Yes, there are free tattoo apps, but none is really free. venue.ink has no monthly fee, but your clients pay 10 percent on every payment; tatme is free for 50 sessions and then charges per session. If you tattoo regularly, a fixed monthly price without commission is usually cheaper, for example Taddoo from US$14 per month, free to try for 7 days.
- Free apps earn through fees on payments (venue.ink 10 percent), prices per session (tatme) or marketplace commission.
- With ten deposits of 100 a month, your clients pay 100 extra with venue.ink, about 54 with Taddoo and about 32 with App Pro.
- If you have more than a few appointments a month, a fixed monthly price is cheaper.
- Taddoo is not free, but you can try it free for 7 days, with no revenue commission and no fee as long as no money flows through the app.
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If you are just starting out, you naturally look for a tattoo app that costs nothing. But free apps also have servers, support and developers to pay. They just make their money differently, and often your clients end up paying. Here is how the best-known models work and what they cost with real numbers.
Three ways free apps make money
- A fee on every payment. The app is free, but a percentage is added to deposits and card payments, usually paid by the client.
- A price per session. A number of appointments are free, after that you pay per appointment. The better your business goes, the more it costs.
- Marketplace commission. The platform sends you new clients and takes a share of the first visit.
Free offers in 2027 at a glance
| App | What is free | What it costs |
|---|---|---|
| venue.ink | basic plan without a monthly fee | 10% on deposits and card payments, at least 2.50 USD or 2 EUR, paid by the client by default |
| tatme | the first 50 sessions | then Pro 19.99 EUR per month plus 3.99 EUR per session, or Max 99 EUR |
| Square Appointments | Free plan (US, UK) | card fees per payment, Plus from 49 USD or 29 GBP |
| Excel, notes, Instagram | everything | your time, no deposits, no reminders, bookkeeping by hand |
| Taddoo | 7-day trial | from US$14 per month, no revenue commission, fee only on payments through Taddoo |
Other providers' prices are from their pricing pages, researched in September and October 2026. This article is written by Taddoo.
Example: a normal month
Say you take ten online deposits of 100 each and have twelve sessions in a month. This is how it looks:
| App | Monthly price | Fees on 10 deposits | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| venue.ink (free) | 0 | 100 (10%) | 100 |
| venue.ink Solo Pro | 50 USD | 50 (5%) | about 100 |
| tatme Pro (12 sessions) | about 68 EUR | not stated by the provider | from 68 |
| Taddoo App | 14 | about 54 (4.9% plus 0.50) | about 68 |
| Taddoo App Pro | 25 | about 32 (Stripe only, 2.9% plus 0.30) | about 57 |
When a free app makes sense
- You only tattoo now and then, say a few appointments a month next to another job. Then 50 free sessions with tatme last a long time.
- You almost never take online deposits. Then a fee on payments hardly hurts.
- You just want to look around. Test several apps side by side with real appointments.
When a fixed monthly price is cheaper
- You have more than about ten appointments or deposits a month.
- Your clients should not see a surcharge that feels like a penalty for booking.
- You need more than booking: consent, receipts, expense capture, an export for your accountant, gift vouchers and Tap to Pay.
Which app fits best overall is in our comparison The best tattoo app 2027. How high a deposit should be is in Tattoo deposits: amount and rules.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a completely free tattoo app?
Not really. venue.ink has no monthly fee, but your clients pay 10 percent on every payment. tatme is free for 50 sessions. Excel and notes cost nothing but a lot of time. You can try Taddoo free for 7 days.
Is Taddoo free?
No, Taddoo costs from US$14 per month billed yearly (US$16 monthly) and you can try it free for 7 days. In return there is no revenue commission, and as long as no money flows through the app there are no fees. With App Pro at US$25 per month there are 0 percent Taddoo fees on payments.
What does venue.ink really cost?
The basic plan has no monthly fee. Deposits and card payments get 10 percent added, at least 2.50 USD or 2 EUR, paid by the client by default. Solo Pro costs 50 USD per month and lowers the fee to 5 percent.
From how many appointments does a paid tattoo app pay off?
Roughly from about ten online deposits or sessions a month, a fixed monthly price without commission is usually cheaper than a free app with a fee per payment or session.
By the Taddoo team, built by artists and booking managers for artists. Published November 3, 2026, last updated November 3, 2026.
