Compare · MRP
TuringDock vs Katana
Katana is the strongest modern MRP for makers and small manufacturers. TuringDock is built for the next layer: AI as the operator's interface and international payments embedded in the PO.
| Attribute | Katana | TuringDock |
|---|---|---|
| Interface paradigm | Modern dashboard with visual production tracking. You navigate through tabs and Kanban boards to find what you need. | Slack-first. Ask in plain English, get the answer with the action button attached. |
| Time to first PO created | Days. Faster than legacy MRPs but still a setup-and-configure flow. | An afternoon. Import inventory from CSV, create the first PO that day. |
| Pricing model | Per-user, monthly. Roughly $99–$199 per user depending on tier. | Free core. Premium priced per company, not per seat. |
| AI assistant in Slack | Not offered. | Premium tier. |
| Proactive AI alerts (production, supplier, FX risk) | Threshold-based notifications only. | Premium tier. The AI evaluates state and fires only when action is required. |
| MCP server for external AI tools | Not offered. | Premium tier. |
| International supplier payments built in | No. You leave the product to wire from your bank. | Yes. Pay from inside the PO at interbank FX, same-day settlement. |
| Trade finance (PO-backed advances) | Not offered. | Premium tier (post-seed). |
| Built for Canadian manufacturers specifically | No. Estonian/UK company. No Big 5 bank or Canadian trade context. | Yes. Built in Victoria, BC for the $2M–$20M Canadian shop. |
What Katana does well
Katana is one of the few MRPs in the SMB space that has actually invested in modern product design. The interface is visual, the production tracking is Kanban-style, and the Shopify integration is best-in-class. For e-commerce makers and small manufacturers who live on Shopify and want a clean MRP to back it, Katana is a defensible choice.
Why TuringDock
Katana solved the "MRPs look like the 2010s" problem at the UI layer. We took a different bet: that the operator's interface is chat, not a dashboard. Most TuringDock users will work the whole day through Slack, asking questions and approving actions, and only open the dashboard when something needs configuring.
We also bet that international payments belong inside the PO workflow, not in a separate bank portal. Katana does not address payments at all; you pay your Shenzhen supplier through your bank like always. TuringDock collapses both into one tool, at interbank FX, with the rate locked at PO issuance so margin is protected.
Last: Katana is a global product. TuringDock is specifically built for Canadian manufacturers between $2M and $20M in revenue, which means the payment rails, the trade finance product, and the supplier context are all calibrated for that operator.
Common questions about TuringDock vs Katana
- Is TuringDock cheaper than Katana?
- TuringDock's core MRP is free with no per-seat fee. Katana's plans start at $179/month for the Starter tier (single user) and climb to $1,799/month for higher tiers with the team seats and Shopify/QuickBooks integrations most shops need. For a five-person manufacturer, switching from Katana's mid-tier ($359/month) to TuringDock's free tier is a $4,300/year line item back in your pocket, plus the AI features Katana doesn't have.
- Does Katana have an AI assistant like Alan?
- Not as a conversational Slack assistant, no. Katana has reporting, alerts, and an open API; it does not have a natural-language interface that drafts POs, schedules production from a customer order, narrates reports, or marks tasks done from Slack. Alan in TuringDock does all of that, on top of the same MRP primitives.
- Can I migrate from Katana to TuringDock?
- Yes. Export your products, BOM, materials, suppliers, and customers as CSV from Katana, then forward the files to your TuringDock workspace's private inbox or upload them via the canvas. Alan extracts the structure automatically. Historical sales and manufacturing orders typically stay in Katana as an archive; new orders happen in TuringDock from cutover day. Most teams migrate over a weekend.
- Does TuringDock integrate with Shopify like Katana does?
- Shopify integration is on the near-term roadmap, shipping alongside the QuickBooks + Xero connectors. Today, TuringDock's customer-order intake is forwarded email or in-app order entry. Most Canadian manufacturing startups in our $2M–$20M target band sell through quotes/POs rather than DTC e-commerce. If Shopify is your primary sales channel, drop a line to hello@turingdock.com and we'll prioritize the connector with your shop as a design partner.
- Why is TuringDock specifically for Canadian manufacturers?
- Two reasons. First, the founder is Canadian and is building for the market he understands. Second, international supplier payments (paying USD/EUR suppliers from a CAD bank account) is uniquely brutal for Canadian manufacturers because Big Five banks mark up FX 2-3% and charge $30 per wire. The TuringDock payments tier addresses this directly; Katana has no payment infrastructure at all.
See it for yourself. The free tier is genuinely free.