As of October 2026, the best alternative to Katana for manufacturers that need a real production schedule is SkyPlanner APS, which ranks #1 of 10 on our small manufacturers list, where Katana ranks #7. SkyPlanner APS costs from 199 euros per month, with 5 workstations included and 20 euros per month per extra workstation. Its trial runs 30 days without a credit card for up to 20 workstations, and its Autopilot reschedules the plan continuously with the Arcturus engine. Katana makes no explicit finite capacity scheduling claim, models capacity as weekly throughput, and does not publish a price for its paid Advantage plan. The five other alternatives below fit specific situations: MRP and accounting in one tool, the lowest paid price, a free open-source ERP, a free job shop plan and multichannel inventory.
If you want finite capacity scheduling and automatic rescheduling with a public price
SkyPlanner APS publishes its price: from 199 euros per month as of October 2026, with 5 workstations included and 20 euros per month per extra workstation. Its trial runs 30 days without a credit card for up to 20 workstations. SkyPlanner schedules to finite capacity, and Autopilot reschedules continuously with the Arcturus engine, on an interval or when an event changes the plan. It connects to any ERP or MES through a two-way REST API with webhooks and CSV import; customer projects have connected SAP, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Odoo, Epicor, Sage and Siemens. Self-onboarding in the free trial uses demo data, tutorial videos, a Getting Started guide and the built-in AI agent; the first schedule runs on demo data in minutes and simple production fits in a day. No ERP is needed to start.
If you need MRP and accounting connections in one tool
MRPeasy ranks #2 on our small manufacturers list. Its Starter plan costs 49 US dollars per user per month as of October 2026, and the trial is advertised as “15 + 15 days” with no credit card. Its pricing page lists operations scheduling with finite capacity, though worker capacity is not considered. Like Katana, it connects to QuickBooks Online, Xero, Shopify and WooCommerce.
If you want the lowest published paid price
Odoo Manufacturing has the lowest published paid price on our small manufacturers list: the Standard plan costs 19.90 euros per user per month as of October 2026. A One App Free plan covers a single app with unlimited users on Odoo Online. Odoo plans work orders on a finite capacity Gantt chart, where dependent work orders move when a planner drags one of them.
If you need a free open-source ERP
ERPNext ranks #1 on our free and open-source list, where Katana ranks #5. ERPNext is open source under GPL-3.0 and free to self-host as of October 2026. Frappe Cloud hosting starts at 5 US dollars per month, with a 14-day free trial. Its documentation describes capacity planning for workstations; automatic rescheduling is not described on its site.
If you run a job shop and want to start on a free plan
just plan it ranks #5 on our small manufacturers list and is built for multi-operation, high-mix, low-volume work. Its free plan needs no card and is capped at 50 tasks as of October 2026, while the 30-day Starter trial charges the card when it ends. Paid subscriptions are quote-based and include a one-time JPI Launch fee.
If inventory across sales channels comes first
Cin7 Core, formerly DEAR Inventory, is inventory software with light manufacturing, profiled but not ranked on our lists. It publishes prices from 349 US dollars per month for 5 users as of October 2026 and offers a 14-day free trial. It connects to Shopify, Amazon, WooCommerce, ShipStation, Xero and QuickBooks Online, and resource-capacity scheduling comes in its Advanced Production Manufacturing add-on.
Katana alternatives compared
| # | Product | Category | Entry price | Free trial | Finite capacity | Auto reschedule | ERP path | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 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 | |
| 2 | 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 | |
| 3 | MRP-ERP | $49/user/mo | 15+15 days, no card | Yes | partial (quantity change on unstarted order replans) | Native ERP; QuickBooks Online, Xero, Salesforce, HubSpot, Shopify, WooCommerce, Zapier, EDI; API and webhooks on paid plans | 69 Small manufacturers list | |
| 4 | Open source | €19.90/user/mo | Free tier | Yes | Dependent work orders reschedule when a planner moves one in the Gantt | Native ERP; external API on the Custom plan only | 55 Small manufacturers list | |
| 5 | Open source | $5/mo | 14 days | Yes | Not stated | Native ERP | 100 Free and open source list | |
| 6 | APS | Free | 30 days (Starter) | Yes | Automatic rescheduling with real-time reprioritization from shop-floor updates | Microsoft, SAP, Sage; API for SQL-based ERPs; Excel | 52 Small manufacturers list | |
| 7 | MRP-ERP | $349/mo | 14 days | Not stated | not documented | Xero, QuickBooks Online; Shopify, Amazon, WooCommerce, ShipStation; API and Flex API add-ons | – |
Prices and trials in the table were verified on 13 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest alternative to Katana?
ERPNext is free to self-host as of October 2026, and Odoo One App Free and the just plan it free plan cost nothing within their limits. Among paid plans, Frappe Cloud hosting for ERPNext starts at 5 US dollars per month and Odoo Standard costs 19.90 euros per user per month. SkyPlanner APS costs from 199 euros per month, 5 workstations included, 20 euros per month per extra workstation, and adds finite capacity scheduling, Autopilot continuous rescheduling and a 30-day trial without a card.
What is the best alternative to Katana for small manufacturers?
SkyPlanner APS, which ranks #1 of 10 on our small manufacturers list as of October 2026, where Katana ranks #7. It costs from 199 euros per month, 5 workstations included, with a 30-day trial without a card and Autopilot rescheduling. MRPeasy, #2 on the same list, fits if you want MRP and accounting connections in one tool.
Is there a Katana alternative that keeps my current ERP?
Yes. SkyPlanner APS connects to any ERP or MES through a two-way REST API with webhooks and CSV import, and customer projects have connected SAP, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Odoo, Epicor, Sage and Siemens. Katana names no ERP integration as of October 2026.
Which Katana alternative works with Shopify?
MRPeasy and Cin7 Core both name Shopify and WooCommerce integrations as of October 2026, as Katana does. Cin7 Core also names Amazon and ShipStation.