Katana vs ShipStation
Katana and ShipStation are both inventory & shipping tools. Katana is aimed at small businesses, while ShipStation is aimed at E-commerce and small businesses. Only Katana has a free plan.
Katana
Cloud inventory for small manufacturers
ShipStation
Multi-carrier shipping and order management
| Pricing | Freemium | Paid · $15 |
| Starting price | Not published | $14.99/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Free trial | — | 30 days |
| Built for | Small businesses | E-commerce, Small businesses |
| Platforms | web | web |
| Country | EE · 2017 | US · 2011 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Katana if
Small manufacturers selling online.
- Built for small manufacturers
- Visual production planning
- Good integrations
Look elsewhere if: Pure resellers (Cin7, inFlow).
Choose ShipStation if
SMB and mid-size e-commerce sellers shipping hundreds to thousands of orders a month.
- Broadest marketplace and carrier integrations
- Powerful automation for high volume
- Discounted rates included
Look elsewhere if: Occasional shippers (Pirate Ship) or EU-centric stores (Sendcloud).
Katana vs ShipStation pricing
Katana
- Free$0Up to 30 SKUs, unlimited users, API access
- AdvantageCustomAnnual contract, unlimited SKUs, custom integrations
ShipStation
- Starterfrom $14.99/mo50 shipments/mo, 3 users; 20% off annually
- Standardfrom $29.99/mo50 shipments/mo, 10 users, unlimited automations
- Premiumfrom $349.99/mo50 shipments/mo, 15 users, advanced inventory
Katana · Key features
- Raw material and finished goods inventory
- Production scheduling
- BOM and recipes
- Purchasing
- Batch and serial tracking
- E-commerce and accounting sync
Cons
- Free plan capped at 30 SKUs
- Paid Advantage plan is custom-quoted on an annual contract
- Not full ERP for large firms
ShipStation · Key features
- Multi-channel order import and automation rules
- Rate comparison with discounted carrier rates
- Batch label printing and packing slips
- Branded tracking pages, emails and returns portal
- Inventory and multi-warehouse management
- Reporting and ShipStation API
Cons
- User limits per tier
- Interface feels dated
- Overkill for very low volume
Katana vs ShipStation: FAQ
Do Katana and ShipStation have a free plan?
Katana has a free plan. ShipStation has no free plan, a 30-day free trial.