Acctivate vs Fishbowl (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Acctivate if

• Fits if your books are in QuickBooks and you run Windows PCs
• Works for small distributors that need costing and assemblies

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you use a Mac or want a browser-only tool, as the listing is Windows only
• Not for you if you want a price first, since packages come through a quote form
• Tight if you are one person, as the Starter package covers one user and Professional five
• Watch out: mobile warehouse, EDI, bin-location and web store tools are package modules
• Skip it if you want to try free, as no trial is listed

Pick Fishbowl if

• Fits if your books live in QuickBooks or Xero and you've outgrown their inventory
• Works for food, chemical and other regulated businesses tracing lots

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want to try it yourself first, as it's demo only with no trial
• Pricey if you sell online, since multichannel selling is listed from Growth at $429 a month
• Not for you if your team uses iPhones, as no iPhone app is listed
• Watch out: every purchase needs an implementation package, and its price isn't published
• Pricey if you make products, as MRP and work orders need Fishbowl Advanced from $675 a month

Acctivate

• No prices are published: packages are quoted through a Get my price form or the sales team.
• The Starter package covers a single user; Professional is described as covering five users.
• The pricing page lists mobile warehouse, EDI, bin-location and web store tools as package modules, so not every feature is in every package.

Fishbowl

• An implementation package is required with every purchase, and its price is not published.
• Fishbowl Inventory plans do not include manufacturing; bills of materials, work orders and MRP need Fishbowl Advanced.
• Fishbowl Advanced prices are starting points quoted by users and deployment, and the vendor calls them illustrative.
• Standard ecommerce and marketplace integrations cost $50 a month on some plans, and the B2B portal and custom reports are add-ons.

Acctivate

Inventory costing and tracing

Unlimited products, landed cost, lot and serial tracking, and average, standard, LIFO, FIFO or actual costing methods.

QuickBooks sync

Two-way integration with QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online, so accounting stays in QuickBooks.

Multi-channel orders

Brings in-store, phone, web store and EDI orders into one workflow, with quotes, kitting and drop ship handling.

Warehouse tools

Multiple warehouses, counts and transfers; bin locations, picklists and mobile barcode receiving sit in the higher packages.

Reports and alerts

Over 100 standard reports, a customizable dashboard and alerts for reorders, credit holds and overdue invoices.

Manufacturing and assemblies

Handles discrete, process, refurbish and custom production runs; listed as part of the Professional package.

Fishbowl

Accounting sync

Posts inventory movements, COGS and landed costs to QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop or Xero.

Barcode scanning and labels

Mobile barcode scanning on every plan, with an Android warehouse app for handheld scanners, barcode printing and cycle counts.

Reordering and forecasting

Reorder points on every plan, automated reordering from Growth, and demand forecasting included on Scale or as an add-on.

Lot and serial traceability

Lot, serial number and expiry tracking with forward and backward traceability for recalls and regulated goods.

Manufacturing in Fishbowl Advanced

Multi-level bills of materials, sub-assemblies, MRP, production scheduling, work orders and made-to-order builds.

Warehousing and EDI

Multi-warehouse, 3PL and EDI-driven distribution with tiered pricing rules, RMAs and audit trails in Fishbowl Advanced.

Acctivate

Pricing could not be confirmed. See acctivate.com.

Fishbowl

• Essentials$229

  per month for up to 2 users, billed annually

  Fishbowl Inventory, sold after a demo. QuickBooks Online and Xero sync, real-time stock and SKU tracking, reorder points and mobile scanning.

• Growth$429

  per month for up to 5 users, billed annually

  Adds picking, receiving and shipping, automated reordering, multichannel selling, sales-tax automation, AI insights and unlimited warehouses.

• Scale$729

  per month for up to 10 users, billed annually

  Adds demand forecasting, lot traceability, audit trails, compliance documents for GMP, FDA and ISO, and advanced AI automations.

• Advanced Warehouse$595

  per month and up

  Fishbowl Advanced, quoted by users and deployment. Multi-warehouse, 3PL and EDI workflows, transfer orders, payment processing and audit trails.

• Advanced Manufacturing$675

  per month and up

  Fishbowl Advanced, quoted by users and deployment. Bills of materials, MRP, scheduling, work orders, job and labor costing, lot tracking and an open API.