Updated October 2026. Every price below was checked on the tool's own website on 4 October 2026. We refresh this guide every quarter.
We make Stockria, one of the tools on this list. We have tried to be fair. Each tool below has a section on who it fits and who it does not, and we say where others do things Stockria does not.
How we picked
A soap maker needs four things from inventory software:
- Recipes that know their cost. Oils bought by the kg, used by the gram, with a cost per bar.
- Batches that cure. Bars that are made but not ready to sell for four to six weeks.
- Lot numbers. So you can trace a bar back to the batch it came from.
- Stock that matches your shops. Etsy, Shopify, markets.
We only list tools that publish a price, or say clearly that they do not.
The short list
| Tool | Price (monthly billing) | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Stockria | Free for 250 items, then $19, $39 or $89 | Makers who want every feature on a small budget |
| Stocksmith (formerly Craftybase) | $20 to $349, lots from $99 | Makers who know Craftybase and its reports |
| Inventora | $23, $48 or $120 | Candle and soap makers on Squarespace |
| Makers Manager | $9, $19, $39 or $89 | Solo makers who want a simple recipe tool |
| SoapMaker 3 | Free, $49 or $99 one time | Soap makers on Windows who mostly need recipes |
| Katana | From $299, lots +$249 | Larger brands with a planning team |
| A spreadsheet | Free | A handful of recipes and one sales channel |
Our number: what lot tracking costs
The cheapest plan that lists batch or lot tracking, per tool, on 4 October 2026:
- Stockria: $0. Every plan, including Free.
- Inventora: $23 a month. Batch traceability on every plan.
- Stocksmith: $99 a month. Batch and lot tracking from the Indie plan.
- Katana: $548 a month. The Core plan from $299 plus the $249 Traceability add-on.
So the same feature costs anywhere from $0 to $548 a month. If lot numbers matter to you, check this first.
1. Stockria
Price: Free for 250 items, 1 user. Pro $19/mo with unlimited items and 2 users. Business $39/mo with 8 users. Growth $89/mo with 25 users.
Good for soap makers because: recipes cost every bar from what you paid for each oil. Buy by the kg, write the recipe in grams. A batch can cure as work in progress on an In Production board with a ready date. Each batch gets a lot number and an expiry date. Stock syncs with Shopify, Etsy, Amazon, Square, Wix and WooCommerce. It works offline at a market. We set up your account for you, free.
Not for you if: you want a lye calculator built in. Stockria costs recipes, it does not design them. Use a soap calculator first, then bring the recipe in. It also has no Squarespace connection and does not read supplier invoices.
Try the free soap cost calculator to see your cost per bar.
2. Stocksmith (formerly Craftybase)
Price: Pro from $20/mo (one sales channel), Studio $49, Indie $99, Business $199, Growth $349. About 17% off yearly. 14-day trial, no free plan.
Good for soap makers because: it has been built only for makers since 2011, first as Craftybase. Its cost of goods reports are deep, and many soap makers know them well.
Not for you if: you want lot tracking on a small budget. Batch and lot tracking start on Indie at $99/mo, and automatic stock sync on Business at $199/mo. The price is set by order lines a month, so a busy season can move you up a plan. We wrote up what changed with the rename and an honest comparison.
3. Inventora
Price: Starter $23/mo, Business $48, Growth $120. About 18% off yearly. 7-day trial.
Good for soap makers because: it was started by a candle maker, and it has batch traceability on every plan. It connects to Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, Square, Wix and Squarespace, and it can read a supplier invoice from a PDF or a photo.
Not for you if: you have a big range. Starter stops at 500 materials and 500 product variants, and at 2 integrations. More needs Business at $48. See Inventora vs Stockria.
4. Makers Manager
Price: Maker $9/mo (100 materials, 100 products), Studio $19, Business $39, Growth $89. Two months free yearly.
Good for soap makers because: it is simple and cheap, with a recipe builder and average cost math. It also tracks markets and expenses.
Not for you if: you sell online. Its pricing page lists no store integrations. Its Soap Lab tool was listed as coming soon.
5. SoapMaker 3
Price: a free edition, Lite $49 or Professional $99, paid once.
Good for soap makers because: it is a soap calculator and organizer in one. It keeps recipes, supplies, INCI names and cost per bar, and you pay once.
Not for you if: you use a Mac, an iPad or a Chromebook. It needs Windows. It is a desktop program, so your stock is on one computer, not synced with your online shops.
6. Katana
Price: Free for 30 SKUs. Core from $299/mo plus a fee per sales order delivered. Traceability add-on $249/mo.
Good for soap makers because: it is strong software with unlimited users, forecasting and many integrations. It suits a brand with a team that plans production.
Not for you if: you are a small studio. Lot numbers alone take you to $548 a month. See our Katana comparison.
7. A spreadsheet
Price: free.
Good for soap makers because: it is flexible and you already know it. For five recipes and one shop, it works.
Not for you if: you sell in more than one place or need lot numbers. When the price of olive oil goes up, every formula that uses it needs fixing by hand. Our free inventory spreadsheet template is a good start if you are not ready for software.
How to choose
- Just starting, one shop: a spreadsheet, SoapMaker 3, or Stockria Free.
- Selling on two or more channels: Stockria, Inventora or Stocksmith.
- Need lot numbers and expiry dates on a small budget: Stockria or Inventora.
- On Squarespace: Inventora.
- A growing brand with a planner: Katana.
Whatever you pick, try it with one real recipe first. If you want to try Stockria without the setup work, send us a recipe and we build it for you.
Sources, all read on 4 October 2026: stocksmith.io/pricing, inventora.com/pricing-plans, makersmanager.com/pricing, soapmaker.ca/purchase.php, katanamrp.com/pricing. Names are the trademarks of their owners. Stockria is not connected to any of these companies.