Softwr

ERP · head to head

Fishbowl vs TrakSYS

Fishbowl logo

Fishbowl

ERP

Manufacturing and warehouse management for QuickBooks

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

TrakSYS

Manufacturing

Manufacturing execution and plant performance platform

From
On request
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; TrakSYS configuration is the implementation, so deployment is a project measured in months and needs a partner or trained staff
  • They diverge on capability: Fishbowl covers Inventory management, TrakSYS covers Real-time production tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fishbowl and TrakSYS actually diverge.

Attributes where Fishbowl and TrakSYS differ
AttributeFishbowlTrakSYS
Starting price$4395/one-timeOn request
Pricing modelone-timequote
PlatformsWindows, CloudWindows, Web, Self-hosted
CategoryERPManufacturing
Founded2001Unknown

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 Fishbowl

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

Only in TrakSYS

  • Real-time production tracking
  • OEE and downtime analysis
  • Configurable workflows
  • Quality management
  • Equipment connectivity
  • Reporting

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

TrakSYS

  • Plants whose processes do not fit a packaged MESnot Fishbowl
  • Attributing downtime to cause rather than reporting an aggregatenot Fishbowl
  • Regulated production needing enforced in-process quality checksnot 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

TrakSYS

  • Configuration is the implementation, so deployment is a project measured in months and needs a partner or trained staff
  • Quote-only pricing with no published rates
  • Flexibility means two TrakSYS installations can look nothing alike, which makes hiring for it harder
  • Considerable overkill for a small plant tracking output in a spreadsheet

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

TrakSYS

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the TrakSYS review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Fishbowl if

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

Choose TrakSYS if

  • You need real-time production tracking.
  • You work on Windows, Web, Self-hosted.
  • You also want oee and downtime analysis.
TrakSYS review

Questions people ask

Is Fishbowl or TrakSYS better?
Neither clearly leads. Fishbowl starts at $4395/one-time and TrakSYS at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fishbowl or TrakSYS?
Fishbowl starts at $4395/one-time and TrakSYS at On request.
Does Fishbowl or TrakSYS run on more platforms?
Fishbowl runs on Windows, Cloud. TrakSYS runs on Windows, Web, Self-hosted.
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 TrakSYS is typically brought in for.
What can Fishbowl do that TrakSYS cannot?
Fishbowl covers Inventory management, Manufacturing, Work orders, Barcode scanning. TrakSYS covers Real-time production tracking, OEE and downtime analysis, Configurable workflows, Quality management.

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
TrakSYS: What does TrakSYS cost?

Quoted per site and not published; implementation is normally a substantial part of the total.

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
TrakSYS: Is it a product or a platform?

A platform. Screens and workflows are configured for the plant, which is why it fits unusual processes and why deployment is a project.

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
TrakSYS: When is it the wrong choice?

When a packaged MES fits your process, or when the plant is small enough that the configuration effort outweighs the gain.

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
Share

Related pages

More on Fishbowl

More on TrakSYS

Keep looking

Other head to heads