Fishbowl vs Katana
We give Fishbowl a 2.0 GPA and Katana a 2.4, out of 4.0. Katana grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Fishbowl
Inventory and manufacturing software built around QuickBooks and Xero
Katana
Inventory and production software for makers and manufacturers
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAFishbowlFair | 2.4GPAKatanaFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CEssentials is $229 a month billed yearly for 2 users, a store connection is $50 a month on some plans, and multichannel selling is listed from Growth at $429. Every purchase also needs an implementation package with no published price, so with the real total unknown we've left it in the middle. | CA shop with an online store will pass the free plan's 30 SKUs fast, since every variant and material counts. After that it's Advantage, quoted after a scoping call on one yearly contract, so there's no monthly figure to set against other tools. With no published price, it sits in the middle. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial. You book a demo, and there's nothing to try on your own first. | CFree for up to 30 SKUs with every feature, unlimited users and the API, plus 15 days of unlimited SKUs with no card. A real way to try it, but 30 SKUs is a cap most makers will hit, and support on free is the AI assistant only. |
| Features | BStock and SKU tracking with reorder points, barcode scanning, picking and shipping, lot and serial traceability, and in Fishbowl Advanced, bills of materials, MRP, work orders and EDI. Together that's the whole job, but manufacturing is only in Advanced, a separate quoted product. | BMulti-level bills of materials, routings and work orders, live stock across locations, batch and serial tracking, sales and purchase orders and AI reorder suggestions. That's the whole job for a maker. There are no native phone apps, but the browser warehouse app handles scanning. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. An implementation package is required with every purchase, so setup is a project with Fishbowl's team rather than a sign-up form. | CNo store rating on record to go by. Before it earns its keep you'll set up materials, bills of materials, routings and locations, and the paid plan comes with guided setup for a reason. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, Windows, Mac and Android, but no iPhone app is listed. It links to QuickBooks Online and Desktop, Xero, Amazon, Walmart, WooCommerce, HubSpot and Zebra, with an open API in Fishbowl Advanced. | BWeb only, with no native phone apps. It connects to Shopify, Amazon, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, QuickBooks Online, Xero, ShipStation and HubSpot, has an API, and links to Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini over MCP. |
| Best for | QuickBooks users who've outgrown its inventory | makers who build their own products |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Fishbowl and Katana. How we grade
Where they differ
- Katana has a free plan. Fishbowl does not.
- Only Fishbowl lists Windows, macOS and Android apps.
At a glance
| Fishbowl | Katana | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free plan |
| Starts at | $229 per month for up to 2 users, billed annually | Not published |
| Free plan | None | Free plan for up to 30 SKUs with unlimited users, integrations and locations, every Katana feature and API access. Support is the AI assistant and knowledge base only. |
| Free trial | None listed | A new free account can use unlimited SKUs for 15 days, no card required |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Fishbowl | Katana Technologies OÜ |
| Price read from | fishbowlinventory.com | katanamrp.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Fishbowl
- QuickBooks or Xero users who have outgrown their built-in inventory
- Small manufacturers that need BOMs, work orders and MRP
- Food, chemical and other regulated businesses that must trace lots
Katana
- Small manufacturers that make their own products from raw materials
- Shopify brands that also run production in-house or with co-manufacturers
- Food, cosmetics and other businesses that must trace batches
Worth knowing
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.
Katana
- No price is published beyond the free plan: Advantage is quoted after a scoping call and sold as one annual contract.
- The free plan stops at 30 SKUs, counting each product or material variant, and has no live support.
- There are no native phone apps; the warehouse app runs in a mobile browser at wh.katanamrp.com.
Key features
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.
Katana
- Production planning
- Multi-level bills of materials, routings and work orders, with materials assigned to orders and finished goods returned to stock when production ends.
- Live inventory across locations
- Stock for products and materials across warehouses, production sites and partner locations, with transfers and a real-time availability planner.
- Batch and serial traceability
- Track lot numbers, serial numbers and expiry dates from supplier to customer to answer recalls and audits.
- Sales and purchase orders
- Orders from Shopify, Amazon, WooCommerce and wholesale in one list, purchase orders with landed costs, price lists and multiple currencies.
- Warehouse app and barcode scanning
- A browser-based warehouse app for receiving, picking, packing and stocktakes with a phone camera or a rugged scanner.
- AI replenishment and MCP
- AI purchase-order suggestions based on demand history, and an MCP connection to query and update Katana from Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini.
Plans
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.
Katana
Free$0
Up to 30 SKUs, unlimited users, integrations and inventory locations, all features and API access, with self-serve setup.
AdvantageCustom
Unlimited SKUs on one annual contract that includes guided setup, custom integrations and reports, a success manager and 24/7 live support.
