Centriq Alternative: Homer, Dib, and Real Estate Ledger Compared

By the Real Estate Ledger Team

Centriq shut down on January 31, 2026, deleting all user accounts and data on that date. If you relied on it to track appliance manuals, warranties, and service records, the official migration path is Homer (Home Owner AB). Homer shipped a Centriq CSV Importer in iOS v3.9.11 on December 18, 2025, and Centriq's own shutdown communications routed users to Homer ahead of full data deletion.

That made Homer the de facto successor for appliance tracking. But the shutdown also exposed a bigger lesson: appliance-only tools are a thin slice of what property documentation should cover. Permits, inspection reports, warranties, maintenance records, and closing documents matter just as much — and none of those lived inside Centriq.

This guide compares the three real options for ex-Centriq users in 2026: Homer (the appliance-focused successor), Dib (a free alternative with its own CSV importer), and Real Estate Ledger (a broader property documentation platform with AI categorization and blockchain-backed verification).

Americans spend an average of $8,808 per year on home maintenance, and the average deferred repair costs more than $5,600 to complete. Tracking appliance manuals is a start. Tracking every permit, inspection, warranty, and maintenance record is what actually protects your investment.

What Made Centriq Useful (and What It Could Not Do)

Centriq solved one problem well: appliance identification. Snap a photo of a nameplate or UPC barcode, and the app pulled the user manual, troubleshooting guides, parts info, and safety recall data automatically. As This Old House noted, it was the fastest way to go from "what model is this?" to having the full manual on your phone.

The app organized appliances by room, supported multiple properties, and checked products daily against the national product safety recall database. You could add receipts and warranties, plus set reminders for filter changes.

But Centriq's scope ended at appliances. It did not handle permits, inspection reports, closing documents, insurance policies, or renovation records. No shareable reports for buyers or lenders. No verification layer to prove when a document was uploaded or that it remained unaltered.

For homeowners who only tracked appliances, Centriq worked. For anyone managing a full property record, it was a starting point that needed a companion tool.

Centriq Alternatives: Appliance-Focused vs Full Property Documentation

The Centriq replacement market has split into two categories. Understanding which one fits your needs will save you from switching twice.

Appliance-Focused Alternatives

These tools replace Centriq's core features: nameplate scanning, manual retrieval, recall alerts, and basic inventory.

• Dib launched a free Centriq import tool that accepts the CSV export file and rebuilds your inventory. The free tier covers inventory tracking and manual retrieval, with AI features available in a Pro plan.
• Homer added a Centriq CSV importer and focuses on a clean mobile experience for tracking appliances and home systems.
• HomeBox is a free, open-source option for homeowners comfortable with self-hosted software.

Full Property Documentation Platforms

These tools go beyond appliances to cover the complete property record: documents, maintenance history, warranties, permits, inspection reports, and financial records.

• Real Estate Ledger provides AI-powered document categorization, blockchain-backed verification through Digital Evidence, and shareable Property Guidebook reports. Free for up to 10 properties with 5 GB storage. Enterprise tier for 11+ properties.
• DomiDocs offers a digital vault for property documents with title monitoring features. No AI categorization or blockchain verification.
• HomeBinder provides free document storage through agent partnerships, but has pivoted toward a moving concierge model (see our HomeBinder alternative breakdown).

Why the Shutdown Is a Reason to Think Bigger

Centriq's closure teaches a practical lesson about platform risk. Years of appliance data disappeared because a single company retired its product. Homeowners who kept backup copies outside the app had a safety net. Everyone else started over.

That risk applies to any single-purpose tool. The question is not just "what replaces Centriq?" but "where should I build my property record so it lasts?"

Ed Oravetz of LedgerLiving answered that question by embedding Real Estate Ledger into every home in The Terraces, a 60-unit townhome community in the Blue Ridge Mountains. From foundation to closing, every permit, inspection, rough-in photo, materials spec, change order, and warranty went into the platform. At closing, guidebook ownership transferred from builder to homeowner. His take: "Most builders hand you a house. We're handing homeowners the proof." Every document was fingerprinted with blockchain-backed Digital Evidence, creating records that exist independently of any single platform's future.

The CPSC issued 357 product recalls in 2025, the highest number in nearly a decade, affecting more than 24 million consumer units. Tracking your appliance models and serial numbers matters, but so does tracking the permits, maintenance records, and warranties that prove your home's full history. A 2025 American Home Shield survey found that 92% of new homeowners experienced at least one issue in their first year, and 47% needed to replace appliances. Verified documentation gives you a paper trail when warranty claims and insurance disputes arise.

For guidance on what records to build, our homeowner document checklist covers the full list. If you want a ready-to-use tracking system, the appliance warranty tracker template is a good complement. For other alternatives in this category, see our HomeZada alternative for all-in-one platform comparisons, our DomiDocs alternative for title fraud monitoring, and our Disclosures.io alternative for agent transaction tools.

Migrating From Centriq: A Practical Path

If you exported your Centriq data before the January 2025 deadline, here is how to put it to use:

1. Open your CSV export. It contains item names, model numbers, serial numbers, purchase dates, and notes.
2. Choose your platform based on scope. For appliance-only tracking, Dib or Homer will accept the CSV directly. For full property documentation, upload the CSV data alongside your broader property records into Real Estate Ledger.
3. Re-upload photos and receipts. Centriq's CSV did not include images. Gather any photos, receipts, or manuals you saved locally and upload them to your new platform.
4. Set up verification. Upload records promptly so they receive timestamps close to their actual dates.

If you missed the export window, start with what you have: appliance manuals from manufacturer websites, purchase receipts from email, and warranty cards. Our how to keep records for your house guide walks through the full process.

Turning a Platform Loss Into a Fresh Start

Losing Centriq is inconvenient. It is also a chance to build something more complete. The appliance data you tracked was one layer of your property's story. The permits, inspections, maintenance records, and warranties sitting in folders and email inboxes are the rest. Consolidating all of it into a single verified record means the next time a buyer asks questions or an insurer needs proof, you have everything in one place with timestamps to back it up.