Softwr

ERP · head to head

Katana MRP vs Sage X3

Katana MRP logo

Katana MRP

ERP

Smart manufacturing software for scaling brands

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sage X3 logo

Sage X3

ERP

Mid-market ERP sold and implemented almost entirely through Sage partners

From
$1500/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; Sage X3 sage sells X3 through partners rather than direct, so implementation quality varies more than the software does, and a weak partner produces a failed project on a product that works fine elsewhere.
  • They diverge on capability: Katana MRP covers Visual production scheduling, Sage X3 covers Multi-company and multi-legislation finance.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Katana MRP and Sage X3 actually diverge.

Attributes where Katana MRP and Sage X3 differ
AttributeKatana MRPSage X3
Starting priceFree$1500/month
Pricing modelusage-basedsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsCloud, Web, MobileCloud, Windows, Web
Founded20171981

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 Sage X3

  • Multi-company and multi-legislation finance
  • Manufacturing
  • Inventory and warehouse
  • Purchasing
  • Sales and pricing
  • Project accounting
  • Quality control
  • Development framework

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 Sage X3
  • Tracking live inventory across making, selling and purchasingnot Sage X3

Sage X3

  • A group with subsidiaries in several countries consolidating from separate accounting systems into one ledgernot Katana MRP
  • A food or chemical manufacturer needing lot traceability and formulation alongside standard financialsnot Katana MRP
  • A distributor with multiple warehouses and complex customer specific pricing that spreadsheets no longer containnot Katana MRP
  • A business that has outgrown a small business accounting package but cannot justify a tier one ERP programmenot 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

Sage X3

  • Sage sells X3 through partners rather than direct, so implementation quality varies more than the software does, and a weak partner produces a failed project on a product that works fine elsewhere.
  • Payroll is not part of X3 in most markets and is bought as a separate product or a third party service, so an organisation assuming a complete back office in one licence finds an extra vendor, an extra integration and an extra bill.
  • The product uses its own development language and toolset rather than a mainstream stack, so the pool of people who can maintain a customised installation is small, expensive and largely employed by partners.
  • Heavy customisation is possible and consequently common, and customised installations are harder to upgrade, which surfaces years later as a business running an old version because taking the current one means retesting and reworking every modification.
  • The North American partner ecosystem and third party add-on market are thinner than for the products X3 competes with, so niche requirements are more often met by custom development than by buying something already built.

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

Sage X3

$1500/month
  • Standard$1500/month
    • Core ERP functionality
    • Financial management
    • Inventory management
  • Enterprise$3000/month
    • Multi-company support
    • Advanced manufacturing
    • Business intelligence

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 Sage X3 if

  • You need multi-company and multi-legislation finance.
  • You work on Cloud, Windows, Web.
  • You also want manufacturing.
Sage X3 review

Questions people ask

Is Katana MRP or Sage X3 better?
Neither clearly leads. Katana MRP starts at Free and Sage X3 at $1500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Katana MRP or Sage X3?
Katana MRP has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Katana MRP and $1500/month for Sage X3.
Does Katana MRP or Sage X3 run on more platforms?
Katana MRP runs on Cloud, Web, Mobile. Sage X3 runs on Cloud, Windows, Web.
Can I use Katana MRP for free?
Yes. Katana MRP has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Sage X3 starts at $1500/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 Sage X3 is typically brought in for.
What can Katana MRP do that Sage X3 cannot?
Katana MRP covers Visual production scheduling, Real-time inventory, Bill of materials, Purchase orders. Sage X3 covers Multi-company and multi-legislation finance, Manufacturing, Inventory and warehouse, Purchasing.

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
Sage X3: Is Sage X3 a cloud product?

It is offered as a hosted subscription, commonly on AWS, but it is not a multi-tenant SaaS product in the way Plex or NetSuite are. You still have your own instance and you still own the upgrade decision, which is both more control and more work.

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
Sage X3: How do I choose a partner?

Ask for two references at your revenue, in your industry, on the version you are buying, and speak to them without the partner present. Ask who specifically will be on your project, how long they have worked on X3, and what happens if they leave mid engagement.

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
Sage X3: Does the licence cost tell me what the project costs?

No. For mid-market ERP the services bill commonly matches or exceeds the first year of software, and the subscription clock usually starts before go live, so the first year of licence buys considerably less usable time than it appears to.

Sage X3: Who should not buy X3?

A single entity operating in one country, because the multi-company and multi-legislation depth is the main reason to pay for this rather than something simpler, and a business paying for it without using it has overbought.

Share

Related pages

More on Katana MRP

More on Sage X3

Keep looking

Other head to heads