Fishbowl vs Wasp Barcode (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Fishbowl and Wasp Barcode share a 2.0 GPA, neither has a free plan, and Wasp Barcode starts cheaper, at $108 a month against $229 a month.
Checked Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Fishbowl grades higher on features. Wasp Barcode grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, 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
Wasp Barcode
Barcode-based inventory software from Wasp, cloud or on-premise
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 Wasp Barcode if
- Fits if you scan barcodes and keep stock in bins or several rooms
- Works for firms that want the software on their own server
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you add people, since every extra user is $17 a month on Basic and $22 on Complete
- Tight if you sell online: the ecommerce integration is $1,395 a year and ShipStation is another yearly add-on
- Skip it if you want monthly billing, because the FAQ says it is annual only
- Watch out: multiple warehouses and stores come only with Complete or Enterprise
- Watch out: onboarding is optional but costs $790 for cloud or $1,290 on your own server
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAFishbowlFair | 2.0GPAWasp BarcodeFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CBasic is $108 a month for 1 user billed annually, between the $49 and $349 that bound most inventory tools. Extra users are $17. |
| 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 free cloud trial with all features is offered, but you set it up by contacting Wasp, its length is not stated and there is 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. | CScanning, bins, reorder points, pick orders and reports are covered, but the ecommerce integration is a paid add-on and multi-site tracking needs Complete. |
| 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 barcode labels, scanners and locations take setup. |
| 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, but the only integration listed is ShipStation. No computer app is on record. |
| Best for | QuickBooks users who've outgrown its inventory | small firms that scan barcodes to track stock |
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 Wasp Barcode. 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. Wasp Barcode starts at $108 a month and scores 2.3.
Fishbowl scores higher, and starts $121 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other inventory management tools on the chart, 3 score higher than Fishbowl for less, and 5 score higher than Wasp Barcode 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
- Wasp Barcode also covers reports.
At a glance
| Fishbowl | Wasp Barcode | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | $229 per month for up to 2 users, billed annually | $108 per month, billed annually, for 1 user |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | Free cloud trial with all features; set up by contacting Wasp, length not stated |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Fishbowl | Wasp Barcode Technologies |
| Price read from | fishbowlinventory.com | waspbarcode.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.
Wasp Barcode
- Prices are for annual billing only; the FAQ says monthly invoicing is not offered.
- The ecommerce integration is a $1,395-a-year add-on and the ShipStation integration is a separate yearly add-on.
- Onboarding is optional and costs $790 for cloud, or $1,290 for an on-premise installation.
- The vendor FAQ says tracking across multiple warehouses and stores comes with the Complete and Enterprise versions.
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.
Wasp Barcode
- Barcode scanning on mobile
- A mobile app on iOS and Android, including Wasp mobile computers, to count, receive and move stock.
- Stock tracking by site and bin
- Tracks quantities by site, warehouse, bin and SKU, with lot, date code and serial number tracking.
- Reorder points and alerts
- Sets reorder points down to each bin location, with preferred vendors and low stock notifications.
- Pick orders and purchasing
- Creates pick orders, packing slips, invoices and purchase orders, and can convert a short pick order into a purchase order.
- Reports and labels
- 30+ pre-built reports on Basic and 60+ on Complete, item label printing, and CSV import and export.
- Cloud or on-premise
- Choose the cloud version hosted on AWS or an on-premise install on your own server.
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.
Wasp Barcode
Basic (Cloud)$108
per month for 1 user, billed annually
Wasp Inventory hosted on AWS with 30+ reports. Extra users are $17 a month. The self-hosted version of Basic is $163 a month.
Complete (Cloud)$333
per month for 5 users, billed annually
Adds private cloud hosting, 60+ reports and more. Extra users are $22 a month. The self-hosted version is $500 a month.
EnterpriseCustom
For more than 30 users, billed annually, on contract pricing; contact Wasp for a quote.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Fishbowl or Wasp Barcode?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Wasp Barcode is cheaper to start with: $108 a month, against $229 a month for Fishbowl. Fishbowl starts at $229 per month for up to 2 users, billed annually, and Wasp Barcode starts at $108 per month, billed annually, for 1 user.
Which has a free plan, Fishbowl or Wasp Barcode?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Fishbowl nor Wasp Barcode has a free plan. Wasp Barcode has a free trial.
Which platforms do Fishbowl and Wasp Barcode run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Fishbowl lists macOS and Windows apps and only Wasp Barcode 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.