We have systematically investigated the magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in RMnO3 (R=Dy, Tb, Ho and Yb) single crystals. Above a critical value of applied field (Hc), RMnO3 undergo a first-order antiferromagnetic (AFM) to ferromagnetic (FM) transition below the ordering temperature (T R N ) of R 3+ moment and a second-order FM to paramagnetic (PM) transition above T R N . Both H and T dependence of M shows that the system is highly anisotropic in the FM as well as PM states and, as a result, the magnetic entropy change (∆SM ) is extremely sensitive to the direction of applied field and can be negative (normal MCE) or positive (inverse MCE). For hexagonal HoMnO3 and YbMnO3 systems, a very small inverse MCE is observed only for H parallel to c axis and it decreases with increasing H and crosses over to normal one above Hc. On the other hand, for orthorhombic DyMnO3 and TbMnO3, though the inverse MCE disappears above Hc along easy-axis of magnetization, it increases rapidly with H along hard-axis of magnetization for T T R N . Except for YbMnO3, the values of ∆SM , relative cooling power and adiabatic temperature change along easy-axis of magnetization are quite large in the field-induced FM state for a moderate field strength. The large values of these parameters, together with negligible hysteresis, suggest that the multiferroic manganites could be potential materials for magnetic refrigeration in the low-temperature region.