Katana vs SOS Inventory
We give Katana and SOS Inventory the same GPA: 2.4 out of 4.0. They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Katana
Inventory and production software for makers and manufacturers
SOS Inventory
Inventory, orders and manufacturing add-on for QuickBooks Online
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAKatanaFair | 2.4GPASOS InventoryFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | CCompanion is $699.50 a year billed yearly ($69.95 monthly) for 2 users and one location, and an online store connection like Shopify is $25 a month on top. That lands in the middle of this category, and it's built for people already paying for QuickBooks Online. |
| Free plan and trial | CFree for up to 30 SKUs with every feature, unlimited users and the API, plus 15 days of unlimited SKUs with no card. A real way to try it, but 30 SKUs is a cap most makers will hit, and support on free is the AI assistant only. | CNo free plan, just a 14-day free trial to see how it fits with your QuickBooks Online books before you pay. |
| Features | 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. | BSales orders, partial shipments and invoices, pick tickets, serial and lot tracking, unlimited locations, assemblies, work orders and job costing, with FIFO, LIFO or average costing. The whole job, though serials, barcodes, pick tickets and extra locations need Plus. |
| Ease of use | 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. | CNo store rating on record. It runs alongside QuickBooks Online, so you'll connect that and set up items, locations and forms before it pays off. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | BWeb and iPhone or iPad, with no Android app listed. It connects to QuickBooks Online, ShipStation, UPS and Zapier, and to Shopify, BigCommerce and PayPal as $25-a-month connections. |
| Best for | makers who build their own products | QuickBooks Online users who need sales orders |
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: Katana and SOS Inventory. How we grade
Where they differ
- Katana has a free plan. SOS Inventory does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only SOS Inventory lists an iOS app.
- SOS Inventory also covers invoicing and reports.
At a glance
| Katana | SOS Inventory | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | Not published | $69.95 per month for up to 2 users, billed monthly |
| Free plan | 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. | None |
| Free trial | A new free account can use unlimited SKUs for 15 days, no card required | 14-day free trial |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Katana Technologies OÜ | SOS Inventory Software LLC |
| Price read from | katanamrp.com | sosinventory.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Katana
- Small manufacturers that make their own products from raw materials
- Shopify brands that also run production in-house or with co-manufacturers
- Food, cosmetics and other businesses that must trace batches
SOS Inventory
- QuickBooks Online users who need sales orders and real inventory
- Small manufacturers that need work orders and job costing
- Distributors tracking serial or lot numbers across warehouses
Worth knowing
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.
SOS Inventory
- It is built around QuickBooks Online and lists compatibility with the Essentials, Plus and Advanced plans.
- Extra users cost $25 a month each ($250 a year on annual plans), and external connections such as Shopify cost $25 a month each.
- Companion is limited to one location and has no serial or lot tracking or barcoding.
- The native app is for iPhone and iPad; no Android app is listed.
Key features
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.
SOS Inventory
- Sales orders for QuickBooks
- Create sales orders, full or partial shipments and partial invoices that sync to QuickBooks Online, which has no sales orders of its own.
- Pick, pack and ship
- ShipStation and UPS integrations on every plan, and pick tickets from sales orders or invoices from the Plus plan up.
- Serials, lots and barcodes
- Serial and lot number tracking and barcodes in several formats from the Plus plan, with transfers between unlimited locations.
- Assemblies and manufacturing
- Assemblies on every plan, contract manufacturing from Plus, and work orders, job costing and process manufacturing on Pro.
- Costing and valuation
- FIFO, LIFO or weighted average valuation, multiple currencies and customizable forms and dashboards on every plan.
- Store and app connections
- Connects to Shopify, BigCommerce, PayPal and FTP sites as paid external connections, plus Zapier and an iPhone and iPad app.
Plans
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.
SOS Inventory
Companion$69.95
per month for up to 2 users, billed monthly
$699.50 a year billed annually. Sales orders, assemblies, QuickBooks Online sync and one location, with room for one paid external connection.
Plus$139.95
per month for up to 3 users, billed monthly
$1,399.50 a year billed annually. Adds unlimited locations, serial and lot numbers, barcoding, pick tickets and contract manufacturing.
Pro$194.95
per month for up to 5 users, billed monthly
$1,949.50 a year billed annually. Adds work orders, job cost accounting, process and variable-yield manufacturing and a customer portal.
Ways to pay less
Katana
No public discounts listed.
SOS Inventory
- Annual discount
Two months free with annual billing
Paying yearly costs $699.50 for Companion, $1,399.50 for Plus and $1,949.50 for Pro, ten times the monthly price.
