Katana and Makeable both work with materials, inventory and production. Makeable centres on the small-batch maker's question: how many units can my stock cover? Katana brings a broader inventory and operations toolkit for product businesses.
Makeable is a Katana MRP alternative when your main need is recipe-based material capacity and order shortfall checks. Katana also handles material availability and production planning, and is a stronger candidate when you need shop-floor workflows, traceability or multi-location operations. Both offer a free plan, with different limits.
| What matters | Makeable | Katana MRP |
|---|---|---|
| Free access | Maker: 3 products, 15 materials, 10 open orders and 1 connected order app; no card required | Free: up to 30 SKUs, all Katana features, unlimited users and inventory locations, plus API access; no card required. Integration availability should be checked with Katana |
| Paid pricing (USD) | Studio $19/month; Workshop $49/month. Annual options: $190/year and $490/year | Advantage uses custom pricing. Katana's current public page does not list a fixed paid starting price |
| Primary focus | Stock-based batch capacity and bottlenecks for businesses making goods from recipes or bills of materials | Inventory and operations management for product businesses, with manufacturing and planning workflows |
| Material availability | Calculates units possible from recorded stock and quantities per unit; identifies the limiting material and order shortfalls | Tracks material availability and allocates materials to manufacturing orders by priority |
| Production workflow | Production runs with automatic stock deduction from Studio; recipe versioning and restore | Make-to-stock and make-to-order workflows, manufacturing orders and a Shop Floor App |
| Broader operational needs | Focus on materials, products, orders and production runs; not a replacement for a shop-floor or multi-location manufacturing system | Multi-location inventory, batch and serial tracking, planning and forecasting, and purchasing workflows |
| Sales and accounting connections | Shopify, Square and WooCommerce, plus CSV or pasted orders. Etsy and WhatsApp are not yet available | Lists Shopify, WooCommerce, QuickBooks Online and Xero integrations. Confirm connection availability for your plan; its Free FAQ currently specifies Shopify for e-commerce |
Reviewed October 14, 2026 against the official sources below. Features, plan limits and prices can change. Product counts, material counts and SKUs are not equivalent limits; compare your actual catalogue. Check billing terms and any applicable taxes before subscribing.
You run a bakery, candle studio, soap business or catering operation and need a focused way to check recorded materials against recipes and incoming orders. Test your own recipe on the Maker plan before paying.
You need manufacturing-order prioritisation, shop-floor task workflows, multi-location inventory or batch and serial traceability. Katana publishes these capabilities; verify the exact scope, integrations and commercial terms for your operation.
Enough ingredients do not guarantee an order can be finished on time. Makeable's capacity figures depend on your recorded stock and recipes. Check labour, equipment, lead times and other commitments separately before promising a delivery date.
Yes, for small-batch makers whose main need is material-based production capacity, bottlenecks and order shortfalls. It is not a like-for-like replacement for Katana's broader manufacturing, shop-floor and multi-location workflows.
Yes. Katana's current pricing page advertises a free plan for up to 30 SKUs, including all Katana features, unlimited users and inventory locations, and API access. Its FAQ currently specifies Shopify for e-commerce on Free, so confirm the connections you need. Makeable's free Maker plan has different limits: 3 products, 15 materials, 10 open orders and 1 connected order app.
Katana currently advertises a free plan and custom-priced Advantage. Its current public pricing page does not give a fixed paid starting price. Makeable Studio is $19 per month and Workshop is $49 per month in USD, with $190 and $490 annual options. Request a Katana quote and compare equivalent requirements.
Yes. Katana supports material availability and allocation to manufacturing orders, as well as production planning. Makeable's distinction is its focus on recipe-based units possible, named bottleneck materials and order shortfalls for small-batch makers, not exclusive ownership of material planning.
Makeable checks material feasibility from recorded stock and recipes. This is not a complete labour, machine or calendar scheduling forecast. Confirm equipment capacity, production time and other commitments before agreeing to a delivery date.
Makeable has CSV inventory import on Studio and above, and CSV or pasted order intake on every plan. Review exported field formats, units, product recipes and stock balances before switching. Makeable does not provide a dedicated Katana migration connector.
This comparison is published by Makeable. Competitor statements are based on their public documentation, not an independent hands-on benchmark. No measured setup-time or customer-outcome claims are made.
Add what is on your shelf, set one recipe, and check the capacity number. The Maker plan is free on 3 products, 15 materials and 10 open orders.