Nstock vs Katana MRP
Manufacturing inventory software compared: features, pricing, and who each platform actually fits.
Competitor pricing and feature notes reflect published information as of October 2026. Always verify current details on their site.
Katana MRP is one of the most established cloud manufacturing platforms, with strong BOM and production scheduling. In 2026 it added AI replenishment and an AI chat connector, and reportedly added bin locations and Amazon FBM fulfillment. Nstock covers the same manufacturing core (BOMs, lot tracking, production runs) with a free tier and published plans from $49/mo. Its AI Reorder Advisor starts on Pro at $149/mo, and sales quoting with real-time COGS is included in Business or available as an add-on on other paid plans. Katana leads on AI tooling and reportedly on Amazon fulfillment and bin-level tracking. Comparison updated October 2026.
Want more options? See more Katana alternatives compared for a broader set of alternatives beyond this one-to-one comparison.
Not sure whether a dedicated manufacturing tool or a broader ERP is the right category for your operation at all? Our manufacturing ERP vs. dedicated inventory software guide breaks down that decision before you even get to comparing specific vendors.
How the Pricing Compares (October 2026)
Say your team is 5 people. Nstock's Pro plan supports up to 10 team members, includes the AI Reorder Advisor, and costs $149/mo, about $29.80 per user per month at 5 users. Sales quoting with live COGS is included in Business or available as an add-on on other paid plans. Nstock's Starter plan is $49/mo for up to 3 team members.
Katana does not publish a price for its paid plan. As of October 2026 its pricing page lists a Free plan capped at 30 SKUs and Advantage, a custom annual contract with unlimited SKUs and users, so a like-for-like monthly figure is not possible without a quote. Third-party listings reported a Core plan from $299/mo plus add-ons earlier in 2026, and some of those sites still show it. If your catalog fits within 30 SKUs, Katana's Free plan costs nothing and deserves a close look. Confirm current pricing with Katana before budgeting.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Nstock | Katana MRP |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Finished goods tracking free forever | Free plan capped at 30 SKUs, with unlimited users |
| Bills of materials (multi-level) | Recursive cost rollup through intermediates | Multi-level BOMs with subassemblies |
| Production runs & batch tracking | ||
| Lot traceability & expiry | Batch/lot and serial tracking with expiry dates | |
| Sales quotes with real-time COGS & margin | Buyer never sees internal costs | Quoting available; confirm live margin visibility with Katana |
| AI demand forecasting & reorder suggestions | AI Reorder Advisor on the Pro plan and above | AI Replenishment (2026): 12-month forecast, min/recommended/max order scenarios, draft POs or MOs for approval |
| AI-assisted data import | CSV import matches columns by header name, with an editable review table before anything saves; column matching is not AI-suggested | Assisted Import (August 2026): upload a CSV or Excel file as-is, AI proposes column matches with confidence levels and a full preview; files over 5,000 rows still use templates |
| Barcode cycle counting | Barcode scanning and stocktakes | |
| Bin-level warehouse tracking | Multi-warehouse tracking plus box and container management; no bin-level putaway or pick-list workflow listed | Multiple Bin Locations (2026): per-bin counts, putaway, bin-to-bin transfers, bin-based pick lists; Katana's post ties it to a Warehouse Management add-on (confirm) |
| Shopify integration | Two-way fulfillment sync, multiple stores, Shopify POS | |
| Amazon integration (FBA/FBM) | FBM order sync and inventory deduction, FBA order import for reporting; broad self-serve availability rolling out as of July 2026 | Reportedly: FBM orders import as sales orders, tracking goes back to Amazon, stock is pushed to listings (July 2026); FBA integration listed as shipped in April 2026 |
| ShipStation integration | Pulls tracking numbers and shipped status back onto matching orders; no outbound order push yet (as of July 2026) | Confirm current ShipStation connector scope directly with Katana (as of July 2026) |
| Accounting sync (QuickBooks Online, Xero) | QuickBooks Online only: optional monthly journal entries and order-to-invoice sync, off by default; Xero is not listed | QuickBooks Online (invoices, bills, COGS, stock adjustments) and Xero |
| AI chat connector (Claude, ChatGPT) | Not available today | MCP connector (2026): reads, creates, and updates records from an AI chat; no deletes |
| Send POs/quotes from your own email domain | Business plan or add-on | |
| Entry price | Free; paid from $49/mo, every self-serve plan price published (a Custom plan is quoted separately) | Free up to 30 SKUs; paid Advantage is a custom annual quote |
Choose Nstock if…
- You want published, self-serve pricing. Nstock publishes every self-serve plan price (Free, then $49, $149, and $349 per month; a Custom plan is quoted separately) and starts free with no card, while Katana's paid plan is a custom annual quote from its sales team.
- Your sales team quotes wholesale or white-label deals and needs live COGS and margin while quoting.
- You make multi-level products (intermediates with their own SKUs feeding finished goods) and want costs to roll up automatically.
- You want AI reorder projections on a published plan price: Nstock includes its AI Reorder Advisor from the Pro plan at $149/mo.
Choose Katana MRP if…
- You need advanced production scheduling across many concurrent work centers. Katana's shop-floor scheduling is more mature.
- You sell on Amazon and want the more complete connector. Katana reportedly imports FBM orders as sales orders, sends tracking back to Amazon, and pushes stock levels to listings, and its roadmap lists FBA as shipped in April 2026.
- You run a warehouse with bin locations and need putaway, bin-to-bin transfers, and bin-based pick lists. Katana's multi-bin feature reportedly covers these; Nstock tracks stock by warehouse location and by box or container.
- You use Xero, or you want Katana's broader QuickBooks Online mapping (invoices, bills, COGS, and stock adjustments).
- You want to query your inventory from Claude or ChatGPT. Katana's connector is live today and Nstock does not have one.
- You have up to 30 active items and sell through Shopify, and want to try Katana at no cost. Its Free plan includes unlimited users and API access (confirm location limits and add-on-gated features with Katana).
- You want a vendor-managed rollout and have budget for a custom annual contract. Katana's Advantage plan includes onboarding, an assigned Solutions Engineer and Customer Success Manager, and live support 24/7 with an SLA.
Switching from Katana MRP to Nstock
There is no automated connector that pulls data directly out of Katana. Moving over means exporting your data and reviewing it before it becomes live inventory in Nstock.
- 1
Export from Katana
Export your products, BOMs, and current stock levels to CSV using Katana's own export tools.
- 2
Import through Nstock's review flow
Upload each CSV to the matching Nstock importer: master products, BOMs, and stock are all matched by column header name, not position, so your existing column order doesn't need to change.
- 3
Review, fix, and commit
Every valid row lands pre-checked and editable in a review table before anything saves. Errors are listed separately by line number, so one bad row never blocks the rest of the file.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nstock a good Katana MRP alternative?
Yes, for small and mid-size manufacturers who want published pricing. Nstock covers the same manufacturing core (multi-level BOMs, lot tracking, production runs, Shopify sync) with a free tier and paid plans from $49/mo. The AI Reorder Advisor starts on Pro at $149/mo, and sales quoting with real-time COGS is included in Business or available as an add-on on other paid plans. Katana is stronger on Amazon fulfillment, bin-level tracking, and AI tooling as of October 2026.
How much cheaper is Nstock than Katana?
It cannot be stated exactly, because Katana does not publish a price for its paid plan. Nstock publishes every self-serve plan price (Free, then $49, $149, and $349 per month; a Custom plan is quoted separately). As of October 2026 Katana's pricing page lists a Free plan capped at 30 SKUs and an Advantage plan with no public price. Third-party listings reported a Core plan from $299/mo plus add-ons earlier in 2026. Confirm current pricing with Katana.
Can I migrate from Katana or spreadsheets to Nstock?
Yes. Nstock supports CSV import for master products, BOMs, stock levels, and suppliers, so you can export your existing data and be running in days. Most teams migrate their top products first and expand from there.
What does Nstock have that Katana does not?
Nstock offers free finished-goods tracking with no trial clock, sales quotes with live COGS and margin visibility (where buyers see only sell prices), and the ability to send purchase orders and quotes from your own verified email domain. Katana now has its own free plan (up to 30 SKUs) and AI replenishment, so those are no longer differences.
Is Katana or Nstock better for a small maker brand that sells online?
Nstock fits a small maker brand that sells through Shopify or WooCommerce and wants published pricing, while Katana is the better fit if Amazon fulfillment is central, since its connector is deeper, or if you have fewer than 30 SKUs and want its Free plan. Nstock has a free tier and paid plans from $49/mo, with integrations included on Business or available as an add-on on Starter and Pro. Katana also supports Xero, which Nstock does not list.
Does Nstock integrate with QuickBooks Online like Katana does?
Yes, Nstock has a QuickBooks Online sync that posts inventory value as monthly journal entries and syncs orders to invoices; both are optional and off by default. Katana's QuickBooks Online integration covers more documents: it sends sales orders as invoices, purchase orders as bills, COGS, and stock adjustments. Katana also connects to Xero, which Nstock does not list.
Katana MRP vs Nstock for a made-to-order manufacturer: which fits better?
Nstock fits better when you quote each job and want live COGS and margin, while Katana fits better if you need shop-floor scheduling, its shop floor app, or a vendor-managed rollout. For made-to-order work, Nstock sales quotes show live COGS and margin, connected store orders create production requirements, and custom per-customer blends are supported. Nstock does not do machine-level scheduling.
Try Nstock Free for 90 Days
Start on the Free plan, no card needed. Or try a paid plan's full Business-tier features free for 90 days, card on file, nothing charged until the trial ends. Import your products and BOMs via CSV and see your real numbers in days. Here's how switching works.