Katana
Inventory and production software for makers and manufacturers
Our verdict
Third of our top three inventory management tools
For: Makers who turn materials into finished products
Katana is built for businesses that make what they sell: multi-level bills of materials, routings and work orders, live stock of products and materials across locations, batch, serial and expiry tracking, and orders from Shopify, Amazon and WooCommerce in one list. The free plan has every feature, unlimited users and the API for up to 30 SKUs, and a new account gets 15 days with no SKU limit. It is third because it suits a narrower group and stops early: the 30 SKUs count every product and material variant, the paid Advantage plan is quoted after a scoping call on a yearly contract, and it runs in a browser only, with a browser warehouse app instead of phone apps.
See all three and how we rankKatana report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 18, 2026
Best for makers who build their own products
Katana is built for makers: bills of materials, work orders and batch tracking, with stock kept live across every location and your Shopify or Amazon orders pulling from it. The free plan has every feature but stops at 30 SKUs. Past that there's no price list, just a quote for a yearly Advantage contract.
Who Katana is for
- Great if you make your own products and need bills of materials and work orders
- Handy when you sell on Shopify or Amazon and make the stock in-house
- Good for food and cosmetics makers who must trace batches for recalls
Who Katana is not for
- 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 proper phone apps rather than a browser app
Why Katana gets a 2.4
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyA 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.
- CFree plan and trialFree 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.
- BFeaturesMulti-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.
- CEase of useNo 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.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb 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.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Katana's own pages on 18 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/katana#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/katana.svg" alt="Katana: 2.4 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Katana stands among inventory management tools
Katana's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 4 of the 11 other inventory management tools we grade, and level with 4.
It stands best on features (B, above 2 of 11) and worst on ease of use (C, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 12 inventory management tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Katana’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 2 of 11, level with 6
- CFree plan and trialAbove 3 of 11, level with 7
- BFeaturesAbove 2 of 11, level with 9
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 11, level with 9
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 11, level with 9
Keep Katana, or make your own?
Keep it
The plain part of Katana you could make: inventory. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
What you could make
- Inventory: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- Scanning barcodes with a phone camera or a scanner.
- It plugs into other products, Shopify, Amazon and WooCommerce among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Katana’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Katana?
Katana is cloud inventory software for manufacturers and makers who turn materials into finished goods. It tracks raw materials and products across locations, plans production with bills of materials and work orders, handles sales and purchase orders, and traces batches and serial numbers. A free account covers up to 30 SKUs; anything larger is a custom, sales-led Advantage contract.
Katana has a free plan. See every plan
Good for
- 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
Worth knowing
- 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
- 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.
Katana pricing
- Starts at
- Not published
- 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.
- Free trial
- A new free account can use unlimited SKUs for 15 days, no card required
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Up to 30 SKUs, unlimited users, integrations and inventory locations, all features and API access, with self-serve setup. |
| Advantage | Custom | Unlimited SKUs on one annual contract that includes guided setup, custom integrations and reports, a success manager and 24/7 live support. |
Read from katanamrp.com on Oct 18, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Katana before you buy.
Works with
Katana alternatives
- Katana vs Stocksmith
Free trial · from $20/mo
- Katana vs Fishbowl
From $229/mo
- Katana vs Cin7
Free trial · from $349/mo
- Katana vs Unleashed
Free trial · from $91/mo
- Katana vs inFlow
Free trial · from $99/mo
Common questions
Is Katana free?
Katana has a 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.
How much does Katana cost?
Katana lists 2 plans. Free: $0. Advantage: custom pricing. Prices were read from katanamrp.com on Oct 18, 2026.
What platforms does Katana work on?
Katana is available on Web.
Does Katana have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Katana is listed for Web.
Does Katana have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Katana is listed for Web.
Is Katana open source?
Katana is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
Does Katana have an API?
Yes. Katana offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Katana integrate with?
Katana's listing names Shopify, Amazon, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, QuickBooks Online, Xero, ShipStation and HubSpot. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Does Katana have a free trial?
Yes. A new free account can use unlimited SKUs for 15 days, no card required.
Who makes Katana?
Katana is made by Katana Technologies OÜ. It dates from 2017.
What are the alternatives to Katana?
The closest alternatives to Katana in our directory are Stocksmith, Fishbowl, Cin7, Unleashed and inFlow. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Katana.
How does Katana compare with other inventory management tools?
Katana's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 4 of the 11 other inventory management tools we grade, and level with 4. It stands best on features (B, above 2 of 11) and worst on ease of use (C, above 0).
Could I make my own version of Katana?
The plain part of Katana you could make: inventory. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend. What you could not make: Scanning barcodes with a phone camera or a scanner. It plugs into other products, Shopify, Amazon and WooCommerce among them, and has an API. AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself. The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job. This is a judgement from its listing. We have not built one.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 18, 2026.