are exactly how I would picture them if I would of done it myself”
“Top. Super präzise und schnell”
Common questions
Is Stencil IQ a tattoo app?
Partly. Its listing describes tattoo stencils as one of four uses alongside Cricut cutting, screen printing and woodworking, and it adds text-to-design. Stencil AI is built only for tattoo stencils.
Which is better for realism and portraits?
Stencil AI, because of the Hatching style that keeps the tonal map of a portrait as printable cross-hatching. Stencil IQ produces clean continuous outlines, which is right for cutting and bold designs.
Which is cheaper?
Stencil IQ lists $59.99 a year. Stencil AI's Hobby plan is $139.99 a year or from $13.99 a month. For the tattoo-specific tooling the difference is about $80 a year.
Does Stencil IQ work on older iPhones or on Android?
It needs iOS 18.5, and no Google Play listing was found as of 2026-10-01. Stencil AI needs iOS/iPadOS 16.4 and runs on iPhone, iPad, Android and web.
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