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ERP · head to head

Katana MRP vs Protean ERP

Katana MRP logo

Katana MRP

ERP

Smart manufacturing software for scaling brands

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
P

Protean ERP

ERP

Process and batch manufacturing ERP from a small independent vendor

From
$800/month
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: Katana MRP the free plan caps SKUs at 30 after a 15 day unlimited period; Protean ERP independent verification of this product is scarce, with little analyst coverage and few public customer references, so the vendor's own reference list is effectively the entire evidence base and you cannot triangulate a claim you are unsure about.
  • They diverge on capability: Katana MRP covers Visual production scheduling, Protean ERP covers Formulation and recipe management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Katana MRP and Protean ERP actually diverge.

Attributes where Katana MRP and Protean ERP differ
AttributeKatana MRPProtean ERP
Starting priceFree$800/month
Pricing modelusage-basedsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsCloud, Web, MobileOn-premise, Hybrid, Web
Founded20171992

Identical on both: 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 Katana MRP

  • Visual production scheduling
  • Real-time inventory
  • Bill of materials
  • Purchase orders
  • Shop floor app
  • Shopify
  • WooCommerce
  • QuickBooks

Only in Protean ERP

  • Formulation and recipe management
  • Lot and batch traceability
  • Production planning
  • Inventory and warehouse control
  • Procurement
  • Order management
  • Financials
  • Quality control

What people use each for

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

Katana MRP

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

Protean ERP

  • A batch manufacturer whose recipes scale by potency or assay and cannot be modelled as a fixed bill of materialnot Katana MRP
  • A food or beverage producer that must trace every finished lot back to supplier lots for a recall exercisenot Katana MRP
  • A distributor holding date sensitive stock that must be allocated by expiry rather than by quantitynot Katana MRP
  • A company outgrowing spreadsheets and an accounting package but priced out of a tier one ERP implementationnot Katana MRP

Where each one falls short

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

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

Protean ERP

  • Independent verification of this product is scarce, with little analyst coverage and few public customer references, so the vendor's own reference list is effectively the entire evidence base and you cannot triangulate a claim you are unsure about.
  • Small ERP vendors run thin implementation benches, so the consultant who knows your industry is often the only one who does, and if that person leaves during the project the timeline restarts rather than continuing with a replacement.
  • Niche ERP products are frequent acquisition targets, and an acquired product is normally placed into maintenance while investment moves to the buyer's own line, which shows up years later as an unpatched version you cannot leave.
  • Payroll, warehouse management, EDI and advanced quality are commonly either separately licensed or resold third party components in products of this class, so the quoted licence figure understates what a working installation costs unless you get the full module list in writing.
  • ERP data is the hardest thing in a business to move, and a small vendor's schema is proprietary and usually undocumented, so leaving means paying somebody to reverse engineer it and the practical decision horizon is closer to a decade than to a contract term.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Protean ERP

$800/month
  • Standard$800/month
    • Core ERP
    • Production management
    • Inventory
  • Premium$1800/month
    • Advanced features
    • Quality management
    • Advanced analytics

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Protean ERP if

  • You need formulation and recipe management.
  • You work on On-premise, Hybrid, Web.
  • You also want lot and batch traceability.
Protean ERP review

Questions people ask

Is Katana MRP or Protean ERP better?
Neither clearly leads. Katana MRP starts at Free and Protean ERP at $800/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Katana MRP or Protean ERP?
Katana MRP has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Katana MRP and $800/month for Protean ERP.
Does Katana MRP or Protean ERP run on more platforms?
Katana MRP runs on Cloud, Web, Mobile. Protean ERP runs on On-premise, Hybrid, Web.
Can I use Katana MRP for free?
Yes. Katana MRP has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Protean ERP starts at $800/month.
What is Katana MRP best used for?
Katana MRP is most often used for manufacturing resource planning for small production businesses, tracking live inventory across making, selling and purchasing. Of those, manufacturing resource planning for small production businesses and tracking live inventory across making, selling and purchasing are not what Protean ERP is typically brought in for.
What can Katana MRP do that Protean ERP cannot?
Katana MRP covers Visual production scheduling, Real-time inventory, Bill of materials, Purchase orders. Protean ERP covers Formulation and recipe management, Lot and batch traceability, Production planning, Inventory and warehouse control.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Protean ERP: Is a specialist process ERP worth it over a mainstream product with a process add-on?

It depends on how central formulation is to you. If recipes, potency and lot genealogy drive daily operations, a core capability beats an add-on because there is one vendor, one release cycle and one support call. If process needs are marginal, a mainstream product with a wider partner network is usually the safer institutional bet.

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
Protean ERP: What should I ask for in a demonstration?

Bring your own data. Ask them to build one of your real formulas, run a batch that produces a by-product, adjust for potency on receipt, then trace a finished lot back to supplier lots. Scripted vendor demonstrations avoid exactly these steps.

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
Protean ERP: What contractual protection matters with a small vendor?

A documented and tested data extraction path, source code escrow with a release trigger you can actually invoke, named implementation staff, and clarity on what happens to your support terms if the company is acquired.

Protean ERP: How long does an implementation like this take?

For a single site batch manufacturer, plan on months rather than weeks, and assume the services and data migration bill is at least as large as the first year of software. Ask for a fixed scope statement rather than an estimate of days.

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