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Inventory Management · head to head

Odoo Inventory vs Katana

Odoo Inventory logo

Odoo Inventory

Inventory Management

Open source inventory management module

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Katana logo

Katana

Inventory Management

Smart manufacturing ERP for scaling businesses

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Odoo Inventory has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Odoo Inventory the One App Free plan covers a single app, so using Inventory alongside another Odoo app moves the account onto a paid plan; Katana limited BOM explosion and lead-time offset planning requiring manual work that should be automated
  • They diverge on capability: Odoo Inventory covers Inventory management, Katana covers Production planning.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Odoo Inventory and Katana differ
AttributeOdoo InventoryKatana
Starting priceFree$99/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Mobile app, Cloud/On-premiseWeb
Founded20052015

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 Odoo Inventory

  • Inventory management
  • Barcode scanning
  • Multi-warehouse
  • Automated replenishment
  • Odoo ERP modules
  • E-commerce
  • Manufacturing
  • Accounting

Only in Katana

  • Production planning
  • Real-time inventory
  • BOM management
  • Shop floor control
  • Shopify
  • WooCommerce
  • QuickBooks
  • Xero

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Odoo Inventory

  • Tracking stock across multiple warehouses and locationsnot Katana
  • Running receipts, deliveries and internal transfersnot Katana
  • Connecting inventory to Odoo sales, purchasing and manufacturingnot Katana

Katana

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

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Odoo Inventory

  • The One App Free plan covers a single app, so using Inventory alongside another Odoo app moves the account onto a paid plan
  • The Standard plan at $16.90 per user per month is restricted to Odoo Online hosting
  • Odoo.sh and on premise hosting require the Custom plan at $25.50 per user per month
  • Odoo Studio, multi company management and external API access require the Custom plan
  • Billing is per user, defined as any employee with backend access to create, view or edit documents
  • The advertised discounted rates apply for the first 12 months, after which the list rates of $21.10 and $31.90 per user per month apply

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Odoo Inventory

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Open source
    • Basic features
    • Community support
  • Standard$20/month
    • Full features
    • Hosting included
    • Email support
  • Custom$40/month
    • Customization
    • Studio access
    • Priority support

Katana

$99/month
  • Essential$99/month
    • Core inventory management
    • Production scheduling
    • Stock tracking
  • Pro$299/month
    • Shop floor control
    • API access
    • Advanced reporting

Which should you pick?

Choose Odoo Inventory if

  • You need inventory management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile app, Cloud/On-premise.
  • You also want barcode scanning.
Odoo Inventory review

Choose Katana if

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

Questions people ask

Is Odoo Inventory or Katana better?
Neither clearly leads. Odoo Inventory starts at Free and Katana at $99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Odoo Inventory or Katana?
Odoo Inventory has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Odoo Inventory and $99/month for Katana.
Does Odoo Inventory or Katana run on more platforms?
Odoo Inventory runs on Web, Mobile app, Cloud/On-premise. Katana runs on Web.
Can I use Odoo Inventory for free?
Yes. Odoo Inventory has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Katana starts at $99/month.
What is Odoo Inventory best used for?
Odoo Inventory is most often used for tracking stock across multiple warehouses and locations, running receipts, deliveries and internal transfers, connecting inventory to odoo sales, purchasing and manufacturing. Of those, tracking stock across multiple warehouses and locations and running receipts, deliveries and internal transfers are not what Katana is typically brought in for.
What can Odoo Inventory do that Katana cannot?
Odoo Inventory covers Inventory management, Barcode scanning, Multi-warehouse, Automated replenishment. Katana covers Production planning, Real-time inventory, BOM management, Shop floor control. 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
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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