Accounting software for solo operators with inventory
Built for one person doing all the jobs: materials, finished goods, customer sales, and the receipts that keep your taxes honest.
Free desktop app for Windows, Mac, and Linux. No account, no credit card.
When you're the maker, the packer, the seller, and the bookkeeper
A small batch of candles, a tray of soap, a shelf of leather goods, a garage shop turning out one piece at a time. When one person does all the jobs, the books are the job that always gets pushed to Sunday night. Argo Books tracks materials, finished inventory, and sales without making you learn double-entry to do it.
Raw materials and finished goods, tracked together
Track wax, fragrance, jars, and wicks as raw materials. Track your candle line as finished products. When you batch a hundred, record the materials used and the count produced. Inventory always reflects what's actually on the shelf, not what was there last spring.
Snap a receipt from the supplier or the craft store
Take a photo and Argo Books pulls the vendor, date, and amount automatically. Tag it Materials, Packaging, Shipping Supplies, or Booth Fees so when tax time comes, every deductible expense is sitting in a category.
See your margin per product, not just per month
Argo Books shows the gap between what each product cost you to make and what it sold for. Slow-margin items show up as slow. The bestsellers tell you what to make more of. You stop pricing based on vibes and start pricing based on what actually works.
Works offline at the craft fair, free tier covers solo operators
Argo Books runs natively on Windows, Mac, and Linux. No internet needed at the market booth, no monthly subscription climbing every year, no website to load when the venue wifi is gone. The free tier covers most solo operators forever.
What it actually looks like
Inventory with raw materials and finished goods side by side.
A supplier receipt scanned and categorized in seconds.
Your dashboard with revenue, expenses, and margin in real time.
What Argo Books isn't
Argo Books does not connect directly to Shopify, Etsy, Square, or other e-commerce platforms. It does not print shipping labels and it does not calculate sales tax across every state or province automatically. If you sell at high volume online and need that automation built in, Shopify's or Square's built-in accounting may fit better. For solo operators selling at markets, in local boutiques, and through one online shop they update weekly, Argo Books gives you the inventory, margins, and bookkeeping picture without monthly fees stacking up. Free desktop app, your data stays on your computer.
Download FreeStart free, upgrade only if you need more
Most solo operators stay on the free tier. Premium adds predictive analytics so you can see which products are trending up and which are dying, unlimited invoicing, and priority support.
- All core features
- Real-time analytics
- Receipt management
- 25 invoices / month
- AI receipt scanning (10/month)
- AI spreadsheet import (100/month)
- Unlimited invoices & payments
- AI receipt scanning (500/month)
- Predictive analytics
- Biometric login security
- Priority support
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I track raw materials and finished goods separately?
Yes. Argo Books has inventory management built in. Track wax, fragrance oils, wicks, and jars as raw materials, and your candle line as finished products.
When you batch-make a hundred candles, record the materials used and the finished count, so the inventory shows what's actually on the shelf.
Can I see margin per product?
Yes. Record the unit cost when you produce the item and the sale price when it sells, and Argo Books shows the gap.
Slow-margin products show up as slow, profitable ones get more attention. You stop pricing based on what feels right and start pricing based on what works.
Can I record cash sales from craft fairs and markets?
Yes. Log a batch sale at the end of the market day with the total revenue, quantity per product, and the day's expenses (booth fee, parking, fuel).
Inventory drops, revenue lands, and the day's costs are deducted before tax time, not at it.
Does it work without internet at a craft fair?
Yes. The desktop app runs natively on your laptop and does not need an internet connection to log a sale, update inventory, or scan a receipt.
You only need internet when you actually send an invoice or take a card payment.
Does Argo Books sync with my Shopify or Etsy shop?
No. Argo Books does not connect directly to Shopify, Etsy, Square, or other e-commerce platforms. It also does not print shipping labels or calculate sales tax across every jurisdiction automatically.
If you sell at high volume online, Shopify or Square's built-in accounting may fit better. For solo operators selling at markets, in local boutiques, and through one online shop they update weekly, Argo Books gives you the books without the monthly fees.
Is it really free?
Yes, forever. The free tier covers all core features including inventory management and 25 invoices per month.
Premium ($15 CAD/month) adds predictive analytics, unlimited invoicing, and priority support. No credit card to start.