Fishbowl vs Aptean Discrete Manufacturing ERP Made2Manage Edition

Sortly

NetSuite

Odoo 

Sortly is an easy inventory solution that helps businesses track and manage their inventory from any device, in any location.

NetSuite is an AI-powered cloud-based business management suite. It helps organizations streamline their operations and gain real-time insights into their performance. The suite caters to a range of industries such as manufacturing, retail, and professional services.

Odoo is an all-in-one, open-source business platform covering CRM, Sales, Accounting, Inventory, Manufacturing, and Projects. It’s fully integrated, customizable, and scalable for companies of any size or budget.

They are only open 8-5 Mountain Time and most times we wait 2 - 4 hours to speak with tech support only to be told that Fishbowl cannot do that. Or No fishbowl cannot do it that way.

Electronic Systems Manager

Working with complex electronic manufacturing processes, I have yet to find a need that fishbowl does not meet. When I'm having trouble configuring fishbowl to my liking the support team is very helpful and has successfully aided me in achieving our business goals.

ITAdmin

Great support structure when product expectation is not meeting identified needs or when question arises that is not readily available n documentation.

Automate & simplify the manufacturing process. Fishbowl is a complete manufacturing and inventory management solution, including advanced work orders, material requirements planning (MRP), bills of materials, barcode scanning, and hosted in the cloud.

3D Modeling

3PL Management

Access Control

Access Controls/Permissions

Accounting

Accounting Integration

ACH Payment Processing

Activity Dashboard

Activity Tracking

Add & Edit Photos

AI/Machine Learning

Alerts/Escalation

Alerts/Notifications

Approval Process Control

Approval Workflow

Asset Categorization

Asset Kitting

Asset Lifecycle Management

Asset Planning

Asset Tracking

Audit Management

Audit Trail

Automated Scheduling

Availability Management

Backorder Management

Backup and Recovery

Barcode Generation

Barcode/Label Management

Barcode Printing

Barcode Recognition

Barcode/Ticket Scanning

Barcoding/RFID

Barrel Management

Batch Printing

Batch Processing

Billing & Invoicing

Bill of Material Analysis

Bill of Materials

Bills of Material

BOM Creation

Budgeting/Forecasting

Business Intelligence

Business Process Automation

CAD Tools

Calendar Management

Capacity Management

Capacity Planning

Catalog Management

Cellar Management

Channel Management

Check-in/Check-out

Chemical Management

Commission Management

Components Tracking

Contact Database

Cost Analysis

Cost Estimating

Cost Management

Cost Tracking

Credit Card Processing

Customer Accounts

Customer Database

Customer History

Customer Management

Customizable Branding

Customizable Fields

Customizable Reports

Customizable Templates

Customization

Custom Pricing Rules

Dashboard

Data Analysis Tools

Data Catalog

Data Collection

Data Import/Export

Data Security

Data Synchronization

Data Visualization

Delivery Estimate

Delivery Management

Delivery Record

Delivery Tracking

Demand Forecasting

Discount Management

Disposal Management

Document Management

Dropshipping Services

eCommerce Integration

eCommerce Management

Electronic Payments

Employee Management

Employee Time Clock

Equipment Management

Equipment Tracking

Estimating

Exchange Management

Expense Management

The Fishbowl integrations most frequently cited by reviewers are: QuickBooks Online (an accounting product rated 4.7 out of 5 for its integration with Fishbowl), QuickBooks Enterprise (an enterprise resource planning product, 4.5), and Shopify (an eCommerce product, 4.4).

Integrations

Reviews for Fishbowl come from a wide variety of industries, including electrical/electronic manufacturing (12% of reviewers), food & beverages (7%), and consumer goods (6%). The most frequent use case for Fishbowl cited by reviewers is inventory management (69% of reviewers).

Fishbowl

Web-based

Windows

iPhone

Linux

iPad

Android

QuickBooks Enterprise

Zoho Inventory

Katana Cloud Inventory

SkuVault Core

inFlow Inventory

Descartes Finale

Cin7 Core

Webgility

Dynamics 365

Thrive Inventory

MRPeasy

Acctivate Inventory Management

Basic Inventory

Advanced Warehousing

Advanced Manufacturing

Fishbowl Commerce Suite

Cumbersome data handling

Lead Engineer

Many, many aspects, such as the import/export function, are some of the worst examples of programming/knowledge I have seen in decades.

59% of reviewers feel negative about Fishbowl’s data import and export processes. Users report that exporting reports and data to Excel or QuickBooks often results in poorly formatted files that require extensive manual cleanup. They say bulk imports and exports can be slow, error-prone, and sometimes fail without clear guidance on how to resolve issues. Reviewers find that integration with other systems is not seamless, leading to discrepancies and reconciliation challenges. Many express frustration with the lack of user-friendly tools for managing large data sets.

Slow and unreliable phone support

59% of reviewers feel negative about Fishbowl’s phone support. Users report long wait times, difficulty reaching a live person, and frequent reliance on voicemail callbacks that can take hours or days. They say urgent issues are not addressed promptly, leading to business downtime and frustration. Reviewers mention that support staff are sometimes unresponsive or require multiple follow-ups to resolve problems. Many users feel the lack of immediate assistance is a significant drawback, especially during critical system outages.

Accounting limitations and refund issues

78% of reviewers feel negative about Fishbowl’s accounting and refund processes. Users report frequent issues with account mapping, transaction errors, and integration challenges with QuickBooks. They say the software lacks flexibility for unique accounting needs and creates difficulties in handling credits, customer accounts, and payment options. Reviewers are frustrated by the restrictive refund policy, limited satisfaction guarantees, and the need to pay extra for training or support. Many mention poor communication and unresponsiveness when seeking refunds or resolving financial discrepancies.

Limited and rigid reporting

Office Manager

I think my only issue is having to update any custom reports every time there is a new update so your report is compatible with the version you are updating to.

IT assistant

Reports provided are too basic,  no help documentation to create your own reports. If you need a detailed or custom reports you have to purchase them apart.

60% of reviewers feel negative about Fishbowl’s reporting capabilities. Users think the standard reports are too basic and lack customization options. They say creating or modifying reports often requires technical expertise or additional costs, making it difficult to get the specific data they need. Reviewers report that exported reports are not always formatted for easy use in Excel and that updates can break custom reports. Many users express disappointment with the inability to generate ad hoc or industry-specific reports without significant effort.

Frequent software glitches

64% of reviewers feel negative about Fishbowl’s bugs and technical issues. Users report recurring software freezes, crashes, and sync problems, especially during data transfers or updates. They find that errors can disrupt daily operations, requiring frequent server restarts and causing loss of work. Reviewers mention challenges in correcting mistakes, limited ability to reverse transactions, and a lack of robust error-handling features. Many users express frustration with the time-consuming process of troubleshooting and the impact on business productivity.

Scalable for growing companies

87% of reviewers feel positive about Fishbowl’s support for small business growth. Users say the software is well-suited for startups and small to medium-sized businesses, providing tools that adapt as their needs evolve. Reviewers appreciate the affordable entry cost and the ability to add features or licenses as their company expands. They find that Fishbowl’s flexibility and robust functionality help them implement best practices and manage growth without needing to switch platforms. Many mention that the system supports efficient scaling and process improvements.

Robust feature set

Project Manager

Fishbowl has so many features that our company is still learning and find ways to better our processes.

81% of reviewers feel positive about Fishbowl’s features. Users appreciate the wide range of built-in tools for inventory, order, and warehouse management. Reviewers mention that the software includes many advanced options, such as integration with accounting platforms, customizable dashboards, and support for complex workflows. They find that Fishbowl’s features help streamline business processes and improve organization. Some users note that the system continues to add new capabilities, allowing them to discover and utilize more functions as their needs change.

Streamlined daily operations

CONTROLLER

AWESOME IT EASY TO GET AROUND AND FIND THE INFORMATION THAT YOU MIGHT NEED TO MAKE A GOOD EASY TO USE HELPFUL

92% of reviewers feel positive about Fishbowl’s ease of use. Users think the software is straightforward and simple to learn, even for those new to inventory management systems. Reviewers appreciate that daily tasks are made faster and less complicated, allowing them to quickly find information and complete processes. They say the intuitive interface reduces training time for new staff and helps everyone in the company get up to speed. Some users mention that the software’s clear layout and logical workflows make it easy to manage essential business functions without confusion.

Intuitive system navigation

Quality

It is user-friendly and finding information and navigation is relatively easy.

Inventory and Logistics Specialist

The dashboard which makes navigation through the modules easy.

85% of reviewers feel positive about Fishbowl’s navigation. Users find the interface user-friendly, with clear menus and shortcuts that make it easy to move between modules and locate information. Reviewers say the intuitive design helps new users get comfortable quickly, reducing the learning curve. They mention that search and filtering options are effective for finding specific parts or records. Some users highlight that the dashboard and layout provide a helpful overview of business operations, making daily management more efficient.

Comprehensive inventory tracking

The ability to track inventory levels accurately, automate reorder processes, and integrate with other software systems greatly improved efficiency and reduced errors.

General Manager

The ability to track inventory by location, assign multiple vendors to one item, create intuitive bill of materials items that are as simple or complex as you wish, add multitudes of pricing rules for your products and customers, assign reorder points and order up to levels for your parts to quickly reorder items that are low, Fishbowl plugins that connect to a wide range of third party programs, I could go on for a long time about what there is to like about this program.

87% of reviewers feel positive about Fishbowl’s inventory management. Users report that the system offers robust tools for tracking inventory across multiple locations, managing stock levels, and automating reorder points. They appreciate the integration with accounting and e-commerce platforms, which streamlines operations and reduces manual errors. Reviewers indicate that features like barcode scanning, real-time updates, and flexible reporting help maintain accuracy and efficiency. Many users highlight the ability to handle complex manufacturing and supply chain needs as a significant benefit for growing businesses.

Senior Production and Logistics Manager

Fishbowl is an easy solution that allows us to track inventory, manufacturing, and order fulfillment from the most basic parts and components, to finished and shipped product.

Software developer

There is no customer credit (balance) managent, and it is difficult to management payment across sales orders. Although the system has price rules but it doesn't our this simple requirement: setting up a minimum price for a product and any sell price under the minimum can not sold.

Manufacturing has BOM's, Work Orders, Manufacture Orders, and has options for custom MO's as well as reverse MO's.

Internal Process and Operations Manager

However, after I was brought on board into the company, I was able to connect with Fishbowl Support for a retraining with our GM and was pleasantly surprised with the support team in walking us through explicit scenarios to ensure that we make the most of the software we currently leverage.

President

It has way more inventory functionality than Quickbooks and our e-commerce store and really does a great job for us when it comes to managing inventory.

Estimator and purchaser

It’s frustrating that common methods aren’t supported, and the lack of seamless billing integration makes managing subscriptions and transactions more time-consuming than it should be.

Lead Product and Design Manager

In fact before Fishbowl, we would consistently oversell items we didn't even have on hand because the paper records always got messed up. But since Fishbowl keeps track of all the movement of those parts/products, I no longer have to call upset customers telling them their orders have to be canceled.

Director of Corporate Operations

We were not able to link their system to our QuickBooks accounting software and online store (Shopify) to pull location of inventory available or shipping quotes prior to full sync.

VP of Operations

I would like more granularity and data analytics capabilities, for example, to drill down to individual raw material costs per sales order over time.  

I had two cases where our data was messed up due to mistake on our end and I contacted Fishbowl and the support team was able to solve our issues in timely manner.

I wish Fishbowl was able to split a sales order when parts of the order will be fulfilled at facility A and the rest of the order will be fulfilled at facility B.

Sales Representative, Deliveries Manager

The inventory management tools are robust, and the platform offers a level of control and visibility that goes beyond what we previously had.

Owner

Having an automotive based business, there are many combinations of parts we can put together, so kits has been very valuable to our business.

warehouse manager

It’s a robust inventory management system that has helped bring structure and visibility to our warehouse operations.

Additionally, the software itself can a smidge complex with data migrations; however, that's not necessarily unique to Fishbowl and is a common pain point across similar software of this caliber.

Manager, Supply Chain

The real-time tracking of parts and assemblies, along with automated reorder points, has saved us from running into stockouts.

Fishbowl vs Aptean Discrete Manufacturing ERP Made2Manage Edition Comparison (2026)

Fishbowl

Aptean Discrete Manufacturing ERP Made2Manage Edition

Overview

Video & Screenshots

Pricing

User reviews

Key features

Integrations

Alternatives