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Inventory · head to head

Katana vs Shopify Inventory

Katana logo

Katana

Inventory

Smart manufacturing ERP for scaling businesses

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Shopify Inventory logo

Shopify Inventory

Inventory

Inventory management built into Shopify

From
$24/month
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; Shopify Inventory inventory management is integrated into Shopify plans, not a standalone product
  • They diverge on capability: Katana covers Production planning, Shopify Inventory covers Stock tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Katana and Shopify Inventory actually diverge.

Attributes where Katana and Shopify Inventory differ
AttributeKatanaShopify Inventory
Starting price$99/month$24/month
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android
Founded20152006

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Inventory).

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 Shopify Inventory

  • Stock tracking
  • Multi-location inventory
  • Real-time sync
  • Inventory forecasting
  • Barcode scanning
  • CSV imports/exports
  • App ecosystem
  • POS

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Katana

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

Shopify Inventory

  • Multi-location inventory tracking and managementnot Katana
  • Real-time inventory sync across online and physical storesnot Katana
  • Order management and fulfillmentnot Katana
  • Integration with Shopify's point-of-sale systemnot 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

Shopify Inventory

  • Inventory management is integrated into Shopify plans, not a standalone product
  • POS Pro for advanced retail features costs additional $89/month per location
  • Payment processing fees vary by tier: ranges from 2.9% to 2.5% plus per-transaction fees

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

Shopify Inventory

$24/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Shopify Inventory review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Katana if

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

Choose Shopify Inventory if

  • You need stock tracking.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want multi-location inventory.
Shopify Inventory review

Questions people ask

Is Katana or Shopify Inventory better?
Neither clearly leads. Katana starts at $99/month and Shopify Inventory at $24/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Katana or Shopify Inventory?
Katana starts at $99/month and Shopify Inventory at $24/month.
Does Katana or Shopify Inventory run on more platforms?
Katana runs on Web. Shopify Inventory runs on Web, iOS, Android.
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 Shopify Inventory is typically brought in for.
What can Katana do that Shopify Inventory cannot?
Katana covers Production planning, Real-time inventory, BOM management, Shop floor control. Shopify Inventory covers Stock tracking, Multi-location inventory, Real-time sync, Inventory forecasting. Both handle Web support.

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
Shopify Inventory: What are Shopify's main pricing tiers and monthly costs?

Shopify offers Basic ($32/month USD), Grow ($92/month), Advanced ($399/month), and Plus (from $2,300/month). Annual billing offers 25% discount on Basic, Grow, and Advanced tiers.

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
Shopify Inventory: Does Shopify offer a free trial or introductory pricing?

Yes. New customers get a 3-day free trial with no credit card required. After the trial, the first 3 months cost $1/month before regular pricing applies.

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
Shopify Inventory: What payment processing fees does Shopify charge, and do they vary by plan?

Basic plan charges 2.9% plus AED 1.00 per transaction. Grow charges 2.8% plus AED 1.00. Advanced charges 2.7% plus AED 1.00. Plus plan offers the most competitive rates.

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
Shopify Inventory: How many inventory locations can I create on each Shopify plan?

Basic, Grow, and Advanced plans support 10 inventory locations. Plus plan supports 200 inventory locations for complex, multi-location operations.

Source
Shopify Inventory: What staff account limits apply to each Shopify plan?

Basic plan includes no additional staff accounts. Grow allows up to 5 staff accounts. Advanced allows up to 15 staff accounts. Plus plan offers unlimited staff accounts.

Source
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