Fishbowl
Inventory and manufacturing software built around QuickBooks and Xero
Fishbowl report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 18, 2026
Best for QuickBooks users who've outgrown its inventory
Fishbowl adds proper inventory to QuickBooks or Xero: barcode scanning, reorder points, lots and serials and, in the separate Fishbowl Advanced, bills of materials, MRP and work orders. It's sold only after a demo, with no trial, and every purchase needs an implementation package whose price isn't published.
Who Fishbowl is for
- Great if your books live in QuickBooks or Xero and you've outgrown their inventory
- Handy when you make products and need bills of materials, MRP and work orders
- Good for food, chemical and other regulated businesses tracing lots
Who Fishbowl is not for
- 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
Why Fishbowl gets a 2.0
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyEssentials 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.
- FFree plan and trialNo free plan and no trial. You book a demo, and there's nothing to try on your own first.
- BFeaturesStock 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.
- CEase of useNo 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.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb, 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.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Fishbowl's own pages on 18 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make Fishbowl? Put this grade on your site
Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges
<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/fishbowl#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/fishbowl.svg" alt="Fishbowl: 2.0 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Fishbowl stands among inventory management tools
Fishbowl's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 1 of the 11 other inventory management tools we grade, and level with 1.
It stands best on features (B, above 2 of 11) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $229 a month, against a middle price of $95 for the category: 6 of the 9 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 3 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 12 inventory management tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Fishbowl’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 2 of 11, level with 6
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 11, level with 2
- BFeaturesAbove 2 of 11, level with 9
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 11, level with 9
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 11, level with 9
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 10 inventory management tools. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Fishbowl, or make your own?
Keep it
The plain part of Fishbowl you could make: inventory. What surrounds it you could not. The 5 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 9 of the 11 other inventory management tools grade higher. It costs $2,748 a year.
What you could make
- Inventory: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- Scanning barcodes with a phone camera or a scanner.
- Apps for macOS, Windows and Android that stay in step with each other.
- It plugs into other products, QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop and Xero among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Fishbowl’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Fishbowl?
Fishbowl makes inventory software for businesses that sell physical goods and keep their books in QuickBooks or Xero. Fishbowl Inventory is a cloud product for resellers of finished goods, with barcode scanning, reorder points and ecommerce channels. Fishbowl Advanced is a separate, quoted platform for manufacturers and multi-warehouse distributors, with bills of materials, MRP, work orders and EDI.
Fishbowl is a paid product, starting at $229 per month for up to 2 users, billed annually. See every plan
Good for
- 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
Worth knowing
- 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.
Key features
- 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.
Fishbowl pricing
- Starts at
- $229 per month for up to 2 users, billed annually
- Free plan
- None
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Essentials | $229per 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 | $429per 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 | $729per 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 | $595per 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 | $675per 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. |
Read from fishbowlinventory.com on Oct 18, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Fishbowl before you buy.
Works with
Fishbowl alternatives
- Fishbowl vs Katana
Free plan
- Fishbowl vs SOS Inventory
Free trial · from $69.95/mo
- Fishbowl vs inFlow
Free trial · from $99/mo
- Fishbowl vs Cin7
Free trial · from $349/mo
- Fishbowl vs Unleashed
Free trial · from $91/mo
Common questions
Is Fishbowl free?
No. Fishbowl is a paid product, starting at $229 per month for up to 2 users, billed annually.
How much does Fishbowl cost?
Fishbowl lists 5 plans. Essentials: $229 per month for up to 2 users, billed annually. Growth: $429 per month for up to 5 users, billed annually. Scale: $729 per month for up to 10 users, billed annually. Advanced Warehouse: $595 per month and up. Advanced Manufacturing: $675 per month and up. Prices were read from fishbowlinventory.com on Oct 18, 2026.
What platforms does Fishbowl work on?
Fishbowl is available on Web, Windows, macOS and Android.
Does Fishbowl have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Fishbowl is listed for Web, Windows, macOS and Android.
Does Fishbowl have a Linux app?
No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Fishbowl is listed for Web, Windows, macOS and Android.
Is Fishbowl open source?
Fishbowl is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
Does Fishbowl have an API?
Yes. Fishbowl offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Fishbowl integrate with?
Fishbowl's listing names QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, Xero, Amazon, Walmart, WooCommerce, HubSpot and Zebra. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Fishbowl?
Fishbowl is made by Fishbowl. It dates from 2001.
What are the alternatives to Fishbowl?
The closest alternatives to Fishbowl in our directory are Katana, SOS Inventory, inFlow, Cin7 and Unleashed. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Fishbowl.
How does Fishbowl compare with other inventory management tools?
Fishbowl's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 1 of the 11 other inventory management tools we grade, and level with 1. It stands best on features (B, above 2 of 11) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Is Fishbowl good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Fishbowl C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $229 a month, against a middle price of $95 for the category: 6 of the 9 others that charge start lower. On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 3 tools score higher and cost less.
Could I make my own version of Fishbowl?
The plain part of Fishbowl you could make: inventory. What surrounds it you could not. The 5 things listed below take a company, not a weekend. That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 9 of the 11 other inventory management tools grade higher. It costs $2,748 a year. What you could not make: Scanning barcodes with a phone camera or a scanner. Apps for macOS, Windows and Android that stay in step with each other. It plugs into other products, QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop and Xero among them, and has an API. AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself. This is a judgement from its listing. We have not built one.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 18, 2026.