Softwr

Inventory · head to head

Fishbowl Inventory vs Sortly

Fishbowl Inventory logo

Fishbowl Inventory

Inventory

Manufacturing and warehouse inventory built around QuickBooks

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sortly logo

Sortly

Inventory

Visual inventory management with photo tracking

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Sortly 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; Sortly mobile app performance is slow with occasional crashes on both iOS and Android
  • They diverge on capability: Fishbowl Inventory covers QuickBooks and Xero integration, Sortly covers Photo-based inventory.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Fishbowl Inventory and Sortly differ
AttributeFishbowl InventorySortly
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, Web, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android
FoundedUnknown2013

Identical on both: 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
  • Purchasing and reorder
  • Order fulfilment

Only in Sortly

  • Photo-based inventory
  • Multi-location support
  • Custom categories
  • Low stock notifications
  • CSV export
  • API access
  • Zapier
  • Mobile app (iOS/Android) support

Both cover

  • Barcode scanning

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

Sortly

  • Visual inventory trackingnot Fishbowl Inventory
  • Asset managementnot Fishbowl Inventory
  • Photo documentationnot Fishbowl Inventory
  • Mobile inventorynot 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

Sortly

  • Mobile app performance is slow with occasional crashes on both iOS and Android
  • Minimal advanced reporting features lacking depth and customization options
  • No native serial number tracking capability, limiting asset management functionality
  • Synchronization problems occur when reconnecting from offline mode

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

Sortly

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Sortly 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 Sortly if

  • You need photo-based inventory.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want multi-location support.
Sortly review

Questions people ask

Is Fishbowl Inventory or Sortly better?
Neither clearly leads. Fishbowl Inventory starts at On request and Sortly at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fishbowl Inventory or Sortly?
Sortly has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Fishbowl Inventory and Free for Sortly.
Does Fishbowl Inventory or Sortly run on more platforms?
Fishbowl Inventory runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android. Sortly runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Sortly for free?
Yes. Sortly 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 Sortly is typically brought in for.
What can Fishbowl Inventory do that Sortly cannot?
Fishbowl Inventory covers QuickBooks and Xero integration, Manufacturing orders, Multi-location inventory, Purchasing and reorder. Sortly covers Photo-based inventory, Multi-location support, Custom categories, Low stock notifications. Both handle Barcode scanning.

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.

Sortly: What is included in Sortly's free plan?

Sortly's free plan includes 100 unique items and 1 user license, sufficient for testing or very small inventories, with permanent access.

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.

Sortly: What are Sortly's paid tier pricing and item limits?

Sortly offers Advanced ($49/month, 500 items), Ultra ($149/month, 2,000 items), Premium ($299/month, 5,000 items), and Enterprise with custom pricing for 10,000+ items. All paid plans include a 14-day free trial.

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.

Sortly: Does Sortly offer offline functionality?

Sortly has offline mode on mobile apps, though with potential synchronization issues when reconnecting. Offline mode is not available on the free 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.

Sortly: Does Sortly have a mobile app?

Yes, Sortly offers mobile apps for iOS and Android. However, users report slow performance and occasional crashes, plus lack of bulk actions available on the web platform.

Source
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 Sortly

Keep looking

Other head to heads