Side-by-side comparison · 24 data points
Manage inventory, orders, and fulfillment across multiple locations and channels
| Katana Cloud Inventory | Materials Inventory | |
|---|---|---|
| Tagline | ||
| Description | ||
| Screenshots | images | images |
| Languages | ||
| Platforms | ||
| Developer | ||
| Listed | ||
| Last updated | — | — |
Inventory management for makers & manufacturers. Create bills of materials & track profitability
| Metric | Katana Cloud Inventory | Materials Inventory |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.2 ★ | ★ 5.0 ★ |
| Total reviews | ★ 134 | 52 |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing | Free plan available | Free trial available |
| Built for Shopify | — | — |
| Pricing tiers | 2 tiers | ★ 3 tiers |
| Listed features | 5 | 5 |
| Languages | 1 supported | 1 supported |
| Listed since | Mar 2019 | Jan 2021 |
Based on the data on this page, Materials Inventory is the stronger choice for most Shopify App Store merchants — 5.0★ vs Katana Cloud Inventory's 4.2★ is a meaningful gap that usually reflects real product or support quality differences across the user base.
Pricing entry tiers: Katana Cloud Inventory at Free plan available, Materials Inventory at Free trial available. Check each app's tier structure for the capacity limits you actually need before deciding — the headline number is the same shape, but the gating shape per tier (seats, usage volume, integrations) varies.
Katana Cloud Inventory has the larger user base (134 reviews vs 52), which usually maps to broader integration coverage, faster bug-fix cadence, and a deeper bench of community workflow patterns. Materials Inventory's smaller cohort can be an advantage for niche workflows where the bigger app has accumulated bloat.
Recommended by size: small/early-stage merchants who need fast install and low risk should default to Materials Inventory; mid-market and enterprise merchants with specific feature requirements should evaluate both — Katana Cloud Inventory's 134-review base may include the workflow context that matches your specific use case better than Materials Inventory's broader-but-shallower coverage.
This verdict is generated from the live marketplace data on this page — rating, review count, pricing tier, and category position all refresh from the canonical Shopify App Store listing every 24 hours. AppRanks does not accept payment to influence comparison outcomes; the methodology is documented on the About page and applies identically to every pair on the site.
Read each app's audit: Katana Cloud Inventory audit • Materials Inventory audit
| Keyword | Katana Cloud Inventory | Materials Inventory |
|---|---|---|
| manufacturing | #14 | #5 |
| inventory management | #18 | #24 |
No tracked changes.
Both Katana Cloud Inventory and Materials Inventory offer paid plans only. Katana Cloud Inventory starts at Free plan available; Materials Inventory starts at Free trial available. Compare the per-tier features in the Pricing section above before committing.
Materials Inventory has the higher average rating (5.0★ from 52 reviews) compared to Katana Cloud Inventory (4.2★ from 134 reviews). Both are tracked daily by AppRanks, so the figures here update each refresh cycle.
Materials Inventory holds the higher average rating (5.0★ vs 4.2★). That is the one dimension AppRanks can separate them on here — read both apps' detail pages for the feature breakdown and recent listing changes.
Both apps are one-click installs from the Shopify App Store. Katana Cloud Inventory has the deeper published review base (134 vs 52), which often — though not always — accompanies better-tested setup docs. AppRanks doesn't measure setup time directly: read the recent reviews on each app's detail page for user-reported install experience.
Katana Cloud Inventory typically suits early-stage and growth-mode teams based on its published review base (134 reviews). Materials Inventory typically suits early-stage and growth-mode teams based on its published review base (52 reviews). A larger review base generally means the app has been exercised at scale — relevant if you are processing high volume or handling enterprise compliance requirements.
Migration support varies by app and category. Katana Cloud Inventory and Materials Inventory both publish their export options on their marketplace listing pages (or in their support docs); some apps offer one-click import from competitors, others require CSV. The fastest check: search "import from Materials Inventory" in each app's help center. AppRanks does not track migration tooling directly — this is a category-specific capability worth verifying before commitment.