Best AI tools to manufacturing planning (MRP)

Short answer

Katana ranks #1 for manufacturing planning (MRP) (score 9.5/10). Pricing: Custom pricing (contact sales) (Advantage plan); free tier: yes. Runners-up: Smartsheet, Cin7.

Top 5, ranked by our published rubric. Sponsorship never affects the order. Last updated 2026-10-13.

Compare the top 5 side by side

#	Tool	Score	Pricing	Paid from	Free tier	What it is
1	Katana	9.5	Free tier	Custom pricing (contact sales) (Advantage plan)	yes	Manufacturing ERP and inventory
2	Smartsheet	7.9	From $9	Pro $9/member/mo, billed yearly (currency unconfirmed)	no (trial)	Work management platform
3	Cin7	7.8	From $349	From $349/month as listed	Unverified	Inventory management
4	Airtable	7.8	Free tier	Team $20/user/mo	yes	Database app builder with AI
5	monday.com	6.2	From $9	$9/seat/mo	Unverified	Work management

Rank 1

Katana

Free tierVisit Katana (opens in a new tab)

Manufacturing ERP and inventory

Score 9.5/10Paid from: Custom pricing (contact sales) (Advantage plan)Free tier: yesLast verified 2026-10-13

Why ranked: Its own site says: “Optimize operations with Katana, the cloud-based inventory management software designed for real-time production and material tracking.” We placed it 1st of 5 on fit for this task. No public price (sales-led).

Fit 10.0 · value 8.1 · breadth 10 · availability 10 (how we score) · pricing source · site live

Rank 2

Smartsheet

From $9Visit Smartsheet (opens in a new tab)

Work management platform

Score 7.9/10Paid from: Pro $9/member/mo, billed yearly (currency unconfirmed)Free tier: no (trial)Last verified 2026-10-13

Why ranked: Its own site says: “Personalize workflows, predict outcomes, and move faster with Smartsheet – a platform built for the way you work.” We placed it 3rd of 5 on fit for this task. No free plan confirmed; paid from Pro $9/member/mo, billed yearly (currency unconfirmed).

Fit 7.0 · value 7.5 · breadth 10 · availability 10 (how we score) · pricing source · site live

Rank 3

Cin7

From $349Visit Cin7 (opens in a new tab)

Inventory management

Score 7.8/10Paid from: From $349/month as listedFree tier: UnverifiedLast verified 2026-10-13

Why ranked: Its own site says: “Streamline your inventory management with Cin7” We placed it 2nd of 5 on fit for this task. No free plan confirmed; paid from From $349/month as listed.

Fit 8.5 · value 4.4 · breadth 10 · availability 10 (how we score) · pricing source · site live

SPONSORED Your tool here: paid placement is shown here, separate from the ranking, and never changes the order. Advertise

Rank 4

Airtable

Free tierVisit Airtable (opens in a new tab)

Database app builder with AI

Score 7.8/10Paid from: Team $20/user/moFree tier: yesLast verified 2026-10-13

Why ranked: Its own site says: “500,000+ brands use Airtable to enable real-time collaboration, automate repetitive tasks & manual work, and streamline business processes in minutes.” We placed it 4th of 5 on fit for this task. Free tier; paid from Team $20/user/mo.

Fit 5.5 · value 10.0 · breadth 10 · availability 10 (how we score) · pricing source · site live

Rank 5

monday.com

From $9Visit monday.com (opens in a new tab)

Work management

Score 6.2/10Paid from: $9/seat/moFree tier: UnverifiedLast verified 2026-10-13

Why ranked: Its own site says: “Get more work done with AI agents that work side by side with your people.” We placed it 5th of 5 on fit for this task. No free plan confirmed; paid from $9/seat/mo.

Fit 4.0 · value 6.9 · breadth 10 · availability 10 (how we score) · pricing source · site live

FAQ

What is the best AI tool to manufacturing planning (MRP)?

By TaskRanking's published rubric, Katana ranks first, followed by Smartsheet and Cin7.

Is there a free AI tool to manufacturing planning (MRP)?

Yes: Katana has a free tier per its own pricing page (checked 2026-10-13).

How are these tools ranked?

Score = 50% fit, 25% value (from vendor pricing pages), 15% breadth, 10% availability. Sponsorship never affects rank.