Fishbowl Warehouse vs. Cin7

Fishbowl Warehouse is built with a “traditional” desktop design. The interface has a menu at the top which links to separate dashboards for “Materials”, “Purchases”, “Reports”, and so on.

The interface isn’t as minimal and intuitive as some of its cloud-based alternatives, and there’s definitely a learning curve. That said, it’s not overly complex, and Fishbowl provides ample support, through both onboarding assistants and documentation.

“The implementer that worked with me did a great job and we got a very personalized experience and a lot of up front training and support.”

“It works. As advertised and better. Some companies embellish the quality and quantity of their features. Not Fishbowl. They do everything they say and more.”

“It’s a little clunky to use, could definitely be a bit more user friendly. There is a bit of a learning curve and does take time to train new employees.”

Ease of use is the one area where Cin7 doesn’t perform as well as its competitors. While the dashboard itself is relatively straightforward, the sheer number of features and tools, along with a myriad of configuration options, makes getting to grips with Cin7 a bit of a chore. Onboarding an entire team is even more of a hassle.

In its defence, Cin7 makes up for this shortcoming by offering superlative customer support and a dedicated onboarding manager for larger companies. There is an ample collection of video and written tutorials.

"It can be overwhelming. When you first land in Cin 7 there are so many buttons and options that it can overwhelm you, especially if you are new to inventory management."

“There is an expectation to learn and adapt, much the same as with any stock and business the executives stage this thoroughly. Cin7 has incredible help and documentation to assist to relieve this.”

“The implementation does take a while and there is a lot to think about how you set it up for longer term growth.”

Fishbowl Warehouse is one of the most feature-rich solutions we’ve reviewed on Stackupp. It has all the functionality you would expect, including order and delivery management, analytics, automation, an extensive library of integrations, barcode scanning, POS, payment processing, on-site warehouse tracking, and more.

Fishbowl Warehouse was problematic in just a handful of areas. The analytics tools could be improved with more advanced reports. Currently, only limited sales and inventory tracking are possible. And very few integrations with third-party marketplaces, like Etsy, Wish, Walmart, and so on, are included. If any of these things is a make-or-break issue for you, then you’ll probably have to look elsewhere. Finally, keep in mind that Fishbowl offers a separate platform aimed exclusively at manufacturers. The “Warehouse” version alone isn’t suitable for tasks like tracking raw materials, managing parts, organizing stages of production, and so on.

The excellent multi-device compatibility is also worth noting. Fishbowl has built dedicated integrations to enable mobile use on Android, iPhone, and Microsoft Surface. And while it is a desktop app, users can access the platform from any device with the “Fishbowl Anywhere” tool. There’s also the option of “Fishbowl Hosting”, which allows users to store all their files on fully-secure servers. If you opt for this, you’ll still have to install software on your own hard drive but all your data will be looked after.

Cin7 is a cloud-based browser app, so you don’t have to handle any backend tasks yourself. Users have expressed a small number of concerns relating to technical errors. But on the whole, Cin7 is quick to remedy any bugs, and the quality of support is very high.

Unfortunately, Cin 7 doesn’t offer a mobile app, so you’ll only be able to complete tasks from a desktop computer. You can use third-party tools that integrate with Cin7 that do have mobile apps, however. So, depending on your needs, some smartphone access may be possible.

On the training front, Cin7 provides a dedicated onboarding manager to help get businesses on enterprise plans up and running as quickly as possible. While there aren’t any long-term account managers, the quality and speed of support going forward are good, and there is an extensive library of training resources.

So what about analytics? Cin7 has extensive reporting facilities to streamline tasks like forecasting, restocking, inventory management, warehouse space allocation, and so on. Automation features enable retailers to take advantage of “smart insights” without having to crunch huge quantities of data.

Finally, Cin7 has implemented a number of security measures to safeguard sensitive data and ensure GDPR compliance. All team-members have unique logins (shared logins are not supported) and data is encrypted using “Transparent Data Encryption” or “TDE”. End-to-end encryption is available.

Fishbowl doesn’t disappoint on the integrations front. Its library is one of the most comprehensive that we’ve seen, and includes connectors for a range of third-party apps from sales automation to accounting. If we had to find one fault, it would be that there’s only limited support for third-party marketplaces like Etsy and Wish.

Let’s kick off with accounting. Fishbowl is incredibly popular among QuickBooks users, and provides dedicated integrations for both the desktop and online versions. Fishbowl Warehouse is designed to work seamlessly with Quickbooks, filling in many of the functionality gaps that retailers require. Integrations are also available for Xero, Avalara, and Reckon users.

Fishbowl syncs with numerous ecommerce platforms, including Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, 3dcart, Zen Cart, and others. Retailers can also take advantage of marketplace integrations for Amazon and eBay.

So what about shipping? Fishbowl has clearly dedicated a lot of time to building out its shipping tools and provides an extensive array of integrations, with the likes of FedEx, DHL, ShipStation, and UPS covered.

A number of in-house integrations which extend the functionality of the app’s core feature-set are also provided. Even though Fishbowl is a desktop app, “Fishbowl Anywhere” enables users to access the interface using an internet connection from most devices, including Apple and Android phones.

Finally, Fishbowl offers its own POS system, employee time tracking tools, EDI (electronic data interchange), and link-ups for Zoho and Salesforce.

Cin7 excels on the integrations front. Large companies that want to build a fully synced and integrated tech stack will struggle to find a solution that offers more options.

Cin7 integrates with over 450 third-party apps, spanning areas like accounting, sales and marketing, shipping, logistics, analytics and more.

It’s compatible with all the main ecommerce platforms, including Magento, WooCommerce, Shopify, and BigCommerce. Equally, a broad array of marketplaces are covered, including but not limited to Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Walmart, and Wayfair. EDI (electronic data interchange) links with companies like ACE Hardware, Accent, and Amazon Dropship are also offered.

A wide host of marketing tools (Salesforce, Mailchimp, Capsule, etc.) are supported, along with a complete selection of payment processors for managing transactions according to your preferences.

Finally, Cin7 provides a software developer kit (REST API) and is compatible with intermediary tools like APICAL, which is great for situations when a direct integration is not offered.

So far, so good, right? But there is one note of caution that needs to be sounded. While it’s evident that Cin7 has put a lot of effort into building out its library of integrations, it shouldn’t be taken as a given that they will all be included in whatever plan you opt for (“Starter”, “Momentum”, or “Advanced”). Cin7 doesn’t operate a straightforward tiered subscription model, opting for custom pricing instead. Users have mentioned in reviews that Cin7 sometimes charges extra for certain integrations.

Evaluating the pricing of Fishbowl Warehouse is a little tricky. It’s one of the few apps that doesn’t operate a subscription or software-as-a-service model, making comparisons with competitors pretty much redundant.

Although Fishbowl does have a high up-front cost - plans start at $4,395 with additional fees for extra users/licenses - once you’ve purchased the software, you own it outright. In the longer-term, this can be significantly more cost-effective than paying a monthly fee.

Just remember that you only get support, training, and updates for one year. You’ll have to pay for a one, two, or three-year package after that.

Cin7 is a touch towards the pricey side but not overly so. Rather than charge a set amount for each of the three different packages - “Starter”, “Momentum”, and “Advanced” - Cin7 works on a custom subscription model. You will need to get in touch directly to discuss pricing.

Plans start at $299/month. This price-tag will likely be too high for smaller retailers, who will find alternatives like TradeGecko or Handshake more suitable. For enterprise solutions, however, Cin7 has positioned itself competitively. And, depending on your needs, it may be the most financially-viable option (due to the custom subscription structure). Keep in mind that plans from enterprise competitor Skubana start at $999/month.

The help and support package provided by Fishbowl is fairly comprehensive. When you purchase a license, you’ll have access to customer support for one year, after which you’ll need to pay extra, including for software updates.

Support is available via email (6am - 6pm MST), phone (6am - 6pm MST), and online chat (8am - 5pm). It’s possible to make an unlimited amount of phone calls under ten minutes but there is an allowance for calls over ten minutes. Additional support options are also available, such as access to a training assistant for help getting set up.

The documentation and training videos are extensive and straightforward.

Support from Cin 7, which is via phone and through tickets, is excellent. Numerous reviewers attest to the quality and speed. Cin7 has also committed to continuously improve its customer service, and intends to add 24/7 availability and live chat to its support package.

Users can also choose to access a dedicated onboarding manager who will be available during the often-tricky transition period. This one-on-one help is a big plus for companies that need to train staff quickly. Cin7 has also built an extensive training library.

The one downside is that even the highest-priced enterprise plans don’t come with a dedicated support specialist after the initial set-up period.

Fishbowl Warehouse fills a unique gap in the market. It’s a desktop solution for small and medium-sized retailers that need access to a powerful array of features. Functionality covers everything you would expect and more. Standout features include the extensive library of integrations, multi-device access, and superb customer support.

If you prefer to own your software outright, then Fishbowl Warehouse is a great option. Over time, you will likely save hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars. Just be prepared to handle the backend side of things yourself. Or you can, of course, always opt to store your data on Fishbowl servers instead for an extra cost.

Cin7 has many excellent features, including industry-leading customer support, extensive functionality (covering all areas of inventory management), and a large library of integrations for a seamlessly connected tech stack.

It’s definitely an enterprise-level solution and will appeal to retailers that are selling in excess of 5000 units per month (as a minimum). Smaller store-owners will likely benefit from a lower-priced platform. Plans start at $299/month, which is about mid-range for this type of software. The custom pricing model also means that you may be able to make savings which wouldn’t be possible if you opt for a one-size-fits-all package.

In short, it’s a feature-rich and reasonably priced platform that medium and large retailers should certainly consider.