DArnTech / Bookings / for tattoo artists
Booking that respects how tattoo work actually flows.
Deposit-required booking, waiver capture once per client, healing-aftercare automation, sleeve-work progression across sessions. $29/month for solo artists, $49 for studios with 2-3 artists. Replaces Vagaro and Square Appointments on focus, on your subdomain.
Who this is for
- Solo artists at indie studios with their own booking flow · 5–20 active clients on multi-session work
- Small studios with 2–3 artists sharing brand · individual artist calendars under one shop subdomain
- Apprentices building book with no incumbent-tool lock-in · easier first-tool decision
Not for you if: you're at a chain shop where tooling is dictated · you don't take deposits (deposit-gate is core to the product) · you prefer Instagram-DM-only booking as the relationship-building flow.
Features built for tattoo work
Deposit gate (REQUIRED)
Stripe captures deposit at booking. Configurable per session length / piece size. No no-shows eating your day.
Waiver intake (once per client)
Medical / consent / piercing waiver captured at first booking, saved to client profile. Legally significant. No re-signing.
Tier menus (Hourly / Half-day / Full-day / Flash)
$150/hour, $400 half-day, $700 full-day, $80–200 flash. Your structure, picklist booking.
Sleeve-progression tracking
Multi-session piece linked under one work record. Session 1, 2, 3 progress visible. Same client, same project, deposit captured per session.
Tattoo-photo gallery per client
Upload session photos + 30-day healed photos. Customer-accessible delivery URL. Marketing testimonials + your own portfolio in one place.
Healing-aftercare automation
Auto-email aftercare instructions at 24h + 1-week + 30-day post-session. Cuts the FAQ replies, customer feels supported.
Honest comparison
| Tool | Monthly | Honest take |
|---|---|---|
| DArnTech Bookings | $29 (solo) · $49 (studio 2-3) | Tattoo-specific shape, self-hosted, focused on what matters. |
| Vagaro | $25–85 | Salon-and-spa vertical. Many tattoo artists use it. Generic shape, no tattoo-specific waiver/aftercare flow. |
| Booksy | $30–60 | Salon/barber-vertical. Similar to Vagaro. |
| Square Appointments | $0–69 | Free tier exists. No tattoo-vertical shape. Manual waiver flow. |
| Instagram-DM + paper | $0 | Most common indie flow. Works at low volume, breaks above 10 active clients on multi-session work. |
This vertical is queued · trust-building tier
Tattoo artists are Vertical 9 in the DArnTech Bookings roadmap. Sequenced later because trust-building matters in this vertical — first customer earns trust through delivery, not pitch. Estimated launch ~7-9 months out. Apprentices building book are the easiest first-customer profile (no incumbent lock-in). Email d.arney@darrenarney.com.