Fishbowl is best for QuickBooks users that need advanced inventory management or a light MRP system. Typically best for small to medium sized businesses. Median business user has 30 employees.

QuickBooks Online is the most popular financial software on the market. This cloud-based accounting solution enables tracking of sales and expenses, generating estimates, customer management, and seamless collaboration with external accountants.

Best For:

QuickBooks Online is a good fit for a range of businesses, from small companies (10-50 employees) to larger organizations (500-5,000 employees). Popular sectors include accounting, information technology, and professional services industries.

8.9

Our Rating

based on our expert editorial analysis

6.7

USER RATING

based on 23 user reviews

Our Verdict:

If you’re a small or midsize business on the hunt for a powerful and scalable inventory management software that won’t break the bank, Fishbowl is the way to go. We found it perfect for manufacturers with FDA or USDA audit requirements for traceability.

However, if you’re looking for a simple inventory management system to handle just a few assets, Fishbowl might be a bit too robust for your needs. And its seamless integration with QuickBooks means if you already have a full ERP solution in place, some features might end up being redundant.

Pros:

Competitive pricing; does not require a subscription
Integrates with QuickBooks
Can function as a light MRP system

Cons:

Somewhat steep learning curve
Transactions do not post to QuickBooks in realtime; manual or scheduled sync only
Customizations can lead to difficult support scenarios
Does not store quotes

7.8

Our Rating

based on our expert editorial analysis

4.6

USER RATING

based on 56 user reviews

Our Verdict:

Many users are upset by Intuit’s forced move to subscription pricing. That said, we liked its intuitive user interface and custom invoicing. QuickBooks is the most widely-used financial software, allowing unlimited invoicing even at basic subscription levels, while offering bank reconciliation and scalability.

We dislike QuickBooks Online’s limit of 25 concurrent users, its absence of advanced inventory features, and the requirement for some accounting knowledge to use it effectively.

Pros:

Widely used by most accountants
Tons of integrations available
Customizable invoicing
Extensive pre-built and custom reports
Automatic exchange rates

Cons:

Comparatively expensive
Few industry-specific features
Limited users per plan

Price Range
$ $ $ $ $
$ $ $ $ $
Starting Price $4,395 (perpetual license)
Client OS Windows, macOS

Price Range
$ $ $ $ $
$ $ $ $ $
Starting Price $30/month
Client OS Web

After our editorial review staff thoroughly tested and analyzed both Fishbowl Inventory and QuickBooks Online, we have some valuable insights to share. These accounting and inventory management solutions cater to different markets. Learn which is best for your business needs.

Fishbowl Inventory Overview

Fishbowl Inventory is best suited for small to medium-sized businesses, particularly those seeking an advanced inventory management or light MRP system. It’s also ideal for manufacturers that need to meet traceability requirements for FDA or USDA audits.

The software offers competitive pricing without requiring a subscription and integrates well with QuickBooks. The system can operate as a light MRP system. However, it’s not a real-time solution, as transactions are manually or scheduled to sync with QuickBooks. Also, while it’s a robust tool, there’s a learning curve to it, and customizations could complicate support scenarios.

QuickBooks Online Overview

QuickBooks Online is a widely-used financial software suitable for a broad range of businesses. It caters to accounting, IT, and professional services industries.

The software provides an intuitive user interface, customizable invoicing, and extensive pre-built and custom reports. However, it is comparatively expensive, offers few industry-specific features, and limits users per plan. Some level of accounting knowledge is required to use it effectively.

Fishbowl Inventory vs QuickBooks: Which is Better?

For most businesses, we recommend QuickBooks Online because it offers a more comprehensive set of features that cater to a broader range of businesses. It’s widely used and offers extensive features for managing your finances.

However, if advanced inventory management is a priority for your business, Fishbowl Inventory is the better option. It integrates with QuickBooks, allowing you to manage both the financial and inventory aspects of your business.

For more options and details on ERP software, refer to our comprehensive roundup of the best ERP software.

Fishbowl Inventory

★★★★★

(23)

Fishbowl Inventory is an out-of-the-box software which caters to a lot of different industries in need of inventory management tools.

Price Range

$ $ $ $ $

Starting Price

$4,395 (perpetual license)

Client OS

Windows, macOS

Deployment

Cloud or On-Premises

QuickBooks Online

★★★★★

(56)

Price Range

$ $ $ $ $

Starting Price

$30/month

Client OS

Web

Deployment

Cloud Hosted