Fishbowl vs Megaventory (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Megaventory grades higher than Fishbowl: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Megaventory 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
Megaventory
Cloud inventory, order and light manufacturing management
Which one is for you
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 Megaventory if
- Fits if you run a small team that needs stock, orders and a bit of assembly in one place
- Works for sellers who want a flat price for 5 users instead of a per-seat bill
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if your team is bigger than 5, since every extra user is $45 a month
- Tight if you grow past 50k transactions a month, because each extra 25k block is $45 more
- Skip it if you want a free plan: only a 15-day trial is listed, and its card rules are not stated
- Watch out: the $135 figure is the annual rate, paying monthly is $150, and Enterprise has no published price
- Watch out: training is mostly an extra, with just 2 hours in Pro
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAFishbowlFair | 2.2GPAMegaventoryFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | C$135 a month for 5 users on annual billing ($150 monthly) is exactly the middle of what inventory tools charge, about $27 a head; extra users are $45 each. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial. You book a demo, and there's nothing to try on your own first. | DA 15-day free trial is listed, but the page does not say whether it needs a card. No free plan. |
| 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-location stock, sales and purchase orders, manufacturing, mobile scanning, reports and an API, with no gap named in the core job. |
| 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 is on record, and you connect your stores and accounting and set up locations before it earns its keep. |
| 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 plus iOS and Android apps, and integrations with Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, QuickBooks and ShipStation. No desktop app. |
| Best for | QuickBooks users who've outgrown its inventory | small firms that sell, buy and make stock in several places |
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 Megaventory. How we grade
Price against what you get
Fishbowl starts at $229 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Megaventory starts at $135 a month and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and Megaventory starts $94 a month lower. Of the other inventory management tools on the chart, 3 score higher than Fishbowl for less, and 3 score higher than Megaventory for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Megaventory also covers reports and dropshipping.
At a glance
| Fishbowl | Megaventory | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | $229 per month for up to 2 users, billed annually | $135 per month, billed annually ($150 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 15-day free trial |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Fishbowl | Megaventory Inc. |
| Price read from | fishbowlinventory.com | megaventory.com |
| Checked | Nov 9, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
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.
Megaventory
- Pro covers 5 users; extra users are $45 a month each up to 35, and extra 25k transaction blocks are $45 a month up to 200k.
- The Enterprise plan has no published price.
- Onboarding and training are optional extras; Pro includes 2 hours of training.
- The listed monthly figure of $135 is the annual-billing rate; paying monthly is $150.
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.
Megaventory
- Multi-location inventory
- Tracks stock across warehouses and stores with transfers, stock alerts, serial and batch numbers, expiry dates and landed cost calculations.
- Sales and purchase orders
- Handles sales orders, purchase orders, quotes, partial shipping and receiving, consignment and dropshipping.
- Manufacturing
- Bills of materials, multi-level manufacturing, work orders with component allocation and labor costs.
- Mobile app with scanning
- Android and iOS app that scans barcodes, serial and batch numbers with the phone camera or a Bluetooth scanner, synced with the web app.
- Reports and permissions
- Reports on gross profit, inventory value and stock movements, with user permissions and activity logs.
- API and integrations
- An API and integrations with store, accounting, shipping and EDI services are included in the Pro plan.
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.
Megaventory
Pro$135
per month, billed annually ($150 billed monthly)
Flat fee for 5 users, 50k transactions, 20 locations, 20k products and 20k clients, with API and all integrations. Extra users cost $45 a month on annual billing.
EnterpriseCustom
A custom plan for needs beyond Pro; the vendor asks you to contact it.
Ways to pay less
Fishbowl
No public discounts listed.
Megaventory
- Annual discount
10% off with annual billing
The pricing toggle gives a 10% discount on annual billing, taking Pro from $150 to $135 a month.
- Nonprofit
Discounted subscription for non-profits
The pricing section says non-profits can contact the vendor for a discounted subscription.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Fishbowl or Megaventory?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Megaventory is cheaper to start with: $135 a month, against $229 a month for Fishbowl. Fishbowl starts at $229 per month for up to 2 users, billed annually, and Megaventory starts at $135 per month, billed annually ($150 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Fishbowl or Megaventory?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Fishbowl nor Megaventory has a free plan. Megaventory has a free trial.
Which platforms do Fishbowl and Megaventory run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Fishbowl lists macOS and Windows apps and only Megaventory lists an iOS app. Both list a web app and an Android app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.