Softwr

ERP & Business Operations · head to head

Fishbowl vs Odoo

Fishbowl logo

Fishbowl

ERP & Business Operations

Manufacturing and warehouse management for QuickBooks

From
$4395/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Odoo logo

Odoo

ERP & Business Operations

Open-source ERP and CRM suite for all business needs

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Odoo has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; Odoo the free plan is limited to one app, so any second module moves the whole account to a paid per user plan
  • They diverge on capability: Fishbowl covers Inventory management, Odoo covers Sales management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fishbowl and Odoo actually diverge.

Attributes where Fishbowl and Odoo differ
AttributeFishbowlOdoo
Starting price$4395/one-timeFree
Pricing modelone-timefreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, CloudCloud, On-premise, Web, Mobile
Founded20012002

Identical on both: 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 Odoo

  • Sales management
  • Inventory
  • Accounting
  • CRM
  • Project management
  • E-commerce
  • Email marketing
  • Payment gateways

Both cover

  • Data backup
  • Audit trails
  • 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 Odoo
  • Manufacturing bills of materials, MRP, work orders and job costingnot Odoo
  • Warehouse fulfilment, transfer orders and automated reorderingnot Odoo
  • Multichannel selling with synchronised stock levelsnot Odoo

Odoo

  • Running ERP, CRM, inventory and accounting from one integrated suitenot Fishbowl
  • Starting with a single business app and adding modules over timenot 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

Odoo

  • The free plan is limited to one app, so any second module moves the whole account to a paid per user plan
  • Standard runs $13.50 to $16.90 per user per month and Custom $20.40 to $25.50, both quoted with a yearly discount applied
  • Implementation services and custom development are not included in any plan
  • Odoo.sh hosting is required for custom modules and is charged separately from the subscription
  • SMS credits and AI scanning are billed on top of the per user price

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

Odoo

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Open-source
    • Core ERP modules
    • Community support
  • Cloud Standard$20/month
    • Cloud hosting
    • All modules
    • Email support

Which should you pick?

Choose Fishbowl if

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

Choose Odoo if

  • You need sales management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, On-premise, Web, Mobile.
  • You also want inventory.
Odoo review

Questions people ask

Is Fishbowl or Odoo better?
Neither clearly leads. Fishbowl starts at $4395/one-time and Odoo at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fishbowl or Odoo?
Odoo has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $4395/one-time for Fishbowl and Free for Odoo.
Does Fishbowl or Odoo run on more platforms?
Fishbowl runs on Windows, Cloud. Odoo runs on Cloud, On-premise, Web, Mobile.
Can I use Odoo for free?
Yes. Odoo has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Fishbowl starts at $4395/one-time.
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 Odoo is typically brought in for.
What can Fishbowl do that Odoo cannot?
Fishbowl covers Inventory management, Manufacturing, Work orders, Barcode scanning. Odoo covers Sales management, Inventory, Accounting, CRM. Both handle Data backup, Audit trails, Cloud support.
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