Comparison
Fishbowl vs Joan: Meeting Room Display Comparison
Joan is a popular hardware-led room booking system from Visionect. Here is how Fishbowl compares for teams looking at both options.
In one paragraph
The biggest differences between Fishbowl and Joan come down to three things: your data, your hardware, and your styling. On data, Joan syncs every booking through its cloud, while Fishbowl keeps meeting data on each device and never stores it on our servers. On hardware, Joan ties you to its own e-ink panels, while Fishbowl runs on any Android tablet, iPad, Amazon Fire device, and many dedicated panel displays (e.g. Philips and iAdea). Finally, on styling, Joan e-ink panels are black-and-white, while Fishbowl gives you full color theming on any screen.
Side by side
| Fishbowl | Joan | |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware | Software-only - runs on any Android tablet, iPad, Fire device, or PoE Philips/iAdea room panel. | Tied to Joan's own e-ink room panels (Joan 6, Joan 13, Joan Executive). |
| Pricing model | Per device, per month or year. From $10/device/month. | Hardware purchase plus subscription per device. |
| Calendar support | Microsoft 365, on-prem Exchange, Google Workspace, personal Gmail, Teamup. | Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, others. Check Joan's website for current list. |
| On-premises Exchange | Yes - direct EWS over your LAN, no cloud middleware. | Limited or via cloud connector, depending on plan. |
| Data residency | Meeting data stays on the device and on your calendar server. Fishbowl never stores it. | Bookings flow through Joan's cloud service. |
| Setup | Install the app, link with a 6-digit pairing code, pick a room. ~5 minutes per room. | Pair the panel with the Joan portal and link to a room calendar. |
| Refresh rate | Live - bookings update on screen within seconds of any calendar change. | E-ink refresh; rate depends on the panel model. |
| Customization | Full color theming: logo, color palette, layout, multi-room view, configurable buttons, kiosk mode, sleep schedule. | Logo and layout only, in black-and-white (grayscale) e-ink. No color palette or full theming. |
Comparison reflects publicly available information at the time of writing. Competitor product details may have changed - check their website for the latest.
5-room cost example
A like-for-like deployment: 5 meeting rooms with a tablet at each, hardware plus software, for the first year and over three years.
| Fishbowl + Philips 10BDL5051T |
Joan | |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware (one-off, 5 rooms) | $2,095 | ~$3,245 |
| Fishbowl: Philips 10BDL5051T @ ~$419 each. Joan: Joan 6 Pro @ ~$649 each. | ||
| Software (per year, 5 rooms) | $480 | ~$780 |
| Fishbowl: Business annual plan ($96/device/year). Joan: ~$13/device/month, 12 months. | ||
| Year 1 total | $2,575 | ~$4,025 |
| 3-year total | $3,445 | ~$5,585 |
| Fishbowl figure uses our 3-year prepay rate ($270/device on Business, vs $96/year annual). Joan figure assumes annual rate × 3 - confirm any multi-year discount with the vendor. | ||
Hardware figures are approximate MSRP and vary by reseller. The Philips 10BDL5051T runs about $419 each in the US and €300 ex VAT each in the EU. Fishbowl Year 1 software uses our Business annual plan ($96/device/year); the 3-year total uses our Business 3-year prepay rate ($270/device, save vs annual). Competitor software figures are publicly listed annual rates × 1 or × 3 - if the vendor offers a multi-year discount, ask them. Fishbowl is billed in USD; EUR figures above are approximate equivalents at recent FX.
Choose Fishbowl when
- You want meeting data to stay on your network rather than flow through a third party.
- You want to use existing tablets, iPads, or Fire devices instead of buying dedicated panels.
- You need on-premises Exchange support without a cloud relay.
- You prefer per-device subscription with no upfront hardware lock-in.
Choose Joan when
- You specifically want e-ink panels for very low power draw or a particular industrial aesthetic.
- You're already standardized on Joan hardware fleet-wide.
See Fishbowl in your meeting room.
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