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Software · head to head

HelloSign vs Katana

HelloSign logo

HelloSign

Software

eSignatures Made Easy

From
Free
Rated
-
Katana logo

Katana

Software

Smart manufacturing ERP for scaling businesses

From
$99/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only HelloSign has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: HelloSign free plan limited to only 3 documents per month, insufficient for most business use cases; Katana limited BOM explosion and lead-time offset planning requiring manual work that should be automated
  • They diverge on capability: HelloSign covers Electronic signatures, Katana covers Production planning.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which HelloSign and Katana actually diverge.

Attributes where HelloSign and Katana differ
AttributeHelloSignKatana
Starting priceFree$99/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb
Founded20112015

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 HelloSign

  • Electronic signatures
  • Templates
  • Team management
  • Audit trail
  • API access
  • Dropbox
  • Google Drive
  • Salesforce

Only in Katana

  • Production planning
  • Real-time inventory
  • BOM management
  • Shop floor control
  • Shopify
  • WooCommerce
  • QuickBooks
  • Xero

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

HelloSign

  • Customer Successnot Katana
  • Esignaturesnot Katana
  • Simple Signingnot Katana

Katana

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

Where each one falls short

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

HelloSign

  • Free plan limited to only 3 documents per month, insufficient for most business use cases
  • Lacks advanced features like conditional logic and bulk send that enterprise competitors offer
  • Limited customization options for white-labeling compared to DocuSign

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

HelloSign

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the HelloSign review.

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 HelloSign if

  • You need electronic signatures.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want templates.

Choose Katana if

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

Questions people ask

Is HelloSign or Katana better?
Neither clearly leads. HelloSign starts at Free and Katana at $99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, HelloSign or Katana?
HelloSign has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for HelloSign and $99/month for Katana.
Does HelloSign or Katana run on more platforms?
HelloSign runs on Web, Ios, Android. Katana runs on Web.
Can I use HelloSign for free?
Yes. HelloSign has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Katana starts at $99/month.
What is HelloSign best used for?
HelloSign is most often used for customer success, esignatures, simple signing. Of those, customer success and esignatures are not what Katana is typically brought in for.
What can HelloSign do that Katana cannot?
HelloSign covers Electronic signatures, Templates, Team management, Audit trail. Katana covers Production planning, Real-time inventory, BOM management, Shop floor control. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

HelloSign: Does HelloSign (Dropbox Sign) offer a free plan?

Yes, HelloSign offers a free plan for up to 3 documents per month with basic eSignatures and Dropbox integration. Paid plans start at $10 per month for individuals.

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
HelloSign: How does HelloSign pricing compare to DocuSign?

HelloSign is significantly cheaper than DocuSign. For a 5-user team sending 50 documents monthly, HelloSign costs approximately $1,500 per year while DocuSign costs $2,400 annually, a 37% difference.

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
HelloSign: What are HelloSign API costs?

HelloSign API pricing is $0.80 to $1 per signature request, which is significantly lower than DocuSign's $4 to $7 per signature.

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
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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