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ERP · head to head

Fishbowl vs QAD ERP

Fishbowl logo

Fishbowl

ERP

Manufacturing and warehouse management for QuickBooks

From
$4395/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
QAD ERP logo

QAD ERP

ERP

Cloud ERP for global manufacturers

From
$600/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; QAD ERP no published pricing; requires custom quote
  • They diverge on capability: Fishbowl covers Inventory management, QAD ERP covers Manufacturing execution.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fishbowl and QAD ERP actually diverge.

Attributes where Fishbowl and QAD ERP differ
AttributeFishbowlQAD ERP
Starting price$4395/one-time$600/month
Pricing modelone-timesubscription
PlatformsWindows, CloudCloud, Web, Mobile
Founded20011979

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 Fishbowl

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

Only in QAD ERP

  • Manufacturing execution
  • Supply chain management
  • Quality management
  • Financial management
  • Business analytics
  • Quality systems
  • Supplier management
  • Analytics

Both cover

  • 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 QAD ERP
  • Manufacturing bills of materials, MRP, work orders and job costingnot QAD ERP
  • Warehouse fulfilment, transfer orders and automated reorderingnot QAD ERP
  • Multichannel selling with synchronised stock levelsnot QAD ERP

QAD ERP

  • Enterprise resource planningnot Fishbowl
  • Manufacturing operationsnot Fishbowl
  • Supply chain managementnot 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

QAD ERP

  • No published pricing; requires custom quote
  • Sales-oriented contact model

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

QAD ERP

$600/month
  • Standard$600/month
    • Core manufacturing
    • Financial management
    • Supply chain
  • Advanced$1500/month
    • Advanced modules
    • Quality management
    • Advanced analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose Fishbowl if

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

Choose QAD ERP if

  • You need manufacturing execution.
  • You work on Cloud, Web, Mobile.
  • You also want supply chain management.
QAD ERP review

Questions people ask

Is Fishbowl or QAD ERP better?
Neither clearly leads. Fishbowl starts at $4395/one-time and QAD ERP at $600/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fishbowl or QAD ERP?
Fishbowl starts at $4395/one-time and QAD ERP at $600/month.
Does Fishbowl or QAD ERP run on more platforms?
Fishbowl runs on Windows, Cloud. QAD ERP 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 QAD ERP is typically brought in for.
What can Fishbowl do that QAD ERP cannot?
Fishbowl covers Inventory management, Manufacturing, Work orders, Barcode scanning. QAD ERP covers Manufacturing execution, Supply chain management, Quality management, Financial management. Both handle Audit trails, Cloud support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
QAD ERP: How is QAD ERP priced?

QAD does not publish pricing on their website. Potential customers are directed to request a demo or contact QAD sales directly to discuss pricing and specific requirements.

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
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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