Best software for custom and made-to-order businesses (2026)
By Olusegun Osunrinde, Founder, Sentralbee · Published
For small made-to-order businesses in 2026, Katana and MRPeasy are full manufacturing systems for growing production teams. Stocksmith suits makers selling repeat products online. Zoho Inventory is a broad free inventory tool. Sentralbee suits custom shops that quote every order, need the true cost of each piece, a production board and one customer inbox.
The short version
| Option | Best for | Price (October 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Katana | Growing manufacturers with repeat products, BOMs and manufacturing orders | Free up to 30 products; paid plans quoted |
| MRPeasy | Small manufacturers that want full MRP: costing, manufacturing orders, purchasing | From $49 per user a month; 15+15-day trial |
| Stocksmith (formerly Craftybase) | Makers selling repeat products on Shopify, Etsy or Amazon | From $20 a month; 14-day trial |
| Zoho Inventory | General product businesses already on Zoho | Free plan; paid plans on its site |
| Sentralbee | Custom shops that quote each order and need true cost, a production board and one inbox | From $45 a month; costing on Growth ($90); 14-day trial |
| Spreadsheets | One person, a few orders a month | Free |
We make Sentralbee, so read our part with that in mind. Other products' facts come from their own pricing pages.
Katana
A cloud manufacturing system with bills of materials, manufacturing orders and custom fields. Powerful for brands making repeat products at volume. The free plan covers up to 30 products; paid plans are quoted. See Sentralbee vs Katana.
MRPeasy
A manufacturing ERP for small manufacturers, with product costing from materials, overhead and labor, manufacturing orders on every plan, and custom fields. From $49 per user a month, with a free trial.
Stocksmith
Formerly Craftybase. Strong at costing repeat products from recipes and tracking batches, with connections to Shopify, Etsy and Amazon. See Sentralbee vs Stocksmith.
Zoho Inventory
A broad stock and order tool with a free plan and assemblies (composite items). It suits general product businesses, especially those already using Zoho Books. See Sentralbee vs Zoho Inventory.
Sentralbee
Built for businesses that make every order a little different:
- True cost per piece from materials, labor and extra cost lines, with below-cost alerts and suggested prices from the Bee
- Custom order lines with the agreed price, measurements or specs, and a promised date
- A production board with your own stages per product, assignment, and stuck or overdue flags
- One inbox for Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and Gmail
- Invoices and Stripe payment links, with deposit and milestone billing on Scale
- Web, iPhone and Android
How do I choose?
- You make the same products in volume and need purchasing and MRP: Katana or MRPeasy.
- You sell repeat handmade products online: Stocksmith.
- You want a free general inventory tool: Zoho Inventory.
- Every order is custom and you quote from cost: Sentralbee.
Not sure what your products really cost? Start with what is true cost? or the free true cost calculator.
Sources
Checked October 2026: Katana pricing, MRPeasy pricing, Stocksmith pricing, Zoho Inventory pricing.
Questions
What is the cheapest manufacturing software for a small shop?
Katana has a free plan for up to 30 products, and Zoho Inventory has a free plan with limits. MRPeasy starts at $49 per user a month. A spreadsheet is free but doesn't update costs for you.
Do I need MRP software for custom work?
Usually not at first. MRP systems shine when you make repeat products at volume with many components. Custom shops more often need quoting from true cost, deposits, a promised date and a simple board to track each piece.
Which software tracks measurements or specs on custom orders?
Sentralbee keeps measurements and specs on each custom order line. Katana and MRPeasy offer custom fields you can set up for specs.