Softwr

Inventory Management · head to head

Katana vs Spocket

Katana logo

Katana

Inventory Management

Smart manufacturing ERP for scaling businesses

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Spocket logo

Spocket

Inventory Management

Dropshipping with US/EU suppliers

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Spocket 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; Spocket the Starter plan at $39.99 per month is capped at 25 unique products and includes no premium products
  • They diverge on capability: Katana covers Production planning, Spocket covers Supplier marketplace.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Katana and Spocket actually diverge.

Attributes where Katana and Spocket differ
AttributeKatanaSpocket
Starting price$99/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Browser extension, Cloud-based
Founded20152017

Identical on both: 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
  • QuickBooks
  • Xero
  • API access support

Only in Spocket

  • Supplier marketplace
  • Product import
  • Inventory sync
  • Order automation
  • Wix
  • Squarespace
  • Browser extension support

Both cover

  • Shopify
  • WooCommerce
  • BigCommerce
  • Web support
  • Cloud-based support

What people use each for

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

Katana

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

Spocket

  • Sourcing dropshipping products from US and EU suppliersnot Katana
  • Importing supplier products into a Shopify or WooCommerce storenot Katana
  • Automating order fulfilment to dropship suppliersnot 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

Spocket

  • The Starter plan at $39.99 per month is capped at 25 unique products and includes no premium products
  • Premium products start on the Professional plan at $59.99 per month, which allows 25 of them
  • Supplier chat requires the Professional plan
  • The free trial lasts 7 days across all plans
  • The lowest advertised monthly rates require annual prepayment

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

Spocket

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 25 products
    • Basic features
    • Email support
  • Starter$24/month
    • 250 products
    • Real-time inventory
    • Chat support
  • Pro$49/month
    • Unlimited products
    • Premium suppliers
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Katana if

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

Choose Spocket if

  • You need supplier marketplace.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Browser extension, Cloud-based.
  • You also want product import.
Spocket review

Questions people ask

Is Katana or Spocket better?
Neither clearly leads. Katana starts at $99/month and Spocket at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Katana or Spocket?
Spocket has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $99/month for Katana and Free for Spocket.
Does Katana or Spocket run on more platforms?
Katana runs on Web. Spocket runs on Web, Browser extension, Cloud-based.
Can I use Spocket for free?
Yes. Spocket 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 Spocket is typically brought in for.
What can Katana do that Spocket cannot?
Katana covers Production planning, Real-time inventory, BOM management, Shop floor control. Spocket covers Supplier marketplace, Product import, Inventory sync, Order automation. Both handle Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, 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
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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Related pages

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