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Inventory · head to head

Brightpearl vs Fishbowl Inventory

Brightpearl logo

Brightpearl

Inventory

Retail operating system for omnichannel commerce

From
$499/month
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: Brightpearl no pricing is published, and every quote is described as a bespoke setup; 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: Brightpearl covers Order management, Fishbowl Inventory covers QuickBooks and Xero integration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Brightpearl and Fishbowl Inventory differ
AttributeBrightpearlFishbowl Inventory
Starting price$499/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsCloud, WebWindows, Web, iOS, Android
Founded2007Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Inventory).

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 Brightpearl

  • Order management
  • Inventory management
  • Warehouse management
  • Retail accounting
  • POS integration
  • Shopify
  • Amazon
  • eBay

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.

Brightpearl

  • Retail operations management across inventory, orders and accountingnot Fishbowl Inventory
  • Connecting ecommerce and wholesale channels to fulfilmentnot Fishbowl Inventory

Fishbowl Inventory

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

Where each one falls short

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

Brightpearl

  • No pricing is published, and every quote is described as a bespoke setup
  • Cost is driven by business size rather than by a stated unit, so nothing can be estimated before contacting sales
  • The vendor frames cost as a percentage of revenue, which means the bill grows with turnover rather than with usage

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

Brightpearl

$499/month
  • Core$499/month
    • Order management
    • Inventory management
    • Basic accounting
  • Professional$999/month
    • Unlimited channels
    • Warehouse management
    • Advanced reporting

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 Brightpearl if

  • You need order management.
  • You work on Cloud, Web.
  • You also want inventory management.
Brightpearl 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 Brightpearl or Fishbowl Inventory better?
Neither clearly leads. Brightpearl starts at $499/month and Fishbowl Inventory at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Brightpearl or Fishbowl Inventory?
Brightpearl starts at $499/month and Fishbowl Inventory at On request.
Does Brightpearl or Fishbowl Inventory run on more platforms?
Brightpearl runs on Cloud, Web. Fishbowl Inventory runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
What is Brightpearl best used for?
Brightpearl is most often used for retail operations management across inventory, orders and accounting, connecting ecommerce and wholesale channels to fulfilment. Of those, retail operations management across inventory, orders and accounting and connecting ecommerce and wholesale channels to fulfilment are not what Fishbowl Inventory is typically brought in for.
What can Brightpearl do that Fishbowl Inventory cannot?
Brightpearl covers Order management, Inventory management, Warehouse management, Retail accounting. Fishbowl Inventory covers QuickBooks and Xero integration, Manufacturing orders, Multi-location inventory, Barcode scanning.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Brightpearl: Why does Brightpearl use custom pricing instead of fixed subscription tiers?

Brightpearl states 'One size never fits all. That's why we build a bespoke set-up for every customer with simple, tailored pricing so you never pay for more than you need.' Pricing is tailored to individual business needs.

Source
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.

Brightpearl: Do I have to pay extra for additional users?

No. Unlimited users are always included with Brightpearl at no extra cost, regardless of how many people use the system.

Source
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.

Brightpearl: How does Brightpearl pricing scale as my business grows?

Brightpearl pricing scales to become a smaller percentage of your revenue as you grow. The company states 'The bigger you grow, the better the value' in their pricing model.

Source
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.

Brightpearl: Is there a free trial available?

No free trial or freemium option is mentioned on the pricing page. Interested customers are asked to book a 1-1 demo with retail experts to receive a custom pricing quote.

Source
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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