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Inventory · head to head

Katana vs Katana MRP

Katana logo

Katana

Inventory

Smart manufacturing ERP for scaling businesses

From
$99/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: Katana limited BOM explosion and lead-time offset planning requiring manual work that should be automated; Katana MRP the free plan caps SKUs at 30 after a 15 day unlimited period
  • They diverge on capability: Katana covers Production planning, 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 Katana and Katana MRP actually diverge.

Attributes where Katana and Katana MRP differ
AttributeKatanaKatana MRP
Starting price$99/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownusage-based
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebCloud, Web, Mobile
CategoryInventoryERP
Founded20152017

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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
  • BOM management
  • Shop floor control
  • Cloud-based support
  • API access support

Only in Katana MRP

  • Visual production scheduling
  • Bill of materials
  • Purchase orders
  • Shop floor app
  • SOC2 compliance
  • Data encryption
  • Role-based access
  • Cloud support

Both cover

  • Real-time inventory
  • Shopify
  • WooCommerce
  • QuickBooks
  • Xero
  • BigCommerce
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Katana

  • Production schedulingnot Katana MRP
  • Material planningnot Katana MRP
  • Work order managementnot Katana MRP
  • Inventory optimizationnot Katana MRP

Katana MRP

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

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

Katana

$99/month
  • Essential$99/month
    • Core inventory management
    • Production scheduling
    • Stock tracking
  • Pro$299/month
    • Shop floor control
    • API access
    • Advanced reporting

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 Katana if

  • You need production planning.
  • You also want bom management.
Katana 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 bill of materials.
Katana MRP review

Questions people ask

Is Katana or Katana MRP better?
Neither clearly leads. Katana starts at $99/month and Katana MRP at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Katana or Katana MRP?
Katana MRP has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $99/month for Katana and Free for Katana MRP.
Does Katana or Katana MRP run on more platforms?
Katana runs on Web. Katana MRP runs on Cloud, Web, Mobile.
Can I use Katana MRP for free?
Yes. Katana MRP has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Katana starts at $99/month.
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 Katana MRP is typically brought in for.
What can Katana do that Katana MRP cannot?
Katana covers Production planning, BOM management, Shop floor control, Cloud-based support. Katana MRP covers Visual production scheduling, Bill of materials, Purchase orders, Shop floor app. Both handle Real-time inventory, Shopify, WooCommerce, QuickBooks.

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.

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
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
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
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 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
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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