Softwr

Inventory · head to head

Fishbowl Inventory vs Skubana

Fishbowl Inventory logo

Fishbowl Inventory

Inventory

Manufacturing and warehouse inventory built around QuickBooks

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Skubana logo

Skubana

Inventory

Inventory and order management for multi-channel sellers

From
$1000/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; Skubana no pricing published on vendor website
  • They diverge on capability: Fishbowl Inventory covers QuickBooks and Xero integration, Skubana covers Multi-warehouse management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Fishbowl Inventory and Skubana differ
AttributeFishbowl InventorySkubana
Starting priceOn request$1000/month
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
PlatformsWindows, Web, iOS, AndroidWeb, Cloud
FoundedUnknown2013

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 Fishbowl Inventory

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

Only in Skubana

  • Multi-warehouse management
  • Real-time inventory sync
  • Unified order management
  • Automated workflows
  • Advanced analytics
  • Supplier management
  • Quality control
  • API access

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

Skubana

  • Automating order fulfillment across multiple warehouse locationsnot Fishbowl Inventory
  • Managing inventory visibility across distributed networksnot Fishbowl Inventory
  • Streamlining picking, packing, and shipping workflowsnot Fishbowl Inventory
  • Reducing labor costs and optimizing staffing decisionsnot 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

Skubana

  • No pricing published on vendor website
  • Product redirects to Extensiv Order Manager for pricing
  • Custom pricing requires vendor contact

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

Skubana

$1000/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Skubana review.

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 Skubana if

  • You need multi-warehouse management.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want real-time inventory sync.
Skubana review

Questions people ask

Is Fishbowl Inventory or Skubana better?
Neither clearly leads. Fishbowl Inventory starts at On request and Skubana at $1000/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fishbowl Inventory or Skubana?
Fishbowl Inventory starts at On request and Skubana at $1000/month.
Does Fishbowl Inventory or Skubana run on more platforms?
Fishbowl Inventory runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android. Skubana runs on Web, Cloud.
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 Skubana is typically brought in for.
What can Fishbowl Inventory do that Skubana cannot?
Fishbowl Inventory covers QuickBooks and Xero integration, Manufacturing orders, Multi-location inventory, Barcode scanning. Skubana covers Multi-warehouse management, Real-time inventory sync, Unified order management, Automated workflows.

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.

Skubana: What channels does Skubana support?

Skubana supports Amazon, eBay, Newegg, Rakuten, Magento, Shopify, BigCommerce, and more for inventory and order management.

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.

Skubana: What customer support does Skubana provide?

Skubana offers 24/7 customer support via phone, email, and online chat. Support is included in all pricing tiers.

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.

Skubana: What automation features does Skubana offer?

Skubana provides automated inventory updates, order processing, repricing, purchase order generation, and demand forecasting across multiple sales channels.

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.

Share

Related pages

More on Fishbowl Inventory

More on Skubana

Keep looking

Other head to heads