FerroSync vs Katana
Katana is a well-known manufacturing and inventory platform — and it deliberately leaves accounting to QuickBooks or Xero. FerroSync takes the opposite bet: your production and your general ledger belong in the same system.
| FerroSync | Katana | |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | Built in: double-entry GL, statements, periods, year-end close | Via QuickBooks / Xero integration — a second system to buy and reconcile |
| Production | BOMs, production orders with costing, work centers, MRP → draft POs | BOMs, make-to-order/stock workflows, visual scheduling |
| Traceability | Lots + expiry with FEFO picking, serial numbers | Batch/lot tracking on higher tiers |
| Procurement | POs with approval thresholds, partial receiving, 3-way match, landed costs | Purchase orders; approvals and matching are lighter |
| Banking & AR/AP | Bank reconciliation with auto-match, AR/AP aging, credit limits, statements | Lives in your accounting package, not in Katana |
| E-commerce connectors | Not yet — CSV import/export today | Strong: Shopify, WooCommerce and marketplace integrations |
| Deployment | Your own isolated instance and database | Shared multi-tenant SaaS |
| Pricing | $500/mo + $50/user — every module included | Tiered per-plan pricing (typically from ~$199/mo) + your accounting subscription |
| Free trial / demo | Instant live demo with sample data, no card | Trial available |
Competitor details summarized from public materials and may change — verify current capabilities and pricing with the vendor.
Why manufacturers pick FerroSync
Your books live where your production lives
Katana's answer to accounting is an integration: production in one system, the ledger in another, and a sync you get to babysit. In FerroSync every receipt, production run, shipment, and payment posts to a real double-entry GL automatically — trial balance, P&L, and balance sheet included.
One subscription, not two
The true cost of Katana is Katana plus QuickBooks or Xero, plus the hours reconciling them. FerroSync is one flat price — $500 a month plus $50 per user — with accounting, banking, and procurement already in the box.
Traceability an auditor will accept
Lots with expiry dates and FEFO picking, serial numbers, and cycle counts that post to the ledger. If you make food, cosmetics, or anything with a recall risk, 'which lot went to which customer' is a query, not an archaeology project.
Your own instance, your own data
Every FerroSync customer runs an isolated instance with its own database — not a row in a shared system. It's the difference between renting a seat and owning the workshop.
When Katana is the right choice
Honesty makes better customers. Pick Katana if drag-and-drop visual production scheduling is your daily driver, if your business runs on Shopify or marketplace channels and you need those connectors today, or if you’re happy in QuickBooks/Xero and only want a manufacturing layer on top. Pick FerroSync if you want the whole operation — floor to financial statements — in one system you own.