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.
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.
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 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.
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. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.