Inventory Management · head to head
Katana vs inFlow
Katana
Inventory Management
Smart manufacturing ERP for scaling businesses
- From
- $99/month
- Rated
- -
inFlow
Inventory Management
Inventory software for small to mid-size businesses
- From
- $129/month
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Katana limited BOM explosion and lead-time offset planning requiring manual work that should be automated; inFlow user interface feels outdated and difficult for new users to navigate
- They diverge on capability: Katana covers Production planning, inFlow covers Easy inventory tracking.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Katana and inFlow actually diverge.
Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Inventory Management).
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
- Production planning
- Real-time inventory
- BOM management
- Shop floor control
- WooCommerce
- QuickBooks
- Xero
- BigCommerce
Only in inFlow
- Easy inventory tracking
- Purchase order management
- Sales order management
- Low stock alerts
- Integration with accounting software
- Barcode scanning
- Email integration
- Desktop support
Both cover
- Shopify
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Katana
- Production schedulingnot inFlow
- Material planningnot inFlow
- Work order managementnot inFlow
- Inventory optimizationnot inFlow
inFlow
- Simple inventory trackingnot Katana
- Order managementnot Katana
- Purchase controlnot Katana
- Stock alertsnot Katana
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
inFlow
- User interface feels outdated and difficult for new users to navigate
- Customization options are limited with flaky screen customization functionality
- Poor performance with large or complex inventories
- Limited supply chain management features; focuses primarily on retail side
- Basic plan has limited reporting options requiring upgrades for more reports
- QuickBooks integration reported as problematic by users
- BOM costing does not automatically update when raw part costs change
- Audit trail limited to name and date, becoming insufficient as companies grow
Pricing, plan by plan
Katana
$99/month- Essential$99/month
- Core inventory management
- Production scheduling
- Stock tracking
- Pro$299/month
- Shop floor control
- API access
- Advanced reporting
inFlow
$129/month- Entrepreneur$129/month
- 2 team members
- 1 integration
- 1,200 sales orders per year
- Small Business$349/month
- 5 team members
- 3 integrations
- 12,000 sales orders per year
- Mid-Size$699/month
- 10 team members
- 5 integrations
- Unlimited sales orders
Which should you pick?
Choose inFlow if
- You need easy inventory tracking.
- You work on Cloud, Web, Mobile scanning app.
- You also want purchase order management.
Questions people ask
- Is Katana or inFlow better?
- Neither clearly leads. Katana starts at $99/month and inFlow at $129/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Katana or inFlow?
- Katana starts at $99/month and inFlow at $129/month.
- Does Katana or inFlow run on more platforms?
- Katana runs on Web. inFlow runs on Cloud, Web, Mobile scanning app.
- What is Katana best used for?
- Katana is most often used for production scheduling, material planning, work order management, inventory optimization. Of those, production scheduling and material planning are not what inFlow is typically brought in for.
- What can Katana do that inFlow cannot?
- Katana covers Production planning, Real-time inventory, BOM management, Shop floor control. inFlow covers Easy inventory tracking, Purchase order management, Sales order management, Low stock alerts. Both handle Shopify.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
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.
SourceinFlow: What team member limits does each inFlow plan include?
Entrepreneur plan includes 2 team members (annual billing USD 129/month), Small Business includes 5 team members (USD 349/month), and Mid-Size includes 10 team members (USD 699/month). Additional users cost USD 29-49/month.
SourceKatana: 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.
SourceinFlow: Does inFlow include manufacturing features?
Yes. inFlow offers separate Manufacturing plans (Startup, Growth, Scale) with assembly and kit creation for product variants, starting at USD 179/month (annual billing).
SourceKatana: 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.
SourceinFlow: How many integrations does each plan support?
Entrepreneur plan includes 1 integration, Small Business includes 3 integrations, and Mid-Size includes 5 integrations. Enterprise plan supports unlimited integrations.
SourceKatana: 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.
SourceinFlow: Is there a free trial available?
Yes. inFlow offers a free 14-day trial without requiring a credit card.
Source