Stencil AI vs TattStencil
TattStencil is a free stencil app from tattoo artists in Springfield, Missouri, with colour isolation, a reference workspace and multi-page printing. Stencil AI is a paid converter with three styles including Hatching for realism, a retouch editor, Warp, LiDAR measuring and true-size printing. Free is a real advantage and this page says so. The question is what the conversion itself does.
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 TattStencil figure comes from App Store listing (id6593687274) and tattstencil.com, checked on 2026-10-01. Where its listing says nothing, the table says “Not listed” rather than guessing.
The short answer
- TattStencil is free. No in-app purchases on its listing. If budget is zero, it is the obvious first download.
- Stencil AI converts differently. Three styles, with a Hatching style that keeps the tonal map of a portrait as printable cross-hatching. TattStencil lists linework generation with colour isolation.
- And it goes further after the conversion: retouch with brushes and tone curves, Warp to the body, LiDAR measuring, Tattoo Mode, a 1,000+ subject library, studio seats, and Android and web versions.
Feature by feature
The bottom line: try TattStencil first if you want to spend nothing; it is a real tool, not a demo. Switch to Stencil AI when a portrait or a shaded piece comes in and the linework loses the mid-tones, or when you need the stencil to follow a curve.
| Feature | Stencil AI | TattStencil |
|---|---|---|
| PriceTattStencil wins this one outright | from $13.99 / month | Free, no in-app purchases listed |
| Conversion styles | 3 — Outline, Standard, Hatching | Linework generation with colour isolation |
| Shadows and depth | Preserved and printable as cross-hatching | Linework; shading not described |
| Colour isolation (pull one ink colour out of a reference)TattStencil lists it; Stencil AI does not have it | ||
| Retouch after generating | Brushes, tap-to-remove fills, tone curves | Image-detail adjustment, reference workspace |
| Print at true size | Flexible printing options | |
| Multi-page / tiled printing | Multi-stencil sheets and tiled big pieces | Multi-page prints |
| Warp stencil to body curve | ||
| Measure on skin with LiDAR | ||
| Session reference viewer | Tattoo Mode | Reference workspace |
| 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 iOS | iOS/iPadOS 16.4 | iOS 17.0 |
| Interface languagesTattStencil wins here too | 16 | 34 listed |
| App Store ratings (US) | 220+ at 4.7 | 60+ at 4.8 |
| Commercial licence stated | Not listed |
What TattStencil has going for it
- It costs nothing. Free download, no purchases listed. For an apprentice or an occasional stencil, that settles it.
- Colour isolation. Pulling a single colour out of a reference to make a stencil of only that layer is a listed feature Stencil AI does not have.
- 34 interface languages to our 16, and a reference workspace built by working artists in 2024.
Where the output differs
TattStencil describes its conversion as precise linework generation with colour isolation and image-detail adjustment. For bold work, flash and clean drawings, linework is the whole job and a free tool that does it well is hard to argue with.
The gap opens on references with mid-tones. A portrait, a pet, a black-and-grey piece: the tattoo is the shadow, and linework alone leaves the artist to rebuild it by eye. Stencil AI's Hatching style renders the tonal map as cross-hatching dense enough to print, so the shadow planes arrive on skin. We will not characterise TattStencil's internals beyond its listing; take one portrait through both and compare.
Fitting the stencil to a body
Both print, and TattStencil's multi-page printing is a real feature. Stencil AI adds the two tools for placements that are not flat: Warp, which bends the stencil along a shoulder or forearm before printing, and LiDAR measuring on iPhone Pro models, which turns a two-tap measurement on the client into the print width.
Platforms
TattStencil is iPhone and iPad only (no Google Play listing found) and needs iOS 17.0. Stencil AI runs on iPhone, iPad, Android and web on one account, which matters for an Android tablet at the station or prep on a desktop.
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”
“Awesome tool for any busy artist! Highly recommend!”
Common questions
Is TattStencil really free?
Yes, as of 2026-10-01: free to download with no in-app purchases on its App Store listing. Its website runs a "Verified Vendor" programme for suppliers, which appears to be how it is funded.
Why pay for Stencil AI if TattStencil is free?
For the conversion on photos and shaded references, where the Hatching style keeps the tonal map; and for what happens after: retouch, Warp, LiDAR measuring, Tattoo Mode, the subject library, studio seats, and Android and web. If none of that is your work, TattStencil is the right choice.
Does TattStencil work on Android?
No Google Play listing was found as of 2026-10-01. It is iPhone and iPad only (no Google Play listing found). Stencil AI runs on iPhone, iPad, Android and web.
Which has more languages?
TattStencil lists 34 languages on the App Store; Stencil AI has 16. Both cover English, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Portuguese and the major Asian languages.
Other comparisons
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