Looking for a Manager.io alternative?
Meet RareBooks. Offline-first accounting, POS, and inventory built for growth-focused SMEs.
When to choose Manager.io
If you need zero-cost, single-user desktop bookkeeping with no retail POS requirement, and you're fine self-serving support questions through community forums, Manager.io's free tier is hard to beat on price.
Why businesses switch to RareBooks
The moment you need real point-of-sale or customer loyalty tooling, Manager.io's free tier stops covering you — that's exactly where RareBooks starts.
Side-by-Side Comparison
How RareBooks compares to Manager.io on core capabilities.
| Capability | RareBooks | Manager.io |
|---|---|---|
| Offline-first | Yes | Yes |
| Cost model | Commercial (one-time via AppSumo) | Free desktop edition; Cloud from $59/mo |
| POS | Built-in, dedicated profile system | Basic sales invoice workflow, no dedicated POS mode |
| Loyalty programs & coupon codes | Built-in | Not available |
| Pricing rules & price lists | Built-in | Limited |
| Mobile money integration | Yes (ClickPesa) | No |
| Support | Commercial, included | Forum-based |
| Onboarding | Guided wizard, auto super admin | Manual setup |
Migrating from Manager.io to RareBooks
Moving your books over is straightforward. Here's the process from start to finish.
Export your chart of accounts, customers, and inventory items from Manager.io using its built-in Excel/CSV export.
Set up your company in RareBooks via the guided wizard, which auto-creates a default super admin account.
Import your customer, vendor, and item lists, then enter opening balances from your last Manager.io reporting period.
Move day-to-day invoicing and retail sales over to RareBooks' POS, keeping Manager.io as an offline archive of prior records.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions from businesses considering the switch.
Is Manager.io really free with no catch?
Yes — the Desktop Edition has no feature gating and no trial expiry. The catch, if there is one, is that multi-user and remote access require the paid Cloud Edition, and support is community-based rather than commercial.
Why switch from a free tool at all?
If your business is purely back-office bookkeeping with no retail counter, you may not need to. RareBooks makes the most sense once POS or loyalty programs become part of daily operations.
Ready to make the switch?
Start a free trial of RareBooks — no credit card required.