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Software · head to head

Katana vs Sortly

Katana logo

Katana

Software

Smart manufacturing ERP for scaling businesses

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sortly logo

Sortly

Software

Visual inventory management with photo tracking

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Sortly 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; Sortly mobile app performance is slow with occasional crashes on both iOS and Android
  • They diverge on capability: Katana covers Production planning, Sortly covers Photo-based inventory.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Katana and Sortly actually diverge.

Attributes where Katana and Sortly differ
AttributeKatanaSortly
Starting price$99/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android
Founded20152013

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), 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 Sortly

  • Photo-based inventory
  • Multi-location support
  • Custom categories
  • Low stock notifications
  • Barcode scanning
  • CSV export
  • API access
  • Zapier

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Cloud-based support

What people use each for

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

Katana

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

Sortly

  • Visual inventory trackingnot Katana
  • Asset managementnot Katana
  • Photo documentationnot Katana
  • Mobile inventorynot 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

Sortly

  • Mobile app performance is slow with occasional crashes on both iOS and Android
  • Minimal advanced reporting features lacking depth and customization options
  • No native serial number tracking capability, limiting asset management functionality
  • Synchronization problems occur when reconnecting from offline mode

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

Sortly

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Sortly review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Katana if

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

Choose Sortly if

  • You need photo-based inventory.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want multi-location support.
Sortly review

Questions people ask

Is Katana or Sortly better?
Neither clearly leads. Katana starts at $99/month and Sortly at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Katana or Sortly?
Sortly has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $99/month for Katana and Free for Sortly.
Does Katana or Sortly run on more platforms?
Katana runs on Web. Sortly runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Sortly for free?
Yes. Sortly 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 Sortly is typically brought in for.
What can Katana do that Sortly cannot?
Katana covers Production planning, Real-time inventory, BOM management, Shop floor control. Sortly covers Photo-based inventory, Multi-location support, Custom categories, Low stock notifications. Both handle Web support, Cloud-based 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
Sortly: What is included in Sortly's free plan?

Sortly's free plan includes 100 unique items and 1 user license, sufficient for testing or very small inventories, with permanent access.

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
Sortly: What are Sortly's paid tier pricing and item limits?

Sortly offers Advanced ($49/month, 500 items), Ultra ($149/month, 2,000 items), Premium ($299/month, 5,000 items), and Enterprise with custom pricing for 10,000+ items. All paid plans include a 14-day free trial.

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
Sortly: Does Sortly offer offline functionality?

Sortly has offline mode on mobile apps, though with potential synchronization issues when reconnecting. Offline mode is not available on the free 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
Sortly: Does Sortly have a mobile app?

Yes, Sortly offers mobile apps for iOS and Android. However, users report slow performance and occasional crashes, plus lack of bulk actions available on the web platform.

Source
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