ManuelPOS vs Aronium: which POS suits a Ghanaian business?

Aronium is a well-known point of sale program from Aronium GmbH in Berlin. Many shops in Ghana met it because the basic version is free. ManuelPOS is made in Ghana for Ghanaian shops, chop bars, restaurants, salons, barbers and beauty businesses. Both sell, print receipts and track stock. They differ in where they run, what is included, and how much of a Ghanaian business they cover.

Everything we say about Aronium below comes from aronium.com, checked on 14 October 2026. Prices and features can change, so check their site before you decide.

Where does each one run?

Aronium is, in its own words, "built as a native Windows application". It runs on Windows 7, 8, 10 or 11. The free Lite version runs on one computer. Aronium Pro connects several computers in one physical store to a single database on a computer in that store.

ManuelPOS runs in the web browser, so it works on an Android phone, an iPhone, a tablet, a Windows laptop or a Mac, and it can be installed like an app. It keeps working when the internet goes off and uploads the sales by itself when the connection comes back. Every till and every branch syncs to the same business, so the owner can see today's sales from anywhere.

For a single counter with a Windows computer that never leaves the shop, Aronium's model is simple. For a business with a phone at the barber's chair, a tablet at the restaurant door and a laptop at home, ManuelPOS fits better.

What does each one cost?

Aronium's free version is genuinely free, with no time limit. If you only need one register and nothing from the paid list, that is hard to beat on price. If you need several tills, wholesale prices and kitchen printing, the subscriptions add up every month.

Features side by side

What does ManuelPOS add for Ghana?

Mobile Money you can check. Most takings in Ghana come in by MoMo. ManuelPOS records the transaction ID on every MoMo payment, sends the money to your own wallet (we never hold it), and lets you match the month's MoMo against your wallet statement.

The 2026 GRA tax maths. Under the VAT Act, 2025 (Act 1151), VAT, NHIL and GETFund are charged on the same value. ManuelPOS works this out on every sale. Businesses whose prices already include tax get receipts where the items add up to the total, with the taxes shown inside it.

Bookings for salons and barbers. Appointments, a walk-in queue, commission per stylist, and a booking page on your own web address that customers can use from their phones.

Owner control from anywhere. Each staff member has their own login and role. Voids, refunds and big discounts need a manager, and the owner sees who did what, even from another town.

The books, without a second program. Every sale, purchase, expense and cash movement is posted to ledgers the way an accountant expects, with a day book and trial balance. Read our comparison with Tally for more on that side.

When is Aronium the better choice?

Aronium is a sensible pick if all of these are true:

• You have one counter and a Windows computer that stays in the shop.
• You never need to check sales from outside.
• You do not need bookings, MoMo transaction IDs or branches.
• Free matters more to you than anything on the list above.

How to switch

ManuelPOS imports products and customers from Excel or CSV, and it recognises the columns of Aronium's own product export, so your items, prices, barcodes and tax settings come across without retyping. Duplicate barcodes and missing prices are flagged before anything is saved. Start the free trial, import your products, and run both side by side for a day before you decide.