Flowlens vs Katana: Which is Right for Complex, Multi-Level Manufacturing?

Flowlens and Katana Cloud Manufacturing are both cloud manufacturing platforms, but they’re built for different starting points. Katana was built from the ground up for direct-to-consumer brands selling through Shopify, Amazon and similar channels, syncing orders straight into production.

Flowlens is built for device, equipment and machinery manufacturers handling complex, multi-level assemblies and equipment that needs servicing long after it’s sold — a very different sales and production model to e-commerce fulfilment.

At A Glance

Flowlens
Katana
Best fit
Device, equipment & machinery manufacturers with complex assemblies
D2C/e-commerce brands manufacturing for Shopify, Amazon and similar channels
Multi-level BOM & sub-assemblies
Core to the product
Available, though full depth and lot/batch traceability are separate paid add-ons on top of the base plan
Batch/lot/serial traceability
Available, through to service
Available as a paid add-on
Service / after-sales module
Available service module
Not a core focus
CRM
Sales Pipeline, Quoting and Order CRM included
Not a core focus — built around e-commerce order sync
E-commerce integration
On Roadmap for 2027
Native Shopify, Amazon, BigCommerce, WooCommerce sync
Accounting integration
Xero, QuickBooks, Sage 50
Xero, QuickBooks Online
Pricing model
Per-user, UK-based support, flat starting price and add on modules as you expand
Tiered, with core MRP capability (traceability, multi-level BOM depth, labour costing) often sold as separate add-ons
Company & Support
UK-based, hands-on implementation support
Estonia HQ, self-service oriented

Where Flowlens goes deeper

Multi-level BOMs at scale, not just in theory. Capcoder, a machinery manufacturer serving the pharmaceutical and life-science sector, came to Flowlens managing 48,000 BOMs on paper, spreadsheets and a legacy MRP.

By standardising on reusable templates, they’ve since consolidated that down to 24,000 — cutting the number in half while making each one more accurate.

As their General Manager Paul Atherton put it: creating a new build used to mean starting a BOM from scratch; now “you copy that across, you’ve got 90% of your work instructions” already done.

A single source of truth from quote to spares. Capcoder wanted to go from a machine’s serial number straight to the BOM it was built on to identify spare parts — a workflow built into Flowlens’ service module.

Katana has no equivalent after-sales/service capability; it’s built around the order-to-production loop, not the post-sale equipment lifecycle.

Traceability as standard, not an add-on. Batch, lot and serial tracking are core to how Flowlens works, carried through to service history. On Katana, this level of traceability is commonly sold as a separate module on top of the base subscription.

Where Katana might be the better fit

If you’re selling direct-to-consumer through Shopify, Amazon or similar channels, and your manufacturing process is more about keeping pace with e-commerce order volume than managing complex multi-level assemblies, Katana’s native storefront integrations are a genuine strength Flowlens doesn’t try to compete with.

Flowlens is built for a different kind of manufacturer – one building and servicing complex equipment, not fulfilling consumer orders at volume.

Flowlens’ implementation experts partner with customers to implement the software, and speak with customers regularly to inform the product roadmap.

Screenshot of Flowlens multi-level BOM with stock availability and product yield calculations
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Frequently Asked Questions

Flowlens starts from £479/month, including 4 office users and 2 full users, unlimited parts/SKUs and orders, and shopfloor data capture. Katana’s published starting price is lower, but full manufacturing functionality (traceability, advanced production features) is often behind paid add-ons — worth comparing total cost for the features you’d actually need, not just the entry price.

Yes, at a basic level. Full BOM depth and traceability features are commonly gated behind higher tiers or add-ons — check Katana’s current plans directly. Flowlens includes multi-level BOM and sub-assembly management as core functionality from the start.

Flowlens offers a dedicated service module linking machine serial numbers back to the original BOM.

Katana is built around e-commerce order fulfilment and doesn’t have an equivalent after-sales service capability.

Rather than a generic free trial, Flowlens offers a guided demo built around your actual products and processes — so you’re seeing how the system handles your BOMs, your workflow, and your team, not a generic sandbox. It’s a more thorough way to judge fit before committing, and it means the team helping you evaluate the software is the same team that’ll support your implementation if you go ahead. Book a discovery call to get started.

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Book a guided walkthrough of our system today to see how Flowlens can transform the future of your business.

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Ahmed Alainiah of Talbott's Biomass Energy Systems Ltd talks about the Flowlens MRP system

“I would say for management, it’s a good 20% time-saving. It’s been a good decision to move forward with Flowlens.”

Ahmed Alainiah
Technical Operations Director
Talbot’s Biomass Energy Systems Ltd

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