How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- Landlords managing their own units have two standouts: Innago (free, no paywalls) and RentRedi ($12/month annual, flat rate, unlimited units).
- Professional managers handling other owners' money need trust accounting: Buildium ($62/month Essential) and Rent Manager (quote-only) are the serious picks.
- AppFolio is quote-only with a 50-unit minimum; Propertyware starts at a $250 monthly minimum. Both exclude small landlords by design.
- Watch the fine print: TenantCloud removed its free plan, Buildium adds per-transaction fees, and Rent Manager charges implementation fees on top of licenses.
The best accounting software for property managers
Property accounting is not regular accounting. Rent rolls, security deposits, owner distributions, trust accounts and 1099s for owners all need to live in the same system as rent collection and maintenance. A generic bookkeeping tool will not do. The eight platforms below are property management software with real rental accounting built in, and they split cleanly by who they serve: DIY landlords, growing managers, and large professional firms.
Prices come from the vendors' own pricing pages, checked in October 2026. Two vendors publish no prices; where a number could not be verified, the price column says so.
#1
Innago
Best for: Independent landlords with 1 to ~100 units who want full software at zero cost
Visit innago.com
Starting priceFree for landlords
Free planYes (the whole product is free for landlords)
Innago is the free option that is not a demo. Listings, tenant screening, e-sign leases, rent collection, maintenance and accounting all ship free for landlords, with no paywalls or limited tiers. Revenue comes from optional tenant-paid fees on things like credit card payments and screening reports, which landlords may absorb or pass through.
The honest catch is depth. A landlord with 40 units will find everything needed. A professional manager needing trust accounting, owner portals or advanced custom reporting will hit the ceiling and need a paid platform. For self-managing landlords, the question is not whether Innago is good enough; it usually is.
What we like- Completely free for landlords with no feature gating: listings, screening, leases, rent collection, maintenance and accounting
- Fast onboarding, most landlords set up within an hour
- Responsive support despite the free price
Watch out for- Accounting is simpler than Buildium or Rent Manager, so very large portfolios may outgrow the reporting
- The business model runs on optional tenant-paid transaction fees
#2
RentRedi
Best for: Self-managing landlords and investors who want one flat fee regardless of portfolio size
Visit rentredi.com
Starting price$12/month billed annually
Free planNo (every plan is paid from day one)
RentRedi's pricing is the simplest on this list. One flat rate, unlimited units, the full feature set on every term: $29.95 a month billed monthly, $20 a month on a 6-month term, or $12 a month billed annually. No per-unit math, no tier gates. The accounting suite with receipt capture and tax-ready reports rides along free.
The scope boundary is clear. RentRedi is built for landlords managing their own properties, not for third-party managers who need trust accounting and owner statements. If you manage other people's money, look at Buildium or Rent Manager. If you manage your own, the flat $12 is hard to argue with.
What we like- Flat-rate pricing with unlimited units: a 100-unit landlord pays the same $12 a month as a 2-unit landlord
- Built-in accounting suite (income and expense tracking, receipt capture, tax-ready reports) included at no extra cost
- Tenant screening with income verification and maintenance coordination network
Watch out for- No free trial or free plan
- Built for self-managing landlords, so it lacks trust accounting for managers handling other owners' money
#3
Buildium
Best for: Small-to-mid-size property management companies and mixed portfolios that need real trust accounting
Visit buildium.com
Starting price$62/month (Essential plan, up to 150 units)
Free plan14-day free trial
Buildium is the trust-accounting workhorse. Essential at $62 a month covers up to 150 units with a full general ledger, owner portals and 1099 e-filing, no unit minimum required. Growth at $192 and Premium at $400 scale the feature set and support for larger firms.
Budget past the base price. eSignature, bank account setup and onboarding fees arrive as line items, so the real first-year cost exceeds $62 a month. The interface shows its age next to newer rivals. But for a management company that needs compliant trust accounting without AppFolio's 50-unit entry cliff, Buildium remains the standard recommendation.
What we like- No unit minimums, so it works from a handful of units up to thousands, unlike AppFolio
- Deep rental accounting with trust accounting, owner statements, bank reconciliation and 1099 e-filing
- Long track record with a broad integration marketplace
Watch out for- Per-transaction add-ons (eSignature, bank setup fees) push effective cost above the sticker price
- Interface feels dated next to DoorLoop
#4
DoorLoop
Best for: Growing property managers who want modern UX with solid accounting
Visit doorloop.com
Starting price$69/month billed annually (Starter plan, up to 10 units)
Free planNo (30-day money-back guarantee instead)
DoorLoop is the modern pick. Starter at $99 a month, or $69 billed annually, covers up to 10 units with a full accounting module: chart of accounts, bank sync, owner statements and tax-ready reports. Teams get running fast, and the white-glove onboarding keeps migration pain low.
The entry price is the trade. A 5-unit landlord pays nearly $100 a month where RentRedi or Innago cost a fraction, and at small scale Buildium's $62 Essential undercuts it. DoorLoop earns its premium on usability and support. If your team will actually open the software every day, that is worth paying for.
What we like- Modern, fast interface that new users learn quickly, with consistently praised support
- All-in-one accounting, rent collection, maintenance, leasing, CRM and owner portal
- QuickBooks integration that AppFolio users frequently request
Watch out for- Pricier per unit than Buildium at small scale ($99 monthly vs $62 entry)
- Younger platform with a smaller integration ecosystem
#5
TenantCloud
Best for: DIY landlords who want an inexpensive all-in-one with room to grow
Visit tenantcloud.com
Starting price$15/month billed annually (Starter plan, 10 active leases)
Free planNo (free plan removed; 14-day trial instead)
TenantCloud is the price ladder. Starter at $180 a year ($15 a month) covers 10 active leases; Growth at $350 a year covers 30; Pro at $600 a year covers 60 and adds bank reconciliation, tax reports, owner portals and QuickBooks Online sync. Business is custom from $100 a month. You step up only when your lease count demands it.
Note the lease caps: 10 leases on Starter means a 12-unit landlord is already on Growth. The free plan that used to exist is gone. Payment processing fees sit on top at 3.5 percent plus 30 cents for cards. For landlords who want to start cheap and grow into features, the ladder works; for managers needing trust accounting today, it does not.
What we like- Cheap entry with a real feature set: listings, screening, rent collection, maintenance and documents
- Lease-capped tiers keep costs predictable for small landlords
- QuickBooks Online sync and owner portals on Pro
Watch out for- Free plan was removed, so every user pays from day one
- Native accounting is comparatively basic, with advanced features gated on Pro
#6
AppFolio
Best for: Mid-to-large residential property management companies running 50+ units
Visit appfolio.com
Starting priceSee website (quote-based as of 2026)
Free planNo (demo available)
AppFolio is the enterprise residential platform. Its automation and AI handle accounting workflows, leasing and maintenance triage at a scale that displaces staff hours, which is why large management companies standardize on it. Previously published figures put Core at $1.49 per unit per month with a $298 monthly minimum; as of 2026 the pricing page is quote-only, so treat old figures as directional.
The entry cliff is deliberate. Under 50 units the minimums make AppFolio uneconomical, which is exactly why Buildium and DoorLoop exist. Implementation fees run from hundreds to thousands, and contracts are annual. If you run 200 units and want automation depth, start here; if you run 20, stop here.
What we like- Deepest automation and AI of any residential platform: accounting, leasing, maintenance and communications in one system
- Owner statements, trust accounting and 1099 e-filing built for professional firms
- Scales to thousands of units with advanced reporting and API access
Watch out for- 50-unit minimum and roughly $298 monthly minimum exclude small landlords entirely
- Quote-only pricing plus implementation and add-on fees make total cost hard to pin down
#7
Rent Manager
Best for: Professional managers with complex or mixed portfolios who find out-of-the-box software limiting
Visit rentmanager.com
Starting priceSee website (quote-based as of 2026)
Free planNo (demo available)
Rent Manager is the tinkerer's platform. Residential, commercial, HOA and manufactured housing portfolios all run on the same deeply configurable system, with 450-plus report templates and an open API that bends the software to the business instead of the reverse. Unlimited users on every tier means a growing team does not grow the bill.
The cost is complexity and money. Implementation fees and add-ons for call centers, websites and integrations push the real bill well past the old per-unit figures, and onboarding takes weeks with paid implementation. This is the pick for firms whose workflows break simpler tools; everyone else will find it heavy.
What we like- Exceptionally customizable: 450+ report templates, open API and deep accounting configuration
- Double-entry accounting with automated bank reconciliation and 1099 tools
- Unlimited users on every tier, so team growth does not raise the bill
Watch out for- Quote-only pricing with implementation fees and paid add-ons that stack up
- Steep learning curve, with new users reporting the interface takes real training
#8
Propertyware
Best for: Single-family rental operators managing hundreds of scattered-site doors
Visit propertyware.com
Starting price$1.00/unit/month ($250 monthly minimum)
Free planNo (demo available)
Propertyware, owned by RealPage, is the scattered-site specialist. Portfolio-wide financials, custom reports and vendor management are tuned for single-family operators running hundreds of doors, at $1 per unit per month with a $250 monthly minimum.
It is an enterprise-flavored product, and it shows. Small landlords get a better experience and price from DoorLoop or RentRedi, and the $250 minimum is the gate. But for SFR operators at scale, the portfolio-level accounting and RealPage ecosystem integration are the reason to buy.
What we like- Purpose-built for single-family and scattered-site portfolios at scale
- Customizable reporting, vendor credentialing and portfolio-level accounting
- Backed by RealPage's ecosystem of leasing, screening and payments products
Watch out for- $250 monthly minimum prices out small landlords
- No live chat support, and support responsiveness is a recurring complaint
Landlord software vs. manager software: know which buyer you are
The single most useful distinction on this list is who manages whose money. Innago, RentRedi and TenantCloud are landlord tools: they serve owners managing their own units, with accounting that tracks income, expenses and taxes for one portfolio. Buildium, AppFolio, Rent Manager and Propertyware are manager tools: they serve companies managing other people's properties, with trust accounting, owner statements, owner portals and 1099s for owners.
Buying across that line causes real pain. A third-party manager on RentRedi will discover it lacks trust accounting for client funds. A 10-unit landlord on AppFolio will discover a $298 monthly minimum for features built around hundreds of doors. DoorLoop straddles the line reasonably for small managers. Name your buyer type first, then shortlist within it.
The add-ons that change the real price
The sticker price is a starting point on most of these platforms. Buildium adds eSignature and bank setup fees per transaction. TenantCloud adds 3.5 percent plus 30 cents on card payments. Rent Manager charges implementation fees and prices add-ons like call centers and websites separately. AppFolio's quote process folds implementation and add-ons into a total that no longer resembles any per-unit figure.
The flat-rate exceptions are Innago (free, funded by optional tenant-paid fees) and RentRedi ($12 a month annual, everything included). Before committing to anything else, ask for the total first-year figure: licenses, implementation, onboarding, eSignature, payment processing and renewal terms. The cheapest monthly quote is rarely the cheapest first year.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
| Innago | Independent landlords with 1 to ~100 units who want full software at zero cost | Free for landlords | Yes (the whole product is free for landlords) |
| RentRedi | Self-managing landlords and investors who want one flat fee regardless of portfolio size | $12/month billed annually | No (every plan is paid from day one) |
| Buildium | Small-to-mid-size property management companies and mixed portfolios that need real trust accounting | $62/month (Essential plan, up to 150 units) | 14-day free trial |
| DoorLoop | Growing property managers who want modern UX with solid accounting | $69/month billed annually (Starter plan, up to 10 units) | No (30-day money-back guarantee instead) |
| TenantCloud | DIY landlords who want an inexpensive all-in-one with room to grow | $15/month billed annually (Starter plan, 10 active leases) | No (free plan removed; 14-day trial instead) |
| AppFolio | Mid-to-large residential property management companies running 50+ units | See website (quote-based as of 2026) | No (demo available) |
| Rent Manager | Professional managers with complex or mixed portfolios who find out-of-the-box software limiting | See website (quote-based as of 2026) | No (demo available) |
| Propertyware | Single-family rental operators managing hundreds of scattered-site doors | $1.00/unit/month ($250 monthly minimum) | No (demo available) |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
How we chose
We started with the categories buyers search: accounting software for property managers, rental property accounting software and property management accounting. For each candidate we opened the vendor's own pricing page, checked plans against public reviews on G2 and Capterra and practitioner discussion on landlord forums, and compared accounting depth, trust accounting support and portfolio-size fit. Where a price could not be verified on the vendor's page we wrote "See website" rather than guessing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free accounting software for landlords?
Innago is the only full property management platform on this list that is completely free for landlords, with no feature paywalls. RentRedi at $12 a month annual is the cheapest paid alternative with a fuller accounting suite. Both suit self-managing landlords rather than third-party managers.
What is trust accounting, and do I need it?
Trust accounting keeps client funds (rents collected for owners, security deposits) separate from your operating money, as most states require for third-party managers. If you manage other people's properties, you need it: Buildium, AppFolio, Rent Manager and Propertyware all provide it. If you only manage your own units, you do not.
How much does property management software cost?
From free (Innago) to $12 a month annual (RentRedi), $15 to $50 a month (TenantCloud), $62 to $400 a month (Buildium), $69 to $99-plus a month (DoorLoop), and $1 per unit per month with a $250 minimum (Propertyware). AppFolio and Rent Manager are quote-only with minimums that start near $300 a month.
Can property management software file 1099s?
Yes, on the manager-grade platforms. Buildium, AppFolio and Rent Manager all include 1099 e-filing for owners and vendors. Landlord-focused tools like RentRedi and Innago include tax-ready reports but are lighter on 1099 workflows. Confirm 1099 coverage on your shortlist before tax season.
Should I just use QuickBooks for rental accounting?
QuickBooks handles general bookkeeping but lacks rent rolls, tenant ledgers, owner statements and trust accounting. DoorLoop and TenantCloud both integrate with QuickBooks Online for exactly this reason: the property platform runs operations, QuickBooks handles the accountant's view. Using QuickBooks alone means tracking tenants and leases in spreadsheets.
What is the difference between per-unit and flat-rate pricing?
Per-unit pricing (Propertyware at $1 per unit, AppFolio historically $1.49) scales cost with portfolio size and suits large operators who want cost tied to revenue. Flat-rate pricing (RentRedi $12 a month, Buildium $62) favors growing portfolios because the bill stays fixed as you add doors. Do the per-unit math at your current and target size before choosing.
Sources we checked (10)
- https://innago.com/pricing
- https://rentredi.com/pricing
- https://www.buildium.com/pricing
- https://www.doorloop.com/pricing
- https://www.tenantcloud.com/pricing
- https://www.appfolio.com/pricing
- https://www.rentmanager.com/pricing
- https://www.propertyware.com/pricing
- https://www.g2.com/categories/property-management
- https://www.capterra.com/property-management-software/
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.