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ABC Inventory vs Fishbowl

A

ABC Inventory

Software

Free inventory software for Windows

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Fishbowl logo

Fishbowl

Software

Manufacturing and warehouse management for QuickBooks

From
$4395/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only ABC Inventory has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: ABC Inventory the free ABC Inventory edition is single user only; multi-user access requires the paid commercial Almyta Control System upgrade, per the vendor's own page as captured by the Internet Archive on 20 November 2024; Fishbowl the $229 per month Essentials plan includes only 2 users, Growth at $429 includes 5 and Scale at $729 includes 10, all billed annually
  • They diverge on capability: ABC Inventory covers Inventory tracking, Fishbowl covers Inventory management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ABC Inventory and Fishbowl actually diverge.

Attributes where ABC Inventory and Fishbowl differ
AttributeABC InventoryFishbowl
Starting priceFree$4395/one-time
Pricing modelfreemiumone-time
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWindows DesktopWindows, Cloud
Founded19952001

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in ABC Inventory

  • Inventory tracking
  • Purchase orders
  • Sales orders
  • Multi-location
  • Excel export
  • Barcode printing
  • Label printing
  • Windows Desktop support

Only in Fishbowl

  • Inventory management
  • Manufacturing
  • Work orders
  • Barcode scanning
  • QuickBooks integration
  • QuickBooks Desktop
  • QuickBooks Online
  • Shopify

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

ABC Inventory

  • Desktop inventorynot Fishbowl
  • Order managementnot Fishbowl
  • Purchasingnot Fishbowl
  • Stock controlnot Fishbowl

Fishbowl

  • Inventory and SKU tracking for wholesale and distribution businessesnot ABC Inventory
  • Manufacturing bills of materials, MRP, work orders and job costingnot ABC Inventory
  • Warehouse fulfilment, transfer orders and automated reorderingnot ABC Inventory
  • Multichannel selling with synchronised stock levelsnot ABC Inventory

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

ABC Inventory

  • The free ABC Inventory edition is single user only; multi-user access requires the paid commercial Almyta Control System upgrade, per the vendor's own page as captured by the Internet Archive on 20 November 2024
  • The free licence excludes phone, email and online support, per the same capture of 20 November 2024

Fishbowl

  • The $229 per month Essentials plan includes only 2 users, Growth at $429 includes 5 and Scale at $729 includes 10, all billed annually
  • A paid implementation package is required as part of purchase and covers a 6 to 8 week training certification
  • Lot tracking, demand forecasting and compliance documentation require the Scale plan at $729 per month
  • Advanced Warehouse from $595 per month and Advanced Manufacturing from $675 per month are quoted on team size and deployment rather than sold at a fixed rate
  • Demand forecasting and custom reports are add ons carrying separate fees
  • All listed plan prices are billed annually rather than monthly

Pricing, plan by plan

ABC Inventory

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full features
    • Single user
    • Basic support
  • Network$199/month
    • Multi-user
    • Network access
    • Priority support

Fishbowl

$4395/one-time
  • Fishbowl Warehouse$4395/one-time
    • Inventory tracking
    • Order management
    • QuickBooks sync
  • Fishbowl Manufacturing$5495/one-time
    • Work orders
    • Bill of materials
    • Shop floor control

Which should you pick?

Choose ABC Inventory if

  • You need inventory tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows Desktop.
  • You also want purchase orders.
ABC Inventory review

Choose Fishbowl if

  • You need inventory management.
  • You work on Windows, Cloud.
  • You also want manufacturing.
Fishbowl review

Questions people ask

Is ABC Inventory or Fishbowl better?
Neither clearly leads. ABC Inventory starts at Free and Fishbowl at $4395/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ABC Inventory or Fishbowl?
ABC Inventory has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for ABC Inventory and $4395/one-time for Fishbowl.
Does ABC Inventory or Fishbowl run on more platforms?
ABC Inventory runs on Windows Desktop. Fishbowl runs on Windows, Cloud.
Can I use ABC Inventory for free?
Yes. ABC Inventory has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Fishbowl starts at $4395/one-time.
What is ABC Inventory best used for?
ABC Inventory is most often used for desktop inventory, order management, purchasing, stock control. Of those, desktop inventory and order management are not what Fishbowl is typically brought in for.
What can ABC Inventory do that Fishbowl cannot?
ABC Inventory covers Inventory tracking, Purchase orders, Sales orders, Multi-location. Fishbowl covers Inventory management, Manufacturing, Work orders, Barcode scanning.
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