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Software · head to head

Katana vs Zoho Inventory

Katana logo

Katana

Software

Smart manufacturing ERP for scaling businesses

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

Zoho Inventory

Software

Complete inventory and order management system

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Zoho Inventory 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; Zoho Inventory free plan limited to 25 products and 50 orders per month
  • They diverge on capability: Katana covers Production planning, Zoho Inventory covers Multi-channel selling.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Katana and Zoho Inventory differ
AttributeKatanaZoho Inventory
Starting price$99/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
Founded20151996

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), 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 Zoho Inventory

  • Multi-channel selling
  • Inventory sync
  • Order management
  • Purchase orders
  • Barcode management
  • Email integration
  • Automated workflows
  • Zoho ecosystem

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 Zoho Inventory
  • Material planningnot Zoho Inventory
  • Work order managementnot Zoho Inventory
  • Inventory optimizationnot Zoho Inventory

Zoho Inventory

  • Multichannel order managementnot Katana
  • Inventory trackingnot Katana
  • Fulfillment automationnot Katana
  • Supplier managementnot 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

Zoho Inventory

  • Free plan limited to 25 products and 50 orders per month
  • Advanced automation features require higher-tier plans
  • Limited customization compared to enterprise solutions

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

Zoho Inventory

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Zoho Inventory review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Katana if

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

Choose Zoho Inventory if

  • You need multi-channel selling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want inventory sync.
Zoho Inventory review

Questions people ask

Is Katana or Zoho Inventory better?
Neither clearly leads. Katana starts at $99/month and Zoho Inventory at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Katana or Zoho Inventory?
Zoho Inventory has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $99/month for Katana and Free for Zoho Inventory.
Does Katana or Zoho Inventory run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Zoho Inventory for free?
Yes. Zoho Inventory 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 Zoho Inventory is typically brought in for.
What can Katana do that Zoho Inventory cannot?
Katana covers Production planning, Real-time inventory, BOM management, Shop floor control. Zoho Inventory covers Multi-channel selling, Inventory sync, Order management, Purchase orders. 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
Zoho Inventory: Does Zoho Inventory have a free tier?

Yes, Zoho Inventory offers a perpetual free plan limited to 25 products and 50 orders per month, ideal for small businesses just starting out.

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
Zoho Inventory: What sales channels does Zoho Inventory integrate with?

Zoho Inventory integrates with major online marketplaces including Shopify, Amazon, eBay, Etsy, and WooCommerce, with automatic stock and order syncing across all integrated channels.

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
Zoho Inventory: Can Zoho Inventory manage multiple locations?

Yes. The free plan supports up to two locations, with paid plans supporting multiple warehouses and locations for larger operations.

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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