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Inventory · head to head

Fishbowl Inventory vs Katana MRP

Fishbowl Inventory logo

Fishbowl Inventory

Inventory

Manufacturing and warehouse inventory built around QuickBooks

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Katana MRP logo

Katana MRP

ERP

Smart manufacturing software for scaling brands

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Katana MRP has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; Katana MRP the free plan caps SKUs at 30 after a 15 day unlimited period
  • They diverge on capability: Fishbowl Inventory covers QuickBooks and Xero integration, Katana MRP covers Visual production scheduling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fishbowl Inventory and Katana MRP actually diverge.

Attributes where Fishbowl Inventory and Katana MRP differ
AttributeFishbowl InventoryKatana MRP
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteusage-based
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, Web, iOS, AndroidCloud, Web, Mobile
CategoryInventoryERP
FoundedUnknown2017

Identical on both: 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 Katana MRP

  • Visual production scheduling
  • Real-time inventory
  • Bill of materials
  • Purchase orders
  • Shop floor app
  • Shopify
  • WooCommerce
  • QuickBooks

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 Katana MRP
  • Wholesalers needing barcode-driven warehouse operationsnot Katana MRP
  • Companies wanting inventory control without replacing their finance systemnot Katana MRP
  • Businesses preferring a perpetual licence to a per-seat subscriptionnot Katana MRP

Katana MRP

  • Manufacturing resource planning for small production businessesnot Fishbowl Inventory
  • Tracking live inventory across making, selling and purchasingnot 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

Katana MRP

  • The free plan caps SKUs at 30 after a 15 day unlimited period
  • The Core plan starts at $299 a month and includes one location, with more sold as a usage based add on
  • Core is billed per sales order delivered on top of the base price, so cost tracks throughput
  • Manufacturing management, traceability and warehouse management are separate add ons at $199, $249 and $149 a month
  • A full manufacturing setup therefore stacks to well above the headline $299

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

Katana MRP

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 30 SKUs (unlimited during 15-day trial)
    • Unlimited users
    • Unlimited integrations
  • Core$299/month
    • Unlimited SKUs
    • Unlimited users
    • Unlimited integrations
  • Advantage$null/mo
    • Custom annual contract
    • Everything in Core plus custom integrations
    • Custom dashboards and automations

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 Katana MRP if

  • You need visual production scheduling.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, Web, Mobile.
  • You also want real-time inventory.
Katana MRP review

Questions people ask

Is Fishbowl Inventory or Katana MRP better?
Neither clearly leads. Fishbowl Inventory starts at On request and Katana MRP at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fishbowl Inventory or Katana MRP?
Katana MRP has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Fishbowl Inventory and Free for Katana MRP.
Does Fishbowl Inventory or Katana MRP run on more platforms?
Fishbowl Inventory runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android. Katana MRP runs on Cloud, Web, Mobile.
Can I use Katana MRP for free?
Yes. Katana MRP has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Fishbowl Inventory starts at On request.
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 Katana MRP is typically brought in for.
What can Fishbowl Inventory do that Katana MRP cannot?
Fishbowl Inventory covers QuickBooks and Xero integration, Manufacturing orders, Multi-location inventory, Barcode scanning. Katana MRP covers Visual production scheduling, Real-time inventory, Bill of materials, Purchase orders.

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.

Katana MRP: How much does Katana MRP cost?

Katana offers a free plan with 30 SKUs and all core features. Core plan starts at $299/month for unlimited SKUs and users. Usage-based pricing applies to sales orders delivered and additional locations beyond the 1 included. Add-ons like Manufacturing Management cost $199/month.

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.

Katana MRP: How does Katana charge for multiple locations?

Core plan includes 1 location. Additional locations beyond the included location are charged separately with per-unit costs decreasing at higher volumes. Exact pricing for additional locations is calculated based on scale.

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.

Katana MRP: What are the manufacturing add-on costs for Katana?

Katana charges $199/month for Manufacturing Management, $249/month for Traceability, and $149/month for Warehouse Management add-ons. Onboarding package costs $2,000 but is included with Core plan.

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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