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ERP · head to head

Aptean vs Fishbowl

Aptean logo

Aptean

ERP

ERP solutions for manufacturing and distribution

From
$1500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Fishbowl logo

Fishbowl

ERP

Manufacturing and warehouse management for QuickBooks

From
$4395/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Aptean a portfolio of industry-specific products rather than one platform, spanning ERP, TMS, PLM, EAM, WMS, MES and more, so the evaluation is which Aptean product before any feature comparison; 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: Aptean covers Financial management, Fishbowl covers Work orders.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Aptean and Fishbowl actually diverge.

Attributes where Aptean and Fishbowl differ
AttributeApteanFishbowl
Starting price$1500/month$4395/one-time
Pricing modelsubscriptionone-time
PlatformsCloud, On-premise, WebWindows, Cloud
Founded20172001

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (ERP).

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 Aptean

  • Financial management
  • Supply chain
  • Quality management
  • REST APIs
  • EDI
  • IoT systems
  • Third-party systems
  • Enterprise encryption

Only in Fishbowl

  • Work orders
  • Barcode scanning
  • QuickBooks integration
  • QuickBooks Desktop
  • QuickBooks Online
  • Shopify
  • Amazon
  • ShipStation

Both cover

  • Manufacturing
  • Inventory management
  • Cloud support

What people use each for

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

Aptean

  • Industry-specific ERP for manufacturing and distributionnot Fishbowl
  • Transportation and warehouse managementnot Fishbowl
  • Product lifecycle management for food and apparelnot Fishbowl
  • Enterprise asset management and maintenancenot Fishbowl
  • EDI and payment processing alongside the core systemsnot Fishbowl

Fishbowl

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

Where each one falls short

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

Aptean

  • A portfolio of industry-specific products rather than one platform, spanning ERP, TMS, PLM, EAM, WMS, MES and more, so the evaluation is which Aptean product before any feature comparison
  • Pricing is not published for any product
  • Aimed at mid-sized and large businesses rather than small operations

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

Aptean

$1500/month
  • Standard$1500/month
    • Core ERP modules
    • Manufacturing
    • Supply chain
  • Premium$3000/month
    • Advanced modules
    • Analytics
    • 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 Aptean if

  • You need financial management.
  • You work on Cloud, On-premise, Web.
  • You also want supply chain.
Aptean review

Choose Fishbowl if

  • You need work orders.
  • You work on Windows, Cloud.
  • You also want barcode scanning.
Fishbowl review

Questions people ask

Is Aptean or Fishbowl better?
Neither clearly leads. Aptean starts at $1500/month and Fishbowl at $4395/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Aptean or Fishbowl?
Aptean starts at $1500/month and Fishbowl at $4395/one-time.
Does Aptean or Fishbowl run on more platforms?
Aptean runs on Cloud, On-premise, Web. Fishbowl runs on Windows, Cloud.
What is Aptean best used for?
Aptean is most often used for industry-specific erp for manufacturing and distribution, transportation and warehouse management, product lifecycle management for food and apparel, enterprise asset management and maintenance. Of those, industry-specific erp for manufacturing and distribution and transportation and warehouse management are not what Fishbowl is typically brought in for.
What can Aptean do that Fishbowl cannot?
Aptean covers Financial management, Supply chain, Quality management, REST APIs. Fishbowl covers Work orders, Barcode scanning, QuickBooks integration, QuickBooks Desktop. Both handle Manufacturing, Inventory management, Cloud support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Aptean: What is Aptean's pricing?

Aptean does not publish pricing on its website. Use the Request Pricing link or contact the sales team directly.

Source
Fishbowl: How much does Fishbowl Inventory cost per month?

Fishbowl Inventory pricing starts at $229/month (billed annually) for the Essentials tier, $429/month for Growth, and $729/month for Scale. The Advanced Manufacturing tier starts at $675/month and Advanced Warehouse starts at $595/month, though both are quote-based and vary by user count.

Source
Aptean: Does Aptean offer free product tours or demonstrations?

Yes, Aptean offers free interactive product tours and personalized demos that can be scheduled at your convenience.

Source
Fishbowl: How many users are included in each tier?

Essentials includes 2 users, Growth includes 5 users, and Scale includes 10 users. Advanced Manufacturing and Advanced Warehouse support teams of 2 to 200+ users with pricing confirmed by quote based on your specific deployment.

Source
Aptean: What support is included after implementation?

Aptean provides 24/7 unlimited support and expert consultation following implementation.

Source
Fishbowl: Is Fishbowl billed monthly or annually?

Fishbowl Inventory plans require annual billing. The Advanced Manufacturing and Advanced Warehouse plans have variable pricing confirmed by quote and may have different billing arrangements.

Source
Fishbowl: What's included when I sign up for Fishbowl?

All Fishbowl plans include an implementation package with specialist support, data migration services, and 6 to 8 weeks of certification training. Cloud hosting is included with Advanced Manufacturing plans.

Source
Fishbowl: Can I add more users if I exceed my tier's user limit?

You can upgrade to a higher tier which includes additional users. Essentials ($229/mo with 2 users) can upgrade to Growth ($429/mo with 5 users) or Scale ($729/mo with 10 users). Custom team sizes beyond 10 users require Advanced Manufacturing or Advanced Warehouse quotes.

Source
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