Fishbowl Inventory vs inFlow Inventory

by Gralio Feb 21, 2025

Fishbowl Inventory and inFlow Inventory are inventory management solutions catering to different needs. Fishbowl offers a more comprehensive feature set suitable for complex manufacturing and warehouse operations, while inFlow Inventory prioritizes ease of use and excellent customer support for smaller businesses with basic inventory needs. Key differences lie in manufacturing capabilities, depth of inventory features, and customer service quality.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 737 reviews and 60 websites, saving 4 hours, 35 minutes of reading.

Fishbowl Inventory

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inFlow Inventory

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About

Fishbowl Inventory is a popular inventory management software for small and medium businesses, especially those using QuickBooks or Xero accounting software. It helps you track inventory across multiple locations, manage warehouse operations, and handle manufacturing processes. Key features include barcode scanning, sales and purchase order management, material requirement planning, and manufacturing orders. Fishbowl also offers integrations with popular e-commerce platforms, shipping providers, and CRMs. It's known for its comprehensive features and user-friendly design, making it suitable for businesses looking for a robust yet easy-to-use inventory solution.

inFlow Inventory is a cloud-based inventory and order management software designed for small and medium businesses. It allows you to track stock levels, manage orders, and streamline your entire inventory process. With inFlow Inventory, you can set reorder points to avoid stockouts, generate barcodes for efficient tracking, and manage your sales and purchase orders. The software also integrates with popular ecommerce platforms like Shopify and Amazon, as well as accounting software like QuickBooks and Xero.

Summary

Main difference

Fishbowl Inventory is a more comprehensive inventory management solution suitable for businesses with complex manufacturing processes or warehouse operations needing advanced features. inFlow Inventory is a simpler, more user-friendly option ideal for smaller businesses prioritizing ease of use and excellent customer support for basic inventory management.

Relative strengths of Fishbowl Inventory (compared to inFlow Inventory)

Stronger manufacturing features: Fishbowl Inventory offers robust support for complex manufacturing processes, including bills of materials, work orders, and material requirement planning, which inFlow Inventory lacks.
More comprehensive inventory management: Fishbowl Inventory provides more advanced features like multi-location management, automated reorder points, and detailed inventory history tracking, making it suitable for businesses with complex inventory needs.
Wider integrations: Fishbowl Inventory integrates with a broader range of platforms, including CRM systems like Salesforce, offering more flexibility for businesses with diverse software ecosystems.

Relative weaknesses of Fishbowl Inventory (compared to inFlow Inventory)

Higher cost and less transparent pricing: User reviews suggest Fishbowl Inventory is more expensive and has less transparent pricing than inFlow Inventory, potentially impacting affordability for smaller businesses.
Lower customer service rating: While Fishbowl Inventory offers customer support, user reviews indicate inFlow Inventory provides superior customer service and a better overall user experience.
Less user-friendly interface: Fishbowl Inventory's comprehensive features can make it less user-friendly than inFlow Inventory, especially for businesses new to inventory management software.

Who should use Fishbowl Inventory VS. inFlow Inventory

Fishbowl Inventory is a robust inventory management solution designed for small to medium-sized businesses, especially those using QuickBooks or Xero. Users praise its comprehensive inventory tracking and QuickBooks integration. However, some find it overpriced and experience bugs, particularly with the mobile app. Ideal for retail, consumer goods, manufacturing, and media & entertainment businesses seeking a full-featured inventory management tool.

inFlow Inventory is a user-friendly inventory and order management solution designed for small and medium businesses. Users appreciate the software's intuitive interface and excellent support. However, some have noted limitations with the mobile app and custom reporting. If you need basic manufacturing management, sales, shipping, and barcoding features, inFlow Inventory offers a solid, reliable platform.

Best for small to medium-sized businesses.
Ideal for retail, consumer goods, manufacturing, and media & entertainment companies.

Best for small to medium-sized businesses needing inventory management.
Ideal for retail, consumer goods, manufacturing, and similar industries.

Fishbowl Inventory and inFlow Inventory features

Supported

Partially supported

Not supported

Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

Real-Time Inventory Tracking

Supported

Fishbowl Inventory offers real-time inventory tracking across multiple locations.

Supported

inFlow Inventory offers real-time inventory tracking across multiple locations, preventing stockouts and overstocking.
Warehouse Inventory Management

Supported

Fishbowl Inventory streamlines order fulfillment, tracks inventory, automates warehouse tasks, and integrates with shipping providers.

Supported

inFlow Inventory streamlines order fulfillment with inventory tracking, order management, and shipping integrations.
QuickBooks, Salesforce, Xero Integrations

Supported

Fishbowl Inventory integrates with QuickBooks, Salesforce, and Xero.

Partially supported

QuickBooks Online is supported. Integrations with Salesforce and Xero are not mentioned in the documentation.
Easy to use

Supported

Fishbowl Inventory is designed with user-friendly interfaces and real-time dashboards.

Supported

The software offers onboarding tools, clear interface, and streamlined workflows.
Sales, Shipping, and Barcoding

Supported

Fishbowl Inventory handles sales indirectly, shipping, barcoding, and supports scanners and label printers.

Supported

inFlow Inventory handles sales, shipping, barcoding, and supports scanners and label printers.
Inventory history tracking

Supported

Fishbowl Inventory allows users to track inventory history, including movements and adjustments, through features such as the "Item History report." This report provides detailed information about purchases, sales, adjustments, and other relevant data points.

Supported

InFlow Inventory provides detailed inventory movement history.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

No data

No data
Customer Service

No data

No data
Ease of Use

No data

No data
Reliability and Performance

No data

No data
Ease of Implementation

No data

No data
Scalability

No data

No data

Fishbowl Inventory and inFlow Inventory Pricing

No data

We couldn't find a pricing page for Fishbowl Inventory.

Technical support is included with every plan. A mandatory one-time onboarding fee starts at 499 USD. Extra training and professional services are available at 199 USD/hour.

Plans

User sentiment

Rather positive

+0.5

See full Pricing page

Fishbowl Inventory and inFlow Inventory review insights

Users love

Integrates well with QuickBooks.
Comprehensive inventory tracking features.
User-friendly interface for basic tasks.
Helpful and responsive customer support team.

Superior Support with real humans.
Solid and reliable inventory management solution.
User friendly interface.
Inventory tracking and reporting features are excellent.

Users dislike

Overpriced for the value provided - many users complain about high costs and hidden fees.
Support contracts are expensive and often ineffective.
Frequent bugs and glitches, especially with the mobile app (Fishbowl Go).
Custom reporting is limited and expensive, even for basic reports.

The mobile app is underwhelming with limited functionality.
Limited custom reporting features.
Linking to charts of accounts in QuickBooks Online could be better.
No built in lot code tracking.

Fishbowl Inventory and inFlow Inventory Ratings

G2

4.0/5

(263)
TrustPilot

3.2/5

(1)
Glassdoor

3.1/5

(79)

G2

4.1/5

(35)
Capterra

4.6/5

(455)
Glassdoor

4.8/5

(23)

Company health

Employee growth

4% decrease in the last year

No data

Web traffic

16% increase in the last quarter

27% increase in the last quarter

Financing

November 2019 - $32M

No data

How do Fishbowl's manufacturing features compare to inFlow's for complex products?

Fishbowl is generally considered better for complex manufacturing than inFlow. While inFlow handles basic manufacturing, assembly, and bills of materials, Fishbowl offers more advanced manufacturing features including work orders, material requirements planning (MRP), and shop floor control. This makes Fishbowl more suitable for businesses with intricate production processes and complex product structures.

Which product offers better integration with Shopify for e-commerce businesses?

Both Fishbowl Inventory and inFlow Inventory offer Shopify integration. However, inFlow Inventory is specifically designed for e-commerce businesses and highlights its Shopify integration as a core feature, suggesting a more robust and tailored integration compared to Fishbowl.

What are the advantages of Fishbowl Inventory?

Fishbowl Inventory offers strong integration with QuickBooks and Xero, making it particularly advantageous for businesses already using these accounting platforms. It provides a comprehensive suite of features covering inventory tracking, warehouse management, and manufacturing processes, making it suitable for businesses needing robust functionality. It is also praised for a user-friendly interface that simplifies complex tasks.

What are the disadvantages of Fishbowl Inventory?

Fishbowl Inventory suffers from several disadvantages based on user reviews. It is considered overpriced with expensive and often ineffective support contracts. Users frequently report bugs and glitches, particularly with the mobile app. Finally, custom reporting is limited and comes at an additional cost.

Alternatives to Fishbowl Inventory and inFlow Inventory

Order Time

Order Time is a cloud-based inventory and order management software that integrates with QuickBooks accounting software. It gives you a central hub to track inventory across multiple sales channels, suppliers, and locations. Order Time offers features like order and customer management, B2B sales portals, and barcode inventory systems. It's designed for manufacturers, wholesalers, and ecommerce businesses wanting better control over stock levels, orders, and fulfillment. The software aims to help businesses improve efficiency and scale operations.

Cin7 Omni

Cin7 Omni is a cloud-based software designed for mid-sized to enterprise-level businesses that need to manage complex inventory and sales across multiple channels. It combines inventory management, order management, and warehouse management into a single platform. Cin7 Omni stands out with its built-in EDI integration, simplifying transactions with large retailers. It offers real-time inventory visibility, automated order fulfillment, and seamless connections with popular e-commerce platforms and marketplaces like Amazon and Shopify. Cin7 Omni promises to streamline operations and reduce manual tasks, helping businesses scale efficiently.

Laxis

Laxis is an AI-powered tool designed to improve sales team performance. It assists with various stages of the sales process, from lead generation and outreach to meeting management and CRM updates. Laxis offers features like AI-driven meeting transcription, automated follow-up emails, and real-time insights to help sales teams close deals more efficiently. It integrates with popular platforms like Zoom and Google Meet and is trusted by over 3,000 organizations.

Cin7 Core

Cin7 Core is an inventory, order, and warehouse management software designed for growing product-based businesses. It offers a centralized platform to manage sales, inventory, and fulfillment across multiple channels like online stores, marketplaces, and physical stores. Cin7 Core helps businesses automate tasks, track inventory in real-time, and gain insights into sales performance, aiming to streamline operations and support business growth. The software integrates with popular e-commerce platforms, shipping services, and accounting software.

Mailchimp All-in-One Marketing Platform

Mailchimp is a popular marketing platform designed to help growing businesses of all sizes. It enables you to create, send, and analyze email and advertising campaigns. With features like pre-designed templates, landing page creation, marketing automation, and data analytics, it provides a comprehensive toolkit to manage your marketing efforts. Mailchimp emphasizes data-driven insights to optimize campaigns and aims to drive sales through personalized customer interactions across multiple channels, including email, social media, and text messages.

Zoho Inventory

Zoho Inventory is a cloud-based inventory management software designed for small to midsize businesses. It provides tools for managing sales and purchase orders, tracking inventory levels across multiple locations and sales channels, and integrating with popular ecommerce platforms like Amazon and Shopify. Zoho Inventory aims to streamline your operations, from ordering and shipping products to managing invoices and generating detailed business reports.

Page co-authored by

Michal Kaczor

CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

Tymon Terlikiewicz

CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

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