Accounting software for rental businesses
Built around what you rent, who has it, when it's coming back, and what they owe. Rental management is included, not an add-on.
Free desktop app for Windows, Mac, and Linux. No account, no credit card.
Argo Books
Opening Argo Books on Windows
Windows may warn you because Argo Books is a newer app, not because it is unsafe. After the download finishes, here is the last step to open it:
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Open the installer. If Windows shows "Windows protected your PC", click More info, then Run anyway.
Your fleet, your customers, your books, in one app
A rental business lives in three places: the yard where the equipment sits, the customer site where the equipment is in use, and the books where the deposit, the rental fee, and any late or damage charges have to land. Whether you rent tools, party tents, scaffolding, AV gear, or bounce houses, Argo Books keeps the three in sync.
Track what's out, who has it, and when it's coming back
Argo Books has rental management built in. Add an item to your fleet, log it out to a customer with a rental period and rate, and when it comes back, the invoice already knows what's owed. No spreadsheet, no sticky notes on the office wall.
Deposit, rental fee, damage hold, all on the right line
Bill the security deposit as its own line, the rental at the daily or weekly rate, and any late-return or damage charge as a separate line when the item comes back. Refund the deposit, apply it against damage, or roll the leftover into the next rental. The customer sees exactly what they paid.
Snap a receipt when you buy stock for the fleet
Take a photo of the supplier receipt when you buy a new generator, a new tent, or a new case of replacement parts. Argo Books pulls the vendor, date, and amount automatically. Tag it Fleet Purchase or Repair so when you look at margins next quarter, the numbers are sitting where you put them.
Works offline, free tier covers small fleets
Argo Books runs natively on Windows, Mac, and Linux. No internet needed in the yard, no monthly subscription climbing every year, no website to wait on when you're checking out a customer. The free tier covers most small fleets forever.
What Argo Books isn't
Argo Books has rental management for the operating and bookkeeping side, but it is not an online booking platform. It does not run a reservation calendar on your website, send automated pickup-and-return SMS reminders, or handle customer-facing self-service rentals. If those are critical, Booqable, Rentle, or EZRentOut handle the booking, and Argo Books handles the books. It does payroll for Canadian staff, but not for staff outside Canada. If those are dealbreakers, that's fair. If they're not, the desktop app is free, the rental tracking is built in, and your data stays on your computer.
Download FreeStart free, upgrade only if you need more
Most small rental businesses stay on the free tier. Premium adds predictive analytics for seasonal demand planning, unlimited invoicing, and priority support.
FREE Plan
Just starting out, or you only need the basics? This is the place.
Free forever
- Unlimited products, customers, and sales
- See your numbers update in real time
- Keep every receipt in one place
- Send 25 invoices a month
- Scan 10 receipts a month, no typing
- Import 100 spreadsheets a month
- Import 25 bank statements a month
PREMIUM Plan
Want unlimited invoicing, bigger monthly limits, and forecasts you can act on? Go Premium.
Billed monthly
Billed annually at $150 CAD
Everything in Free, plus…
- Unlimited invoices and online payments
- Scan 500 receipts a month, no typing
- Import 500 spreadsheets a month
- Import 500 bank statements a month
- Run Canadian payroll and produce T4s
- Forecast revenue and spot trends early
- Sign in with your fingerprint or face
- Priority support when you need it
Argo Books for your line of work
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Rental Management is a built-in feature, not an add-on. Track items in your fleet, see what's out, who has it, and when it's due back.
When the rental closes, the invoice already knows the rental period and rate.
Yes. Bill the security deposit as its own line, take payment, and refund it (or apply it against damage) when the item is returned.
The rental fee is a separate line item with its own period and rate.
Yes. When an item is returned late or damaged, add a line to the rental invoice for the extra days at your late rate, or for the damage or replacement cost.
If you already collected a security deposit, credit it against the charge so the customer only owes the remainder.
Yes. The desktop app runs natively on your computer and does not need an internet connection to log a rental, check an item back in, or build an invoice.
You only need internet when you actually send the invoice or take a payment.
Not yet. Argo Books tracks rentals and handles the books once a rental is booked, but it does not run an online booking calendar on your website or send automated SMS reminders.
If those are critical, tools like Booqable, Rentle, or EZRentOut handle the booking side, and you can run Argo Books alongside for the bookkeeping.
Yes, forever. The free tier covers all core features including rental management and 25 invoices per month.
Premium ($15 CAD/month) adds predictive analytics, unlimited invoicing, and priority support. No credit card to start.
Want the bookkeeping side in plain language? Read our guide to bookkeeping for rental businesses.