Softwr

ERP & Business Operations · head to head

Fishbowl vs IFS Applications

Fishbowl logo

Fishbowl

ERP & Business Operations

Manufacturing and warehouse management for QuickBooks

From
$4395/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
IFS Applications logo

IFS Applications

ERP & Business Operations

Cloud ERP for field service and asset management

From
$3000/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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; IFS Applications pricing is not published for IFS Applications; the site offers only a demo booking or contact form, with no plans or figures listed
  • They diverge on capability: Fishbowl covers Inventory management, IFS Applications covers Financial management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fishbowl and IFS Applications actually diverge.

Attributes where Fishbowl and IFS Applications differ
AttributeFishbowlIFS Applications
Starting price$4395/one-time$3000/month
Pricing modelone-timesubscription
PlatformsWindows, CloudCloud, Web, Mobile
Founded20011983

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

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 Fishbowl

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

Only in IFS Applications

  • Financial management
  • Field service management
  • Asset management
  • Maintenance
  • Supply chain
  • IoT platforms
  • Mobile applications
  • REST APIs

Both cover

  • Cloud support

What people use each for

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

Fishbowl

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

IFS Applications

  • Asset-intensive enterprises running field service and asset management alongside core ERPnot Fishbowl

Where each one falls short

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

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

IFS Applications

  • Pricing is not published for IFS Applications; the site offers only a demo booking or contact form, with no plans or figures listed

Pricing, plan by plan

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

IFS Applications

$3000/month
  • Core$3000/month
    • Financial management
    • Field service
    • Asset management
  • Premium$5500/month
    • Advanced modules
    • IoT integration
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose Fishbowl if

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

Choose IFS Applications if

  • You need financial management.
  • You work on Cloud, Web, Mobile.
  • You also want field service management.
IFS Applications review

Questions people ask

Is Fishbowl or IFS Applications better?
Neither clearly leads. Fishbowl starts at $4395/one-time and IFS Applications at $3000/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fishbowl or IFS Applications?
Fishbowl starts at $4395/one-time and IFS Applications at $3000/month.
Does Fishbowl or IFS Applications run on more platforms?
Fishbowl runs on Windows, Cloud. IFS Applications runs on Cloud, Web, Mobile.
What is Fishbowl best used for?
Fishbowl is most often used for inventory and sku tracking for wholesale and distribution businesses, manufacturing bills of materials, mrp, work orders and job costing, warehouse fulfilment, transfer orders and automated reordering, multichannel selling with synchronised stock levels. Of those, inventory and sku tracking for wholesale and distribution businesses and manufacturing bills of materials, mrp, work orders and job costing are not what IFS Applications is typically brought in for.
What can Fishbowl do that IFS Applications cannot?
Fishbowl covers Inventory management, Manufacturing, Work orders, Barcode scanning. IFS Applications covers Financial management, Field service management, Asset management, Maintenance. Both handle Cloud support.
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