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Fishbowl review

Fishbowl's inventory management software can easily integrate with QuickBooks to help boost efficiency and take your business to the next level.

Alexandra Plesa
Alexandra Plesa

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Inventory management is more than simply tracking what's stored in the warehouse. Today's top software comes with powerful integrations and features designed to simplify workflow and automate common business processes. That way, you can spend less time stressing over asset management and more time actually running your company.

If your business handles accounting with QuickBooks, Fishbowl Inventory is definitely worthy of attention. The inventory tool integrates with any current version of QuickBooks. So, you can update your inventory and accounting records at the same time, eliminate double data and enjoy new features without having to update your existing accounting software.

In this guide, we'll cover the key pros and costs of choosing Fishbowl. This should help you decide if Fishbowl is the right inventory management software for your business.

About Fishbowl

Fishbowl is inventory management software that can benefit manufacturers, retailers, wholesale distributors and more, regardless of industry.

Unlike cloud-based inventory management options, Fishbowl is local software you download to your computer. It enables you to keep track of inventory but also offers part tracking, a sales and purchasing module, shipping features and more.

Furthermore, the software enables businesses to keep using the QuickBooks platform they know and love while taking advantage of advanced inventory features. However, keep in mind that Fishbowl is a powerful inventory tool even if you don't use QuickBooks to do your accounting.

How much does Fishbowl cost?

One of the biggest advantages of getting Fishbowl is that you don't have to pay any monthly fees to keep track of inventory. It's a one-time software purchase – in other words, you don't have to worry about losing access to the software if you're experiencing a slow month and can't afford the fee.

The company offers two types of products, one for warehouses and one for manufacturers, so you can pick the one that best fits your business needs. Fishbowl doesn't offer a free version, but you can try a demo and enjoy a 14-day free trial.

Pricing depends on the number of users you have; plans start at $4,395. This one-time payment will guarantee you access to software updates and bug fixes for a year.

Once the year is up, you can renew your license for an additional fee which starts at $1,395 for Fishbowl Warehouse and $1,795 for Fishbowl Manufacturing. Even if you decide against renewal, you will still be able to use your software without issues – you simply won't receive software updates anymore.

How does Fishbowl work?

As we've already mentioned, you pay a single up-front fee to download the Fishbowl software. The software is easy to implement and you get access to extensive documentation to help you get up-and-running with minimal hassle.

You can also sign up for virtual on-site training or purchase on-site training to get the most out of your investment in Fishbowl. Once the software is set up, you will be able to take advantage of all of Fishbowl's features.

Fishbowl pros and cons

Pros

  • Free 14-day trial
  • Quick installation and setup, extensive support documentation
  • The ability to choose between Warehouse and Manufacturing
  • Seamless integration with QuickBooks – read more about QuickBooks in our review

Cons

  • High upfront cost
  • Minimal third-party integration

Fishbowl features

Exactly what your get from Fishbowl will depend of which version of the software you pick. That being said, top features include:

  • Advanced inventory management features to help your business manage multiple warehouses
  • Connects with QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks desktop solutions
  • Barcode scanning – create, generate, and print new barcodes easily
  • Shipping – automatically generate shipping labels and sync shipping costs, tracking numbers, customer address, weights, and multiple cartons
  • Ecommerce integrations (Amazon, eBay, Shopify and more)
  • Additional Fishbowl products available to customise your experience

What add-ons are available?

Fishbowl offers a variety of add-ons, for a cost, which you can get to tailor your Fishbowl experience even further. For instance, Fishbowl Anywhere is a plugin that lets you use Fishbowl Manufacturing or Fishbowl Warehouse from any tablet, laptop, or other device as long as you have an Internet connection.

Fishbowl Checkout is a retail management solution for point of sale order processing which lets you sync your sales to your inventory. The list goes on.

Is Fishbowl right for me?

If you run a small or mid-sized business and already use QuickBooks for accounting, Fishbowl can boost efficiency by adding extra inventory features into the mix. To put it simply, it enables you to expand your inventory management capabilities without having to replace your current accounting software.

Bottom line

For companies on the lookout for seamless integration with QuickBooks, Fishbowl is worth considering. While the upfront cost is steep, the extensive documentation ensures that you can learn how to navigate Fishbowl quickly and start taking advantage of its advanced inventory capabilities in no time.

Meanwhile, the range of features it offers is impressive and the free trial means that you can take the software out for a spin, no strings attached.

Compare other inventory management software in Australia

We don't currently have access to this software, but you can compare some alternatives below.

Data indicated here is updated regularly
Name Product Price Free Trial? Available on
Sage Inventory Management
Sage Inventory Management
$13.79-$34.48 per month
Yes
Windows,Mac
Go to site
QuickBooks Inventory Management
QuickBooks Inventory Management
$10.34-$21.38 per month
Yes
Windows,Mac,iOS,Android
Go to site
More Info
Square
Square
From $29 p/m
No
Windows,Mac,iOS,Android
Go to site
More Info
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