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Field Service · head to head

FaciliWorks vs Fishbowl Inventory

FaciliWorks logo

FaciliWorks

Field Service

CMMS from CyberMetrics that still sells a perpetual on-premise licence alongside subscription

From
On request
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: FaciliWorks the interface is dated by cloud CMMS standards, which matters most for occasional users such as production supervisors raising a request, who will need training that a modern mobile-first tool would not require.; 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: FaciliWorks covers Perpetual or subscription licensing, Fishbowl Inventory covers QuickBooks and Xero integration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where FaciliWorks and Fishbowl Inventory differ
AttributeFaciliWorksFishbowl Inventory
PlatformsWindows, Web, iOS, Android, On-premiseWindows, Web, iOS, Android
CategoryField ServiceInventory

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), 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 FaciliWorks

  • Perpetual or subscription licensing
  • Concurrent seat option
  • Preventive maintenance scheduling
  • Calibration alignment
  • Parts and purchasing
  • Mobile work orders

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.

FaciliWorks

  • A regulated manufacturer that must evidence both equipment maintenance and gauge calibration in one audit and wants both from one vendornot Fishbowl Inventory
  • A defence or utility site on an isolated network where a cloud-only CMMS is not permitted by policynot Fishbowl Inventory
  • A maintenance department that wants a capital purchase rather than a recurring subscription that grows with headcountnot Fishbowl Inventory
  • A plant with many occasional users where concurrent licensing costs far less than a named seat for every techniciannot Fishbowl Inventory

Fishbowl Inventory

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

Where each one falls short

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

FaciliWorks

  • The interface is dated by cloud CMMS standards, which matters most for occasional users such as production supervisors raising a request, who will need training that a modern mobile-first tool would not require.
  • A perpetual licence still carries an annual maintenance and support fee, so the one-off purchase framing does not hold; without that fee you lose updates and support while keeping the right to run old code.
  • Integration options are thin, with a limited API and few prebuilt connectors, so linking FaciliWorks to an ERP or a condition monitoring platform usually means custom database-level work.
  • No pricing is published for any edition despite this being a mid-market product, so buyers cannot compare it against published per-user rivals without entering a sales process.
  • CyberMetrics is a small independent vendor, which means responsive support but also a thin partner ecosystem and no realistic second-source implementation help if the relationship goes wrong.

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

FaciliWorks

On request
  • FaciliWorks Essentials$undefined/year
    • Core CMMS: assets, work orders, preventive maintenance
    • Perpetual or subscription licensing
    • Concurrent or node-locked seats
  • FaciliWorks Pro$undefined/year
    • Adds advanced reporting and analytics
    • Parts inventory and purchasing
    • Mobile access
  • FaciliWorks Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Multi-site and multi-currency
    • All Pro capability
    • Extended integration and administration options

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 FaciliWorks if

  • You need perpetual or subscription licensing.
  • You work on Windows, Web, iOS, Android, On-premise.
  • You also want concurrent seat option.
FaciliWorks 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 FaciliWorks or Fishbowl Inventory better?
Neither clearly leads. FaciliWorks starts at On request and Fishbowl Inventory at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, FaciliWorks or Fishbowl Inventory?
FaciliWorks starts at On request and Fishbowl Inventory at On request.
Does FaciliWorks or Fishbowl Inventory run on more platforms?
FaciliWorks runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android, On-premise. Fishbowl Inventory runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
What is FaciliWorks best used for?
FaciliWorks is most often used for a regulated manufacturer that must evidence both equipment maintenance and gauge calibration in one audit and wants both from one vendor, a defence or utility site on an isolated network where a cloud-only cmms is not permitted by policy, a maintenance department that wants a capital purchase rather than a recurring subscription that grows with headcount, a plant with many occasional users where concurrent licensing costs far less than a named seat for every technician. Of those, a regulated manufacturer that must evidence both equipment maintenance and gauge calibration in one audit and wants both from one vendor and a defence or utility site on an isolated network where a cloud-only cmms is not permitted by policy are not what Fishbowl Inventory is typically brought in for.
What can FaciliWorks do that Fishbowl Inventory cannot?
FaciliWorks covers Perpetual or subscription licensing, Concurrent seat option, Preventive maintenance scheduling, Calibration alignment. Fishbowl Inventory covers QuickBooks and Xero integration, Manufacturing orders, Multi-location inventory, Barcode scanning.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

FaciliWorks: Can I still buy FaciliWorks outright?

Yes. Perpetual on-premise licensing is still offered alongside subscription, which is unusual in CMMS today.

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.

FaciliWorks: Does a perpetual licence mean no recurring cost?

No. Annual maintenance and support is a separate ongoing fee, and dropping it costs you updates and support.

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.

FaciliWorks: Is there concurrent licensing?

Yes. Concurrent seats let a large pool of occasional users share fewer licences, which is often cheaper than named seats.

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.

FaciliWorks: Is pricing published?

No. All editions are quoted, so you must engage sales to get a comparable number.

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.

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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