Genius ERP vs Katana (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Katana: it is third in our ranking of inventory management tools, and it grades higher too, 2.4 against 2.0.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Katana grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Genius ERP
Manufacturing ERP with serial-level inventory and shop floor control
Paid
Katana
Inventory and production software for makers and manufacturers
Free plan
Which one is for you
Pick Genius ERP if
- Fits if you run a manufacturing shop and want stock tied to jobs and lots
- Works for firms that design in SOLIDWORKS or Inventor
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you only count stock, as it is a full manufacturing ERP
- Skip it if you want a price on the page, as none is published
- Watch out: the directory lists it as Genius Inventory while the vendor sells Genius ERP
- Watch out: no free plan or trial is shown
Pick Katana if
- Fits if you make your own products and need bills of materials and work orders
- Works for food and cosmetics makers who must trace batches for recalls
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to see a price before booking a sales call
- Tight if you're staying free, as the 30 SKUs count every variant and material
- Not for you if your team wants native phone apps rather than a browser app
- Watch out: the paid plan is sold as one yearly contract, with no monthly option on record
- Watch out: the free plan has no live support, only the AI assistant and knowledge base
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAGenius ERPFair | 2.4GPAKatanaFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo list price is published; an estimate is emailed after a form, so there is no figure to set against this category's $91 middle price. | CA shop with an online store will pass the free plan's 30 SKUs fast, since every variant and material counts. After that it's Advantage, quoted after a scoping call on one yearly contract, so there's no monthly figure to set against other tools. With no published price, it sits in the middle. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan or trial; you get an emailed estimate. | CFree for up to 30 SKUs with every feature, unlimited users and the API, plus 15 days of unlimited SKUs with no card. But 30 SKUs is a cap most makers will hit, and support on free is the AI assistant only. |
| Features | BSerial and lot tracking, job allocation, replenishment, multi-warehouse locations and a REST API. The listing shows no gap in the core stock work. | BMulti-level bills of materials, routings and work orders, live stock across locations, batch and serial tracking, sales and purchase orders and AI reorder suggestions. That's the whole job for a maker. There are no native phone apps, but the browser warehouse app handles scanning. |
| Ease of use | CA full manufacturing ERP takes a rollout, and no store rating is on record. | CNo store rating on record to go by. Before it earns its keep you'll set up materials, bills of materials, routings and locations, and the paid plan comes with guided setup for a reason. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb with a cloud option and a REST API, plus SOLIDWORKS, Autodesk Inventor, HubSpot and Avalara links. | BWeb only, with no native phone apps. It connects to Shopify, Amazon, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, QuickBooks Online, Xero, ShipStation and HubSpot, has an API, and links to Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini over MCP. |
| Best for | manufacturing ERP with lot and serial stock | makers who build their own products |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Genius ERP and Katana. How we grade
Where they differ
- Genius ERP also covers reports and quotes and estimates.
- Katana also covers barcode scanning.
In commonWebPublic APIInventory
At a glance
| Genius ERP | Katana | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | Not published |
| Free plan | None | Free plan for up to 30 SKUs with unlimited users, integrations and locations, every Katana feature and API access. Support is the AI assistant and knowledge base only. |
| Free trial | None listed | A new free account can use unlimited SKUs for 15 days, no card required |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Genius Solutions | Katana Technologies OÜ |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | katanamrp.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Genius ERP
- The pricing page says an estimate is emailed after a form; no list prices appear.
- It is a full manufacturing ERP, not a stand-alone inventory tool, so it is a heavy fit for simple stock counting.
- Listed in the directory as Genius Inventory; the vendor sells it as Genius ERP.
Katana
- No price is published beyond the free plan: Advantage is quoted after a scoping call and sold as one annual contract.
- The free plan stops at 30 SKUs, counting each product or material variant, and has no live support.
- There are no native phone apps; the warehouse app runs in a mobile browser at wh.katanamrp.com.
Key features
Genius ERP
- Serial and lot tracking
- Track inventory down to the serial number or lot and assign material statuses.
- Job allocation
- Allocate specific materials to jobs before production, with soft or hard allocation and back flush or front flush consumption.
- Replenishment
- Replenish from actual job demand or preset min-max levels, with forecasts from current and planned jobs.
- Multi-warehouse locations
- Shows where each item sits across warehouses and locations, and moves material from mobile devices.
- CAD and CRM links
- Integrations with SOLIDWORKS, Autodesk Inventor, HubSpot, Paperless Parts and Avalara.
- REST API and cloud option
- A REST API is available, and the vendor sells a cloud edition of Genius ERP.
Katana
- Production planning
- Multi-level bills of materials, routings and work orders, with materials assigned to orders and finished goods returned to stock when production ends.
- Live inventory across locations
- Stock for products and materials across warehouses, production sites and partner locations, with transfers and a real-time availability planner.
- Batch and serial traceability
- Track lot numbers, serial numbers and expiry dates from supplier to customer to answer recalls and audits.
- Sales and purchase orders
- Orders from Shopify, Amazon, WooCommerce and wholesale in one list, purchase orders with landed costs, price lists and multiple currencies.
- Warehouse app and barcode scanning
- A browser-based warehouse app for receiving, picking, packing and stocktakes with a phone camera or a rugged scanner.
- AI replenishment and MCP
- AI purchase-order suggestions based on demand history, and an MCP connection to query and update Katana from Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini.
Plans
Genius ERP
Pricing could not be confirmed. See geniuserp.com.
Katana
Free$0
Up to 30 SKUs, unlimited users, integrations and inventory locations, all features and API access, with self-serve setup.
AdvantageCustom
Unlimited SKUs on one annual contract that includes guided setup, custom integrations and reports, a success manager and 24/7 live support.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Genius ERP or Katana?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Genius ERP has no price we could confirm, and Katana publishes no starting price.
Which has a free plan, Genius ERP or Katana?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Katana has a free plan. Genius ERP does not.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.