Competitor Comparison
Tattoo Studio Pro vs. Porter: Which Tattoo Software Is Right for Your Studio?
An honest comparison of Tattoo Studio Pro and Porter for tattoo studios, with prices checked November 8, 2026.
Tattoo Studio Pro vs. Porter: Which Tattoo Software Is Right for Your Studio?
Tattoo Studio Pro and Porter were both built for tattoo studios. They cover booking, deposits, consent forms, client records, and artist calendars. They price those pieces differently.
This page quotes Porter’s pricing page as checked on November 8, 2026, and Tattoo Studio Pro’s help for our own product. Confirm both before you buy. Pricing changes.
Feature Comparison: Tattoo Studio Pro vs. Porter
| Feature | Tattoo Studio Pro | Porter |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $29/month (Solo, 1 team member) | $35/month (Artist Essentials) |
| How price scales | By active team members. Other sizes are on the pricing page. | Artist Essentials $35, Artist Pro $65, Studio Pro $250. Studio Ultimate has no published price. |
| Free trial | 30 days. A payment method is required. You are not charged until it ends. | 30 days on the artist plans. 14 days on Studio Pro. |
| Digital consent forms | Included on every plan | Artist Pro and the studio plans. Not on Artist Essentials. |
| Online booking | Included | Included |
| Payments | Card payments through your connected Stripe account | Payments on the cards we read. Artist Essentials lists an optional POS. |
| Client records | Included | Included |
| Portfolio or website | Included with the subscription. See hosting. | Custom shop website on Studio Pro |
| Reporting | Included. My earnings shows a person their own commission. | Reports are listed on Artist Essentials |
| Mobile | Web, iOS, and Android | Not described on the pricing page we opened |
| Built for tattoo studios | Yes | Yes |
What each platform lists
Tattoo Studio Pro covers online booking, digital consent forms, client records, artist portfolios, appointment texts, payments, and staff. It runs on iOS, Android, and the web. Every plan includes every feature. Plans differ by how many team members can be active at once. Managers and health officials do not count toward that limit.
Porter lists appointment booking, deposits, reminders, and, on higher plans, waivers, marketing, commission splits, and a custom shop website. The prices below are the ones on the pricing page we opened.
What Porter’s pricing page actually lists
Artist Essentials is $35/month with a 30-day trial. The card includes a calendar, deposits and payments, reminders, post-appointment follow-ups, an optional POS, chat, and reports. It does not include automated waivers.
Artist Pro is $65/month with a 30-day trial. It adds automated waivers and consent forms, plus email and SMS marketing. The allowances on the card are 100 free marketing SMS a month and 250 free marketing emails a month. The card also says “One Location.”
Studio Pro is $250/month with a 14-day trial. It lists unlimited artists and staff, automated commission splits, 1099s, waivers, marketing, general shop booking requests, and a custom shop website. The card does not say payroll. It does not say the plan is limited to one location.
Studio Ultimate is the multi-location plan. It has no published price. You contact Porter for a quote.
The pricing page does not describe a separate walk-in queue, a loyalty program, or a payroll product on these cards. This page does not treat those as included or as missing. An older version of this article did, from a July 22, 2026 check and from community posts. Those lines are removed until a current Porter page states them.
Where the products differ
Consent forms start at different prices. Porter’s waivers start on Artist Pro at $65/month, and they are also on the studio plans. Tattoo Studio Pro includes digital consent forms on every plan, including Solo at $29/month. A signed form is saved as a PDF on the client profile and in the Forms Archive.
Shop pricing is a step, not a seat ladder. Porter’s shop plan on the page we opened is Studio Pro at $250/month for unlimited artists and staff. Tattoo Studio Pro’s Solo plan is $29/month for 1 team member, and the prices for larger teams are on the pricing page. Yearly billing costs less than paying monthly. Compare the published number for your headcount. Do not use a team-size shortcut from an older version of this page.
Commission is reporting on our side, and a listed split on Porter’s Studio Pro. Tattoo Studio Pro help documents a flat percentage, a cash rate and a card rate, or a sliding scale. My earnings shows a team member their own commission. Other people’s earnings stay with owners and managers, and a shared PIN limits that. It does not pay people. Porter’s Studio Pro card lists automated commission splits and 1099s. It does not list payroll.
Appointment texts are described in our help. Tattoo Studio Pro sends a confirmation text when an appointment is booked and up to 5 reminder texts before it. Help does not state a per-text price. Porter’s artist cards list reminders, and Artist Pro lists a marketing SMS allowance of 100 a month. Those are different products from a booking reminder.
Follow-ups are on Porter’s Artist Essentials card. The card says post-appointment follow-ups. This page does not describe an equivalent automated follow-up email from Tattoo Studio Pro.
Pricing comparison
Porter, checked November 8, 2026:
- Artist Essentials: $35/month, 30-day trial. Calendar, deposits, payments, reminders, follow-ups, optional POS, reports.
- Artist Pro: $65/month, 30-day trial. Adds waivers and consent forms, plus marketing (100 SMS and 250 emails a month). The card says “One Location.”
- Studio Pro: $250/month, 14-day trial. Unlimited artists and staff, commission splits, 1099s, waivers, marketing, general shop booking requests, custom shop website.
- Studio Ultimate: contact sales. Multi-location. No published price.
Tattoo Studio Pro, from help:
- Solo: $29/month or $239/year, 1 team member, every feature.
- Larger team sizes: pricing page.
- Yearly billing costs less than paying monthly.
- Trial: 30 days, payment method required, not charged until it ends.
A solo artist who needs consent forms is comparing Porter Artist Pro at $65/month with Tattoo Studio Pro Solo at $29/month. A shop comparing unlimited artists is looking at Porter Studio Pro at $250/month against whatever Tattoo Studio Pro plan matches the roster on the pricing page. Price the actual plan. The flat Studio Pro rate looks different at 3 artists than at 20.
Which one fits
Porter fits when:
- You want the $35 or $65 artist plans, with a 30-day trial.
- You want Artist Pro’s waiver and marketing allowances, and the card’s “One Location” line matches how you work.
- You want Studio Pro’s $250/month rate, unlimited artists and staff, commission splits, and 1099s, and a 14-day trial is enough.
- You are pricing more than one location and will ask Porter about Studio Ultimate.
Tattoo Studio Pro fits when:
- You want consent forms, portfolios, and the rest of the product on every plan, starting at $29/month.
- You will match a team size on the pricing page instead of a single shop price.
- You want commission as a rate on the profile (flat, cash and card, or sliding scale) and My earnings for each person.
- You want a 30-day trial and can put a payment method on file. You are not charged until it ends.
Use both trials if you can. Porter’s artist plans are 30 days. Studio Pro is 14 days. Tattoo Studio Pro is 30 days with a payment method.
FAQ
Does Porter work for more than one location?
Porter lists Studio Ultimate for multiple locations. That plan has no published price. Artist Pro’s card says “One Location.” Studio Pro’s card does not. This page does not say you need a separate account per shop.
Does Porter include consent forms on the $35 plan?
No. Artist Essentials does not list waivers. They start on Artist Pro at $65/month and are on the studio plans. Tattoo Studio Pro includes digital consent forms on every plan, including Solo at $29/month.
What is the trial on each side?
Porter’s artist plans list 30 days. Studio Pro lists 14 days. Tattoo Studio Pro’s trial is 30 days. It asks for a payment method, and you are not charged until it ends.
Does Studio Pro include payroll?
The Studio Pro card we opened lists automated commission splits and 1099s. It does not list payroll. This page does not add payroll to that plan.
Does Porter list a walk-in queue?
The Studio Pro card lists general shop booking requests. It does not describe a separate walk-in queue. Tattoo Studio Pro’s help documents a queue that can hold walk-ins and appointments. This page does not rank the two.
How does annual billing work on Tattoo Studio Pro?
Yearly billing costs less than paying monthly. Solo is $29/month or $239/year. Other prices are on the pricing page.
Ready to look at a switch? The switch page has a Porter section, and you can start the 30-day trial from the homepage.
For the scheduling workflow, see the appointment scheduling chapter and the client management overview.
A shorter Porter-focused page is the Porter alternative for tattoo shops.