How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- For small manufacturers that schedule visually, Katana (custom-quoted Advantage plan, free tier up to 30 SKUs) and MRPeasy ($49 per user per month on Starter) are the most approachable entries.
- Job shops quoting custom work should shortlist JobBOSS2 (custom quote, the industry veteran) and Fishbowl (from $229 per month on Inventory Essentials).
- The budget cloud ERP route is ERPAG ($49 per month on Basic) or Odoo ($31.10 per user per month on Standard annual, with a free one-app tier).
- Inventory-led operations fit Cin7 (Core Standard $349 per month) and Unleashed ($410 per month on Medium); Prodsmart prices by module for shop-floor execution.
- Every price below comes from the vendor's own website, checked in October 2026.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Katana | Small manufacturers that want visual drag-and-drop production scheduling | See website (Advantage plan, custom annual contract) | Free plan (up to 30 SKUs) |
 MRPeasy | Small factories that want genuine MRP planning at a per-user price | $49/user/month (Starter plan) | Free trial (30 days) |
 Prodsmart | Manufacturers that want real-time shop-floor data feeding the schedule | See website (priced per module) | No |
 JobBOSS2 | Job shops quoting custom, make-to-order and mixed-mode work | See website (custom quote) | No |
 Fishbowl | QuickBooks users whose inventory needs outgrew the accounting system | From $229/month (Inventory Essentials, billed annually, 2 users) | No free plan |
 Odoo | Businesses that want manufacturing scheduling inside a modular ERP | $31.10/user/month (Standard, billed annually, US pricing) | Yes (One App Free, $0) |
 Cin7 | Inventory-led businesses that also run production | $349/month (Core Standard, 5 users) | Free trial (14 days) |
 Unleashed | Manufacturers that need serious inventory control with production scheduling | $410/month (Medium, 1 to 5 users) | Free trial (14 days) |
 ERPAG | Small manufacturers wanting cloud ERP with scheduling on a budget | $49/month (Basic plan, includes 5 users) | Free trial available |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
The best manufacturing scheduling software
Here is the blunt truth about manufacturing scheduling: most shops do not have a scheduling problem, they have a visibility problem. The whiteboard worked fine when the business had six people. It fails when the business has forty, because one planner holds the entire plan in their head and everyone else is waiting.
Manufacturing scheduling software replaces that single point of failure with a shared, constraint-aware plan. The nine tools below cover the real options for small and mid-size manufacturers, from visual schedulers to full MRP and ERP systems.
Prices come from each vendor's own site, checked in October 2026. Where vendors publish no prices, we say so instead of guessing.
#1
Katana
Best for: Small manufacturers that want visual drag-and-drop production scheduling
Visit katanamrp.com
Starting priceSee website (Advantage plan, custom annual contract)
Free planFree plan (up to 30 SKUs)
Katana schedules production the way small manufacturers actually think. The visual planner shows orders, materials and capacity together, and dragging a job reshuffles priorities without a retraining course. For shops making finished goods from raw materials, the link between the schedule and live inventory prevents the classic failure of promising what you cannot build.
Katana now sells through custom-quoted Advantage annual contracts, so small shops must talk to sales for a number. The free plan covering up to 30 SKUs lets very small makers run real production before paying. It is the gentlest on-ramp on this list, though complex job shops will outgrow its planning depth.
What we like- Visual schedule that mirrors how small factories actually plan
- Live inventory tied to production orders
- Quick to implement for small teams
Watch out for- No published pricing since the move to custom Advantage contracts
- Deeper MRP features trail MRPeasy and JobBOSS
#2
MRPeasy
Best for: Small factories that want genuine MRP planning at a per-user price
Visit mrpeasy.com
Starting price$49/user/month (Starter plan)
Free planFree trial (30 days)
MRPeasy brings big-factory planning discipline to shops with 10 to 200 people. Starter at $49 per user per month includes production planning, inventory, procurement and sales management, which is a genuine MRP scope at a price small manufacturers can budget without a sales call. Professional at $69, Enterprise at $99 and Unlimited at $149 add depth as the operation grows.
The scheduler balances materials and capacity against actual demand, and rescheduling production orders takes minutes. The interface is utilitarian rather than beautiful, and the learning curve is real, but the 30-day trial is long enough to run a real production cycle. For manufacturers that need MRP rather than just a calendar, this is the value benchmark.
What we like- Real MRP with material requirements planning and capacity scheduling
- Transparent per-user pricing with no quote needed
- Strong barcode and shop-floor support
Watch out for- Interface prioritizes function over polish
- Advanced features need the $69 to $149 higher tiers
#3
Prodsmart
Best for: Manufacturers that want real-time shop-floor data feeding the schedule
Visit prodsmart.com
Starting priceSee website (priced per module)
Free planNo
Prodsmart starts at the machine, not the spreadsheet. Operators log production on mobile devices, job progress updates in real time, and the schedule reflects what is actually happening on the floor rather than what was planned last week. For managers tired of end-of-shift surprises, that live feedback loop is the whole argument.
Pricing is modular and unpublished, which makes budgeting harder: expect a sales conversation to scope the modules your operation needs. Prodsmart fits manufacturers whose scheduling problem is really a visibility problem, and it pairs well with an ERP or accounting system handling the financial side. Standalone planners will find MRPeasy or Katana more self-contained.
What we like- Mobile-first data capture from machines and operators
- Real-time visibility into job progress
- Modular pricing means paying only for needed functions
Watch out for- No published prices, so every evaluation starts with sales
- Narrower planning scope than full MRP systems
Starting priceSee website (custom quote)
Free planNo
JobBOSS2 from ECI Software Solutions is the current home of the old JobBOSS and legacy E2 Shop lines, so shops searching for either land on the same product. It has scheduled job shops since before cloud software existed, and it shows in the fit. Quoting, job costing, labor tracking, material management and visual scheduling are built for high-mix, low-volume work where every order is different. The current JobBOSS2 cloud product carries that depth into a modern deployment with three options: multi-tenant SaaS, private hosted cloud or on-premise.
ECI publishes no prices, so expect discovery calls and a custom quote. Implementations suit shops committed to changing how they operate, not buyers wanting software by Friday. For make-to-order manufacturers that live on quotes and due dates, few tools understand the workflow this well.
What we like- Decades of job-shop-specific functionality, from quoting to shipping
- Visual scheduling built for high-mix work
- QuickBooks Desktop integration
Watch out for- No published pricing and a traditionally sales-led buying process
- Implementation is a project, not a signup
Starting priceFrom $229/month (Inventory Essentials, billed annually, 2 users)
Free planNo free plan
Fishbowl is where QuickBooks users go when inventory outgrows the ledger. Inventory Essentials starts at $229 per month on annual billing for two users, with Growth at $429 and Scale at $729 adding users and depth. The manufacturing add-on ($149 per month on Growth, $199 on Scale) brings work orders, bills of materials and production scheduling into the same system as inventory.
The QuickBooks integration is the reason most buyers arrive: financials stay in QuickBooks while Fishbowl runs the warehouse and the floor. There is no free plan and no published trial on the pricing page, so negotiate a demo period. For small manufacturers standardized on QuickBooks, it is the path of least resistance.
What we like- Deep QuickBooks integration for inventory and manufacturing
- Manufacturing add-on handles work orders and bills of materials
- Scales from small shops upward
Watch out for- The manufacturing add-on costs extra ($149 to $199 per month)
- Entry price is steep for very small shops
#6
Odoo
Best for: Businesses that want manufacturing scheduling inside a modular ERP
Visit odoo.com
Starting price$31.10/user/month (Standard, billed annually, US pricing)
Free planYes (One App Free, $0)
Odoo does not sell scheduling software; it sells an ERP with scheduling inside. The Manufacturing app handles work orders, bills of materials, work centers and planning, while the same login runs CRM, accounting, inventory and purchasing. Standard at $31.10 per user per month on annual billing covers all apps, which undercuts most dedicated tools on breadth per dollar.
The One App Free tier lets a tiny shop run just manufacturing for $0, a genuine free entry no rival matches. The trade-off is depth: dedicated MRP tools like MRPeasy and JobBOSS2 plan production more rigorously. Odoo suits businesses that want one system for everything and accept good-enough manufacturing rather than best-in-class.
What we like- Manufacturing is one app in a huge modular suite (CRM, accounting, inventory)
- One App Free tier costs nothing to start
- Pricing is transparent per user
Watch out for- Manufacturing depth is lighter than dedicated MRP tools
- Multi-app setups need configuration effort
#7
Cin7
Best for: Inventory-led businesses that also run production
Visit cin7.com
Starting price$349/month (Core Standard, 5 users)
Free planFree trial (14 days)
Cin7 schedules production as one part of a bigger inventory operation. Core Standard at $349 per month for five users covers inventory, warehousing, order management and production, with Pro at $599 and Advanced at $1,199 adding automation and depth. Businesses selling across channels while manufacturing some of what they sell get both sides in one system.
Pure manufacturers should note the emphasis: this is inventory software with production features, not an MRP system. The 14-day trial is enough to test the production module against a real bill of materials. For brands that both make and distribute, the combined scope beats buying two systems.
What we like- Strong inventory and order management with production built in
- Handles multi-channel sales alongside manufacturing
- Clear tiered pricing
Watch out for- Manufacturing is secondary to inventory in the product's DNA
- $349 entry price exceeds pure scheduling tools
Starting price$410/month (Medium, 1 to 5 users)
Free planFree trial (14 days)
Unleashed is the inventory specialist that learned to schedule. Medium at $410 per month covers one to five users, with Large at $785 and Large Plus at $1,188 scaling the operation. Batch and serial tracking, landed cost calculations and real-time margin visibility make it a favorite of food, supplement and parts manufacturers where traceability matters.
Production scheduling sits on top of that inventory accuracy: work orders consume tracked stock and report real costs. The flat tier pricing stings for two-person shops but becomes reasonable as headcount grows. The 14-day trial is worth using with your actual product data, since inventory accuracy is the feature you are really buying.
What we like- Deep inventory accuracy with batch, serial and expiry tracking
- Production scheduling with real-time cost visibility
- Strong Xero and QuickBooks integrations
Watch out for- Priced per tier rather than per user, so small teams pay the full $410
- No free plan beyond the trial
#9
ERPAG
Best for: Small manufacturers wanting cloud ERP with scheduling on a budget
Visit erpag.com
Starting price$49/month (Basic plan, includes 5 users)
Free planFree trial available
ERPAG is the budget entry into cloud ERP with scheduling included. Basic at $49 per month covers production planning, inventory, sales and accounting for five users, with Professional at $99 and Advanced at $199 adding capacity. Few ERP products publish a real price this low with users included.
The scope is honest ERP rather than a point scheduler: work orders, material planning and shop-floor reporting come with the financials. The ecosystem is smaller than Odoo's and the interface shows its age, but the free trial lets a shop prove the fit. For manufacturers priced out of bigger ERP, ERPAG is the pragmatic starting point.
What we like- Full cloud ERP (production, inventory, sales, accounting) from $49 a month
- Five users included in every tier
- Straightforward pricing with no quote needed
Watch out for- Smaller ecosystem and fewer integrations than Odoo
- Interface and reporting feel dated next to newer tools
Do you need full MRP or just scheduling software
Scheduling software answers when each job runs and on which machine or work center. MRP answers what materials you need, when to order them, and whether capacity exists at all. Many small manufacturers need the first and assume they need the second.
You need full MRP when stock-outs stop production, when purchasing is guesswork, or when quoting requires real material and labor costs. MRPeasy, JobBOSS2, Fishbowl with its manufacturing add-on, and the ERP options here cover that ground. You need just scheduling when materials are simple, inventory is someone else's problem, or the pain is purely sequencing jobs: Katana and Prodsmart fit that narrower brief.
The middle path is common: start with scheduling plus basic inventory, and add MRP depth when growth demands it. Odoo and ERPAG make that graduation cheap since the modules are already there.
How to choose manufacturing scheduling software
Start with capacity logic. Finite capacity scheduling respects real machine and labor limits; infinite capacity assumes both are always available and produces plans the floor cannot execute. Ask every vendor which model their scheduler uses before you trust a demo.
Next, check the material link. A schedule that ignores material availability will happily plan jobs you cannot start. Tools with MRP or live inventory ties (MRPeasy, Katana, Fishbowl, Unleashed) prevent that; pure schedulers need a disciplined inventory process beside them.
Then look at data capture. A schedule is only as current as its inputs, so favor tools with shop-floor reporting, barcode scanning or mobile entry if your floor runs on paper today. Finally, confirm the accounting integration: job costs should flow to QuickBooks, Xero or the built-in ledger without retyping. Run a real week of your own orders through the trial.
How we chose
We checked each vendor's own pricing page in October 2026 and opened every official homepage to confirm the website address. We favored tools with genuine production scheduling for small and mid-size manufacturers, covering visual schedulers, MRP systems and ERP suites. Where vendors publish no prices, we marked it clearly instead of estimating. We report no hands-on testing, user counts or ratings.
Frequently asked questions
What is manufacturing scheduling software?
It plans when each production job runs, on which machine or work center, and in what sequence, balancing due dates against capacity, materials and labor. Advanced tools re-plan automatically when orders, machines or staffing change.
How much does manufacturing scheduling software cost?
Entry points range from $49 per month (MRPeasy per user, ERPAG flat) to $229 per month (Fishbowl Essentials) and $349 to $410 per month for inventory-led platforms (Cin7, Unleashed). JobBOSS2, Katana and Prodsmart are custom-quoted.
Can manufacturing scheduling software integrate with QuickBooks?
Yes. Fishbowl and JobBOSS2 integrate deeply with QuickBooks Desktop, Unleashed connects to QuickBooks and Xero, and most others export job costs or sync through integrations. Confirm your exact QuickBooks version with the vendor before buying.
What is the difference between MRP and scheduling software?
MRP plans materials and capacity: what to buy, when, and whether the plant can handle the load. Scheduling software sequences jobs against available resources. MRP systems include scheduling; standalone schedulers usually do not include MRP.
Which scheduling software is best for a small job shop?
JobBOSS2 is the purpose-built veteran for custom job shops. MRPeasy offers real MRP planning from $49 per user per month with transparent pricing. Katana is the simplest visual option for shops with straightforward production.
Sources we checked (11)
- https://katanamrp.com/pricing
- https://www.mrpeasy.com/pricing/
- https://www.prodsmart.com/pricing/
- https://www.ecisolutions.com/products/jobboss2/
- https://www.fishbowlinventory.com/pricing
- https://www.odoo.com/pricing
- https://www.cin7.com/pricing/
- https://www.unleashedsoftware.com/pricing/
- https://www.erpag.com/prices
- https://www.g2.com/categories/manufacturing-scheduling
- https://www.capterra.com/mrp-software/
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.