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Inventory · head to head

Fishbowl Inventory vs IQMS

Fishbowl Inventory logo

Fishbowl Inventory

Inventory

Manufacturing and warehouse inventory built around QuickBooks

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
IQMS logo

IQMS

ERP

Single database manufacturing ERP and MES, now sold by Dassault as DELMIAworks

From
$1200/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Fishbowl Inventory pricing is not published and has historically involved a substantial upfront figure, which surprises buyers expecting SaaS monthly pricing; IQMS dassault Systemes acquired the product in 2018 and renamed it, which changed the sales channel, the support relationship and the roadmap owner, so a buyer needs explicit commitments on release cadence rather than a history of independence that no longer applies.
  • They diverge on capability: Fishbowl Inventory covers QuickBooks and Xero integration, IQMS covers Single database ERP and MES.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Fishbowl Inventory and IQMS differ
AttributeFishbowl InventoryIQMS
Starting priceOn request$1200/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWindows, Web, iOS, AndroidCloud, On-premise, Web
CategoryInventoryERP
FoundedUnknown1994

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

  • QuickBooks and Xero integration
  • Manufacturing orders
  • Multi-location inventory
  • Barcode scanning
  • Purchasing and reorder
  • Order fulfilment

Only in IQMS

  • Single database ERP and MES
  • Real time machine monitoring
  • Production scheduling
  • Quality management
  • Preventive maintenance
  • Inventory and lot traceability
  • EDI
  • Financials

What people use each for

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

Fishbowl Inventory

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

IQMS

  • An injection moulding or plastics processor that needs cycle level machine data to cost jobs accuratelynot Fishbowl Inventory
  • A repetitive discrete manufacturer running many short jobs where scheduling depends on knowing real machine availabilitynot Fishbowl Inventory
  • An automotive component supplier that must meet EDI release schedules and hold traceability to satisfy a customer auditnot Fishbowl Inventory
  • A plant currently reconciling an ERP against a separate MES and finding the two never agreenot Fishbowl Inventory

Where each one falls short

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

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

IQMS

  • Dassault Systemes acquired the product in 2018 and renamed it, which changed the sales channel, the support relationship and the roadmap owner, so a buyer needs explicit commitments on release cadence rather than a history of independence that no longer applies.
  • This is a discrete and repetitive manufacturing system, not a process one, so a batch producer needing formulation, potency, catch weight or co-product handling will hit capability gaps that configuration cannot close.
  • The product has an on premise heritage with an underlying commercial database, so a deployment carries database licensing and administration skills as costs that sit outside the ERP quote.
  • Its depth is on the shop floor rather than in the office, so organisations with complex multi-entity consolidation, international statutory reporting or sophisticated financial planning needs generally find the finance side thinner than the manufacturing side.
  • The knowledge base is split across two product names and two eras, so searching for help returns a mixture of IQMS-era community material and current DELMIAworks documentation, and it is not always obvious which applies to your version.

Pricing, plan by plan

Fishbowl Inventory

On request
  • Fishbowl Drive$undefined/month
    • Cloud-based
    • Inventory tracking
    • Order management
  • Fishbowl Advanced$undefined/month
    • Manufacturing
    • Multi-location
    • Advanced reporting

IQMS

$1200/month
  • Standard$1200/month
    • Quality management
    • MES
    • Basic analytics
  • Premium$2500/month
    • Advanced analytics
    • AI capabilities
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

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

Choose IQMS if

  • You need single database erp and mes.
  • You work on Cloud, On-premise, Web.
  • You also want real time machine monitoring.
IQMS review

Questions people ask

Is Fishbowl Inventory or IQMS better?
Neither clearly leads. Fishbowl Inventory starts at On request and IQMS at $1200/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fishbowl Inventory or IQMS?
Fishbowl Inventory starts at On request and IQMS at $1200/month.
Does Fishbowl Inventory or IQMS run on more platforms?
Fishbowl Inventory runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android. IQMS runs on Cloud, On-premise, Web.
What is Fishbowl Inventory best used for?
Fishbowl Inventory is most often used for small manufacturers who have outgrown quickbooks inventory but not the accounting, wholesalers needing barcode-driven warehouse operations, companies wanting inventory control without replacing their finance system, businesses preferring a perpetual licence to a per-seat subscription. Of those, small manufacturers who have outgrown quickbooks inventory but not the accounting and wholesalers needing barcode-driven warehouse operations are not what IQMS is typically brought in for.
What can Fishbowl Inventory do that IQMS cannot?
Fishbowl Inventory covers QuickBooks and Xero integration, Manufacturing orders, Multi-location inventory, Barcode scanning. IQMS covers Single database ERP and MES, Real time machine monitoring, Production scheduling, Quality management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

IQMS: Is IQMS the same as DELMIAworks?

Yes. Dassault Systemes acquired IQMS in 2018 and markets the product as DELMIAworks. The underlying application, EnterpriseIQ, is the same lineage, but contracts, support and the sales channel are now Dassault's.

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.

IQMS: Why choose this over an ERP plus a separate MES?

Because the interface between them is the usual failure point. One database means production status, scrap and costing agree by construction. The cost of that is a narrower product that suits a specific kind of manufacturer rather than any manufacturer.

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.

IQMS: Does it suit process or batch manufacturing?

No. It was built around discrete and repetitive production. Formulation, potency adjustment and co-product handling are the domain of process ERP and you should look at a specialist for that.

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.

IQMS: What should I check before buying under the current ownership?

Ask for the published release history since the acquisition, the support escalation path, who implements it in your region and whether they are Dassault staff or a partner, and what integration with the rest of the Dassault portfolio is assumed in the roadmap.

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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