Cin7 Core (formerly DEAR Systems) vs Fishbowl Manufacturing
Comparison last checked October 10, 2026. Every figure comes from the two product records, each with its own sources and check dates.
The short answer
Pick Cin7 Core if online sales channels drive your orders and you want plan prices in writing: $599 a month on Pro, where planning is included. Pick Fishbowl if you need finite-capacity planning and a warehouse system beside QuickBooks or Xero, from $675 a month plus a required implementation package with no published price.
Choose Cin7 Core if
- You sell across Shopify, Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Walmart and more and want those orders in the same system.
- You want suggested orders with required-by dates: Cin7 Core's MRP produces them, where Fishbowl's published material describes reorder points.
- You want to try it first: Cin7 Core has a 14-day free trial.
Choose Fishbowl Manufacturing if
- You schedule against capacity: Fishbowl lists finite-capacity planning, and Cin7 Core's capacity planning is partial in our record.
- You run QuickBooks Desktop, which Fishbowl names alongside QuickBooks Online and Xero.
- You can budget for an implementation package the vendor requires and does not price.
Key differences
The rows that separate these two. Unknown means we have not found evidence; it is not the same as No.
| Attribute | Cin7 Core | Fishbowl Manufacturing |
|---|---|---|
| Useful entry priceWhat you pay to get the manufacturing capability, not the cheapest nominal tier. | $599 a monthSource: cin7.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab)Checked October 10, 2026 | $675 a monthSource: fishbowlinventory.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab)Checked October 9, 2026 |
| Billing basis | Per module | Mixed |
| Setup or onboarding fee | Unknown | Required, price not published. The pricing page states "we do require an implementation package as part of your Fishbowl purchase" but names no figure. |
| Free plan or trial | Free plan: NoFree trial: 14 days | Free plan: NoFree trial: Unknown |
| Produces dated buy/make suggestionsThe output is an actionable list with dates, order this much by this date, start this batch on this date. | YesCin7 says: "This will generate a list of suggested transfer, purchase, assembly, and purchase orders to meet the demand in each location by the required by dates.Source: help.core.cin7.com › Material Requirements Planning MRP(opens in a new tab) | PartialReordering is reorder-point driven: once a part hits its point "the purchase order generates itself, ready for approval".Source: fishbowlinventory.com › Purchasing(opens in a new tab) |
| Capacity planningChecks whether your people and machines can do the work in the time available. | PartialThe vendor states: "The Capacity Planner shows the capacity for a selected planning period, which resources are overallocated, and allows re-planning of capacity.Source: help.core.cin7.com › Capacity Planner(opens in a new tab) | Yes"Finite-capacity planning" with constraint-aware rescheduling that reroutes jobs when capacity gaps appear.Source: fishbowlinventory.com(opens in a new tab) |
| Ecommerce connectionPulls orders and pushes stock levels to a storefront or marketplace. | YesCin7 says: "Sell to your customers with Shopify and download orders to Cin7 Core.Source: help.core.cin7.com › Introduction to Shopify(opens in a new tab) | Unknown |
| Lot and batch traceabilityWhich incoming material lots went into which finished batch, and where those finished goods went. | YesBatch and serial number tracking is listed inside Standard Assembly Manufacturing, included on all Core tiers.Source: cin7.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab) | Yes"Track lots, serials, expiry, landed costs, and tariffs with one-click recall reports." One-click recall is the capability food and cosmetics producers are buying.Source: fishbowlinventory.com(opens in a new tab) |
What it costs at your size
Entry prices leave out users, add-ons, order limits and extra locations. Put in your own numbers and both products are worked out the same way, from each vendor's published prices.
Full comparison
Every sourced field, side by side. It opens on the rows where the two differ.
Unknown means we have not found evidence. It is not the same as No.
| Attribute | Cin7 CoreCin7 · record checked October 9, 2026 | Fishbowl ManufacturingFishbowl · record checked October 9, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | ||
| One-line fit | Capable manufacturing, but only if you buy the module that has it. | The veteran QuickBooks-attached manufacturing system, with manufacturing from $675 a month plus a required implementation package. |
| Real cost | ||
| Pricing | From $349/mo · $599/mo usefulSource: cin7.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab)Checked October 10, 2026 | From $675/moSource: fishbowlinventory.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab)Checked October 9, 2026 |
| Useful entry priceWhat you pay to get the manufacturing capability, not the cheapest nominal tier. | $599/mo | $675/mo |
| Billing basis | module | mixed |
| Required add-ons | Material requirements planning, on the Standard tier only (price not published), Advanced Production Manufacturing, for heavier production than the included MRP (price not published) | None recorded |
| Planning | ||
| Accepts dated demandYou can tell it what is due and when, sales orders with dates, a forecast, or a production schedule. | YesCin7 says of the MRP run: "Required by date of the demand should be within planning period" Sales, production, assembly and transfer orders all count as demand when their required-by date falls in the planning period. MRP is an add-on on Standard and included on Pro and Advanced, going by the pricing matrix; the help article's "MRP requires an add-on to your base subscription" names no tier and reads as a general note. That is our reading of the two pages, not a statement from Cin7.Source: help.core.cin7.com › Material Requirements Planning MRP(opens in a new tab); help.core.cin7.com › Capacity Planner(opens in a new tab); cin7.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab) | Partial"Automated Reorder Points and AI Forecasting". Forecast demand is an input. We could not confirm whether dated sales orders drive the requirements calculation.Source: fishbowlinventory.com(opens in a new tab) |
| Nets against stock on handIt subtracts what you already have before telling you to buy more. | YesCin7 says: "The suggested supply orders tab displays the results of the MRP run calculation, based on demand quantity and required by dates, supply rules, planned transfer days, stock on hand, stock on order, and MRP run parameters." Its worked example counts stock on hand and stock on order before suggesting anything. MRP is an add-on on Standard and included on Pro and Advanced, going by the pricing matrix; the help article's "MRP requires an add-on to your base subscription" names no tier and reads as a general note. That is our reading of the two pages, not a statement from Cin7.Source: help.core.cin7.com › Material Requirements Planning MRP(opens in a new tab); cin7.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab) | Unknown |
| Counts incoming ordersIt knows about purchase orders and production orders already placed, so it does not tell you to order twice. | YesCin7 says: "This adds up all the sources of actual, draft (if requested), compares it to actual and draft (if requested) supply orders, and supply order required by dates." Open purchase, production, transfer and assembly orders count as supply, and drafts can be included. MRP is an add-on on Standard and included on Pro and Advanced, going by the pricing matrix; the help article's "MRP requires an add-on to your base subscription" names no tier and reads as a general note. That is our reading of the two pages, not a statement from Cin7.Source: help.core.cin7.com › Material Requirements Planning MRP(opens in a new tab); cin7.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab) | Unknown |
| Uses lead timesIt works backwards from when you need something to when you must order or start it, using supplier and production lead times. | YesThe production order help says its release date is worked out as: "From Planned date forward: Planned Date + the critical path among lead times of components" This is for production orders and needs the Advanced Manufacturing add-on. MRP suggestions are dated differently: "Purchase orders from the same supplier to the same location will be consolidated, using the earliest required by date as the date of the purchase order." Supplier lead time is a required MRP input, but no help article says the purchase date is set back by it.Source: help.core.cin7.com › Managing Production Orders(opens in a new tab); help.core.cin7.com › Material Requirements Planning MRP(opens in a new tab) | PartialLead time is an input to the reorder point. The system "sets automatic reorder points based on sales trends, lead times, and minimum stock levels". But that is lead time shaping a static threshold, not a time-phased plan offset backwards from a required date.Source: fishbowlinventory.com › Purchasing(opens in a new tab) |
| Produces dated buy/make suggestionsThe output is an actionable list with dates, order this much by this date, start this batch on this date. | YesCin7 says: "This will generate a list of suggested transfer, purchase, assembly, and purchase orders to meet the demand in each location by the required by dates." Each suggested order carries a required-by date. MRP is an add-on on Standard and included on Pro and Advanced, going by the pricing matrix; the help article's "MRP requires an add-on to your base subscription" names no tier and reads as a general note. That is our reading of the two pages, not a statement from Cin7.Source: help.core.cin7.com › Material Requirements Planning MRP(opens in a new tab); cin7.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab) | PartialReordering is reorder-point driven: once a part hits its point "the purchase order generates itself, ready for approval". The published material describes quantities and a preferred vendor, never a date to order by, so this falls short of a dated recommendation. The help center's MRP works the same way: "The Material Resource Planning (MRP) wizard allows reorder levels to be calculated based on historical data, daily consumption rates, forecast percentages, safety stock, and days of stock." Auto PO and Auto MO then order parts that fall below those levels.Source: fishbowlinventory.com › Purchasing(opens in a new tab); help.fishbowlinventory.com › Part(opens in a new tab) |
| Capacity planningChecks whether your people and machines can do the work in the time available. | PartialThe vendor states: "The Capacity Planner shows the capacity for a selected planning period, which resources are overallocated, and allows re-planning of capacity." Needs the Advanced Manufacturing module added to a Cin7 Core subscription, which is why this is partial. The Production Scheduler helps "plan in which sequence the operations should be completed": it lists a run's operations in their BOM order with dependencies, places released orders backward from the required-by date, and lets planners reschedule by drag and drop. The calendar view ignores resource capacity; the Production view and the Capacity Planner respect it. Production BOMs, the Scheduler, work centers, resources and MES all come with the Advanced Manufacturing add-on.Source: help.core.cin7.com › Capacity Planner(opens in a new tab); help.core.cin7.com › Production Scheduler(opens in a new tab) | Yes"Finite-capacity planning" with constraint-aware rescheduling that reroutes jobs when capacity gaps appear.Source: fishbowlinventory.com(opens in a new tab) |
| Production | ||
| Bill of materialsA list of the parts and quantities needed to make one of something. | YesBills of materials are included in Standard Assembly Manufacturing on every Core tier.Source: cin7.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab) | YesBills of materials manage "simple or configurable finished goods for single or multiple builds", editable mid-build.Source: fishbowlinventory.com(opens in a new tab) |
| Multi-level BOMSub-assemblies inside assemblies, a part that is itself made from other parts, nested as deep as you need. | YesCin7 says: "Production BOMs can contain finished products (products with their own production BOM) or assembled components (products with their own assembly BOM)." Nested production orders are created automatically, and MRP only explodes nested BOMs when "BOM explosion" is ticked. Needs the Advanced Manufacturing add-on.Source: help.core.cin7.com › Nested production orders production BOM explosion(opens in a new tab) | YesThe manufacturing page offers "simple and multi-level BOMs for accurate production", with subassemblies and configurable builds.Source: fishbowlinventory.com › Manufacturing(opens in a new tab) |
| Work / manufacturing ordersA record authorising and tracking the making of a specific quantity. | PartialAssembly and disassembly are on every tier. Production orders belong to the Advanced Production Manufacturing add-on, which is not on the Standard plan.Source: cin7.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab) | YesManufacture and work orders connect inventory and sales directly to production, with work orders and BOMs editable mid-build.Source: fishbowlinventory.com(opens in a new tab) |
| Routings & operationsThe ordered steps a product goes through, and which machine or station does each one. | YesOperations with cycle times and resources sit on the production BOM. From Cin7's worked example: "Now that the preliminary steps are complete, we can set up the Production BOM for the packaged coffee. We want to include a setup operation and quality control operation." Needs the Advanced Manufacturing add-on.Source: help.core.cin7.com › Example production BOM(opens in a new tab) | PartialRoutings are mentioned in the context of constraint-aware rescheduling. The work order help says "The steps on each work order will default to the instructions steps from the bill of materials, but work order steps can be added, deleted, or modified for each individual work order by using the buttons located on the component toolbar to the right." Those steps carry no work center or machine, so this stays partial. Needs Fishbowl Advanced.Source: help.fishbowlinventory.com › Work Order(opens in a new tab); fishbowlinventory.com(opens in a new tab) |
| Shop-floor trackingOperators report progress, time, and completions as the work happens. | YesCin7 says: "Use MES to carry out production operations. Consume components for production, record wastage, record production time, add notes, edit resources, and more." This is its MES operator screen, and it needs the Advanced Manufacturing add-on.Source: help.core.cin7.com › Carry out a production operation(opens in a new tab) | YesThe Work Order module "displays work orders with instruction steps and provides a step-by-step process to complete work orders", and each step can be partly or fully completed as the work is done. This is step completion on the work order rather than a terminal or time-clock screen (Fishbowl Time is a separate module). It needs Fishbowl Advanced; the Inventory plans do not manufacture. Read from the help center, not seen in use.Source: help.fishbowlinventory.com › Work Order(opens in a new tab) |
| Quality controlsChecks, tests, holds, and non-conformance records tied to production or receiving. | PartialA production BOM can include an inspection step: "Select Quality control as the operation Type." We found nothing on recording pass or fail results or handling non-conformance, which is why this is partial. Needs the Advanced Manufacturing add-on.Source: help.core.cin7.com › Example production BOM(opens in a new tab) | Unknown |
| Commerce & accounting | ||
| PurchasingRaising and tracking purchase orders to suppliers from inside the system. | YesCin7 says: "The Cin7 Core purchase module covers all processes involving buying stock from your suppliers." The same article covers purchase orders and a stock-received step.Source: help.core.cin7.com › Introduction to the Purchase Module(opens in a new tab) | YesPurchase orders are generated and executed automatically from reorder points and planning output.Source: fishbowlinventory.com(opens in a new tab) |
| Ecommerce connectionPulls orders and pushes stock levels to a storefront or marketplace. | YesCin7 says: "Sell to your customers with Shopify and download orders to Cin7 Core. Sync inventory, pull sales information, and sync products to and from Shopify." There are also connections for WooCommerce, Amazon, BigCommerce, Magento, Etsy, eBay and Walmart.Source: help.core.cin7.com › Introduction to Shopify(opens in a new tab) | Unknown |
| Openness & your data | ||
| APIA documented programming interface so other software can read and write your data. | YesCin7 Core's help center points to its API reference at the old DEAR address: "Sale (see https://dearinventory.docs.apiary.io/#reference/sale)" The pricing matrix lists API access as an add-on on every plan, with no price shown.Source: help.core.cin7.com › User Questions Cin7 Core API(opens in a new tab); cin7.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab) | YesThe vendor states: "GET /api/products/:id/best-price DELETE /api/products/:id" From the public REST API reference for Fishbowl Advanced, which lists read and delete endpoints. It covers the Advanced line, not every Fishbowl edition. Checked 2026-09-14.Source: help.fishbowlinventory.com › Products(opens in a new tab) |
| WebhooksThe system can notify other software the moment something changes. | YesCin7 says: "Once an order reaches a specified event type you have subscribed to, a JSON payload will be sent to the endpoint you specified during the webhook subscription." The same page says webhooks work through the Automation module, which is a separate subscription.Source: help.core.cin7.com › User Questions Cin7 Core API(opens in a new tab) | Unknown |
| CSV exportYou can get your lists out as spreadsheet files. | YesCin7 says: "Suggested supply orders can be exported in CSV format for reference." Reports export to Excel, PDF or RTF. The CSV export quoted here is on MRP suggestions, so it needs MRP.Source: help.core.cin7.com › Material Requirements Planning MRP(opens in a new tab) | Unknown |
| Full data exportYou can take everything, including history and relationships, not just a few screens' worth of rows. | YesCin7 says: "Backups can be scheduled automatically from the Scheduled Reports module. Select which areas of data you wish to back up, the backup frequency, and a recipient to receive Cin7 Core backup files via email." This needs the Purchase Automation module, only the Master User can schedule a full backup. "When backup is generated, an email is sent to the mailing list recipients with a link for downloading a zip archive with backup data." The format of the files inside the zip is not stated.Source: help.core.cin7.com › Data backup(opens in a new tab) | Unknown |
Common questions
- Is Cin7 Core cheaper than Fishbowl Manufacturing?
- Cin7 Core starts at $599 a month for the plan that covers manufacturing (per module billing). Fishbowl Manufacturing starts at $675 a month for the plan that covers manufacturing (mixed billing). They are billed differently, so which is cheaper depends on your team size. Put your own users, orders and locations into the cost calculator to see what each comes to.
- Does Cin7 Core or Fishbowl Manufacturing have a free plan or a free trial?
- Cin7 Core has no free plan and a 14-day free trial. Fishbowl Manufacturing has no free plan and we have no trial length on record.
- Which has lot traceability, Cin7 Core or Fishbowl Manufacturing?
- Cin7 Core has batch and lot tracking. Fishbowl Manufacturing has batch and lot tracking.
- Does Cin7 Core or Fishbowl Manufacturing tell you what to order and when?
- That is the test for material requirements planning: a dated recommendation to buy or make. Cin7 Core does. Fishbowl Manufacturing partly does.
- Do Cin7 Core and Fishbowl Manufacturing work with QuickBooks, Xero or Shopify?
- Cin7 Core: an accounting integration and an e-commerce integration. Named integrations: Xero, QuickBooks Online, Shopify, WooCommerce, Amazon, BigCommerce, Magento, Etsy, eBay and Walmart. Fishbowl Manufacturing: an accounting integration and no evidence either way on e-commerce integration. Named integrations: QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop and Xero.
Related
How this comparison was made
The short answer and the two lists were written by an editor for this pair. Every other row and answer is read from the two product records, which cite the vendor pages behind each claim. Nobody paid to appear here or to be placed first; the order is alphabetical. How we classify and verify.
Report a correction to Cin7 CoreReport a correction to Fishbowl Manufacturing