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ERP · head to head

BatchMaster vs Fishbowl Inventory

BatchMaster logo

BatchMaster

ERP

Manufacturing execution and batch management system

From
$1250/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Fishbowl Inventory logo

Fishbowl Inventory

Inventory

Manufacturing and warehouse inventory built around QuickBooks

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: BatchMaster implementation costs high, ranging from $15,000 to $120,000, adding significant upfront investment; Fishbowl Inventory pricing is not published and has historically involved a substantial upfront figure, which surprises buyers expecting SaaS monthly pricing
  • They diverge on capability: BatchMaster covers Production scheduling, Fishbowl Inventory covers QuickBooks and Xero integration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where BatchMaster and Fishbowl Inventory differ
AttributeBatchMasterFishbowl Inventory
Starting price$1250/monthOn request
Pricing modelUnknownquote
PlatformsCloud, On-premise, WebWindows, Web, iOS, Android
CategoryERPInventory
Founded1983Unknown

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

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 BatchMaster

  • Production scheduling
  • Batch management
  • Quality control
  • Traceability
  • Compliance
  • ERP systems
  • REST APIs
  • IoT sensors

Only in Fishbowl Inventory

  • QuickBooks and Xero integration
  • Manufacturing orders
  • Multi-location inventory
  • Barcode scanning
  • Purchasing and reorder
  • Order fulfilment

What people use each for

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

BatchMaster

  • Batch productionnot Fishbowl Inventory
  • Quality assurancenot Fishbowl Inventory
  • Regulatory compliancenot Fishbowl Inventory
  • Product traceabilitynot Fishbowl Inventory

Fishbowl Inventory

  • Small manufacturers who have outgrown QuickBooks inventory but not the accountingnot BatchMaster
  • Wholesalers needing barcode-driven warehouse operationsnot BatchMaster
  • Companies wanting inventory control without replacing their finance systemnot BatchMaster
  • Businesses preferring a perpetual licence to a per-seat subscriptionnot BatchMaster

Where each one falls short

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

BatchMaster

  • Implementation costs high, ranging from $15,000 to $120,000, adding significant upfront investment
  • Per-user licensing model can increase total cost of ownership for organizations with many users accessing the system
  • Smaller user community compared to tier-1 ERP systems may limit support resources and third-party integrations
  • Mobile app capabilities are optional add-ons that increase overall deployment cost

Fishbowl Inventory

  • Pricing is not published and has historically involved a substantial upfront figure, which surprises buyers expecting SaaS monthly pricing
  • The interface reflects its on-premise origins and looks dated beside cloud-native inventory tools
  • Implementation and data migration are heavier than the marketing implies, and undersized projects are the usual source of complaints
  • The QuickBooks dependency that makes it attractive also caps it: businesses that eventually need real ERP will migrate away
  • Reporting is functional but teams frequently export to a spreadsheet for anything analytical

Pricing, plan by plan

BatchMaster

$1250/month

No published plan breakdown. See the BatchMaster review.

Fishbowl Inventory

On request
  • Fishbowl Drive$undefined/month
    • Cloud-based
    • Inventory tracking
    • Order management
  • Fishbowl Advanced$undefined/month
    • Manufacturing
    • Multi-location
    • Advanced reporting

Which should you pick?

Choose BatchMaster if

  • You need production scheduling.
  • You work on Cloud, On-premise, Web.
  • You also want batch management.
BatchMaster review

Choose Fishbowl Inventory if

  • You need quickbooks and xero integration.
  • You work on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want manufacturing orders.
Fishbowl Inventory review

Questions people ask

Is BatchMaster or Fishbowl Inventory better?
Neither clearly leads. BatchMaster starts at $1250/month and Fishbowl Inventory at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BatchMaster or Fishbowl Inventory?
BatchMaster starts at $1250/month and Fishbowl Inventory at On request.
Does BatchMaster or Fishbowl Inventory run on more platforms?
BatchMaster runs on Cloud, On-premise, Web. Fishbowl Inventory runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
What is BatchMaster best used for?
BatchMaster is most often used for batch production, quality assurance, regulatory compliance, product traceability. Of those, batch production and quality assurance are not what Fishbowl Inventory is typically brought in for.
What can BatchMaster do that Fishbowl Inventory cannot?
BatchMaster covers Production scheduling, Batch management, Quality control, Traceability. Fishbowl Inventory covers QuickBooks and Xero integration, Manufacturing orders, Multi-location inventory, Barcode scanning.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

BatchMaster: What industries does BatchMaster ERP serve?

BatchMaster ERP serves manufacturers across 20+ industries including pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, chemicals, personal care and cosmetics, nutraceuticals, paint and coatings, and others in more than 80 countries.

Source
Fishbowl Inventory: What does Fishbowl cost?

Not published. It has historically been sold with a significant upfront component rather than a low monthly fee, so budget for a quote well above typical SaaS inventory pricing.

BatchMaster: How much does BatchMaster cost?

BatchMaster pricing typically starts around $1,250 per month for cloud subscriptions, with costs ranging from $70-150 per user per month on subscription. Implementation costs range from $15,000 to $120,000, with essential modules like quality management commanding higher prices.

Source
Fishbowl Inventory: Do I still need QuickBooks?

Usually yes. Fishbowl handles inventory and manufacturing and posts the financial results into QuickBooks or Xero. It is not an accounting replacement.

BatchMaster: What integrations does BatchMaster support?

BatchMaster integrates with QuickBooks, SAP Business One, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, Sage 50/100/200/300, Xero, and Tally. It also offers an API for custom integrations.

Source
Fishbowl Inventory: Is it cloud or on-premise?

Both. Fishbowl Drive is the cloud product; Fishbowl Advanced can be hosted or run on your own server, which is why it still appeals to companies avoiding subscriptions.

BatchMaster: What are BatchMaster's key modules?

BatchMaster provides modular applications covering formulation, production, inventory, quality, compliance, planning, and scheduling. Optional modules include mobile and warehouse management capabilities.

Source
Fishbowl Inventory: Who is it wrong for?

Businesses that need genuine ERP, and businesses small enough that a cloud inventory app at a low monthly cost would do. It sits deliberately between those.

BatchMaster: Does BatchMaster support batch tracking and traceability?

Yes, BatchMaster includes batch tracking and traceability features essential for regulated industries like pharmaceuticals and food and beverage, supporting product recall management and regulatory compliance.

Source
Fishbowl Inventory: How hard is implementation?

Harder than a signup. Bills of material and historical stock data need preparation, and companies that treat it as a weekend job are the ones who describe it as difficult afterwards.

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Related pages

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