Katana vs Unleashed
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 Unleashed if you want published prices and batch and serial tracking on every plan; manufacturing costs $468 a month on Core with the production module. Pick Katana if you need dated order suggestions and capacity planning: Unleashed's planning is only partly evidenced in our record, 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 plan capacity and route work through operations, which we have not found evidence of in Unleashed.
- You can start on the free plan: up to 30 SKUs with unlimited users.
Choose Unleashed if
- You want prices in writing: Core is $399 a month plus $69 for the production module, and Pro at $729 includes it.
- You need batch and serial tracking without an upgrade: it is on all three plans.
- You are three people or fewer on Core, where the included seats cover everyone.
Key differences
The rows that separate these two. Unknown means we have not found evidence; it is not the same as No.
| Attribute | Katana | Unleashed |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | $468 a monthSource: unleashedsoftware.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab)Checked October 10, 2026 |
| Billing basis | Quote only | Mixed |
| 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) | PartialThe vendor's Xero listing names "Production planning (kanban, MRP)" and automated reorder alerts.Source: apps.xero.com › Unleashed software(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 |
| 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) | YesThe pricing page lists Batch & Serial Tracking in core inventory management on all three plans, not in the paid production module.Source: unleashedsoftware.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab) |
| Product classWhat kind of system it is. | Full MRP | Light manufacturing |
| Best-fit team sizes | 2–5 people, 6–20 people, 21–50 people | 2–5 people, 6–20 people, 21–50 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 | UnleashedUnleashed Software · record checked October 9, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | ||
| Product classWhat kind of system it is. | Full MRP | Light 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. | Batch and serial tracking on every plan, with production $69 a month extra on Core and free on Pro. |
| Real cost | ||
| Pricing | Free plan availableSource: katanamrp.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab)Checked October 9, 2026 | From $99/mo · $468/mo usefulSource: unleashedsoftware.com › 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 | $468/mo |
| Billing basis | quote | mixed |
| 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 |
| Required add-ons | None recorded | Production & Manufacturing module, $69/month on Core (included on Pro) |
| 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) | YesSales orders carry a "RequiredDate" field in the API reference, so demand is recorded with a due date. This is an API field; we have not seen the planning side use it. Checked 2026-09-18.Source: apidocs.unleashedsoftware.com › SalesOrders(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) | PartialThe API reference defines available quantity as "Quantity on hand - allocated quantity + quantity that can be assembled based on components". That nets allocated stock out of on-hand, but no documented planning run nets demand against it.Source: apidocs.unleashedsoftware.com › StockOnHand(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) | PartialStock on hand in the API includes an "OnPurchase" quantity, so open purchase orders show in the stock picture. Nothing documents them feeding a requirements calculation, and open assemblies are not covered.Source: apidocs.unleashedsoftware.com › StockOnHand(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) | PartialThe API change log adds a "LeadTimeDays" field to suppliers and to supplier product codes. In a 2023 vendor video on AIM (Advanced Inventory Manager), lead days size the minimum stock level: "using just in time my minimum stock level is going to be based on the lead days". That is lead time setting a reorder level, not a suggested order or start date. Checked 2026-09-18.Source: apidocs.unleashedsoftware.com › APIChangeLog(opens in a new tab); Vendor video, 2023, at 1:53(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) | PartialThe vendor's Xero listing names "Production planning (kanban, MRP)" and automated reorder alerts. That is a feature-list line only: no documentation or screenshot shows suggestions that carry dates. Production planning is in the Production module, $69/month on Core and included on Pro. A 2023 vendor video on AIM (Advanced Inventory Manager) shows replenishment worked out from lead days and minimum stock, with no order-by date on the list. The pricing page sells AIM, described as "Material Requirements Planning (MRP) at both the product & component level", at $149 a month on Core and free on Pro, separately from the $69 Production module. The AIM page says its MRP is "Material requirements planning that factors in your sales commitments, production duration, supplier lead times and production needs". That is vendor marketing text; no public page shows a suggestion carrying a system-computed order-by date, and the help center is login-only.Source: apps.xero.com › Unleashed software(opens in a new tab); Vendor video, 2023, at 1:53(opens in a new tab); unleashedsoftware.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab); unleashedsoftware.com › Advanced inventory manager(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) | YesBill of materials is part of the Production & Manufacturing module, $69/month on Core and included on Pro.Source: unleashedsoftware.com › Pricing(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) | YesAn Unleashed Academy page, "Creating multi layered Bills of Materials with Sub-Assemblies", says you can "View, edit and share multi-layered Bills of Materials, and create one assembly per finished product without having to search for and manage disparate transactions within Unleashed or use messy spreadsheets to manage your complex assemblies." The BOM API backs this with a "SubBillOfMaterialGuid" field on each line. BOMs sit in the Production & Manufacturing module.Source: unleashedsoftware.com › Creating multi layered bills of materials with sub assemb…(opens in a new tab); apidocs.unleashedsoftware.com › BillOfMaterials(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) | Unknown |
| Work / manufacturing ordersA record authorising and tracking the making of a specific quantity. | YesProduction orders are tracked with serial numbers, stock status and dates, with tasks tracked in real time.Source: katanamrp.com › Manufacturing(opens in a new tab) | YesThe Production module covers assemblies and Kanban production planning. It is $69/month on Core and included on Pro.Source: unleashedsoftware.com › Pricing(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) | YesThe pricing page lists Batch & Serial Tracking in core inventory management on all three plans, not in the paid production module.Source: unleashedsoftware.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab) |
| Commerce & accounting | ||
| 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) | YesThe vendor's API reference states: "The PurchaseOrders resource allows PurchaseOrders to be listed, viewed and created." The same page documents receipting a purchase order, so both ordering and receiving are covered. Checked 2026-09-18.Source: apidocs.unleashedsoftware.com › Purchases(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) | YesThe vendor states: "Unleashed integrates with Shopify, WooCommerce, Amazon, and more – acting as a central hub for all your sales and purchasing data." From the vendor's own Xero App Store listing; the API FAQ also names Magento and Shopify as managed integrations. Checked 2026-09-18.Source: apps.xero.com › Unleashed software(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) | YesThe vendor states: "The Unleashed API is linked to the Unleashed web application". The public REST API reference covers products, BOMs, assemblies, purchase and sales orders, stock on hand, and batch and serial numbers. Only the account owner gets API credentials, and the rate limit depends on your plan. Checked 2026-09-18.Source: apidocs.unleashedsoftware.com(opens in a new tab) |
| 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) | Unknown |
| 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) | Unknown |
Common questions
- Is Katana cheaper than Unleashed?
- Katana publishes no paid price beyond its free plan, so you have to ask for a quote. Unleashed starts at $468 a month for the plan that covers manufacturing (mixed billing). Put your own users, orders and locations into the cost calculator to see what each comes to.
- Does Katana or Unleashed have a free plan or a free trial?
- Katana has a free plan and a 15-day free trial. Unleashed has no free plan and a 14-day free trial.
- Which has lot traceability, Katana or Unleashed?
- Katana has batch and lot tracking, from the Free plan. Unleashed has batch and lot tracking.
- Does Katana or Unleashed tell you what to order and when?
- That is the test for material requirements planning: a dated recommendation to buy or make. Katana does. Unleashed partly does.
- Do Katana and Unleashed 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. Unleashed: an accounting integration and an e-commerce integration. Named integrations: Xero, Shopify, WooCommerce, Amazon and Magento.
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 Unleashed