Katana vs. MRPeasy for Shopify Manufacturers: Which Wins?
Katana beats MRPeasy for Shopify-first brands that manufacture or kit their own products: store orders drive production, and Core costs $299/month with volume-based charges for locations and sales orders (verified Sep 2026). MRPeasy wins for production-planning-led manufacturers where Shopify is one channel among several; four tiers run $49–$149 per month (verified Sep 2026). Brands that buy finished goods need neither: native inventory covers tracking, transfers and purchase orders, but has no bill of materials.
Your profile — see how the verdict shifts
- Confidence
- Medium — Both listings publish prices (verified Sep 2026) and native inventory's post-Stocky scope is verified, but neither listing spells out what its tiers meter, and the boundary turns on production shape rather than revenue
- Reference scenario
- $20M–$100M GMV · single Shopify store · in-house or contract manufacturing with bills of materials · 1–3 stock locations
- As of
- September 2026
Decision at a Glance
| Your profile | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Single brand buying finished goods, 1–3 locations, no manufacturing | WAIT | Native inventory covers multi-location tracking, transfers with in-transit quantities, purchase orders with supplier and cost tracking, and Sidekick demand forecasting (verified Sep 2026). Neither MRP earns a fee here. |
| Maker or small manufacturer, under 30 SKUs, one production site | DEPENDS | Katana's Free plan covers up to 30 SKUs and MRPeasy's Starter tier costs $49 / month (verified Sep 2026). Pick Katana if Shopify orders drive production; pick MRPeasy if production planning leads and the store is one outlet. |
| Shopify-first DTC brand manufacturing or kitting at $20M–$100M GMV | BUY | Katana: the store's sales orders drive production, the listing carries 131 reviews at 4.2★, and Core costs $299/month plus volume-based charges for locations and sales orders (verified Sep 2026). Native inventory still has no bill of materials. |
| Production-planning-led manufacturer with Shopify as one channel among several | BUY | MRPeasy: a manufacturing ERP at the center with Shopify as a connector, priced $49–$149 / month across four tiers with 8% off annual billing (verified Sep 2026). The smaller Shopify footprint (35 reviews) matters less when the store isn't the hub. |
What Katana vs. MRPeasy Actually Drives
| Outcome | Impact | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Operational efficiency | High | A bill of materials with component consumption replaces the production spreadsheet, so purchasing, scheduling and stock counts stop being reconciled by hand each month. |
| Revenue — indirect | Medium | Production scheduled against real Shopify demand keeps best-sellers in stock; stockouts on hero SKUs are lost revenue the storefront never records. |
| Data & insight | Medium | Costed bills of materials expose true margin per product; without them, landed cost and labor stay guesses in a spreadsheet. |
| Customer experience | Medium | Accurate available-to-promise dates and fewer oversells follow from component-level stock, which is the shopper-facing side of production tracking. |
| Revenue — direct | Low | An MRP changes what you can promise and when, not what converts; direct revenue lift comes from availability, not the tool. |
Spend ceiling: Price the MRP against the ops time it replaces: a production spreadsheet plus month-end reconciliation is a part-time hire. Below that cost, stay native; above it, buy the MRP and never build one (Deploi estimate, illustrative).
What buying enables (top apps)
- + Bills of materials, production orders and component consumption synced with Shopify stock levels
- + Purchasing against production demand rather than against finished-goods reorder points
- + Katana: a Shopify-first sync where store orders drive the production schedule
- + MRPeasy: manufacturing ERP scope at flat tiers from $49 / month (verified Sep 2026)
What building additionally unlocks
- + Stock, suppliers, costs and unlimited inventory history kept inside Shopify with no second system to reconcile
- + Zero license cost and no volume charges for brands that buy finished goods
- + Flow rules for reorder points and low-stock alerts owned in your own admin
- + A forward path: native inventory connects to whichever MRP you buy later
Find Your Verdict in 3 Questions
Do you manufacture, assemble or kit products from components that need a bill of materials?
Yes: Go to question 2.
No: Your verdict: WAIT — native inventory covers tracking, transfers, purchase orders and Sidekick forecasting (verified Sep 2026); export any Stocky history and configure the native tools.
Do Shopify sales orders drive most of your production demand, with the store as the hub?
Yes: Your verdict: BUY (Katana) — a Shopify-first maker MRP; Core costs $299/month plus volume-based charges for locations and sales orders (verified Sep 2026), so model your order count first.
No: Go to question 3.
Does production planning lead, with Shopify as one outlet among wholesale, marketplaces or retail?
Yes: Your verdict: BUY (MRPeasy) — a manufacturing ERP at the center with Shopify as a connector; tiers run $49–$149 / month (verified Sep 2026), so confirm what each tier meters before signing.
No: Your verdict: BUY (Katana) — when the store and production are equally central, the deeper Shopify listing footprint (131 reviews) is the safer bet; start on the Free plan if you're under 30 SKUs.
The TCC Scorecard — 12 Dimensions
TCC — Total Cost of Capability: what it actually costs to have this capability over three years, whichever way you get it. Each dimension is scored 0–5 for both paths. How we score →
| Dimension | Buy | Build | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | |||
| Acquisition & implementation | Either MRP needs bills of materials built, stock migrated and the Shopify sync configured ($8,000–$30,000, Deploi estimate, illustrative); native inventory configures in 1–2 weeks at no license cost. | ||
| Recurring fees | Katana Core costs $299/month with volume-based charges for locations and sales orders; MRPeasy runs $49–$149 / month across four tiers (verified Sep 2026). Native inventory is included in the plan. | ||
| Maintenance & upgrades | Both vendors maintain the MRP and its Shopify connector; native inventory is Shopify's to maintain, and any custom glue carries ~15–20% of its build per year (Deploi estimate). | ||
| Switching & exit | Bills of materials, production orders and purchasing history live in the vendor's database and export on its terms; Shopify keeps stock levels and sales history regardless of which MRP you leave. | ||
| Risk | |||
| Vendor risk | Katana rebranded from Katana MRP and carries 131 reviews; MRPeasy's Shopify listing holds 35 reviews at 4.7★ (verified Sep 2026), a modest base for a Shopify-first bet. Native inventory has no vendor to lose. | ||
| Security & compliance surface | An MRP holds supplier contracts, costs and order data outside Shopify; the native lane keeps that data inside the admin, with only optional glue on the Admin API. | ||
| Platform-deprecation exposure | Vendors absorb Shopify API version bumps for their connectors; native inventory is first-party, and custom glue needs a review roughly every 6 months. | ||
| Value | |||
| Fit to requirement | Bills of materials, production orders and component consumption are exactly what native inventory lacks; makers who force production into native end up in spreadsheets. | ||
| Time to market | Either MRP is live in 3–8 weeks including BOM setup (Deploi estimate, illustrative); native inventory configures in 1–2 weeks but leaves production untracked. | ||
| Performance & scale | Both MRPs scale to mid-market order volume, though Katana's bill scales with locations and sales orders (verified Sep 2026); native inventory scales for finished goods only. | ||
| Data ownership & AI-readiness | Production and purchasing data sit in the vendor's database; stock levels, transfers and unlimited inventory history stay in Shopify either way, where Sidekick can forecast from them. | ||
| Focus & opportunity cost | Nobody should build an MRP; buying one keeps the team on product and production, while running manufacturing on native plus spreadsheets quietly consumes an ops hire. | ||
The App Landscape
| App | Status | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Katana | Live — 4.2★, 131 reviews; formerly Katana MRP | Free plan up to 30 SKUs; Core $299/month with volume-based charges for locations and sales orders (verified Sep 2026) | Shopify-first brands whose store orders drive production, past 30 SKUs |
| MRPeasy | Live — 4.7★, 35 reviews; not Built for Shopify; 15-day free trial on all plans, no free plan. The B-side: a manufacturing ERP and production-planning system with a Shopify connector | Starter $49 / month or $539/year and save 8%; Professional $69 / month or $759/year and save 8%; Enterprise $99 / month or $1,089/year and save 8%; Unlimited $149 / month or $1,639/year and save 8% (verified Sep 2026). Confirm what each tier meters on the current listing | Production-planning-led manufacturers on a budget where Shopify is one sales channel among several |
| Native Shopify inventory | Native — First-party: multi-location tracking, transfers with in-transit quantities, purchase orders with supplier and cost tracking, and Sidekick demand forecasting after Stocky's 2026-08-31 sunset. No bill of materials | Included in every Shopify plan (verified Sep 2026) | Brands that buy finished goods and run 1–3 stock locations |
| Light custom glue on native inventory | Build lane — The lane the head-to-head hides for non-manufacturers: Flow rules for reorder points and low-stock alerts, plus a metafield-driven kit or component report on the Admin API | $8,000–$20,000 one-time plus ~15–20% per year upkeep (Deploi estimate, illustrative) | Simple kitting or one strained channel that doesn't justify an MRP subscription |
The Build Path
- Native inventory, configured properly: Locations, transfers with in-transit quantities, purchase orders with supplier and cost tracking, and unlimited inventory history; Sidekick supplies demand forecasts and rebalancing suggestions (verified Sep 2026).
- Flow for the ops rules: Low-stock alerts, auto-tagging on backorder and reorder reminders as Flow workflows, replacing what small teams used to run in a spreadsheet.
- Light custom glue for simple kitting: A metafield-driven component report or kit-decrement worker on the Admin API, an estimated $8,000–$20,000 (Deploi estimate, illustrative), when one assembled product strains native without justifying an MRP.
- Not recommended: a custom MRP: Bills of materials, production scheduling and purchasing engines are vendor products with decades of edge cases; building one is a multi-year program no mid-market store should fund.
- Effort band
- Native configuration costs nothing; the optional custom glue runs an estimated $8,000–$20,000 (Deploi estimate, illustrative), inside the $10–25K contact-form band
- Typical timeline
- Native setup in 1–2 weeks; 3–6 weeks for custom glue; 3–8 weeks for either MRP including bill-of-materials setup (Deploi estimate, illustrative)
- Maintenance, honestly
- ~15–20% of glue cost per year (Deploi estimate), call it $1,500–$4,000/yr (Deploi estimate, illustrative): Admin API version bumps about every six months and Flow review as the location list changes. Native inventory itself is Shopify's to maintain.
- What you own — and what you take on
- You own: stock levels, suppliers, costs and unlimited inventory history inside Shopify, plus any Flow rules and reports. You take on: production tracking without a bill of materials, which is why manufacturers leave this lane.
3-Year Total Cost of Capability
| Buy (app path) | Build (custom path) | |
|---|---|---|
| Year 0 (setup) | $8,000–$30,000 (Katana implementation, BOM setup, migration) | $0–$20,000 (native configuration + optional glue) |
| Years 1–3 (recurring) | $11,000–$36,000 (Katana Core base + volume charges) | $0–$12,000 (glue upkeep; no bill of materials) |
| 3-year total | ≈$19,000–$66,000 | ≈$0–$32,000 (production still in spreadsheets) |
- † All figures illustrative samples for the reference scenario — not quotes, not verified pricing.
- † Buy column: the Katana path, Core at its $299/month base plus a modest volume-charge line for locations and sales orders held flat, with implementation and bill-of-materials setup; MRPeasy's flat tiers would sit lower but aren't the reference-scenario winner.
- † Build column: native inventory plus Flow plus optional custom glue; it has no bill of materials, so it's a partial substitute for a manufacturer, priced for honesty. Three-year horizon.
What the Sticker Price Hides
On the buy path
- — Katana's Core plan bills locations and sales orders on volume above the $299/month base (verified Sep 2026); a second location or a busy quarter moves the invoice
- — MRPeasy's four tiers are listed at $49–$149 / month (verified Sep 2026) without stating what each tier meters; confirm seats and order limits on the current listing before budgeting
- — Implementation, bill-of-materials setup and data migration dwarf the first year's subscription; budget them as a project
- — Stock drift between the MRP and Shopify after bundles, kits or returns is the recurring reconciliation cost; scope the sync rules before go-live
On the build path
- — Native has no bill of materials; makers who force production into native end up in spreadsheets anyway
- — Stocky exports are read-only for at least 90 days after 2026-08-31 (verified Sep 2026); miss the window and the history is gone
- — ~$1,500–$4,000/yr upkeep on any custom glue (Deploi estimate, illustrative)
What Merchants Say
Volume-metered MRP pricing draws the recurring complaint: the base plan looks fair until a second location or a busy quarter adds charges the plan page didn't make obvious.
The Shopify-sync theme runs through low reviews: stock levels that drift between the MRP and the store after bundles, kits or returns, with merchants reconciling by hand at month end.
If You Change Your Mind Later
If you bought and outgrow it
Leaving Katana or MRPeasy means re-keying bills of materials, production history and reorder points somewhere else, because those records live in the vendor's database and export completeness varies. Shopify keeps the stock levels and sales history regardless. Get the export format in writing at signup and run a full export quarterly so the exit is a migration, not a loss.
If you built and want out
Nothing strands: locations, transfers, purchase orders and unlimited inventory history are Shopify's own records, and Flow rules stay in the admin. If you later buy an MRP, it connects to the same native inventory and imports from it. The exit cost of native rounds to zero, which is the quiet argument for staying on it until you manufacture.
When This Answer Changes
We're watching for:
- ▸ Shopify adding native bills of materials or component-level inventory (none as of September 2026); that would open a WAIT lane for simple kitting
- ▸ Katana changing its Core base or volume charges for locations and sales orders, or MRPeasy changing its $49–$149 / month tiers (verified Sep 2026); re-check the listing at each renewal
- ▸ Sidekick forecasting maturing into automated replenishment and purchase-order generation, which closes more of the gap for non-manufacturers
Verdict change log:
No changes since first publication (September 2026).
Common Questions
Is Katana or MRPeasy better for a Shopify manufacturer?
Katana is the better fit for Shopify-first brands whose store orders drive production: the listing carries 131 reviews, and Core costs $299/month with volume-based charges for locations and sales orders (verified Sep 2026). MRPeasy is the better fit when production planning leads and Shopify is one channel among several, with four tiers at $49–$149 / month (verified Sep 2026). Production shape decides, not revenue.
How much do Katana and MRPeasy cost on Shopify?
Katana offers a Free plan up to 30 SKUs, then Core at $299/month with volume-based charges for locations and sales orders (verified Sep 2026). MRPeasy lists Starter at $49 / month, Professional at $69 / month, Enterprise at $99 / month and Unlimited at $149 / month (verified Sep 2026). Every MRPeasy tier takes 8% off on annual billing and includes a 15-day free trial. Add $8,000–$30,000 for implementation and bill-of-materials setup (Deploi estimate, illustrative).
Can Shopify's native inventory replace Katana or MRPeasy?
Native inventory replaces an MRP only for brands that buy finished goods. Since Stocky's 2026-08-31 sunset, native covers multi-location tracking, transfers with in-transit quantities, purchase orders with supplier and cost tracking, and Sidekick demand forecasting (verified Sep 2026). Native inventory has no bill of materials, production orders or component consumption. Manufacturers who force production into native end up tracking it in spreadsheets, which is the hidden cost of the WAIT lane.
Your Next Steps
If you're going with BUY(matches your selected profile)
- Write down where production demand comes from: Shopify orders point to Katana, a planning-led schedule points to MRPeasy
- Model Katana's volume charges at your location count and annual sales orders, and confirm what each MRPeasy tier meters
- Build bills of materials for your top 20 products first and validate component consumption against a month of real production
- Define the sync rules for bundles, kits and returns before go-live so stock levels don't drift
- Run a full data export at quarter end from day one; the exit is a migration only if the export exists
If you're going with WAIT
- Export any Stocky purchase-order and stocktake history during the read-only window
- Configure locations, transfers and purchase orders with supplier and cost tracking in native inventory
- Turn on Sidekick forecasting and set Flow rules for low-stock alerts and reorder reminders
- Diary a re-decision the month a manufacturing line, a marketplace channel or a second warehouse network lands
Official Docs & Sources
- Managing inventory — Shopify Help Center
- Transitioning from Stocky to Shopify inventory management — Shopify Help Center
- Shopify Flow — Shopify Help Center
Official documentation linked for verification — our verdicts and estimates are our own.
Related Decisions
Build or Buy an Inventory Management System on Shopify?
An IMS is a WAIT for single-brand Shopify stores: native inventory absorbed Stocky's jobs. Buy one only for multi-channel, BOM or multi-warehouse purchasing.
Cin7 Core vs. Unleashed: Which Inventory System Wins?
Cin7 Core beats Unleashed on entry price and review record — $349–$1,199/month vs $399–$729 (verified Sep 2026). Native inventory covers the lane below.
Brightpearl vs. Linnworks on Shopify: Which OMS Wins, If Any?
Native orders and Flow cover single-brand stores; Brightpearl wins the head-to-head for retail-ops scope, Linnworks for marketplace-heavy sellers. Both quote-based.
Multi-Location Inventory on Shopify: Build, Buy, or Wait?
Multi-location inventory is a WAIT: native locations and routing rules cover most mid-market networks free; pay for an IMS only when planning outgrows sheets.
Should You Build or Buy Your NetSuite Integration on Shopify?
NetSuite integration is the honest DEPENDS: buy a connector for standard flows, build middleware when the flows are the business.
Ready to pick the MRP and keep the sync honest?
We'll map your production shape against Katana and MRPeasy, tell you honestly if native inventory already covers you, and build the Shopify sync and reporting glue so stock levels stop drifting between systems.
Contact us todayVerdict scored for the reference scenario above. Estimates are not quotes; app pricing carries its verification date and gets re-verified quarterly. Full scoring anchors: see the TCC methodology.
Read how we score these decisions (the TCC Framework). No affiliate links, no paid placement — no app vendor pays to appear here.