Fishbowl Manufacturing vs MRPeasy
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 MRPeasy if you want planning that gives you dates to act on at a published per-user price, from $49 per user a month. Pick Fishbowl if your operation is built around QuickBooks or Xero and a warehouse, and you can budget from $675 a month plus a required implementation package the vendor does not price.
Choose Fishbowl Manufacturing if
- You have six or more people; Fishbowl's record lists 6 to 51 and up as its fit.
- You need finite-capacity planning beside lot, serial and expiry tracking with recall reports.
- You can budget from $675 a month plus a required implementation package with no published price.
Choose MRPeasy if
- You want a date to act on: MRPeasy gives a requirement date and an action date per line, where Fishbowl reorders from reorder points.
- You need a price in writing: Starter is $49 per user a month, with a 30-day free trial.
- You can accept the tier gating: expiry dates, quality control and serial numbers start at Professional, $69 per user.
Key differences
The rows that separate these two. Unknown means we have not found evidence; it is not the same as No.
| Attribute | Fishbowl Manufacturing | MRPeasy |
|---|---|---|
| Useful entry priceWhat you pay to get the manufacturing capability, not the cheapest nominal tier. | $675 a monthSource: fishbowlinventory.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab)Checked October 9, 2026 | $49 per user a monthSource: mrpeasy.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab)Checked October 9, 2026 |
| Billing basis | Mixed | Per user |
| Setup or onboarding fee | Required, price not published. The pricing page states "we do require an implementation package as part of your Fishbowl purchase" but names no figure. | Unknown |
| Free plan or trial | Free plan: NoFree trial: Unknown | Free plan: NoFree trial: 30 days |
| Produces dated buy/make suggestionsThe output is an actionable list with dates, order this much by this date, start this batch on this date. | 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) | YesRequirement date and Action date per line. From Critical on-hand you can create a pre-filled purchase order, or a manufacturing order whose quantity is calculated to bring stock back to the reorder point.Source: mrpeasy.com › Requirements(opens in a new tab) |
| Capacity planningChecks whether your people and machines can do the work in the time available. | Yes"Finite-capacity planning" with constraint-aware rescheduling that reroutes jobs when capacity gaps appear.Source: fishbowlinventory.com(opens in a new tab) | YesThe vendor describes "a real-time overview of production capacity and resource utilization" and never double-booking jobs or materials.Source: mrpeasy.com › Production planning software(opens in a new tab) |
| Lot and batch traceabilityWhich incoming material lots went into which finished batch, and where those finished goods went. | 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) | Yes"Track inventory by lot or batch, use serial numbers and barcodes." Lot traceability is listed on all tiers including Starter.Source: mrpeasy.com › Manufacturing software(opens in a new tab) |
| Best-fit team sizes | 6–20 people, 21–50 people, 51+ people | 2–5 people, 6–20 people, 21–50 people |
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 | Fishbowl ManufacturingFishbowl · record checked October 9, 2026 | MRPeasyMRPeasy · record checked October 9, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | ||
| Product classWhat kind of system it is. | Manufacturing ERP | Full MRP |
| One-line fit | The veteran QuickBooks-attached manufacturing system, with manufacturing from $675 a month plus a required implementation package. | The clearest small-shop system that genuinely tells you what to order and when. |
| Real cost | ||
| Pricing | From $675/moSource: fishbowlinventory.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab)Checked October 9, 2026 | From $49/user/moSource: mrpeasy.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. | $675/mo | $49/user/mo |
| Billing basis | mixed | per-user |
| Planning | ||
| Accepts dated demandYou can tell it what is due and when, sales orders with dates, a forecast, or a production schedule. | 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) | YesThe Requirements report lists purchasable items "required for specific orders (Source), when these are required (Requirement date)". Master production scheduling and sales forecasting are available from the Enterprise tier.Source: mrpeasy.com › Requirements(opens in a new tab); mrpeasy.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab) |
| Nets against stock on handIt subtracts what you already have before telling you to buy more. | Unknown | YesThe Critical on-hand report lists items "for which the available quantity is below their Reorder Point (ROP)". Available, not gross. The vendor describes knowing "what's available, what's booked, and what's expected to arrive".Source: mrpeasy.com › Critical on hand(opens in a new tab); mrpeasy.com › Manufacturing software(opens in a new tab) |
| Counts incoming ordersIt knows about purchase orders and production orders already placed, so it does not tell you to order twice. | Unknown | YesExpected arrivals are part of the stock picture, purchase orders carry an expected delivery date, and saving a purchase order books the incoming items against the demand that caused them.Source: mrpeasy.com › Critical on hand(opens in a new tab); mrpeasy.com › Manufacturing software(opens in a new tab) |
| Uses lead timesIt works backwards from when you need something to when you must order or start it, using supplier and production lead times. | 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) | YesThe Requirements report shows "when these should be ordered the latest (Action date) according to lead time". The clearest statement of lead-time offsetting we found on any product in this directory.Source: mrpeasy.com › Requirements(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. | 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) | YesRequirement date and Action date per line. From Critical on-hand you can create a pre-filled purchase order, or a manufacturing order whose quantity is calculated to bring stock back to the reorder point.Source: mrpeasy.com › Requirements(opens in a new tab); mrpeasy.com › Critical on hand(opens in a new tab) |
| Production | ||
| Recipes & formulasBatch-style production by weight, volume, or percentage, including scaling a batch up or down. | Unknown | PartialRecipes are ordinary BOMs. The user manual says that "for process manufacturing, like food, pharmaceutics, etc., it is the formula or recipe that lists the quantities of ingredients per unit of product", and that "When a manufacturing order is created, the BOM is multiplied by the order quantity to calculate the total material requirements." So a recipe scales in a straight line with batch size, and on Professional a fixed-quantity column adds components that do not scale. Missing: a separate recipe object and any percentage, weight or yield-based formula.Source: mrpeasy.com › Bom(opens in a new tab); Vendor video, 2018, at 0:56(opens in a new tab) |
| Routings & operationsThe ordered steps a product goes through, and which machine or station does each one. | 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) | YesRoutings are a documented object and BOMs tie directly to them.Source: mrpeasy.com › Manufacturing software(opens in a new tab); mrpeasy.com › User manual(opens in a new tab) |
| Shop-floor trackingOperators report progress, time, and completions as the work happens. | 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) | YesIn a 2025 vendor demo: "Workers can use two different interfaces, the detailed my production plan and the simpler internet kiosk." On a tablet or phone, operators see their assigned operations, start, pause and finish them, and report quantities, materials used and serial numbers.Source: mrpeasy.com › User manual(opens in a new tab); Vendor video, 2025, at 0:38(opens in a new tab) |
| Quality controlsChecks, tests, holds, and non-conformance records tied to production or receiving. | Unknown | YesQuality control is listed as a Professional-tier feature, so it is not in the $49 entry plan.Source: mrpeasy.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab) |
| Inventory & traceability | ||
| Expiry & shelf lifeBest-before dates on materials and finished goods, with warnings before they lapse. | YesExpiry is tracked alongside lots and serials.Source: fishbowlinventory.com(opens in a new tab) | YesExpiry-date management is listed as a Professional-tier addition, not part of the entry plan.Source: mrpeasy.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab) |
| Serial numbersUnique identifiers on individual units, for warranty or field service. | YesSerial tracking is included with lot and expiry tracking.Source: fishbowlinventory.com(opens in a new tab) | YesSerial numbers are listed as a Professional-tier addition.Source: mrpeasy.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab) |
| Commerce & accounting | ||
| Ecommerce connectionPulls orders and pushes stock levels to a storefront or marketplace. | Unknown | YesThe vendor states: "Synchronizing inventory levels from MRPeasy to Shopify Go to Settings -> System settings -> Integrations -> Shopify. Click the Edit button next to your shop. Select the option ' Sync inventory levels '." From the MRPeasy user manual's Shopify page, which also covers importing Shopify orders. Checked 2026-09-14. Older vendor demos walk through the Shopify integration (2020 video: "To connect MRPeasy and Shopify, go to MRPeasy -> Settings -> System settings -> Integrations -> Shopify.") and a WooCommerce integration (2021 video), importing paid web orders and pushing stock levels back.Source: mrpeasy.com › Shopify(opens in a new tab); Vendor video, 2020, at 1:56(opens in a new tab); Vendor video, 2021(opens in a new tab) |
| Openness & your data | ||
| APIA documented programming interface so other software can read and write your data. | 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) | YesAPI access is listed, but only on the Unlimited tier at $149/user/month. Budget for that before planning any integration work.Source: mrpeasy.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab) |
| WebhooksThe system can notify other software the moment something changes. | Unknown | YesWebhooks are listed alongside the API on the Unlimited tier.Source: mrpeasy.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab) |
| MCP supportA Model Context Protocol server, letting an AI assistant read or act on this data. Useful, but it has nothing to do with whether the product plans materials. | Unknown | YesMRPeasy runs its own MCP server: "The server exposes every API v2 GET endpoint as a tool, giving the model read-only access to your manufacturing data." Read access meets our definition (read or act). Scope: read-only, it cannot create or change records, and it authenticates with an API key, which the pricing page puts on the Unlimited plan ($149/user/month, minimum two). Checked 2026-09-19.Source: mrpeasy.readme.io › Mcp(opens in a new tab); mrpeasy.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab) |
| CSV exportYou can get your lists out as spreadsheet files. | Unknown | YesIn a 2026 vendor demo of the data tables: "Finally, you can export your data in CSV or PDF format. If you apply filters before exporting, only the filtered data will be included". The pricing page's comparison table ticks "CSV import-export" on all four plans, so it is not limited to higher tiers.Source: mrpeasy.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab); Vendor video, 2026, at 4:12(opens in a new tab) |
| Full data exportYou can take everything, including history and relationships, not just a few screens' worth of rows. | Unknown | PartialThere is a whole-database backup you can download, but it only works inside MRPeasy. The user manual: "You can download your database backup file to your computer and keep a copy," and "The MRPeasy database backup file can be used/read only in MRPeasy." A restore needs a file that is "not older than 30 days" and "downloaded from the same account it is restored to", and it erases the current database. So it protects you inside MRPeasy; it is not a portable export for leaving. List-level CSV export is recorded separately. The pricing table ticks "Database backups" on all four plans. Checked 2026-09-19.Source: mrpeasy.com › Database maintenance(opens in a new tab); mrpeasy.com › Pricing(opens in a new tab); Vendor video, 2026, at 6:20(opens in a new tab) |
Common questions
- Is Fishbowl Manufacturing cheaper than MRPeasy?
- Fishbowl Manufacturing starts at $675 a month for the plan that covers manufacturing (mixed billing). MRPeasy starts at $49 per user a month for the plan that covers manufacturing. 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 Fishbowl Manufacturing or MRPeasy have a free plan or a free trial?
- Fishbowl Manufacturing has no free plan and we have no trial length on record. MRPeasy has no free plan and a 30-day free trial.
- Which has lot traceability, Fishbowl Manufacturing or MRPeasy?
- Fishbowl Manufacturing has batch and lot tracking. MRPeasy has batch and lot tracking.
- Does Fishbowl Manufacturing or MRPeasy tell you what to order and when?
- That is the test for material requirements planning: a dated recommendation to buy or make. Fishbowl Manufacturing partly does. MRPeasy does.
- Do Fishbowl Manufacturing and MRPeasy work with QuickBooks, Xero or Shopify?
- Fishbowl Manufacturing: an accounting integration and no evidence either way on e-commerce integration. Named integrations: QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop and Xero. MRPeasy: an accounting integration and an e-commerce integration. Named integrations: QuickBooks, Xero, Shopify and WooCommerce.
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 Fishbowl ManufacturingReport a correction to MRPeasy