Comparison

GHOSTLINE vs Linework

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

GHOSTLINE

This app helps tattoo artists create perfect stencils quickly and efficiently. It offers AI-driven tools to upscale, sharpen, and customize artwork, eliminating the need for manual tracing. Print stencils at any size with advanced layout technology, saving valuable time for artists.

Highlights
  • AI-driven stencil generation
  • Artwork upscaling and sharpening
  • Customizable stencil details
  • Print-scale technology for any size
  • Reference tool for visualization
  • Editing tools (pen, eraser, ruler)
Features
Read full description

Built by tattoo artists, for tattoo artists. Tattooer-owned and operated since 2023. Ghostline turns your artwork into clean, print-ready tattoo stencils in seconds. Cut out your subject, upscale and sharpen your references, generate fully customizable stencils, and print at any size with multi-page print-scale technology. Less time tracing means more time doing what you love: making tattoos you're proud of. THE FUTURE OF TATTOOING IS HERE. CUT OUT - Lift your subject off its background in one tap - The crop follows your subject, so there's nothing to clean up by hand UPSCALE - Enhance your artwork and turn photos into picture-perfect reference - Upscale small, low-res images for sharper, cleaner reference SHARPEN - Sharpen your artwork for higher-quality stencils - Sharpen your reference so you can create better tattoos CLASSIC STENCIL - Generate fully customizable stencils in seconds - Dial in detail and intensity to your liking - Create line-based stencils, 3D value-based stencils, and everything in between PRO STENCIL - The cleanest stencils yet, powered by Ghostline tech - Adjust detail level, contours, and line weight - Blend with Classic Stencil for even more detail options - Tailor output for thermal (Thermofax) or inkjet printers - Never hand-stencil again EDIT - Pen: add extra lines or thicken areas - Eraser: remove anything you don't need - Ruler: draw perfectly straight lines - Blend: combine stencils or mix in your original artwork REFERENCE - View your stencil as an adjustable layer over your artwork while you tattoo - Slide between your artwork and your stencil to find the perfect blend - Choose stencil colors for a clearer visual guide PRINT - Multi-page printing: go as big as you want, from 1 sheet up to 16 - Multi-size: print several sizes of the same stencil on one sheet - Pinch and zoom to size your stencil exactly, from micro tattoos to full back pieces - Rotate or flip to fit your print - Choose paper size and orientation - Print with AirPrint, or save as PDF or images to print later or share to another app EXPORT - Export your stencil at any stage to Photos, Files, or any app - All tools included. No credits, no pay-per-stencil Ghostline saves you hours of tracing every week, so you can put your energy into tattoos that stand the test of time. Ghostline is a subscription-based app. Terms of Use: https://www.ghostline.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.ghostline.app/privacy-policy

About

Linework

Features
Read full description

Made for tattoo artists. Turn photos, drawings, screenshots, and references into clean tattoo stencil linework. Fix the lines yourself, set the exact size in inches or centimeters, and export a true-size PDF for AirPrint or your thermal printer's app. Works on iPhone and iPad, and with Procreate through Files. First stencil free. SEE IT CONVERTED FIRST Choose a reference from Photos, Files, the clipboard or the camera. The stencil appears the moment it imports, before you touch a control or a plan. Hold to compare it with the original. THREE CONTROLS IN ARTIST LANGUAGE • Detail: how much structure is kept, from major contours to fine hatching. • Line Weight: thicker or thinner lines, without breaking them. • Contrast: how much of the image's tone becomes black. Fills keeps solid areas solid, reduces them to an outline, or drops them. Invert handles light lines on a dark ground. Crop to the part you need. Output is pure black line on white. No gray, so nothing prints as mud. RETOUCH THE LINES YOURSELF Erase what you don't need and draw new lines, with the original underneath at any opacity. Four brushes measured in millimetres at the printed size, from 0.3 mm to 3 mm. Undo and redo. Apple Pencil on iPad, with a Pencil-only option so your palm never draws. SIZE DESCRIBES THE INK, NOT THE CANVAS Margins are trimmed before the size is computed, so 3.0 in wide means the drawing is 3.0 in wide. Set width or height in inches or centimeters against a ruler drawn to scale. Mirror in one tap: the export preview and the filename both say Mirrored, so you never print the wrong way round. EXPORT TRUE TO SIZE • True-size PDF on Letter, A4 or Legal, always at 100%, never fit to page. • High-res PNG at 300 DPI. • AirPrint straight from the app. If your printer offers scaling, choose actual size. • An optional labeled 1 in / 25.4 mm check line in the margin, so one print and a ruler confirm your printer. • Stencils larger than the page tile across sheets with overlap marks and page labels. • Small stencils repeat: choose how many copies fit on a page. SAVED. REPRINT ANY TIME. Every stencil is a project on your device, with its original, sliders, strokes, size and mirror state. Name it, duplicate it for a second placement, and reopen it for the next session. ONE FREE STENCIL, THEN ONE PLAN The first stencil is free through every step, with no watermark and no time limit. Unlimited stencils: monthly, yearly, or a one-time lifetime purchase. No credits, no daily caps, no account. NOTHING LEAVES YOUR DEVICE Conversion runs on your iPhone or iPad. The photo picker takes one image without access to your library. No account, no upload. WORKS WITH YOUR SETUP Import exports, scans and downloads through Files, or open an image in Linework from another app. Print on AirPrint printers from Brother, Canon, Epson and HP, or send the true-size PDF to a thermal stencil printer through its own app. On screen, the linework is drawn in hectograph purple, black or red. Exports are always black. Subscriptions renew until cancelled and can be managed in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy policy: https://www.orchidstack.com/linework/privacy

Screenshots

GHOSTLINE4 screens
Linework4 screens

Verdict

The call

GHOSTLINE and Linework are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. GHOSTLINE sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Linework sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
GHOSTLINE versus Linework: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGHOSTLINELinework
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (353 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews68.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings353 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeks—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscription—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size37 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGhostline, Inc.Grant Gajkowski

Bugs and requests

GHOSTLINE

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Quarter inch gaps appearing in stencil output
  • App loses important design details in conversion
  • Emphasizes irrelevant details over important ones
  • Inconsistent stencil quality on complex designs
  • Limited customization options for stencil output

Requested features

12 requests
  • One-time purchase option instead of subscription
  • Lower subscription pricing ($6/month considered too high)
  • Lifetime subscription option under $100
  • JPEG file format export option
  • Save reference image as separate file
Show 7 more
  • Reference overlay in edit mode to see original design
  • Pinch zoom in/out functionality
  • Redo button for edits
  • Bookmark pen sizes for quick toggling
  • Background removal tool
  • Ruler/grid overlay option
  • Ability to remove white background from images

Linework

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

GHOSTLINE

Subscriptions2
  • Ghostline Unlimited Access7 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • Ghostline Unlimited Access7 Days trial$59.991 Year
3 purchases

Linework

Subscriptions2
  • Linework Monthly$6.991 Month
  • Linework Annual$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Unlock$59.99

Questions

Is GHOSTLINE free?
GHOSTLINE is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Linework free?
Linework is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do GHOSTLINE or Linework have ads?
Neither GHOSTLINE nor Linework shows ads.

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