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ERP · head to head

DEAR Systems vs Katana MRP

DEAR Systems logo

DEAR Systems

ERP

Cloud inventory management for growing businesses

From
$349/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Katana MRP logo

Katana MRP

ERP

Smart manufacturing software for scaling brands

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Katana MRP has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: DEAR Systems dEAR Systems is sold as Cin7 Core and priced on the Cin7 pricing page; Katana MRP the free plan caps SKUs at 30 after a 15 day unlimited period
  • They diverge on capability: DEAR Systems covers Inventory control, Katana MRP covers Visual production scheduling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DEAR Systems and Katana MRP actually diverge.

Attributes where DEAR Systems and Katana MRP differ
AttributeDEAR SystemsKatana MRP
Starting price$349/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionusage-based
Free tierNoYes
Founded20122017

Identical on both: platforms (Cloud, Web, Mobile), user rating (Not yet rated), category (ERP).

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 Systems

  • Inventory control
  • Sales orders
  • Manufacturing
  • Accounting integration
  • Amazon
  • SSL encryption
  • Data backup

Only in Katana MRP

  • Visual production scheduling
  • Real-time inventory
  • Bill of materials
  • Shop floor app
  • BigCommerce
  • SOC2 compliance
  • Data encryption

Both cover

  • Purchase orders
  • Xero
  • QuickBooks
  • Shopify
  • WooCommerce
  • Role-based access
  • Cloud support
  • Web support
  • Mobile support

What people use each for

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

DEAR Systems

  • Inventory and order management for wholesale and e-commerce sellersnot Katana MRP
  • Manufacturing with bills of materials and material requirements planningnot Katana MRP
  • Syncing stock and orders with Xero or QuickBooks Onlinenot Katana MRP
  • Multi warehouse stock control across unlimited locationsnot Katana MRP

Katana MRP

  • Manufacturing resource planning for small production businessesnot DEAR Systems
  • Tracking live inventory across making, selling and purchasingnot DEAR Systems

Where each one falls short

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

DEAR Systems

  • DEAR Systems is sold as Cin7 Core and priced on the Cin7 pricing page
  • The $349 per month Standard plan caps sales orders at 6,000 per year, includes 5 users and 2 e-commerce integrations
  • Material requirements planning requires the Pro plan at $599 per month
  • Advanced warehouse management requires the Advanced plan at $1,199 per month
  • Additional users, extra integrations, API access, forecasting and advanced automations all cost extra and are priced by the sales team
  • The Omni enterprise plan is custom priced with no published rate

Katana MRP

  • The free plan caps SKUs at 30 after a 15 day unlimited period
  • The Core plan starts at $299 a month and includes one location, with more sold as a usage based add on
  • Core is billed per sales order delivered on top of the base price, so cost tracks throughput
  • Manufacturing management, traceability and warehouse management are separate add ons at $199, $249 and $149 a month
  • A full manufacturing setup therefore stacks to well above the headline $299

Pricing, plan by plan

DEAR Systems

$349/month
  • Standard$349/month
    • 5 users
    • 6000 annual sale orders
    • 2 e-commerce integrations
  • Pro$599/month
    • 10 users
    • 24000 annual sale orders
    • 4 e-commerce integrations
  • Advanced$1199/month
    • 15 users
    • 120000 annual sale orders
    • 6 e-commerce integrations
  • Omni$null/month
    • 8 users
    • Flexible annual sale orders
    • 5 e-commerce integrations

Katana MRP

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 30 SKUs (unlimited during 15-day trial)
    • Unlimited users
    • Unlimited integrations
  • Core$299/month
    • Unlimited SKUs
    • Unlimited users
    • Unlimited integrations
  • Advantage$null/mo
    • Custom annual contract
    • Everything in Core plus custom integrations
    • Custom dashboards and automations

Which should you pick?

Choose DEAR Systems if

  • You need inventory control.
  • You work on Cloud, Web, Mobile.
  • You also want sales orders.
DEAR Systems review

Choose Katana MRP if

  • You need visual production scheduling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, Web, Mobile.
  • You also want real-time inventory.
Katana MRP review

Questions people ask

Is DEAR Systems or Katana MRP better?
Neither clearly leads. DEAR Systems starts at $349/month and Katana MRP at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DEAR Systems or Katana MRP?
Katana MRP has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $349/month for DEAR Systems and Free for Katana MRP.
Does DEAR Systems or Katana MRP run on more platforms?
Both run on Cloud, Web, Mobile, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Katana MRP for free?
Yes. Katana MRP has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. DEAR Systems starts at $349/month.
What is DEAR Systems best used for?
DEAR Systems is most often used for inventory and order management for wholesale and e-commerce sellers, manufacturing with bills of materials and material requirements planning, syncing stock and orders with xero or quickbooks online, multi warehouse stock control across unlimited locations. Of those, inventory and order management for wholesale and e-commerce sellers and manufacturing with bills of materials and material requirements planning are not what Katana MRP is typically brought in for.
What can DEAR Systems do that Katana MRP cannot?
DEAR Systems covers Inventory control, Sales orders, Manufacturing, Accounting integration. Katana MRP covers Visual production scheduling, Real-time inventory, Bill of materials, Shop floor app. Both handle Purchase orders, Xero, QuickBooks, Shopify.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

DEAR Systems: How much does Dear Systems (Cin7) cost?

Dear Systems pricing starts at $349/month for the Standard tier, $599/month for the Pro tier (most popular), $1199/month for Advanced, and custom pricing for the Omni enterprise solution.

Source
Katana MRP: How much does Katana MRP cost?

Katana offers a free plan with 30 SKUs and all core features. Core plan starts at $299/month for unlimited SKUs and users. Usage-based pricing applies to sales orders delivered and additional locations beyond the 1 included. Add-ons like Manufacturing Management cost $199/month.

Source
DEAR Systems: What features does each Dear Systems plan include?

Standard includes 5 users and 6000 annual orders. Pro (most popular) adds 10 users, 24000 orders, and MRP. Advanced provides 15 users, 120000 orders, and advanced warehouse management. Omni offers enterprise customization with flexible user and order limits.

Source
Katana MRP: How does Katana charge for multiple locations?

Core plan includes 1 location. Additional locations beyond the included location are charged separately with per-unit costs decreasing at higher volumes. Exact pricing for additional locations is calculated based on scale.

Source
DEAR Systems: How many users and integrations are included in Dear Systems plans?

Standard tier includes 5 users and 2 e-commerce integrations. Pro tier includes 10 users and 4 integrations. Advanced tier includes 15 users and 6 integrations. Additional users and integrations are available as paid add-ons.

Source
Katana MRP: What are the manufacturing add-on costs for Katana?

Katana charges $199/month for Manufacturing Management, $249/month for Traceability, and $149/month for Warehouse Management add-ons. Onboarding package costs $2,000 but is included with Core plan.

Source
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