Overview

Katana concentrates on the routine movements that keep inventory accurate: barcode scanning, purchase orders, sales orders and stock alerts. That makes it a practical fit for a business that wants one web workspace for receiving, selling and watching stock levels rather than a broad, multi-site system. The maker, founded in 2017 and headquartered in Tallinn, Estonia, offers a freemium model.

The capacity trade-off is central to the buying decision. Free supports only 30 SKUs, but permits unlimited users, integrations and inventory locations. Core supports unlimited SKUs and retains unlimited users and integrations, yet limits the account to one inventory location. A small catalog spread across several places may therefore fit Free better than Core, while a growing catalog in one facility is the opposite case.

Key features

Inventory and order control

Barcode scanning gives staff a direct way to identify stock during handling. Purchase orders cover replenishment and supplier buying, while sales orders support outbound transactions. Stock alerts add a monitoring layer so teams can react when inventory needs attention. These functions form a coherent day-to-day workflow, but they do not change the plan limits that determine how far the system scales.

Web-only operation

Katana runs on the web and has no mobile apps. It is suitable for teams comfortable using a browser at a workstation or through a mobile browser, but not for organizations that require a dedicated iOS or Android application as part of warehouse work.

Pricing

Free

The Free plan costs $0.00 USD on a permanent free tier, with no credit card required and no expiry date. It allows 30 SKUs, unlimited users, unlimited integrations and unlimited inventory locations. That is a strong starting point for a small range or a pilot involving several people and sites. The 30-SKU cap is the hard stop: once the catalog exceeds it, the plan is no longer a workable long-term home without reducing what is tracked.

Core

Core starts at $299.00 USD per month and scales with usage and add-ons. It removes the SKU limit while keeping unlimited users and integrations, making it the natural paid choice for a larger catalog managed from one site. Its one-inventory-location allowance is a material restriction for multi-site businesses, and the starting price is difficult to justify if the Free cap is still sufficient.

Advantage

Advantage uses custom pricing. It adds custom integrations, dashboards and reports, automations and workflows, a dedicated Solutions Engineer, SLA-backed maintenance and regular customer-success check-ins. This is aimed at organizations that need tailored operations and service commitments rather than a standard self-directed plan; buyers will need a quote before judging the cost.

Platforms

Katana is available on the web only. There are no mobile apps, so teams needing a dedicated phone or tablet experience should choose a platform with native mobile support instead.

Who it's for

Katana is a good match for a small business with up to 30 SKUs that wants unlimited users and locations at no cost, or for a single-site operation whose catalog has outgrown that cap and can budget from $299 per month. It is less suitable for businesses that coordinate inventory across multiple sites on a paid plan, require native mobile apps, or need a lower-cost route to unlimited SKUs.

Pros and cons

Pros

Permanent free access: Free has no expiry date and no card requirement, so a small operation can continue without a trial deadline.
Open collaboration: Unlimited users and integrations on Free and Core avoid seat-based expansion costs.
Useful stock workflow: Barcode scanning, purchase and sales orders, and stock alerts cover core inventory movements.
Unlimited locations on Free: A small catalog can be distributed across locations without a location cap on the free tier.

Cons

Free catalog ceiling: Tracking is limited to 30 SKUs, which quickly constrains a broad product range.
Core is single-location: The paid plan allows only one inventory location, limiting multi-site operations.
No native mobile apps: Warehouse teams seeking dedicated iOS or Android apps will need another product.
High paid starting point: Core begins at $299 per month, before usage and add-ons scale the bill.

Alternatives

OpenBoxes is worth choosing when self-hosting or mobile and API options matter; its Community Edition is free forever with unlimited users and supports self-hosted deployment.

Zoho Inventory fits a reader who prefers a lower-priced, metered plan, with a free tier capped at 50 orders per month, one user and one location, and a Standard plan at $39.00 per month.

Axacute is an alternative for basic inventory and production operations with a free two-user tier and a $25.00-per-month Starter plan.

Cin7 Core is the better direction for teams needing native mobile support and multiple inventory locations; its Standard plan is $349.00 per month.

InvenTree suits organizations that want MIT-licensed, self-hosted software and can operate without included support or maintenance.

Blue Link ERP is a paid ERP alternative with hosted deployment and pricing determined by users, functionality, implementation and deployment.

eTurns TrackStock is a paid stockroom-focused option with a $40.00-per-month Replenish plan billed semi-annually.

StockFlow is a lower-cost web alternative whose free Starter tier covers 25 items, two users and one warehouse.

Verdict

Choose Katana if you want a browser-based inventory workflow with barcode scanning and orders, and your needs fit either a 30-SKU free catalog or a larger catalog kept in one location. Its unlimited users and integrations are meaningful advantages, especially on Free. Look elsewhere if native mobile apps, several paid inventory locations or a lower-cost unlimited-SKU plan are essential; Core’s $299-per-month starting price and one-location ceiling are the decisive drawbacks.

	Katana	TAGERP Forge
Free plan	Yes
Paid from	$299/mo
Platforms	Web	Android, api, iOS, Web
Free plan	Yes
Paid from	$299/mo
Warehouse limit	1 warehouses
Barcode scanning	Yes
Purchase orders	Yes
Sales orders	Yes
Stock alerts	Yes
Mobile apps	No
Inventory integration		Yes
Deployment		cloud

Katana vs TAGERP Forge

Katana

TAGERP Forge