Katana Manufacturing ERP vs. MRPeasy: What Each One Actually Costs After Scanning and Shipping Are Added
The $100/mo headline gap between Katana and MRPeasy is the smallest number in this decision. Mandatory scanning and shipping add-ons, and an unusually low cost to switch between the two later, move the real math further than the sticker price does.
Katana's all-in cost is $1,050/mo and MRPeasy's is $950/mo — the $100 gap survives every add-on, because both need the identical add-ons
Based on current Katana, MRPeasy, Scandit, and ShipStation pricing and integration data.
The $100/mo gap between Katana ($400) and MRPeasy ($300) is the number every comparison leads with, because it's the easiest one to find. It's also close to the whole story here — which is unusual. Neither platform includes barcode scanning or shipping-label automation, and per the integration data, both connect to the exact same scanning and shipping tools. Add those in and the $100/mo gap doesn't get buried under add-on costs the way it does in a lot of platform comparisons — it just repeats itself at the all-in level.
What the sticker price actually buys
MRP sticker price
On paper, both platforms cover nearly identical ground — production planning, bill-of-materials, inventory — for a $100/mo difference. If the sticker price were the whole comparison, this would be a short article. It's close, because unlike a lot of platform comparisons, the add-ons that complete the picture cost exactly the same regardless of which one you pick.
The add-ons neither platform includes: scanning and shipping
Scanning and shipping aren't bundled into either MRP — they're separate layers stacked on top, priced identically either way.
Scandit ($400/mo) handles barcode scanning for raw-material receiving, work-in-progress tracking, and shipping verification, and it's a separate line item no matter which MRP sits underneath it. ShipStation ($250/mo) rate-shops and prints labels across carriers and layers on the same way. Both tools list an integration with Katana and with MRPeasy — so the add-on layer doesn't change which platform wins, but it does change the real total: all-in, Katana runs $1,050/mo and MRPeasy runs $950/mo. The $100 gap survives; the bare sticker price you started with never was the full picture.
All-in monthly cost
| Line item | Katana | MRPeasy |
|---|---|---|
| MRP sticker price | $400 | $300 |
| Scandit scanning | $400 | $400 |
| ShipStation labels | $250 | $250 |
| All-in monthly cost | $1,050 | $950 |
| All-in annual cost | $12,600 | $11,400 |
The switching cost that's unusually low here
Katana and MRPeasy list the identical downstream connections — QuickBooks Online, Scandit, ShipStation — so migrating between them doesn't break a sync.
In a lot of software categories, the sticker-price gap between two platforms is the smallest part of the switching decision — losing a marketing integration or a billing sync can cost more than the subscription difference itself. That's not the case here. Per the integration data, Katana and MRPeasy connect to the identical set of downstream tools.
Downstream integration coverage
| Tool | Katana | MRPeasy |
|---|---|---|
| QuickBooks Online | ||
| Scandit | ||
| ShipStation |
If you're tempted to skip past both and go straight to NetSuite for "future-proofing," note that it doesn't list a native QuickBooks Online connection in our data — its bundled financials are built to replace QuickBooks, not sync with it. That's a bigger switching cost than $100/mo, not a smaller one.
What the multi-year math actually looks like
The $100/mo sticker gap becomes $1,200/yr, or about $3,600 over a three-year term — real money, but small relative to what a premature jump to an enterprise ERP costs. Because Katana and MRPeasy share the same integration footprint, a shop that starts on MRPeasy and later outgrows its simpler floor-tracking can move to Katana without losing a single downstream connection — the switching cost is migration time, not a systems rebuild. That's the real argument for starting with the cheaper platform when your BOMs are simple: the option to upgrade later is nearly free.
Where the real cost breakdown actually nets out
- Add Scandit ($400/mo) and ShipStation ($250/mo) to whichever MRP sticker price you're comparing — neither one includes scanning or shipping.
- Confirm your BOM's deepest level and whether you actually need live floor visibility before paying the $100/mo Katana premium.
- If you outgrow MRPeasy, moving to Katana costs nothing in lost integrations — budget for migration time, not a systems rebuild.
- Before jumping to NetSuite to "future-proof" the decision, price out keeping QuickBooks Online alongside it — the two don't natively sync in our data, so you'd likely pay for overlapping financials rather than avoiding them.
The $100/mo gap is real, but it's not hiding anything — the mandatory add-ons cost the same either way, and the switching cost between the two platforms is close to zero. The bigger risk in this decision is jumping past both to an oversized ERP before you've outgrown either one.
Run the free audit with your real headcount, BOM complexity, and current spend to see which platform's all-in cost — not just its sticker price — actually wins for your shop.
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- Katana Manufacturing ERP vs. MRPeasy: Which One Actually Fits Your Manufacturer?
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- Katana + Scandit + ShipStation: The Manufacturer Operations Stack That Actually Works
- Shop Floor Data Collection: When Spreadsheets Aren't Enough