Affordable Katana MRP Alternative
Katana's Core plan starts at $299/month and is billed by the number of sales orders you deliver. Controlata charges a fixed price for your plan - from $39/month - with free setup support and a 14-day free trial.
Why Switch from Katana
Side-by-side feature comparison
| Feature | Katana MRP | Controlata |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | From $299/mo (Core plan) | From $39/mo |
| Pricing Model | Billed by sales orders delivered | Fixed price per plan |
| Onboarding | $2,000 package (optional) | Free setup support |
| Free Plan | Yes, up to 30 SKUs | No, 14-day free trial |
| Cost Tracking Components | Materials + Labor + Utilities | Materials + Labor + Equipment + Utilities |
| Costing Method | Average cost | FIFO |
| Cancellation Notice | Next billing cycle or 30 days | Cancel anytime |
| Real-time Inventory | ||
| Multi-location Support | ||
| Production Planning | ||
| Bill of Materials | ||
| Excel Export | ||
| Batch Tracking | Traceability add-on, $249/mo | |
| E-commerce Integration | Shopify, Amazon, WooCommerce | Shopify |
Starting Price
Pricing Model
Onboarding
Free Plan
Cost Tracking Components
Costing Method
Cancellation Notice
Real-time Inventory
Multi-location Support
Production Planning
Bill of Materials
Excel Export
Batch Tracking
E-commerce Integration
Critical Problems with Katana
Why manufacturers are seeking alternatives
Billing Tied to Order Volume
Katana's Core plan is billed by the number of sales orders you deliver, so the bill moves with your throughput. A good month for sales is also a more expensive month for software.
High Entry Costs
The Core plan starts at $299/month, and the guided onboarding package is another $2,000. For a workshop with a handful of people, that is a serious commitment before the first production run.
Add-Ons on Top of the Plan
The Core plan includes one location; extra locations and optional add-ons are billed separately, so the real monthly cost is rarely the headline price.
Persistent Bugs
Users report bugs that take months to fix, including issues with the sales data used for billing calculations. Voting system for bug fixes frustrates customers.
30-Day Cancellation Notice
A cancellation only takes effect after a notice period: at the end of the next billing cycle on monthly plans, and with 30 days' notice on quarterly and annual plans.
Missing Equipment Depreciation
Katana has no separate equipment depreciation line - machine costs have to be folded into operation hourly rates, which blurs the true cost of each product.
Transparent Manufacturing Features
Why Controlata is built for budget-conscious manufacturers
Predictable, Transparent Pricing
Know exactly what you'll pay every month. Your price depends on the plan you pick, not on how many orders you shipped, and setup support costs nothing.
- Fixed monthly pricing starting at $39
- No billing by order volume
- Free setup support included
- Cancel anytime without notice period
Complete Cost Intelligence
Track every cost component for accurate pricing decisions. While Katana tracks materials, labor, and utilities, we add equipment depreciation for the complete picture.
- Material costs with FIFO calculation
- Labor hours and wage tracking
- Equipment depreciation costs
- Utility and overhead allocation
Flexible Production Planning
Plan and track production with intuitive workflows. Choose between make-to-stock and make-to-order for each production type.
- Make-to-stock for inventory items
- Make-to-order for custom work
- Visual production pipeline
- Real-time status tracking
Smart Inventory Management
Keep full control with automatic alerts and multi-location tracking. Never run out of critical materials unexpectedly.
- Automatic low-stock alerts
- Multi-location management
- Write-off tracking included
Unlimited Custom Permissions
Create as many user roles as you need with granular access control. Users are included in your plan, with no per-seat fees.
- Unlimited user roles
- Section-by-section permissions
- Protect sensitive financial data
- Users included in every plan
Professional Reporting
Export clean, organized data to Excel for deeper analysis. All reports included with no additional fees.
- 20+ professional report types
- Clean Excel exports
- Custom date ranges
- Complete data ownership
Why Manufacturers Choose Controlata
The advantages of predictable, honest pricing
Budget-Friendly
Start at just $39/month with transparent, fixed pricing. Your bill does not move with your sales volume, and there is no paid onboarding package.
Price Stability
Your price is tied to your plan, not to your throughput, so a busy season does not raise the bill. Any pricing change is announced in advance.
No Hidden Costs
Bills of materials, production planning, cost calculation, purchases and sales, audits and reports are all part of every plan - no separate add-ons to buy.
User-Friendly Design
Intuitive interface that your team can learn quickly without extensive training. Clean, modern design focused on manufacturing workflows and productivity.
Quick Setup
Get started in days, not weeks. Setup support is included free, so there is no $2,000 onboarding package to budget for.
Fair Cancellation
Cancel anytime, no notice period and no annual contract. We believe in earning your business every month.
Easy Migration from Katana
Leave pricing nightmares behind, risk-free
Data Migration Support
Our team helps you migrate your existing data from Katana smoothly and completely, ensuring nothing is lost in the transition.
Free Onboarding
No paid onboarding package. Training and support come with your subscription, and we help you move your materials, products and stock over.
14-Day Free Trial
Test Controlata risk-free with full access to all features. See how predictable pricing and complete cost tracking can transform your business.