Zoho Inventory vs Fishbowl Inventory

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Our analysts compared Zoho Inventory vs Fishbowl Inventory based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Inventory Management Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Product Basics

Zoho Inventory, an inventory management software, empowers businesses to centralize and streamline stock tracking across locations, warehouses, and sales channels. This cloud-based solution caters primarily to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in retail, distribution, and manufacturing. Zoho Inventory shines in its core functionalities: real-time stock level monitoring, automated workflows for orders and invoices, insightful inventory performance reports, and multi-channel selling support. Popular features include barcode scanning, serial number tracking, and low-stock alerts, praised by users for their ease of use and affordability. Standing out from competitors, Zoho Inventory offers a free plan, ideal for businesses starting their inventory management journey. Paid plans, priced per user per month, cater to businesses with more complex needs, offering additional features and scalability. In conclusion, Zoho Inventory presents a compelling solution for SMBs seeking a user-friendly and cost-effective platform to gain control of their inventory operations and make data-driven decisions.

Pros
  • Free plan available
  • User-friendly interface
  • Scalable for growing businesses
  • Multi-channel selling support
  • Integrations with other Zoho apps
Cons
  • Limited reporting features in free plan
  • Lacks advanced features for complex needs
  • Customer support can be slow at times
  • Mobile app not as feature-rich as desktop version
  • May not be suitable for very large businesses
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Fishbowl Inventory streamlines many supply chain-focused processes that include improving manufacturing, warehouse inventory accuracy and asset tracking. It allows users to integrate with Quickbooks, ShipStation, Amazon and more. It works with operations of all sizes looking to optimize their warehouse administration and solve inventory specific issues.

It automates several manufacturing and inventory management issues to optimize strategic portions of the supply chain. It focuses on streamlining processes and saving time across the board.
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$59 Monthly, Freemium
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Tailored to your specific needs
$329 Monthly
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Tailored to your specific needs
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Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile

Product Assistance

Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support

Product Insights

  • Item Kitting Support: Bundle a group of items together to sell as a single unit. Update individual items and components as products are put together and sold. 
  • Barcode Scanning: Scan item barcodes to auto-populate fields every time an invoice, sales or purchase order is created. This streamlines and optimizes inventory management processes with quick access to vital product data. 
  • Enhanced Tracking: Identify each item in stock with a code and track its movement from the point of purchase to sale. Track different batches of items and monitor their expiry dates. 
  • Improved Packaging and Shipping: Create packages, print package slips and find real-time shipping rates for 30 different shipping services. Monitor the movement of packages post-shipment and keep customers updated with the item’s location. 
  • Helpful Dashboards: Get quick, central access to details like orders pending, invoiced, packaged and shipped. Provides an overview of all sales orders as well. 
  • Drop Shipping: Create a drop shipment when there is no stock left to fulfill the next order and ship packages directly to clients. 
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  • Strengthen Automation with Integrations: Leverages powerful integrations with Quickbooks, Xero, Shopify, Shipstation and more. Automating vital processes through integration can significantly increase efficiency while letting employees focus on other tasks. 
  • Streamline Operations: Supports users in many industries, including manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, goods management and more. Gain control of inventory regardless of industry. 
  • More Module Customization: Allows users to choose which modules they need to optimize workflows. Get the required features without extra functions that only clutter up operations. 
  • Improved Visibility: Essential inventory and manufacturing management data is in one easy to access place for users to analyze. Don’t get bogged down in unorganized documents and information, gain actionable insights from data. 
  • Accurate Purchase Orders: Streamlines matching purchase orders to original orders. Helps keep users on top of the constant flow of product in and out of a warehouse.  
  • Increased Error Prevention: Automation of tedious and complicated tasks helps keep human error from throwing a wrench into the works. Fewer mistakes mean fewer wasted resources, and more time spent working on what matters. 
  • Useful Plugins: Use helpful plugins to augment the user experience. Fishbowl Anywhere allows access from mobile devices, Fishbowl Go can scan barcodes and perform cycle counts and Fishbowl Commerce helps manage inventory across e-commerce channels. 
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  • Inventory Control:  
    •  Offers centralized inventory that automatically updates inventory quantities across all selling channels whenever a sale is made. 
    •  Features include product listing, item kitting, re-ordering, stock adjustments and more. 
    •  Verify and approve transactions created before they’re reflected in accounts and reports. 
    •  Set an approval workflow for transfer orders, sales transactions and purchase transactions. 
  • Order Management:  
    •  Helps manage sales and purchase orders. Shares delivery updates from a single-source order management system. 
    •  Supports online order management and movement of packages post-shipment through a single platform. 
    •  Integrates with Amazon, eBay, Etsy and Shopify. 
    • Safety Stock and Reorder: Calculate reorder points and maintain safety stock in the business to prevent running out of stock. Set reorder points and get updates on vital stock-level information. Also optimizes holding costs and reduces the probability of overstocking. 
    • Reports:  
      •  Helps monitor purchases, study sales trends and identify top performing items using inventory reporting options. 
      •  Includes inventory reports, sales and customer reports, purchase and payment reports, and activity logs. 
      •  Enables finding the item volumes shipped in and out from each warehouse. 
    • Warehouse Management: Supports multiple warehouse environments and the transfer of stock between them. Leverage actionable insights provided by warehousing reports. Set the closest warehouse for customers when preparing sales orders to get products to their destinations as quickly as possible. 
    • Multichannel Selling: Manages, controls, measures and fulfills multi-channel selling with the help of a single inventory management application. Supports multiple currencies and uses multiple payment gateways to ensure quick and correct payments. Also shares insights for performance of multiple sales channels. 
    • Order Fulfillment: Manages workflows and fulfills orders. Offers a common dashboard, an overview of orders, automatic packing slips, over 40 integrated shipping carriers and more. Create shipping labels and find real-time shipping expenses for each order before dispatch. Make drop shipments and let vendors ship directly to the client. 
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  • Reporting Features: Gathers data created by processes such as delivery and ordering and converts it into an accessible format. This collected data can be studied to find trends and plan for the future of business operations. 
  • Shipping Support: Allows users to print their own shipping labels. Mobile devices can be used to track products. It also integrates with FedEx and UPS. 
  • Inventory Management: Automate reordering along with streamlining pick, pack and shipping to optimize the supply chain. Users can track inventory with barcoding printing and scanning. 
  • Multi-Location Support: Get an overhead view of a multi-location operation with robust management tools. Monitor stock levels in multiple facilities, gain trend data across all operations and transfer products from one location to another to avoid shortages. 
  • Multiple Currencies:  Allows operations that span the globe to convert currencies. This module also enables the creation of purchase orders in the user’s currency of choice. Managers can set default currencies for vendors to keep things organized. 
  • Part Tracking Capabilities: Alerts users to the location of their needed manufacturing parts and where they are coming from. Set alerts for part replacement and track ordered parts by location. Tracks parts and labor costs so users can keep track of preferred vendors. 
  • Manufacturing Tools: The manufacturing module contains industry favorite features, including advanced work orders, bills of materials, work order automation, lot tracking and more. 
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Product Ranking

#1

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Inventory Management Software

#50

among all
Inventory Management Software

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Analyst Rating Summary

76
81
73
100
88
84
59
80
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Inventory Control
Purchasing
Dashboards and Reports
Order Fulfillment
Mobile
Purchasing

Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

Zoho Inventory
Fishbowl Inventory
+ Add Product + Add Product
Dashboards And Reports Inventory Control Inventory Valuation, Counts And Alerts Mobile Order Fulfillment Platform Capabilities Purchasing Returns Management 73 88 59 60 84 71 87 81 100 84 80 94 100 58 89 67 0 25 50 75 100
67%
11%
22%
100%
0%
0%
83%
0%
17%
82%
0%
18%
56%
0%
44%
69%
19%
12%
33%
33%
34%
83%
0%
17%
78%
11%
11%
100%
0%
0%
56%
0%
44%
44%
0%
56%
89%
0%
11%
89%
0%
11%
86%
0%
14%
71%
0%
29%

Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

75%
0%
25%
25%
58%
17%

User Sentiment Summary

Excellent User Sentiment 387 reviews
Great User Sentiment 707 reviews
90%
of users recommend this product

Zoho Inventory has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 90% when considering 387 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

83%
of users recommend this product

Fishbowl Inventory has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 83% when considering 707 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

5.0 (15)
4.6 (14)
4.4 (48)
3.3 (62)
n/a
4.2 (629)
4.5 (321)
n/a
4.0 (3)
4.0 (2)

Awards

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Zoho Inventory and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Integration and Extensibility. Zoho Inventory stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award
Integration and Extensibility Award

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Fishbowl Inventory and concluded it deserves the award for the Best Overall Inventory Management Software available today and earns best-in-class honors for Dashboards and Reports and Order Fulfillment.

Analysts' Pick Award
Dashboards and Reports Award
Order Fulfillment Award

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

User-friendly interface: Intuitive design and easy navigation make it simple to learn and use, even for those without extensive inventory management experience.
Real-time inventory visibility: Track stock levels across multiple locations and channels in real-time, ensuring accurate data for informed decision-making.
Automated workflows: Streamline tasks like purchase orders, sales orders, and invoicing to save time and reduce manual errors.
Customizable reporting: Generate detailed reports on inventory levels, sales performance, and other key metrics to gain insights and make data-driven decisions.
Multi-channel selling support: Manage inventory seamlessly across online stores, marketplaces, and physical outlets, preventing overselling and ensuring accurate stock levels.
Mobile app for on-the-go access: Manage inventory, track orders, and fulfill shipments from anywhere using the Zoho Inventory mobile app.
Integration with other Zoho apps: Connect with Zoho Books, Zoho CRM, and other Zoho apps for a unified business ecosystem and streamlined workflows.
Affordable pricing: Free plan for small businesses and affordable paid plans for growing businesses, making it a cost-effective solution.
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Ease of Use: Nearly 83% of users who mentioned ease of use noted that the system is intuitive, accessible and easy to learn.
Support: Approximately 75% of reviewers said that support teams, especially those working on plug-ins, were helpful, knowledgeable and quick to respond.
Functionality: About 62% of reviewers who talked about the overall functionality of the system said that overall, the features of the system were suitable for daily warehousing and inventory management processes.
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Limited features in free plan: The free plan lacks advanced features like batch tracking, demand forecasting, and integration with third-party platforms.
Customization challenges: Some users find it challenging to customize certain aspects of the software, such as reports and workflows, to fit their specific needs.
Mobile app limitations: The mobile app lacks some features available in the desktop version, and some users report occasional glitches and slow performance.
Customer support variability: While Zoho Inventory offers various support options, response times and quality can vary, with some users reporting slow or unhelpful support experiences.
Scalability concerns: Very large businesses with complex inventory needs might find Zoho Inventory's features and scalability limited, requiring a more robust solution.
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Customization: Out-of-the-box customization options were limited and hard to implement, as noted by nearly 75% of users who referred to customization.
Cost: All users who mentioned cost said that the price associated with customization, integration and the overall system was too high.
Reports: Almost 80% of users who mentioned reports said that they were too basic, exporting was difficult and that they had to pay to customize them.
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Zoho Inventory garners positive reviews for its user-friendly interface, real-time inventory tracking, and affordability, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Many appreciate its intuitive design, even for those new to inventory management, and its free plan, which caters to businesses starting out. Streamlined workflows and multi-channel selling support are frequently lauded, helping users automate tasks and manage inventory across various sales channels efficiently. However, some users find the free plan's feature set limiting, lacking advanced functionalities like demand forecasting and integrations with popular third-party platforms. Customization also presents challenges for some, desiring more flexibility in tailoring reports and workflows. While a mobile app exists, it occasionally encounters glitches and lacks the full feature range of the desktop version. Zoho Inventory stands out compared to competitors for its free plan and cost-effectiveness, attracting budget-conscious businesses. Users often praise its ease of use and intuitive interface, making it a suitable choice for those less tech-savvy. However, if extensive features, high customization, and robust mobile functionality are crucial, competitors like Square Online Store Inventory or Xero Inventory might be better suited for complex needs. Ultimately, Zoho Inventory shines for its user-friendliness, affordability, and core inventory management functionalities. While it may not cater to every business need, its strengths resonate with budget-conscious SMBs seeking a user-friendly platform to streamline their inventory operations.

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Fishbowl Inventory brings numerous modules to the table, including inventory and warehouse management, to fulfill a wide range of daily tasks. The support teams provide in-depth training and responsive support, especially from those working in Fishbowl’s Plug-In support. The system supports numerous integrations, but sometimes the integration process isn’t the most stable. Some users noted that being required to host their data on site was cumbersome and expensive. The mobile apps give users the ability to follow and interact with daily tasks while they are out of the office. The implementation process for the system can be time consuming, but overall, users felt that it satisfied their needs. Users felt that it could use more customization options and that the reporting features was a bit unpolished and basic.

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Screenshots

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