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

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

Pick Fulcrum if

• Fits if you run a precision CNC or sheet metal shop and want quoting through to job costing in one place
• Works for high-mix job shops whose schedule changes day to day

Look elsewhere if

• Not for you if you want to price it yourself first, as no prices are published
• Skip it if you want to try it before talking to anyone, because the only way in is a guided demo
• Watch out: there is no built-in accounting, so you pay for and connect another accounting product
• Tight if you work on the move, since it is a browser system with no phone or desktop apps listed

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.

Fulcrum

• No prices are published and the FAQ says there is no self-serve free trial; the vendor offers guided demos.
• It has no built-in accounting or general ledger, and connects to accounting software instead.
• It runs in a web browser only, on desktops, tablets and other connected devices.

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.

Fulcrum

Items and inventory

Item details and transaction history in one place, with material check-in and audit trails.

Purchase planning

Shows what you need before you need it and can combine purchase orders automatically.

Autoschedule

Builds a production schedule from live production data and adjusts it when priorities change.

Job costing

Uses actual labor, material and operation data to compare estimated with actual job cost.

Quoting and sales orders

Quote and sales order tools, with BOM and routing import or creation.

Archie AI and API

Archie is a built-in AI chat and builder; the vendor also lists MCP and API documentation.

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.

Fulcrum

Pricing could not be confirmed. See fulcrumpro.com.