Best Katana Alternatives in 2026
Short answer
The best Katana alternatives in 2026 are EDGEBIC by User Solutions (RMDB 2.0) when scheduling is the bottleneck, MRPeasy for a broader cloud MRP, Fishbowl for QuickBooks inventory, Odoo for a modular ERP, JobBOSS2 for job shops that quote custom work, and Just Plan It for a simple visual schedule.
By User Solutions, Inc., South Lyon, Michigan. Updated . We build EDGEBIC, so our entry is not neutral; competitor details come from our published comparisons and vendor documentation.
Katana was founded in 2017 in Estonia. It is a cloud manufacturing ERP with real-time inventory, sales orders, purchasing and a shop-floor operator app, plus strong Shopify, WooCommerce and BigCommerce integrations and QuickBooks and Xero sync. D2C brands and small-batch makers like it for good reasons.
Katana buyers look elsewhere when production gets more complex than the sales channel: more routings, more machines, custom jobs, or a schedule that no longer holds. Others move for a different deployment or pricing model. The shortlist maps each alternative to the reason for leaving.
User Solutions builds EDGEBIC, so our entry is not neutral. Competitor descriptions are kept conservative and follow our published comparisons. We do not quote competitor prices; check each vendor for current pricing.
Why buyers look for Katana alternatives
Scheduling built for linear flows
Katana plans manufacturing orders against available hours on a task-level timeline. It has no what-if scenarios, no sequence-dependent setups and no multi-constraint optimization, which job shops and high-mix plants need.
Custom and make-to-order work
Katana is strongest for repeat products sold online. Shops that quote, route and schedule one-off jobs often need job shop tooling.
Cloud only, subscription only
Some manufacturers need production data on their own servers, or prefer to own a license rather than pay monthly.
Plans tier up as you grow
Katana sells tiered monthly plans, and more users and features move buyers up the tiers. Check the vendor for current plan limits.
6 alternatives to Katana, and who each one is for
Grouped by the job each tool does, not ranked on one score. The right pick depends on why you are leaving Katana.
1. EDGEBIC (RMDB 2.0)
User Solutions, Inc. (South Lyon, Michigan, USA) · Dedicated finite-capacity scheduler (APS) · our product
A dedicated finite-capacity scheduler that can run beside Katana, taking manufacturing orders and routings by import and returning a schedule that respects machines, labor, setups and skills. EDGEBIC Complete adds MRP, inventory and purchasing for shops that want scheduling and materials together on their own infrastructure.
- Who it is for
- Makers whose production has outgrown a task timeline: job shops, make-to-order and high-mix plants with bottleneck work centers.
- Scheduling
- Advanced: machines, labor and materials; setups, alternates, skills, what-if scenarios
- Deployment
- Installed Windows app (.NET 8); SQLite or SQL Server on your own infrastructure, not SaaS
- Pricing
- One-time perpetual license: $25,000 (EDGEBIC APS) or $35,000 (EDGEBIC Complete); updates included, no per-seat annual fee
2. MRPeasy
MRPeasy (Estonia) · Cloud MRP / small-manufacturer ERP
Cloud MRP launched in 2014 for manufacturers of roughly 10 to 200 employees. Covers production planning, inventory, procurement, CRM and basic accounting in one subscription, with a free trial. Scheduling is workstation loading and basic forward scheduling.
- Who it is for
- Small manufacturers with straightforward routings who want one cloud system for production, inventory, purchasing and CRM.
- Scheduling
- Basic capacity planning; no what-if or setup sequencing
- Deployment
- Cloud SaaS
- Pricing
- Per-user monthly subscription; see vendor
3. Fishbowl
Fishbowl · Inventory-led manufacturing software
The QuickBooks-friendly inventory platform. Handles parts, locations, sales orders and purchase orders well; the Manufacturing module covers bills of materials, work orders and simple production tracking without finite-capacity scheduling.
- Who it is for
- QuickBooks shops, distributors and assemblers whose main problem is inventory, not the production schedule.
- Scheduling
- Work orders; no finite capacity or editable Gantt
- Deployment
- On-premise or self-hosted
- Pricing
- License plus annual support; see vendor
4. Odoo Manufacturing
Odoo · Open-source modular ERP
Modular ERP with accounting, CRM, e-commerce, inventory, manufacturing and many more modules. The Community edition is free and open source; Enterprise is a per-user subscription. Most deployments need configuration services. Manufacturing has basic capacity planning.
- Who it is for
- SMBs that want one flexible, customizable ERP and have in-house or partner skills to configure it.
- Scheduling
- Basic capacity planning; no setup sequencing or what-if
- Deployment
- Cloud or on-premise
- Pricing
- Free Community edition; Enterprise per-user subscription; see vendor
5. JobBOSS2
ECI Software Solutions (originally Shoptech) · Job shop ERP
Long-standing North American job shop ERP covering quoting, order management, job costing, inventory, purchasing and shop-floor data collection. Scheduling is a dispatch board with capacity views and priority sequencing.
- Who it is for
- US machine shops, fabricators and contract manufacturers that want quote-to-invoice ERP from one vendor.
- Scheduling
- Dispatch board and capacity views; not finite-capacity optimization
- Deployment
- Cloud or on-premise
- Pricing
- Per-user subscription; see vendor
6. Just Plan It
NETRONIC Software (Germany) · Lightweight cloud Gantt scheduler
Cloud Gantt scheduler aimed at small job shops. Fast to set up, drag and drop first, with resource working-time calendars and basic capacity views. Limited constraint checking and no labor-skill modeling; data comes in by CSV import or API.
- Who it is for
- Job shops of about 5 to 50 people moving off a whiteboard or spreadsheet who do not yet need deep ERP integration.
- Scheduling
- Visual Gantt with basic capacity; limited constraint checking
- Deployment
- Cloud SaaS
- Pricing
- Published monthly subscription; see vendor
Katana alternatives compared
Competitor prices are not quoted here because vendors change them; check each vendor for current pricing.
| Tool | Type | Scheduling depth | Deployment | Pricing model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EDGEBIC (RMDB 2.0)User Solutions, Inc. (South Lyon, Michigan, USA) | Dedicated finite-capacity scheduler (APS) | Advanced: machines, labor and materials; setups, alternates, skills, what-if scenarios | Installed Windows app (.NET 8); SQLite or SQL Server on your own infrastructure, not SaaS | One-time perpetual license: $25,000 (EDGEBIC APS) or $35,000 (EDGEBIC Complete); updates included, no per-seat annual fee |
| MRPeasyMRPeasy (Estonia) | Cloud MRP / small-manufacturer ERP | Basic capacity planning; no what-if or setup sequencing | Cloud SaaS | Per-user monthly subscription; see vendor |
| FishbowlFishbowl | Inventory-led manufacturing software | Work orders; no finite capacity or editable Gantt | On-premise or self-hosted | License plus annual support; see vendor |
| Odoo ManufacturingOdoo | Open-source modular ERP | Basic capacity planning; no setup sequencing or what-if | Cloud or on-premise | Free Community edition; Enterprise per-user subscription; see vendor |
| JobBOSS2ECI Software Solutions (originally Shoptech) | Job shop ERP | Dispatch board and capacity views; not finite-capacity optimization | Cloud or on-premise | Per-user subscription; see vendor |
| Just Plan ItNETRONIC Software (Germany) | Lightweight cloud Gantt scheduler | Visual Gantt with basic capacity; limited constraint checking | Cloud SaaS | Published monthly subscription; see vendor |
When to stay with Katana
- You sell through Shopify, WooCommerce or BigCommerce, and syncing inventory with online orders is the most important job.
- Your production is simple and repeatable, and the built-in planner gives dates you trust.
- You want a modern cloud system with no server and quick self-service setup.
- You need better scheduling only: keep Katana for inventory and orders and add a scheduler beside it.
The head-to-head
Our head-to-head explains why Katana and RMDB by User Solutions, now EDGEBIC, solve different problems, and when to use both.
Read RMDB vs KatanaFrequently asked questions
Go deeper
EDGEBIC by User Solutions
The finite-capacity scheduler, successor to RMDB and EDGEBI, in one Windows app.
EDGEBIC pricing
$25,000 APS or $35,000 Complete, one-time, updates included.
Finite capacity scheduling software
What finite capacity means, and why it changes the dates you promise.
Scheduling software for job shops
High-mix, low-volume scheduling with setups and alternates.
EDGEBIC with Katana
How EDGEBIC schedules Katana manufacturing orders.
MRPeasy alternatives
The shortlist for MRPeasy users, with who each option suits.
Bring a real week of Katana jobs to the demo
Send us an export of your open jobs and routings. We will schedule them in EDGEBIC live, so you can compare the dates against what you see today.
Or see published EDGEBIC pricing.