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Software · head to head

Katana vs Loox

Katana logo

Katana

Software

Smart manufacturing ERP for scaling businesses

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
L

Loox

Software

Photo reviews and referrals for Shopify stores

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Katana limited BOM explosion and lead-time offset planning requiring manual work that should be automated; Loox beyond plan review volume, overage billing adds $40 to $50 per extra 300 orders processed

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Katana and Loox actually diverge.

Attributes where Katana and Loox differ
AttributeKatanaLoox
Starting price$99/monthOn request
Pricing modelUnknownusage-based
Founded2015Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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
  • Shopify
  • WooCommerce
  • QuickBooks
  • Xero

Only in Loox

Nothing recorded that Katana does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Katana

  • Production schedulingnot Loox
  • Material planningnot Loox
  • Work order managementnot Loox
  • Inventory optimizationnot Loox

Loox

No use cases recorded yet. See the Loox review.

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

Loox

  • Beyond plan review volume, overage billing adds $40 to $50 per extra 300 orders processed

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

Loox

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Loox review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Katana if

  • You need production planning.
  • You also want real-time inventory.
Katana review

Choose Loox if

Nothing in the data separates Loox from Katana on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Loox review

Questions people ask

Is Katana or Loox better?
Neither clearly leads. Katana starts at $99/month and Loox at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Katana or Loox?
Katana starts at $99/month and Loox at On request.
Does Katana or Loox run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
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 Loox is typically brought in for.
What can Katana do that Loox cannot?
Katana covers Production planning, Real-time inventory, BOM management, Shop floor control.

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: 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: 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: 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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