Fishbowl Manufacturing
by Fishbowl
A long-established manufacturing and warehousing system built around QuickBooks and Xero, with material requirements planning, finite-capacity planning, and lot, serial and expiry tracking with one-click recall reports.
Why it is classified this way
We call this a Manufacturing ERP product. A broad business system (accounting, sales, purchasing) with a substantial manufacturing or planning module attached.
It is not labeled Full MRP because we have not verified that it accepts dated demand, sales orders, a forecast, or a master production schedule; nets that demand against stock on hand and orders already incoming; explodes requirements through at least one level of the bill of materials; uses lead times or required dates; and produces dated buy, make, transfer, release, or reschedule recommendations. That is a statement about the evidence we found, not a claim that the product is weak, see the capability table and the sources below.
The six Full MRP tests, and how Fishbowl Manufacturing does on each (1 of 6)
- YesIt represents a bill of materials, recipe, or formula.Evidence: fishbowlinventory.com(opens in a new tab)
- PartialIt accepts dated demand, sales orders, a forecast, or a master production schedule.Not established. Only partly shown: the evidence covers some of this but not all of it, so the test is not established.
- UnknownIt nets that demand against stock on hand and orders already incoming.Not established. No evidence found yet.
- UnknownIt explodes requirements through at least one level of the bill of materials.Not established. No evidence found yet.
- PartialIt uses lead times or required dates.Not established. Only partly shown: the evidence covers some of this but not all of it, so the test is not established.
- PartialIt produces dated buy, make, transfer, release, or reschedule recommendations.Not established. Only partly shown: the evidence covers some of this but not all of it, so the test is not established.
These rules are applied identically to every product and enforced at build time, a record cannot be published as Full MRP unless all six pass with a source attached. Read the methodology.
Best for
- Established manufacturers running QuickBooks who need warehousing and production together
- Food and cosmetics producers who need one-click recall reporting
- Shops needing finite-capacity planning with automatic rerouting
Not a fit when
- Small makers. This is a mid-market system with a mid-market sales process
- Anyone who needs a firm first-year cost to shortlist, since the required implementation package is not priced
- Buyers wanting to self-serve; expect a demo and an implementation conversation
Pricing facts
What it costs to do manufacturing in this product.
Advertised from
$675/month
Useful entry price
$675/month
Billing basis
Mixed
What moves the real bill
- Annual billing assumed. The advertised rate requires paying for a year up front. Monthly billing costs more.
- 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.
Plans
| Plan | Price | Add-ons and setup |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced ManufacturingFishbowl AdvancedBilling term not stated | from $675/mo | —Required setup: price not published |
| "Priced by users & deployment" and "always confirmed by quote", so $675 is a starting point, not a rate. No billing term is given. | ||
Cheapest paid plan that manufactures, by paid users
- 1 user: Advanced Manufacturing, at least $675 a month (billing term not stated); first year at least $8,100, not counting a required setup or implementation fee.
- 5 users: Advanced Manufacturing, at least $675 a month (billing term not stated); first year at least $8,100, not counting a required setup or implementation fee.
- 10 users: Advanced Manufacturing, at least $675 a month (billing term not stated); first year at least $8,100, not counting a required setup or implementation fee.
Pricing detail
Two separate product lines, and the cheap one does not manufacture. Fishbowl Inventory is billed annually at Essentials $229/mo (2 users), Growth $429/mo (5 users) and Scale $729/mo (10 users). Manufacturing is the Fishbowl Advanced line: Advanced Warehouse from $595/mo and Advanced Manufacturing from $675/mo, both "priced by users & deployment" for teams from 2-200+ users, and the vendor states Advanced pricing "is always confirmed by quote", so treat those two figures as starting points rather than rates. The Inventory plans are quoted billed annually; the Advanced prices give no billing term. The vendor requires an implementation package whose price it does not publish, so the first-year cost cannot be calculated from public information. Re-read 2026-10-09: the page now leads with two cards, Fishbowl Inventory "From $229 /mo" and Fishbowl Advanced "From $595 /mo", and the per-plan figures above (Essentials, Growth, Scale; Advanced Warehouse $595, Advanced Manufacturing $675) sit in the expandable plan panels, unchanged.
Price history
- Plans listed starting at $329 and $429 a month, with hosting at $299 a month and additional add-on integrations at $49 a month each. Archived page, January 24, 2024(opens in a new tab)
- Fishbowl Inventory plans Essentials $199, Growth $399 and Scale $699 USD a month. Archived page, October 6, 2025(opens in a new tab)
- Essentials rose to $229, Growth to $429 and Scale to $729 USD a month, billed annually. Archived page, February 13, 2026(opens in a new tab)
- Fishbowl Advanced prices added: Advanced Manufacturing starting at $675 and Advanced Warehouse at $595 USD a month, priced by users and deployment; Essentials, Growth and Scale stayed at $229, $429 and $729 billed annually. Archived page, July 9, 2026(opens in a new tab)
From copies of the vendor's pricing page kept by the Internet Archive.
Checked on October 9, 2026. Source: fishbowlinventory.com(opens in a new tab). Prices change. Check before you buy.
Manufacturing capability
16 of 25 fields resolved. "Unknown" means we have not found first-party evidence. It is not a No.
Planning
Working out what to buy or make, and when.
| Capability | Finding | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| 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.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: fishbowlinventory.com(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Nets against stock on handIt subtracts what you already have before telling you to buy more. | Unknown | Not yet researched. We would need: documentation describing a requirement calculation that deducts available stock.Know the answer? |
| Counts incoming ordersIt knows about purchase orders and production orders already placed, so it does not tell you to order twice. | Unknown | Not yet researched. We would need: documentation showing open purchase or production orders included in the supply picture.Know the answer? |
| Uses lead timesIt works backwards from when you need something to when you must order or start it, using supplier and production lead times. | Partial | Lead 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.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: fishbowlinventory.com › Purchasing(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Produces dated buy/make suggestionsThe output is an actionable list with dates, order this much by this date, start this batch on this date. | Partial | Reordering 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.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: fishbowlinventory.com › Purchasing(opens in a new tab); help.fishbowlinventory.com › Part(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| 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.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: fishbowlinventory.com(opens in a new tab)Question this |
Production
Recipes, bills of materials, and running the work.
| Capability | Finding | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| Bill of materialsA list of the parts and quantities needed to make one of something. | Yes | Bills of materials manage "simple or configurable finished goods for single or multiple builds", editable mid-build.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: fishbowlinventory.com(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Multi-level BOMSub-assemblies inside assemblies, a part that is itself made from other parts, nested as deep as you need. | Yes | The manufacturing page offers "simple and multi-level BOMs for accurate production", with subassemblies and configurable builds.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: fishbowlinventory.com › Manufacturing(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Recipes & formulasBatch-style production by weight, volume, or percentage, including scaling a batch up or down. | Unknown | Not yet researched. We would need: documentation of recipe or formula records, ideally with batch scaling.Know the answer? |
| Work / manufacturing ordersA record authorising and tracking the making of a specific quantity. | Yes | Manufacture and work orders connect inventory and sales directly to production, with work orders and BOMs editable mid-build.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: fishbowlinventory.com(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Routings & operationsThe ordered steps a product goes through, and which machine or station does each one. | Partial | Routings 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.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: help.fishbowlinventory.com › Work Order(opens in a new tab); fishbowlinventory.com(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Shop-floor trackingOperators report progress, time, and completions as the work happens. | Yes | The 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.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: help.fishbowlinventory.com › Work Order(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Quality controlsChecks, tests, holds, and non-conformance records tied to production or receiving. | Unknown | Not yet researched. We would need: documentation of quality inspections, checks, or non-conformance handling.Know the answer? |
Inventory & traceability
Knowing what you hold and being able to trace it.
| Capability | Finding | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| Batch & lot 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.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: fishbowlinventory.com(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Expiry & shelf lifeBest-before dates on materials and finished goods, with warnings before they lapse. | Yes | Expiry is tracked alongside lots and serials.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: fishbowlinventory.com(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Serial numbersUnique identifiers on individual units, for warranty or field service. | Yes | Serial tracking is included with lot and expiry tracking.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: fishbowlinventory.com(opens in a new tab)Question this |
Commerce & accounting
Costs, purchasing, storefronts, and the books.
| Capability | Finding | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| Product costing & COGSWhat it costs you to make one, and the cost of the goods you sold. | Yes | Time tracking and labour costing, plus landed-cost allocation.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: fishbowlinventory.com(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| PurchasingRaising and tracking purchase orders to suppliers from inside the system. | Yes | Purchase orders are generated and executed automatically from reorder points and planning output.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: fishbowlinventory.com(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Accounting connectionSends financial data to bookkeeping software, or includes its own general ledger. | Yes | QuickBooks Online and Xero integrations are named, with QuickBooks Desktop also supported.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: fishbowlinventory.com(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| Ecommerce connectionPulls orders and pushes stock levels to a storefront or marketplace. | Unknown | Not yet researched. We would need: documentation of a named storefront or marketplace integration.Know the answer? |
Openness & your data
Getting data in, out, and away if you leave.
| Capability | Finding | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| APIA documented programming interface so other software can read and write your data. | Yes | The 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.Reviewed October 9, 2026. Source: help.fishbowlinventory.com › Products(opens in a new tab)Question this |
| WebhooksThe system can notify other software the moment something changes. | Unknown | Not yet researched. We would need: documentation of outbound webhooks or event subscriptions.Know the answer? |
| 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 | Not yet researched. We would need: a first-party mcp server, or documentation of one.Know the answer? |
| CSV exportYou can get your lists out as spreadsheet files. | Unknown | Not yet researched. We would need: documentation of csv or spreadsheet export.Know the answer? |
| Full data exportYou can take everything, including history and relationships, not just a few screens' worth of rows. | Unknown | Not yet researched. We would need: documentation of a complete account export, database dump, or equivalent.Know the answer? |
Deployment, licensing and your data
- Deployment
- Cloud (hosted for you)
- Licensing
- Proprietary SaaS
- Team sizes
- 6–20 people, 21–50 people, 51+ people
- Manufacturing styles
- Countable assembled products, Batch & recipe products, Custom or job-shop work, Kits & bundles
Integrations
- QuickBooks Online
- QuickBooks Desktop
- Xero
Jobs this product qualifies for
Derived from the capability table above, not hand-assigned.
Editorial notes and cautions
Things we would want a friend to know before buying.
- Fishbowl describes MRP as knowing "when and where parts are needed". That phrasing is close to a genuine time-phased claim, but the help center's MRP is a wizard that calculates reorder levels, and no article describes netting demand against open purchase orders, so we have not awarded the Full MRP label.
- Advanced Manufacturing is listed from $675 a month, but the vendor says Advanced pricing is always confirmed by quote and the required implementation package is unpriced, so you cannot compare it against MRPeasy or Katana without a sales call. Factor that time cost in.
- The product has a long history under desktop and hosted models; make sure any review you read describes the current cloud product.
Alternatives to Fishbowl Manufacturing
An alternative is always an alternative for a reason. There is no universal replacement.
MRPeasy publishes its prices and its planning calculation, so you can evaluate it from public pages before a sales call. Fishbowl's manufacturing edition starts at $675 a month plus an implementation package with no public price.
See all alternatives to Fishbowl Manufacturing, grouped by reason →
Evidence and verification
Pricing is now published and is the story here: the advertised $229 entry is the inventory line, while manufacturing starts at $675/mo plus a required implementation package of unpublished cost. Planning logic was tested against the Full MRP rules and falls short. The engine is reorder-point driven, with lead time feeding the threshold rather than offsetting a dated plan, and no published evidence of netting against open purchase orders. The help center, read on 2026-09-18, describes no run that nets demand against open purchase orders, and its documentation index has no MRP article; the MRP wizard it does describe sets reorder levels.
Sources we checked (7)
What we still want to confirm
We publish our gaps rather than hiding them. If you can point us at a first-party page for any of these, we will update the record and credit the correction.
- Get the implementation package price. It is required and unpublished: the pricing page lists what it covers (a specialist, data migration, 6-8 weeks of training certification, go-live support) but gives no figure, so this needs a quote.
- Confirm whether the Fishbowl Inventory line has API access. The public help center covers Fishbowl Advanced only, and the pricing page lists an open API only on the Advanced Manufacturing card, which suggests but does not state that the Inventory plans lack it; needs an answer from sales.
- Source quality handling. The Fishbowl Advanced documentation index has no quality or inspection article (a WorkClout integration exists but is third party), so this needs a demo or trial.
Still unknown: nets against stock on hand, counts incoming orders, recipes & formulas, quality controls, ecommerce connection, webhooks, mcp support, csv export, full data export.