Fishbowl Warehouse vs. Ordoro

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.”

Overall, we liked the Ordoro dashboard. It’s straightforward and easy-to-use, with a clean interface. Dedicated areas for shipping, product management, purchase orders (POs), and analytics are accessed from a central toolbar across the top of the page.

Ordoro is a browser-based app, so there’s no need to download any desktop software.

“The software linked perfectly to my couriers and made shipping simple.”

“It's unbelievably functional for the price.”

“Easy to navigate and user friendly interface.”

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.

We were very impressed with Ordoro’s feature-set. The platform shines in more or less every area, especially in regards to shipping functionality, integrations with third-party marketplaces, and minor features like bundling, custom workflows, and support for dropshipping.

Let’s kick off with the small handful of negatives. Ordoro doesn’t currently offer a mobile app, although you can access the dashboard through your mobile browser. We were also a bit dismayed by the lack of a Zapier integration. What’s more, some features, like warehouse integration, aren’t included in the core package, and will incur extra costs. It’s also worth noting that Ordoro doesn’t offer any manufacturing capabilities. Retailers that need software to manage deliveries of raw materials and production lines should look elsewhere.

On all other fronts, however, Ordoro excels expectations. All the usual features that retailers would expect, including multi-feature inventory management tools, integrations, fulfillment and reorder automation, barcode scanning, POS (point of sale), warehouse management, and more, are included.

The shipping toolkit is among the best in the industry. Retailers have access to an array of discounted prices from leading carriers, insurance, printer integration, and more.

Finally, users can take advantage of an assortment of reports and segmentation options through the analytics dashboard. These cover sales performance, shipping costs, and inventory metrics.

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.

Ordoro has a large library of integrations. It’s not the most comprehensive we’ve seen, but retailers will find everything they need. Interestingly, Ordoro also provides a number of direct integrations with third-party marketplaces, making it a viable option for multichannel sellers. The SPS Commerce integration extends marketplace options even further.

There is also a strong focus on shipping and dropshipping functionality, and few competitors match Ordoro in this regard.

The only downside is that we would have liked to see a Zapier integration, which would allow users to connect apps which aren’t directly supported. But all in all, we couldn’t find much to complain about.

Ordoro excels when it comes to supported ecommerce platforms. Many inventory management apps that we’ve reviewed are compatible only with big brands like Shopify and Magento. Ordoro, on the other hand, syncs up with WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Volusion, 3dCart, Ecwid, and others. In terms of third-party marketplaces, Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Walmart, and Jet are all supported, along with some other smaller names like Reverb and Zoey.

Shipping connectors include USPS, FedEx, UPS, Canada Post, DHL, and Amazon SFP.

Users can also take advantage of Xero and Quickbooks integrations. Point-of-sale functionality is available through Shopify POS and Square.

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.

Ordoro is a slightly mixed bag when it comes to costs. It’s an unusual solution in the sense that it’s suitable for retailers of all sizes, from independent store-owners to international brands.

Generally speaking, the complete inventory management and shipping solution, starting at $499/month, is suitable only for medium-sized and large retailers. There are more inexpensive apps on the market for smaller companies. The shipping-only solution, however, which gives users access to discounted rates and fulfilment features, is only $59/month, so may prove viable for smaller sellers.

Custom-priced plans, which include a dedicated account manager, are available for large enterprises.

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.

Ordoro support is very good on the whole. Users can access customer service via email and phone, Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM CST.

Ordoro also provides extensive documentation and video guides along with a forum for developers.

Onboarding support is available on all plans but does incur an extra cost. Retailers on the enterprise-level plan, which works on a custom pricing model, will also have access to a dedicated account manager.

It would have been nice to see a live chat option, and receiving support quickly might be tricky for people outside the US, but all in all we were very impressed.

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.

Ordoro is one of the best solutions we’ve reviewed. It has an excellent set of features, an extensive integrations library with support for a large number of ecommerce platforms, and is priced competitively. While the costs of the two main plans make it more geared toward medium-sized retailers, smaller retailers with multiple team-members may also find it fits within their budget.

Ordoro offers the best shipping management capabilities of any solution on the market in our opinion, with support for most major carriers in the US and heavily discounted rates. Smaller retailers can also opt for an inexpensive shipping-only package.

The only caveat is that store-owners outside of the US and Canada may struggle with the integrations and US-based support.