Katana vs Stocksmith (formerly Craftybase)
Comparison last checked October 10, 2026. Every figure comes from the two product records, each with its own sources and check dates.
The short answer
Pick Stocksmith if you are a small-batch maker who needs recipes, lot numbers and cost of goods at a flat published price: $99 a month on the plan with lot tracking. Pick Katana if you need to be told what to order and when; Stocksmith gives threshold alerts, not dated plans, and Katana's paid plan is priced by quote.
Choose Katana if
- You want a date to order by: Katana suggests one from each item's lead time.
- You need serial numbers or capacity planning, which we have not found evidence of in Stocksmith.
- You can start on the free plan: up to 30 SKUs with unlimited users.
Choose Stocksmith if
- You want a flat published price: Indie is $99 a month, or $82.50 a month paid yearly, and includes lot tracking and traceability reports.
- You sell on Etsy, Square or Faire as well as Shopify, WooCommerce and Amazon.
- You need cost of goods worked out from what you paid suppliers.
Key differences
The rows that separate these two. Unknown means we have not found evidence; it is not the same as No.
| Attribute | Katana | Stocksmith |
|---|---|---|
| Useful entry priceWhat you pay to get the manufacturing capability, not the cheapest nominal tier. | No paid price publishedSource: katanamrp.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab)Checked October 9, 2026 | $99 a monthSource: stocksmith.io › Pricing(opens in a new tab)Checked October 10, 2026 |
| Billing basis | Quote only | Flat rate |
| Free plan or trial | Free plan: YesUp to 30 SKUs, with unlimited users, integrations and inventory locations, all Katana features and API access.Free trial: 15 days | Free plan: NoFree trial: 14 days |
| Produces dated buy/make suggestionsThe output is an actionable list with dates, order this much by this date, start this batch on this date. | YesThe Replenishment tab lists a "Suggested order by" date, "Latest date to place an order based on the item's lead time to avoid a stockout", with Buy and Make buttons that create a pre-filled purchase or manufacturing order.Source: support.katanamrp.com › Understanding replenishment and order suggestions(opens in a new tab) | PartialReorder thresholds are set per material with preferred order quantities, and you get an alert when stock drops below the threshold.Source: stocksmith.io › Features(opens in a new tab) |
| Recipes & formulasBatch-style production by weight, volume, or percentage, including scaling a batch up or down. | PartialKatana calls its BOM the "product recipe".Source: Vendor video, 2026, at 8:51(opens in a new tab) | YesRecipes are the core object. The vendor describes "multi-level recipes: raw materials, sub-assemblies, and finished products". We have not verified batch scaling by weight or percentage.Source: stocksmith.io(opens in a new tab) |
| Lot and batch traceabilityWhich incoming material lots went into which finished batch, and where those finished goods went. | YesIncluded from the Free plan"End-to-end traceability for materials and products with batch tracking", with auto-generated batch and internal barcodes.Source: katanamrp.com › Manufacturing(opens in a new tab) | YesIncluded from the Indie planLot numbers with a dedicated traceability feature and full production history. Included from the Indie plan upward, not on Studio.Source: stocksmith.io › Features(opens in a new tab) |
| Capacity planningChecks whether your people and machines can do the work in the time available. | Yes"Plan capacity, allocate resources, and ensure materials are ready when needed", with schedules adjustable on the fly.Source: katanamrp.com › Manufacturing(opens in a new tab) | Unknown |
| Best-fit team sizes | 2–5 people, 6–20 people, 21–50 people | Just me, 2–5 people, 6–20 people |
What it costs at your size
Entry prices leave out users, add-ons, order limits and extra locations. Put in your own numbers and both products are worked out the same way, from each vendor's published prices.
Full comparison
Every sourced field, side by side. It opens on the rows where the two differ.
Unknown means we have not found evidence. It is not the same as No.
| Attribute | KatanaKatana · record checked October 9, 2026 | StocksmithStocksmith Pty Ltd · record checked October 9, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | ||
| Product classWhat kind of system it is. | Full MRP | Batch / process manufacturing |
| One-line fit | Strong production control with documented MRP planning; paid pricing is quote-only since 2026-10, last published at $299 plus $199 for manufacturing. | The strongest fit for makers who need real COGS and lot numbers, not a planning engine. |
| Real cost | ||
| Pricing | Free plan availableSource: katanamrp.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab)Checked October 9, 2026 | From $20/mo · $99/mo usefulSource: stocksmith.io › Pricing(opens in a new tab)Checked October 10, 2026 |
| Useful entry priceWhat you pay to get the manufacturing capability, not the cheapest nominal tier. | $0/mo | $99/mo |
| Billing basis | quote | flat |
| Free plan | YesUp to 30 SKUs, with unlimited users, integrations and inventory locations, all Katana features and API access. "For your first 15 days you can work with unlimited SKUs." "For e-commerce, only Shopify currently integrates with Free." | No |
| Planning | ||
| Accepts dated demandYou can tell it what is due and when, sales orders with dates, a forecast, or a production schedule. | YesThe Planning tab monitors expected stock from "Sales orders (SOs)", "Purchase orders (POs)", "Manufacturing orders (MOs)" and "Outsourced purchase orders (OPOs)", and "Katana projects anticipated stock levels by week or month"; forecast demand can be calculated from sales history or entered by hand. Requires the Planning and forecasting add-on. Suggested manufacturing orders that have not been created yet do not appear to be exploded into material demand. For a subassembly with no history the help center suggests a workaround: "Example: Increase the manual forecast for a subassembly without historical data to align stock levels with expected requirements." That is our inference from the workaround, not a direct statement.Source: support.katanamrp.com › Planning and anticipating stock levels(opens in a new tab); support.katanamrp.com › How to use forecast demand(opens in a new tab); katanamrp.com › Manufacturing(opens in a new tab) | PartialOpen sales orders feed the calculation. No forecast input is described, so demand is what has been ordered rather than what is expected.Source: stocksmith.io › Mrp software(opens in a new tab) |
| Nets against stock on handIt subtracts what you already have before telling you to buy more. | YesThe projected stockout date is "Based on your current stock levels and open demand (sales + manufacturing orders)", and the suggested quantity "Considers your demand forecasts, MOQ, and any open supplier orders." Requires the Planning and forecasting add-on.Source: support.katanamrp.com › Understanding replenishment and order suggestions(opens in a new tab); support.katanamrp.com › Planning and anticipating stock levels(opens in a new tab) | YesShows "what you can build now and what you need to reorder", derived from "open orders, current stock, and bills of materials". Demand netted against stock through the BOM.Source: stocksmith.io › Mrp software(opens in a new tab) |
| Counts incoming ordersIt knows about purchase orders and production orders already placed, so it does not tell you to order twice. | YesOpen purchase orders, manufacturing orders and outsourced purchase orders are all inputs to the projected stock level, and the suggested quantity accounts for "any open supplier orders". Requires the Planning and forecasting add-on.Source: support.katanamrp.com › Basics of the planning and forecasting add on(opens in a new tab); support.katanamrp.com › Understanding replenishment and order suggestions(opens in a new tab) | PartialThe reorder report shows stock already on order next to stock on hand: "This is a count of any purchases marked as not yet received for this material." Nothing says that quantity reduces what the report tells you to reorder.Source: help.stocksmith.io › About material reorder reports(opens in a new tab) |
| Uses lead timesIt works backwards from when you need something to when you must order or start it, using supplier and production lead times. | YesEach SKU carries a lead time, "the number of days it takes to replenish stock (either from a supplier or internal production)". The order-by date is the projected stockout date offset backwards by that lead time: "If a product has a lead time of 7 days and is forecasted to run out on July 21, Katana will suggest placing an order by July 14." Requires the Planning and forecasting add-on.Source: support.katanamrp.com › Sku lead time and minimum order quantity moq(opens in a new tab); support.katanamrp.com › Understanding replenishment and order suggestions(opens in a new tab) | PartialSupplier records store "who you order from, at what price, on what lead time", but the lead time does not appear to set any date. The Material Reorder report is a stock snapshot: "The Material Reorder report is a snapshot report that lists all active materials and components either out of stock or marked as having low stock." It gives no order-by date, and purchase arrival dates are typed in by hand. This rests on the public help center; lead times otherwise appear only in marketing copy.Source: stocksmith.io › Features(opens in a new tab); help.stocksmith.io › About material reorder reports(opens in a new tab) |
| Produces dated buy/make suggestionsThe output is an actionable list with dates, order this much by this date, start this batch on this date. | YesThe Replenishment tab lists a "Suggested order by" date, "Latest date to place an order based on the item's lead time to avoid a stockout", with Buy and Make buttons that create a pre-filled purchase or manufacturing order. Requires the Planning and forecasting add-on.Source: support.katanamrp.com › Understanding replenishment and order suggestions(opens in a new tab); support.katanamrp.com › Sku lead time and minimum order quantity moq(opens in a new tab) | PartialReorder thresholds are set per material with preferred order quantities, and you get an alert when stock drops below the threshold. That is a threshold alarm, not a time-phased plan. It tells you that you are low today, not what to order for a batch due in three weeks. The Material Reorder report lists what is out of stock or low, with quantity on order, but no date to order by.Source: stocksmith.io › Features(opens in a new tab); help.stocksmith.io › About material reorder reports(opens in a new tab) |
| Capacity planningChecks whether your people and machines can do the work in the time available. | Yes"Plan capacity, allocate resources, and ensure materials are ready when needed", with schedules adjustable on the fly.Source: katanamrp.com › Manufacturing(opens in a new tab) | Unknown |
| Production | ||
| Bill of materialsA list of the parts and quantities needed to make one of something. | Yes"Create and manage bills of materials, including subassemblies, to ensure accuracy in production."Source: katanamrp.com › Manufacturing(opens in a new tab) | Yes"Build your BOMs with as many levels as production requires."Source: stocksmith.io › Features(opens in a new tab) |
| Multi-level BOMSub-assemblies inside assemblies, a part that is itself made from other parts, nested as deep as you need. | YesSub-assemblies are explicitly included in bills of materials.Source: katanamrp.com › Manufacturing(opens in a new tab) | Yes"Unlimited BOM depth — materials, sub-assemblies, finished goods." The pricing page sells recipe management from the Studio plan; whether Studio has the same BOM depth as Indie is not stated.Source: stocksmith.io › Features(opens in a new tab); stocksmith.io › Pricing(opens in a new tab) |
| Recipes & formulasBatch-style production by weight, volume, or percentage, including scaling a batch up or down. | PartialKatana calls its BOM the "product recipe". In a 2026 vendor live training, size variants of one formula (an 8, 12 and 16 oz candle) share one product card: "So recipes that are identical or proportionally scaled are a perfect fit." No demo shows a formula scaled to a batch size.Source: Vendor video, 2026, at 8:51(opens in a new tab) | YesRecipes are the core object. The vendor describes "multi-level recipes: raw materials, sub-assemblies, and finished products". We have not verified batch scaling by weight or percentage.Source: stocksmith.io(opens in a new tab); stocksmith.io › Features(opens in a new tab) |
| Routings & operationsThe ordered steps a product goes through, and which machine or station does each one. | YesIn a 2026 vendor live training, the product recipe carries production operations in sequence: "Each one has a resource assigned whether that's ... a person, a station, a work area, a cost per hour, and an estimated time." Operations flow into every manufacturing order and the Shop Floor app. Until 2026-10 the pricing page put this behind the Manufacturing Management add-on ($199/mo on Core): "Access manufacturing routings, and manufacturing insights".Source: Vendor video, 2026, at 12:24(opens in a new tab); katanamrp.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab) | Unknown |
| Shop-floor trackingOperators report progress, time, and completions as the work happens. | Yes"Give your production team clear task lists, priorities, and instructions directly on the shop floor with no limits on the number of users." Note the pricing page also lists a separate Shop Floor app.Source: katanamrp.com › Manufacturing(opens in a new tab); katanamrp.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab) | Unknown |
| Inventory & traceability | ||
| Batch & lot traceabilityWhich incoming material lots went into which finished batch, and where those finished goods went. | Yes"End-to-end traceability for materials and products with batch tracking", with auto-generated batch and internal barcodes. Until 2026-10 this was sold as a $249/month Traceability add-on; the pricing page read on 2026-10-09 lists traceability inside the Advantage contract and "All Katana features" on the Free plan.Source: katanamrp.com › Manufacturing(opens in a new tab); katanamrp.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab) | YesLot numbers with a dedicated traceability feature and full production history. Included from the Indie plan upward, not on Studio.Source: stocksmith.io › Features(opens in a new tab); stocksmith.io › Pricing(opens in a new tab) |
| Serial numbersUnique identifiers on individual units, for warranty or field service. | Yes"Use serial numbers to identify individual products for warranty claims, maintenance, and customer support."Source: katanamrp.com › Manufacturing(opens in a new tab) | Unknown |
| Commerce & accounting | ||
| Product costing & COGSWhat it costs you to make one, and the cost of the goods you sold. | Yes"Automatically calculate manufacturing costs based on your BOMs, operations, and material usage. Compare planned and actual consumption."Source: katanamrp.com › Manufacturing(opens in a new tab) | Yes"COGS calculated from what you actually paid, not what you estimated", updating automatically when purchase prices change. Materials, labour and overhead in one calculation, with a year-end COGS report for accountants.Source: stocksmith.io › Features(opens in a new tab); stocksmith.io(opens in a new tab) |
| PurchasingRaising and tracking purchase orders to suppliers from inside the system. | YesPurchase orders can be created pre-filled from a replenishment suggestion with the Buy button, and received in parts. The help center: "Keep your inventory accurate by receiving items from a purchase order in multiple shipments," after which "The PO is updated to Partially received". No plan restriction is stated on the receiving article. Checked 2026-09-19.Source: support.katanamrp.com › How to partially receive a purchase order po(opens in a new tab); support.katanamrp.com › Understanding replenishment and order suggestions(opens in a new tab) | Yes"Purchase orders tracked from creation through to receipt", with supplier records holding price and lead time.Source: stocksmith.io › Features(opens in a new tab) |
| Ecommerce connectionPulls orders and pushes stock levels to a storefront or marketplace. | YesShopify is shown in a 2026 vendor walkthrough, and the help center has overviews for WooCommerce ("Once connected, products, customers, and sales orders are automatically pulled into Katana."), BigCommerce and Amazon FBA and FBM. The pricing page FAQ says only Shopify is available on the Free plan.Source: support.katanamrp.com › Woocommerce integration overview(opens in a new tab); support.katanamrp.com › Bigcommerce integration overview(opens in a new tab); support.katanamrp.com › Amazon fba integration overview(opens in a new tab); Vendor video, 2026, at 0:09(opens in a new tab) | YesShopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, Square, Faire and Amazon are named on the features page.Source: stocksmith.io › Features(opens in a new tab) |
| Openness & your data | ||
| APIA documented programming interface so other software can read and write your data. | YesThe pricing page read on 2026-10-09 lists "API access" on the Free plan. Before 2026-10 it was listed as included with the Core plan.Source: katanamrp.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab) | PartialA REST API is documented publicly but is read-only and in closed beta, not switched on for every account, and which plans will include it is not decided. The help center says: "Not yet. The current API is read-only: you can pull data out of Stocksmith, but writing data back in isn't supported."Source: help.stocksmith.io › Do you have an api available(opens in a new tab); help.stocksmith.io › Using the stocksmith api(opens in a new tab) |
| WebhooksThe system can notify other software the moment something changes. | YesThe vendor states: "Webhooks offer an easy way to receive programmatic notifications from Katana regarding changes to your data as they occur." From Katana's developer documentation. Checked 2026-09-14.Source: developer.katanamrp.com › Getting started with katana webhooks(opens in a new tab) | Unknown |
| MCP supportA Model Context Protocol server, letting an AI assistant read or act on this data. Useful, but it has nothing to do with whether the product plans materials. | YesIn a 2026 vendor live training, Katana staff connect the first-party Katana MCP server to Claude and ChatGPT: "you can using the MCP read create update any data that you have in Gatana. We have ... not allowed deleting your data this time." The trainer says it is free to connect, and non-owner users need an MCP permission.Source: Vendor video, 2026, at 10:03(opens in a new tab) | PartialStocksmith runs its own read-only MCP server at mcp.stocksmith.io. Read-only alone would count; it stays Partial because access is a closed beta, not something every account can switch on: "Only the account's primary user can connect an AI assistant, and like the rest of the public API, it's part of the current closed beta."Source: help.stocksmith.io › Do you have an api available(opens in a new tab) |
| CSV exportYou can get your lists out as spreadsheet files. | YesA 2023 vendor tutorial exports the serial-number list from the Stock screen: "exporting that we can export as an a CSV file or an Excel file". The same list can be brought back in through Settings, Data import.Source: Vendor video, 2023, at 4:38(opens in a new tab) | PartialThe vendor states: "1. Go to your Product List page and apply searches or filters to generate the list you require. Click the Export button in the top right of the list. Next, head to your Notification page to download the generated file." The export is part of the bulk product updater, and the article uses older plan names, so which current plans include it is not confirmed. Checked 2026-09-14.Source: help.stocksmith.io › Updating products via csv(opens in a new tab) |
Common questions
- Is Katana cheaper than Stocksmith?
- Katana publishes no paid price beyond its free plan, so you have to ask for a quote. Stocksmith starts at $99 a month for the plan that covers manufacturing (flat rate billing). Put your own users, orders and locations into the cost calculator to see what each comes to.
- Does Katana or Stocksmith have a free plan or a free trial?
- Katana has a free plan and a 15-day free trial. Stocksmith has no free plan and a 14-day free trial.
- Which has lot traceability, Katana or Stocksmith?
- Katana has batch and lot tracking, from the Free plan. Stocksmith has batch and lot tracking, from the Indie plan.
- Does Katana or Stocksmith tell you what to order and when?
- That is the test for material requirements planning: a dated recommendation to buy or make. Katana does. Stocksmith partly does.
- Do Katana and Stocksmith work with QuickBooks, Xero or Shopify?
- Katana: an accounting integration and an e-commerce integration. Named integrations: QuickBooks Online, Shopify, Xero, WooCommerce, BigCommerce and Amazon. Stocksmith: an accounting integration and an e-commerce integration. Named integrations: Shopify, WooCommerce, Etsy, Square, Faire and Amazon.
Related
How this comparison was made
The short answer and the two lists were written by an editor for this pair. Every other row and answer is read from the two product records, which cite the vendor pages behind each claim. Nobody paid to appear here or to be placed first; the order is alphabetical. How we classify and verify.
Report a correction to KatanaReport a correction to Stocksmith