Fishbowl

The QuickBooks Inventory Solution

Fishbowl has been around since 2001, making it one of the oldest inventory management tools still kicking. Over 50,000 businesses use it. The pitch is simple: QuickBooks handles your accounting, Fishbowl handles your inventory. The two-way sync between them is tight and battle-tested over two decades.

Two Versions: Pick Your Path

Fishbowl Drive is the traditional on-premise version you install on your server. Fishbowl Online is the newer cloud version launched in 2021. Drive gives you more control and works without internet. Online gives you anywhere access and automatic updates. Most new customers pick Online, but manufacturers with spotty internet still prefer Drive.

Where Fishbowl Delivers

The QuickBooks sync is genuinely the best in the industry. Inventory adjustments, sales orders, purchase orders, and BOMs all flow between systems without manual double-entry. Barcode scanning support covers receiving, picking, packing, and cycle counts. The manufacturing module handles work orders, BOMs, and material requirements planning at a level that surprises people for the price point.

Honest Shortcomings

The user interface is stuck in 2015. Navigation feels clunky compared to Cin7 or Katana. The mobile app is functional but bare-bones. Ecommerce integrations exist but aren't as seamless as dedicated omnichannel tools. And their per-user pricing can get expensive fast — a 10-person warehouse team at $329/user/year adds up.