Tattoo studios are often run with a notebook, a spreadsheet, or WhatsApp and Google Calendar on their own. This page compares the four, task by task: request, calendar, health form, reminder, deposit and what you keep from a session. It also shows when the free way is enough and what Kayru does not do.
| Task | Paper | Spreadsheet | WhatsApp + Google Calendar | Kayru |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quote request with photos | Photos stay on your phone | You copy it from DMs | Photos scattered in the chat | Link with photos, no sign-up |
| Tracking each request | One note per page | One row per client | Pinned or labelled chats | Board with five stages |
| Session calendar | Paper planner | A date column | Event created by hand | Session goes to Google Calendar |
| Signed health form | Signed on the spot, in studio | Kept outside the spreadsheet | A separate form, if any | Signed on the phone, with PDF |
| Client reminder | You send each one | You send each one | You write each one | Automatic email the day before |
| WhatsApp message | You type it all | You copy and paste | You type or paste | Opens with text ready; you send |
| Deposit by Pix | Noted by hand when paid | You enter the amount | Send the key, check the statement | Deposit QR code; you confirm |
| What you keep from a session | Mental math | Formulas you build | Not calculated | Card machine fee taken out |
| Follow-up and touch-up | Depends on memory | Date filter, if you build it | Your own Google reminder | Client shows up on Home that day |
| Cost | The price of a notebook | Free in Google Sheets | Free | R$ 98,70/month, 7 days free |
If you see few clients a month, don't run ads and remember every follow-up, a notebook does the job, and a spreadsheet adds up what you need at no cost. A paper form signed in the studio is still a signed form.
It gets tight when requests come from more than one channel, photos get lost in the chat and one week's deposit mixes with another week's balance.
The request comes in through your link, with the photos, and becomes a card on the board. When you book, the session goes to Google Calendar and the client gets the health form by email to sign on the phone. Then, also by email, go the reminder the day before, the aftercare, the review request and the touch-up invitation.
In the money section, you record the deposit and the balance, the card machine fee is shown on its own, and the invoice tax is calculated on card sessions. Emails only go to clients with an email on file.
It does not send WhatsApp messages on its own: it opens the chat with your template text, and you hit send. There is no bot answering clients on WhatsApp. It does not issue invoices: it calculates the tax, and issuing is still up to you. It is not built for studios with a team: it is one space per artist. And it costs R$ 98,70 a month, while a notebook and a spreadsheet have no monthly fee.
It can, especially with few clients. It stores what you type, but it does not take requests, send reminders or collect signatures. Those parts are still done by hand.
No. It opens the WhatsApp chat with your template text written in, and you hit send.
Yes. Connect Google Calendar and your sessions show up there; your Google events show up in Kayru as busy time.
R$ 98,70 a month, no lock-in. You add your card when you create your space, and nothing is charged for 7 days. The first charge is on day 8; cancel before that and you pay nothing.