NP Manager alternative: how Manifesto compares

Updated 2026-11-09. Disclosure: Manifesto is our app. NP Manager facts below are taken from the sources listed at the end.

Manifesto is a practical NP Manager alternative if you want an APK editor and file manager documented in English, with a JADX Java preview and V1–V4 signing. The catch: NP Manager lists features Manifesto does not have, such as FTP, SFTP, SMB and WebDAV storage and tools for adding obfuscation and protection. NP Manager's main official source is a Chinese GitHub README.

Manifesto vs NP Manager at a glance

Manifesto compared with NP Manager
Feature	Manifesto	NP Manager
Where to get it	Signed APK from the Manifesto website. Not on Google Play.	Direct APK download (NP.apk) from the developer's own server, linked from the GitHub README. No GitHub releases and no Google Play listing found.
Official documentation	English docs and guides on this site.	A GitHub README in Chinese, plus QQ groups and an email address. No official Telegram channel found.
Price	Free. No account, subscription or ads.	The README mentions no VIP or paid tier. One third-party download site says all features are free. A paid tier is not stated in its official sources as of 2026-11.
UI language	English only.	README credits a French translation. A third-party forum post says the interface follows the device language and supports English.
Requirements	Android 8.0 or newer, arm64 devices only. Root optional.	Minimum Android version not stated in its official sources as of 2026-11. Root supported but not stated as required; the developer warns rooted and Xposed devices crash more often.
DEX and Smali	Smali editor with Find usages, Browse symbols and Code completion. DEX to JAR, DEX to Smali, Repair DEX and JAR to DEX.	Dex编辑Plus with search, Smali editing and string-constant viewing. Converts between Dex, Jar and Smali.
Java view	Read-only Java preview from JADX 1.5.6 (View as Java). Edits are made in Smali.	Converts Smali to Java and decompiles class and jar files. The README does not name the decompiler engine.
Resources and translation	resources.arsc and binary XML decoded on demand with ARSCLib. You edit string values by hand in the Resources tab; no automatic translation.	ARSC editing, ARSC and XML translation modes, and resource obfuscation with a custom dictionary.
Signing	Build and sign uses the debug key (V1 to V3). Sign offers V1, V2, V3 and V4 as separate toggles with the debug key or your own .p12, .pfx, .jks or .keystore; New key creates RSA or EC keys.	APK signing and "coexistence" (a copy under a different package name). Signature schemes it writes are not listed in the README.
Split APKs and AAB	Merges APKS, XAPK and APKM into one APK, converts AAB to a universal APK with bundletool, and installs split sets without root.	Converts APKS and XAPK to APK, extracts installed apps including splits, and installs APK/APKS through Shizuku. AAB is not mentioned.
Obfuscation and protection	None for adding protection. Detects it instead: an APKiD-based Protection scan, plus Anticonfuse to deobfuscate a copy.	Control-flow obfuscation, string encryption, Dex2C, annotation-configured VM protection and Xposed-detection injection.
Native code and file manager	radare2 with r2ghidra pseudocode and branch patching for .so files. Two-pane local file manager with hex editor; no network storage.	SO file editing and, since v3.2.9, ODEX to DEX. FTP, SFTP, SMB and WebDAV storage, a hex editor and a terminal emulator.

What is NP Manager, according to its own sources?

NP Manager (NP管理器) is an Android file manager and APK editor by a developer who signs as 吹牛儿. The developer's main public channel is the GitHub repository githubXiaowangzi/NP-Manager, which on 2026-11-09 showed about 1.9k stars, 124 forks and no published GitHub releases. The README carries the feature list, the version number and the download links. The latest stated version is v3.2.10, added to the README on 2026-11-08.

The README is candid about the app. The developer says it has no real technical depth and is "purely for entertainment", presents it as a way to share knowledge and learn, and says the current version has many bugs that will be fixed over time. This page uses the README as the reference for NP Manager's features and version.

Where is NP Manager stronger than Manifesto?

NP Manager's README lists several things Manifesto does not do. If any of these is the reason you use it, keep it installed.

Network storage: NP Manager browses FTP, SFTP, SMB and WebDAV. Manifesto's file manager works with local storage only.
Protection tools: NP Manager can add obfuscation, string encryption, Dex2C and VM protection to an APK, Dex or Jar. Manifesto has no feature for adding protection.
Translation modes: NP Manager has ARSC and XML translation modes. In Manifesto you edit string values yourself.
Coexistence: NP Manager can make a copy that installs beside the original under another package name. Manifesto has no one-tap package rename.
Terminal screen: NP Manager includes a terminal emulator. Manifesto's Alpine Linux shell is used by the AI agent only, with no separate terminal screen.
UI languages: a third-party post says NP Manager's interface follows the device language. Manifesto's UI is English only.

Where does Manifesto go further?

Manifesto's strengths are in reading, rebuilding and signing, with English labels throughout.

Java preview from a named engine: Smali classes open in an editor with Find usages and Browse symbols, and View as Java shows a read-only JADX 1.5.6 preview. See Smali and Java in Manifesto.
Explicit signing options: Sign offers V1, V2, V3 and V4 as separate toggles and lets you pick Debug key or My keystore. The build and sign docs cover keys.
AAB and split sets: Convert to APK turns an AAB into a universal APK and merges APKS, XAPK and APKM files. Installs use Android's own installer, so Shizuku is not needed. See how to install XAPK, APKS and split APKs.
Native analysis: Analyze on a .so file opens radare2 with r2ghidra pseudocode and branch patching. The native analysis docs explain it.
Published requirements: Manifesto states Android 8.0 or newer and arm64 only. NP Manager's official sources do not state a minimum Android version.

How do the obfuscation features compare?

NP Manager and Manifesto point in opposite directions on obfuscation. NP Manager's README lists tools that make an app harder to read: control-flow obfuscation 5.0 with string encryption, method hiding and flattening, resource-ID encryption, Dex2C, VM protection set by annotations or class and method rules, and one-click Xposed-detection injection.

Manifesto adds no protection. It reads it. The APK sheet's Protection row runs an APKiD-based scan for packers and obfuscators, and Anticonfuse writes a new copy of the APK with confusing class and member names renamed for readability, leaving the original untouched. Only modify or analyze apps you own or are allowed to analyze.

How do I edit and sign an APK in Manifesto?

Editing an APK in Manifesto follows the same path for most tasks you might do in NP Manager's Dex editor:

In the file manager, tap the .apk, tap Options, then Open as project.
In the Explorer tab, tap a classes*.dex entry, tick the DEX files and tap Decompile.
Open a Smali class, make your change and tap Validate and save. Pending edits appear in History.
Tap Build and sign. Manifesto writes <name>-modified-signed.apk in the project folder, signed with the debug key. Show in files takes you to it.
To use your own key, long-press the output, tap Sign, choose My keystore and fill in Key alias and Keystore password.

The APK signing guide covers keys in more detail.

Which one should you choose?

Choose NP Manager if you rely on network storage, protection tools or translation modes, and you are comfortable with Chinese documentation. Choose Manifesto's APK editor for Android if you want English labels and docs, V1–V4 signing control, AAB conversion and native analysis on an arm64 phone running Android 8.0 or newer. If you are coming from MT Manager instead, see the MT Manager alternative comparison.

Frequently asked questions

Is NP Manager free?

NP Manager's official README does not mention any VIP, membership or paid tier, and one Chinese download site says all features are free. Whether a paid tier exists is not stated in its official sources as of 2026-11. Manifesto is free, with no account, subscription or ads.

Is NP Manager available in English?

NP Manager's official README and materials are in Chinese, though the README credits a French translation. A third-party forum post from August 2026 says the interface follows the device language and supports English. Manifesto's interface and documentation are in English only.

Is NP Manager on the Google Play Store?

No Google Play listing for NP Manager was found as of 2026-11-09. The developer's GitHub README links to a direct APK download from the developer's own server. Manifesto is not on Google Play either and is installed as a signed APK from its website.

Does NP Manager need root?

NP Manager's README says it supports root-authorized file access but does not say root is required. The developer also warns that rooted phones and devices with Xposed are more likely to crash. Manifesto works without root; root is needed only for the Root location (system paths), Dynamic Plugins (with LSPosed) and Frida's root mode.

Can Manifesto obfuscate an APK like NP Manager?

No, Manifesto has no obfuscation, string encryption or VM protection features. It goes the other way: the Protection scan detects packers and obfuscators with APKiD rules, and Anticonfuse writes a copy of an APK with confusing names renamed for readability. Use either only on apps you own or are allowed to analyze.