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.

Zoho Inventory is a cloud-based inventory management solution designed for small to midsize businesses, particularly those operating in online retail spaces. It features include reporting and analysis, vendor managed inventory and lot traceability.

Best For:

Zoho Inventory is predominantly favored by businesses in the Information Technology and Services, Consumer Electronics, and Medical Devices sectors. It’s primarily utilized by small companies with fewer than 50 employees and those generating less than $50M in revenue.

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

8.7

Our Rating

based on our expert editorial analysis

Our Verdict:

Zoho Inventory is an easy-to-use and simple inventory management system ideal. We recommend this software for online retailers with sales channels like Amazon, Shopify, and more.

However, this is not a complete, standalone solution without extra add-ons and modules. We also noticed support is only 24/5, which might cause a problem for always online eCommerce sellers.

Pros:

Simple interface
iOS and Android apps
Wide variety of add-ons
14-day trial of paid versions to determine the free version's volume limits will suffice
Easy to transition into paid versions

Cons:

Limited to 20 orders/labels per month
Only supports FIFO costing
No Bill of Materials, pick lists, or bin ID support
No forecasting
POs and Invoicing not included

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

Price Range
$ $ $ $ $
$ $ $ $ $
Starting Price $39/month
Client OS iOS, Android, Web

Our editorial staff has personally tested and reviewed Fishbowl Inventory and Zoho Inventory to give you a comprehensive comparison.

Target Market Comparison

Fishbowl Inventory is best suited to small to medium-sized businesses, especially those using QuickBooks that require advanced inventory management or a lighter MRP system. The median business user has around 30 employees. It’s an ideal choice for manufacturers with FDA or USDA audit requirements for traceability.

Zoho Inventory, on the other hand, serves small to midsize businesses, particularly those operating in online retail spaces. It’s predominantly favored by businesses in the information technology and services, consumer electronics, and medical devices sectors.

Features

Fishbowl offers competitive pricing and does not require a subscription, making it a cost-effective solution. It integrates seamlessly with QuickBooks and can function as a light MRP system. However, it comes with a somewhat steep learning curve and transactions do not post to QuickBooks in real-time; manual or scheduled sync is required.

Zoho Inventory has a user-friendly interface and offers iOS and Android apps. It also offers a wide variety of add-ons and provides a 14-day trial of paid versions to determine if the free version’s volume limits will suffice. On the downside, it’s limited to 20 orders/labels per month, only supports FIFO costing, and lacks features such as Bill of Materials, pick lists, or bin ID support.

Both Fishbowl Inventory and Zoho Inventory are cloud-hosted, providing businesses the flexibility to access their systems from anywhere. Fishbowl Inventory operates on Windows and macOS, while Zoho Inventory is available on iOS, Android, and web-based systems.

Fishbowl Inventory vs Zoho Inventory: Which is Best for Most Businesses?

For most businesses, Fishbowl Inventory is likely the better choice due to its advanced inventory management features, seamless integration with QuickBooks, and competitive one-time pricing. It’s particularly well-suited for small to medium-sized businesses, especially those with specific regulatory requirements.

That said, businesses operating in the online retail sector may find Zoho Inventory more suitable due to its simple interface and dedicated apps for iOS and Android.

Explore other options on our 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

Zoho Inventory

Price Range

$ $ $ $ $

Starting Price

$39/month

Client OS

iOS, Android, Web

Deployment

Cloud Hosted