Tatly vs Apprentice
Apprentice is studio software for tattoo, piercing, PMU and tooth gem artists, with booking, deposits, an inbox and a flash gallery. Tatly focuses on flash day: getting your sheets online, collecting picks and printing stencils. Here’s where each one fits.
- Tatly
- Flash-day software. Scan flash sheets into an online catalogue, set event prices, collect customer picks and print merged stencils.
- Apprentice
- Studio software covering booking, deposits, a unified inbox, campaigns, consent forms and AI design tools, across tattoo, piercing, PMU and tooth gems.
Which one fits your shop?
Choose Tatly if…
- Your flash lives on paper sheets and you want it online without photographing and cropping every design by hand.
- You want several customers’ picks printed together on as few sheets of transfer paper as possible, labeled by name.
- You don’t want a platform fee added to payments.
- You already have a booking process you like and just need flash day handled.
Choose Apprentice if…
- You want deposits collected upfront and fewer no-shows.
- You want Instagram DMs, WhatsApp and email in one inbox.
- You want a free plan (up to 50 clients) or AI concept and placement tools.
- You want flash marked available, claimed or sold, with booking straight from each design.
Feature by feature
Turn a scanned flash sheet into individual designs
- Tatly
- Yes. Tatly finds each design, measures its true size and cuts it out, even from light pencil scans. Stronger here
- Apprentice
- Not mentioned on their site. You upload photos of each design.
Online flash catalogue
- Tatly
- Yes, at yourshop.tatly.io. Customers filter by style and pick from their phone.
- Apprentice
- Yes, a flash gallery with collections and a “Book This” button on each design.
Flash sale pricing
- Tatly
- One event price for a whole set of designs, with start and end dates.
- Apprentice
- Discounted sale prices with start and end dates.
Claimed and sold-out designs
- Tatly
- Not yet. Customers send their picks and the shop confirms.
- Apprentice
- Yes, designs show as available, claimed or sold. Stronger here
Stencil printing
- Tatly
- Merges several customers’ picks onto as few sheets of transfer paper as possible, each labeled with the customer’s name. Stronger here
- Apprentice
- AI stencil cleanup for individual designs. Printing several customers’ picks together isn’t mentioned.
Deposits and payments
- Tatly
- No. Shops take payment the way they already do.
- Apprentice
- Yes, deposits collected upfront through Stripe. Stronger here
Booking, reminders and consent forms
- Tatly
- No.
- Apprentice
- Yes, with automatic reminders, consent forms and Google Calendar sync. Stronger here
Messaging inbox
- Tatly
- No.
- Apprentice
- Yes, Instagram DMs, WhatsApp and email in one inbox. Stronger here
Team access
- Tatly
- Invite artists and front-desk staff. Only admins manage billing.
- Apprentice
- Studio Pro includes 3 artists, then $19.99/month per extra artist.
Exporting your data
- Tatly
- Download every design, scan and spreadsheet anytime, even after canceling.
- Apprentice
- An export tool isn’t mentioned on their site. They say your data is never deleted when you downgrade.
Pricing
Tatly
- Monthly: $19.99/month
- Yearly: $199.99/year ($16.67/month)
- 14-day free trial, then a 14-day money-back guarantee
- No transaction or booking fees
Apprentice
- Free: $0/month, up to 50 clients
- Pro: $24.99/month
- Studio Pro: $59.99/month with 3 artists, then $19.99/month per extra artist
- Payments: Stripe’s 2.9% + 30¢ plus a 2% Apprentice platform fee, added to the client’s price by default
Tatly doesn’t take a cut of anything because it doesn’t process customer payments. Apprentice’s platform fee comes with deposit handling that Tatly doesn’t offer.
Using both
They can work side by side: Tatly to scan your sheets, take flash-day picks and print stencils, and Apprentice for bookings, deposits and messages. Tatly doesn’t connect to Apprentice, so you’d book picked customers in it yourself.
Questions
Is Tatly cheaper than Apprentice?
Tatly is $19.99/month or $199.99/year, with no fees on top. Apprentice has a free plan for up to 50 clients, Pro at $24.99 a month and Studio Pro at $59.99 a month, plus a 2% platform fee on payments. Apprentice also handles bookings and deposits, which Tatly doesn’t, so compare them against what your shop actually needs.
Can Apprentice print stencils for several customers at once?
Apprentice offers AI stencil cleanup for individual designs. Its site doesn’t mention printing several customers’ picks together. Tatly merges a flash day’s picks onto as few sheets of transfer paper as possible, each labeled with the customer’s name.
Does Tatly replace Apprentice?
Only if flash day is what you need. Tatly doesn’t do bookings, deposits, messaging or consent forms. Many shops would keep a booking tool and use Tatly for flash days.
See your flash online in minutes.
Try the scanner and a sample customer page in the demo, no account needed.
Details about Apprentice come from its public website, checked on October 15, 2026: Apprentice pricing (opens in a new tab), Apprentice flash (opens in a new tab), Apprentice design tools (opens in a new tab). Prices and features change, so check their site for the latest. Apprentice is a trademark of its owner, and Tatly isn’t affiliated with it. Spot something out of date? Let us know.
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