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Inventory · head to head

DEAR Inventory vs Katana

DEAR Inventory logo

DEAR Inventory

Inventory

Complete inventory and order management system

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Katana logo

Katana

Inventory

Smart manufacturing ERP for scaling businesses

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: DEAR Inventory starting price of $349/month is high for small businesses; Katana limited BOM explosion and lead-time offset planning requiring manual work that should be automated
  • They diverge on capability: DEAR Inventory covers Inventory management, Katana covers Production planning.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DEAR Inventory and Katana actually diverge.

Attributes where DEAR Inventory and Katana differ
AttributeDEAR InventoryKatana
Starting priceOn request$99/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Mobile app, Cloud-basedWeb
Founded20132015

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Inventory).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in DEAR Inventory

  • Inventory management
  • Manufacturing
  • Purchase orders
  • Sales orders
  • Accounting
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • Mobile app support

Only in Katana

  • Production planning
  • Real-time inventory
  • BOM management
  • Shop floor control
  • WooCommerce
  • BigCommerce
  • API access support

Both cover

  • Xero
  • QuickBooks
  • Shopify
  • Web support
  • Cloud-based support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

DEAR Inventory

  • Inventory management and trackingnot Katana
  • E-commerce integration and synchronizationnot Katana
  • Multi-channel order managementnot Katana
  • Stock and supply chain managementnot Katana

Katana

  • Production schedulingnot DEAR Inventory
  • Material planningnot DEAR Inventory
  • Work order managementnot DEAR Inventory
  • Inventory optimizationnot DEAR Inventory

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

DEAR Inventory

  • Starting price of $349/month is high for small businesses
  • Base plan limited to 6 integrations; additional integrations require separate purchase
  • No published details on integration add-on costs
  • Redirects to Cin7.com, indicating product has been acquired or rebranded

Katana

  • Limited BOM explosion and lead-time offset planning requiring manual work that should be automated
  • No native invoicing capability, making it standalone without accounting system integration
  • Limited native integrations, with heavy reliance on Zapier for non-core tools
  • Slow performance with large datasets and high SKU counts

Pricing, plan by plan

DEAR Inventory

On request
  • Standard$249/month
    • Core features
    • 5 users
    • Standard support
  • Professional$449/month
    • Advanced manufacturing
    • 10 users
    • Priority support
  • Enterprise$849/month
    • Full features
    • Unlimited users
    • Dedicated support

Katana

$99/month
  • Essential$99/month
    • Core inventory management
    • Production scheduling
    • Stock tracking
  • Pro$299/month
    • Shop floor control
    • API access
    • Advanced reporting

Which should you pick?

Choose DEAR Inventory if

  • You need inventory management.
  • You work on Web, Mobile app, Cloud-based.
  • You also want manufacturing.
DEAR Inventory review

Choose Katana if

  • You need production planning.
  • You also want real-time inventory.
Katana review

Questions people ask

Is DEAR Inventory or Katana better?
Neither clearly leads. DEAR Inventory starts at On request and Katana at $99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DEAR Inventory or Katana?
DEAR Inventory starts at On request and Katana at $99/month.
Does DEAR Inventory or Katana run on more platforms?
DEAR Inventory runs on Web, Mobile app, Cloud-based. Katana runs on Web.
What is DEAR Inventory best used for?
DEAR Inventory is most often used for inventory management and tracking, e-commerce integration and synchronization, multi-channel order management, stock and supply chain management. Of those, inventory management and tracking and e-commerce integration and synchronization are not what Katana is typically brought in for.
What can DEAR Inventory do that Katana cannot?
DEAR Inventory covers Inventory management, Manufacturing, Purchase orders, Sales orders. Katana covers Production planning, Real-time inventory, BOM management, Shop floor control. Both handle Xero, QuickBooks, Shopify, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

DEAR Inventory: How much does DEAR Inventory cost?

DEAR Inventory (now Cin7) pricing starts at $349 per month for plans that accommodate up to 6 e-commerce and app integrations. Additional integrations are available for purchase.

Source
Katana: What is Katana's pricing structure?

Katana starts at $99/month for the Essential plan with core MRP features. The Pro plan costs $299/month and adds shop floor control and API access. Add-ons for traceability, manufacturing, and warehouse management cost extra and can reach $747-$1,095 total.

Source
DEAR Inventory: Is there a free trial for DEAR Inventory?

Yes, Cin7 (formerly DEAR Inventory) offers a free trial option. Contact the vendor directly or visit their website to start a free trial.

Source
Katana: Does Katana support multi-level bills of materials?

Katana has limited BOM explosion and lead-time offset planning capabilities. Complex multi-level BOMs with sub-assemblies require manual workarounds, which becomes increasingly problematic as SKU count grows.

Source
DEAR Inventory: What integrations does DEAR Inventory support?

DEAR Inventory base plans include up to 6 e-commerce and app integrations. Additional integrations beyond the base 6 are available but require separate purchase.

Source
Katana: Can Katana integrate with my accounting software?

Katana has no native invoicing capability and limited integrations with accounting systems. It is essentially standalone and requires manual data export or Zapier integration for most accounting workflows.

Source
DEAR Inventory: Is DEAR Inventory still available?

DEAR Inventory has been rebranded as Cin7. The Cin7 platform continues to provide inventory management with e-commerce integrations at $349/month starting price.

Source
Katana: Does Katana have an offline mode?

No, Katana is a cloud-only solution requiring internet connectivity. There is no built-in offline mode for production floor access without internet.

Source
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