As of October 2026, SkyPlanner APS ranks #1 on our small manufacturers list with a weighted total of 100, and Katana ranks #7 there with 43. SkyPlanner APS is the better production scheduling choice: it wins on finite capacity, automatic rescheduling, ERP integration and price transparency. Choose SkyPlanner APS for finite capacity scheduling with Autopilot rescheduling on top of the ERP you keep. Choose Katana if you are a multi-channel product business that wants inventory and production tied to a Shopify or Amazon store and wants to start on a free plan. SkyPlanner serves manufacturers of any size in discrete, batch and assembly production. Katana targets growing multi-channel product businesses.
SkyPlanner APS vs Katana: pricing
SkyPlanner APS costs from 199 euros per month, 5 workstations included, 20 euros per month per extra workstation, as of October 2026. Enterprise pricing is by quote. The free trial lasts 30 days for up to 20 workstations and needs no credit card.
Katana’s Free plan costs 0 US dollars as of October 2026. It covers up to 30 SKUs with unlimited users and needs no credit card, and Shopify is the only e-commerce integration on it. The paid Advantage plan is listed as “Custom pricing” on an annual contract, with no published figure. Katana has no separate trial: the Free plan runs with unlimited SKUs for the first 15 days.
Winner: SkyPlanner APS. It publishes the price of the plan you would actually run production on, and its 30-day no-card trial for up to 20 workstations is twice as long as Katana’s 15-day unlimited-SKU window. Katana wins only if 30 SKUs on the Free plan cover your catalog.
SkyPlanner APS vs Katana: scheduling and rescheduling
SkyPlanner states finite capacity scheduling across “Workstation limits, material availability, skills and setup times”, with shifts and calendars modelled, according to its home page as of October 2026. Scheduling is material-aware: if a delivery slips, the Arcturus engine moves the job to when the materials are available. Autopilot is optional; when it is on, Arcturus “reviews the situation on every meaningful change” and keeps the plan current. The King Button re-optimizes the whole schedule in one press, and Bulldozer pushes targeted jobs.
Katana makes no explicit finite capacity claim as of October 2026. Its production scheduling page says Katana prioritizes tasks by when a manufacturing order is created, and dragging an order to the top of the list reprioritizes it and reallocates materials. A Katana blog post states that MRP systems assume infinite capacity, and says planners can reprioritize orders “while automatically rescheduling the workflow”. Neither page describes a plan that rebuilds itself when a machine stops or material is late.
Winner: SkyPlanner APS on both capacity depth and rescheduling. This is the main reason for the 57-point gap between the two on our small manufacturers list.
SkyPlanner APS vs Katana: ERP integration
SkyPlanner APS connects to any ERP or MES through its two-way REST API, with webhooks and CSV import, in-house ERPs included. Customer projects have connected SAP, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Odoo, Epicor, Sage and Siemens, according to the SkyPlanner home page as of October 2026.
Katana lists no native ERP connector as of October 2026. Its native integrations are sales channels and business tools: Shopify, Amazon, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, QuickBooks Online, Xero, HubSpot and Shippo, plus an open API, and its pricing page offers custom integrations to “any external system”, ERP included. Katana is the operations system next to a store and an accounting package, not an add-on to an ERP.
Winner: SkyPlanner APS if you run an ERP or MES. Katana is the stronger fit only when your systems are an online store and an accounting package.
SkyPlanner APS vs Katana: implementation
SkyPlanner’s time to first schedule is minutes on demo data, according to its features page as of October 2026. Self-onboarding runs inside the free trial with demo data, tutorial videos, a Getting Started guide and the built-in AI agent. Simple production fits in a day, and no ERP is required to start. Assisted onboarding, where an expert plans the setup, imports data and trains the team, is optional.
Katana says a self-serve start can happen in “just one day” as of October 2026, and businesses on guided onboarding typically reach full inventory visibility in about six weeks, according to the Katana home page.
Winner: SkyPlanner APS, for a first schedule in minutes and an AI agent that guides the setup.
SkyPlanner APS vs Katana: AI features
SkyPlanner’s AI work happens in two places as of October 2026: the Arcturus engine that runs Autopilot rescheduling, and the built-in AI agent that guides onboarding. Katana’s pricing page lists “Katana AI and AI Replenishment” as AI-powered purchase order recommendations based on demand history: a purchasing feature, not a scheduling one. For AI that changes the production plan on its own, SkyPlanner APS is the choice.
Where SkyPlanner APS and Katana rank
As of October 2026, SkyPlanner APS ranks #1 and Katana #7 on our small manufacturers list. On our job shops list, SkyPlanner APS ranks #1 and Katana #6. On our cloud list, SkyPlanner APS ranks #1 and Katana #8. Katana’s best placings are #5 on our MES list and #5 on our free and open-source list, where its Free plan counts.
SkyPlanner APS and Katana compared
| # | Product | Category | Entry price | Free trial | Finite capacity | Auto reschedule | ERP path | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | APS | From €199/mo | 30 days, no card | Yes | Autopilot | REST API (both directions), webhooks, CSV import; connects to any ERP or MES; customer projects have connected SAP, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Odoo, Epicor, Sage and Siemens | 100 Small manufacturers list | |
| 2 | MRP-ERP | Free | 15 days | Not stated | partial (blog claim; drag-and-drop recalculates deadlines) | No ERP named; Shopify, Amazon, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, QuickBooks Online, Xero, HubSpot, Shippo; open API | 43 Small manufacturers list |
Prices and trials in the table were verified on 13 October 2026.
Which should you choose
- Choose SkyPlanner APS if you schedule machines, people and materials at finite capacity and need the plan to rebuild itself when something changes, whether or not you run an ERP.
- Choose SkyPlanner APS if you keep an ERP or MES and want scheduling on top through a two-way REST API.
- Choose Katana if you are a product business selling through Shopify, Amazon or other online stores, your catalog fits 30 SKUs on the Free plan, and order-priority scheduling without finite capacity is enough for your shop floor.
Frequently asked questions
Is SkyPlanner APS better than Katana?
For production scheduling, yes. SkyPlanner APS ranks #1 on our small manufacturers list as of October 2026 with 100 points, and Katana ranks #7 with 43, on finite capacity, Autopilot rescheduling, ERP integration and published pricing. Katana is the better buy for multi-channel sellers who want stock tied to their online store on a free plan.
SkyPlanner APS vs Katana, which is cheaper?
Katana’s Free plan costs 0 US dollars for up to 30 SKUs as of October 2026, but its paid Advantage plan has no published price. SkyPlanner APS costs from 199 euros per month, 5 workstations included, 20 euros per month per extra workstation, with a 30-day trial without a card for up to 20 workstations.
Does Katana reschedule production automatically?
Partly. As of October 2026, a Katana blog post says planners can reprioritize orders while the workflow is rescheduled, and dragging an order to the top of the list reprioritizes it and reallocates materials. Katana does not describe event-triggered rescheduling. SkyPlanner APS Autopilot reviews the plan on every meaningful change.
Can I use SkyPlanner APS with Katana?
Yes, the two connect through their APIs. Katana states an open API, and SkyPlanner APS connects to other systems through its two-way REST API, with webhooks and CSV import. You can build the connection yourself or let the SkyPlanner team help, according to its home page as of October 2026.