Honest comparison
Tattoo Ledger vs Porter
Porter is the category heavyweight: booking, payments, POS, payroll, marketing — trusted by 1,000+ studios. It earns its reputation, and if you want payment processing and payroll inside your booking tool, Porter is the fuller suite.
You pay for that suite per artist, in USD: consent forms and aftercare live on the $65/month Artist Pro tier, and a five-chair studio on Pro runs roughly $325 USD (≈ $450 CAD) every month.
Where Porter is genuinely strong: integrated payments/BNPL, POS, commission splits and payroll, and marketing tools — a true all-in-one for big shops with budget.
| Tattoo Ledger | Porter | |
|---|---|---|
| Solo price | $25 CAD, all features | $35 USD; waivers/aftercare need $65 USD Pro |
| 3-artist studio | $80–90 CAD | ≈ $195 USD (~$270 CAD) on Pro |
| Waivers | Included: versioning, ID capture, guardian co-sign | $65 tier; ID capture yes, versioning/guardian not marketed |
| Books-open drops | Timed windows, caps, application queue | Request forms, no timed-drop machinery |
| Multi-session projects | Projects, series offers, healing gaps | Appointment-centric |
| Payment processing | Deposits tracked & requested; money moves outside the app, no cut taken | Integrated payments, BNPL, POS |
| Payroll & commissions | Not offered | Studio tiers |
| Client accounts required | Never | No |
Prices checked July 2026; see getporter.io/pricing for current rates.
Switch to Tattoo Ledger if…
- You’re paying a per-artist tax for features every chair needs
- You want drops, projects, and waivers without a $65/artist tier
- You bill in CAD and are tired of USD exchange on software
Stay on Porter if…
- You want card processing, BNPL, and POS inside the same tool
- You run payroll/commission splits through your booking software
Everything Porter won’t build for tattooers
Set up in under ten minutes. Your clients never need an account.
7 days free, then from $25 CAD/month. Cancel anytime.