How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- Most landlord software is free or close to it: Avail, Innago, Stessa, TurboTenant and RentRedi all offer free tiers or free-to-start plans, so cost should not drive your choice.
- Pick by your weakest workflow: Stessa wins on bookkeeping and taxes, Avail on leasing and listings, RentRedi on simplicity with transparent flat pricing.
- If you want to hand off management entirely, TurboTenant is the only one here with a full-service option alongside its DIY software.
- Watch the fee model, not the sticker price: several "free" tools earn from tenant screening fees or payment processing, which is fine, but know what your tenants pay.
The best software for landlords
Self-managing landlords used to run their rentals on spreadsheets, a shoebox of receipts and a prayer at tax time. That era is over. Modern landlord software handles listings, applications, screening, leases, rent collection, maintenance and bookkeeping in one place, and most of it is free for small portfolios. The seven tools below are the ones worth your attention.
#1
Avail
Best for: DIY landlords who want the full leasing workflow free
Visit avail.co
Starting price$9/unit/month (Unlimited Plus)
Free planYes (Unlimited plan)
Avail is built specifically for DIY landlords, and its free Unlimited plan is the most complete free tier in this category: listing syndication, rental applications, screening, state-specific leases with e-signing, online rent collection, maintenance tracking and accounting, all at $0 per unit. The company says over a million landlords use it, and the product genuinely covers the whole rental lifecycle.
The paid Unlimited Plus tier ($9/unit/month) adds faster payments, waived ACH fees, custom application questions and lease customization. For most small landlords the free plan suffices; upgrade when payment speed or lease customization becomes the bottleneck. Screenings are typically paid by the applicant, which is the standard model here.
What we like- Generous free tier covering listings, leases, rent collection and accounting
- State-specific lawyer-reviewed lease templates
- Syndicates listings to 19 rental sites
Watch out for- The best features (FastPay, waived ACH fees, custom lease clauses) sit behind the $9/unit Plus tier
- Owned by Realtor.com, so expect ecosystem nudges
#2
Innago
Best for: Landlords who want capable software with no subscription at all
Visit innago.com
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
Innago's pitch is refreshingly simple: free property management software that actually works. It covers rent collection, tenant screening, lease management, maintenance requests and basic accounting without a subscription fee. Reviews consistently praise its ease of use and support responsiveness, which matters enormously for landlords who are not software people.
The trade-off is depth. If you run a larger portfolio and need sophisticated bookkeeping, tax packages and investor-grade reporting, Stessa goes further. But for landlords with a handful of doors who want to stop paying for software or managing by spreadsheet, Innago is the easiest yes on this list.
What we like- Free core software with rent collection, screening, leases and maintenance
- Simple interface that non-technical landlords pick up fast
- Responsive customer support
Watch out for- Fewer advanced accounting and reporting features than Stessa
- Smaller company than Avail or TurboTenant
#3
Stessa
Best for: Landlords who care most about bookkeeping, reporting and taxes
Visit stessa.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes (Essentials)
Stessa, now part of Roofstock, is the landlord tool for people who think in cash flow and Schedule E. Its automated bookkeeping pulls transactions, categorizes them and produces real financial statements (income statement, net cash flow, schedule of real estate owned), not just a generic P&L. Add landlord banking with interest-bearing accounts per property and you have the closest thing to a finance department a small landlord can buy.
The free Essentials plan covers the core; Manage and Pro add features like advanced leases and higher banking yields, with pricing available on request. Stessa does handle screening, rent collection and maintenance, but its heart is financial. Landlords whose pain is tax time should start here.
What we like- Best-in-class automated bookkeeping with CPA-friendly reports
- Landlord banking with interest-bearing accounts
- Tenant screening, rent collection and leases included
Watch out for- Paid plan prices not published
- The product leans investor/accounting-first rather than leasing-first
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
Landlord Studio positions itself as the accounting-first landlord app, and its report suite backs that up: over 15 reports including a purpose-built Schedule E, which is exactly what your CPA wants at tax time. Expense tracking with receipt digitization and a financial dashboard round out the money side, while listings, TransUnion tenant screening (free to the landlord), rent collection and maintenance cover operations.
Pricing is not published on the homepage, so you will need to talk to sales or start the free trial to see plans. It is a strong pick for landlords who already have tenants and whose real problem is the books, not filling vacancies.
What we like- Purpose-built rental accounting with 15+ reports including Schedule E
- TransUnion screening at $0 cost to the landlord
- Listing syndication across major rental sites
Watch out for- Pricing not published on the homepage
- Smaller brand presence in the US than Avail or TurboTenant
#5
TenantCloud
Best for: Landlords who want portals for everyone: tenants, owners and vendors
Visit tenantcloud.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial (14 days)
TenantCloud is the all-in-one that takes "all" seriously: beyond the standard rent collection, screening, leases and accounting, it provides dedicated portals for tenants, property owners, service professionals and team members. Every property can also get a free custom listing website, and vacancies syndicate to major rental sites.
The 14-day free trial lets you test the full platform. The oddity is the homepage serving over plain http before redirecting, which is not the look you want from software handling rent money; the app itself is secure, but first impressions matter. Pricing is not public, so budget time for the sales conversation.
What we like- Separate portals for landlords, tenants, owners, service pros and team members
- Listing syndication plus a free custom listing website
- Solid accounting and tax reports
Watch out for- The http (non-https) homepage redirect is sloppy for a financial product
- Pricing requires starting a trial
#6
RentRedi
Best for: Landlords who want one flat price with unlimited units
Visit rentredi.com
Starting price$12/month (annual billing)
Free planYes (free to start)
RentRedi's pricing is the clearest in the category: one plan with the full feature set, unlimited properties, tenants and teammates, at $29.95/month monthly, $20/month on the 6-month term, or $12/month billed annually. No per-unit math, no feature gates to decode. The platform covers rent collection with autopay, listings, applications, screening, leases, maintenance, messaging and accounting.
The standout feature is tenant credit reporting to all three bureaus, which encourages on-time payment and helps good tenants build credit. It is also the official platform partner of BiggerPockets' landlord community, which signals real traction with self-managing investors. If you hate per-unit pricing, start here.
What we like- Transparent pricing: one plan, unlimited properties and tenants
- $12/month annual is the cheapest paid plan here
- Rent reporting to all three credit bureaus
Watch out for- Single-plan simplicity means fewer tier options as you scale
- Newer brand than some competitors
#7
TurboTenant
Best for: Landlords choosing between DIY software and full-service management
Visit turbotenant.com
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
TurboTenant is the only tool here that spans both models: free DIY software for hands-on landlords, and a full-service management option for a flat monthly fee where their team handles the rentals. Over a million landlords use the platform, and the free tier covers rental marketing, applications, screening, state-specific leases and rent collection.
The business model is worth understanding: landlords pay nothing because tenants pay for screenings and rent payment processing. That is standard in the industry and keeps your costs at zero, but in soft rental markets, application fees can thin your applicant pool. The hybrid model is the real differentiator: start DIY, hand off to their team if you outgrow self-management, all in one place.
What we like- Core software genuinely free for landlords (revenue comes from tenant-paid screening)
- Full-service management option for a flat fee
- Large user base with strong ratings
Watch out for- The free model means tenants pay screening fees, which can deter applicants
- Full-service pricing is quote-based
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
| Avail | DIY landlords who want the full leasing workflow free | $9/unit/month (Unlimited Plus) | Yes (Unlimited plan) |
| Innago | Landlords who want capable software with no subscription at all | Free | Yes |
| Stessa | Landlords who care most about bookkeeping, reporting and taxes | See website | Yes (Essentials) |
 Landlord Studio | Landlords wanting strong accounting with Schedule E tax reports | See website | Free trial |
| TenantCloud | Landlords who want portals for everyone: tenants, owners and vendors | See website | Free trial (14 days) |
| RentRedi | Landlords who want one flat price with unlimited units | $12/month (annual billing) | Yes (free to start) |
| TurboTenant | Landlords choosing between DIY software and full-service management | Free | Yes |
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.
Landlord software all looks similar on a feature checklist, so choose by the job that hurts most. If filling vacancies is the pain, prioritize listing syndication and application flow: Avail, TurboTenant and TenantCloud push listings to the most sites. If late rent is the pain, prioritize autopay, reminders and late-fee automation: RentRedi, Avail and Stessa all handle this well, with RentRedi adding credit-bureau reporting as a behavioral nudge.
If tax time is the pain, prioritize bookkeeping depth: Stessa and Landlord Studio produce the reports your CPA actually wants, including Schedule E. If you are drowning in maintenance calls, prioritize the tenant portal and vendor coordination: TenantCloud's service-pro portal and RentRedi's maintenance dashboard stand out.
Then check the money model. "Free" landlord software earns somewhere: usually tenant-paid screening fees, payment processing margins or premium tiers. That is a legitimate model, but confirm what your applicants and tenants will pay before you commit, because their costs affect your fill rate. Finally, count your doors honestly and check per-unit pricing at your scale: a $9/unit tool is cheap at 3 doors and real money at 50.
How we chose
We started with the searches landlords actually run: software for landlords, landlord property management software and free rental management software. For each candidate we opened the vendor's homepage to confirm the product serves DIY landlords (not just professional managers), checked pricing pages and public reviews, and compared leasing, collection, maintenance and accounting depth. Prices above come from vendor pricing pages checked this week; where pricing is not public we wrote "See website."
Free vs. paid: what the money models mean
Almost every tool on this list has a free tier, which raises the obvious question: what is the catch? There usually is not one, but there is always a model. Avail, TurboTenant and Innago monetize partly through tenant-paid screening fees and payment processing. Stessa monetizes through premium tiers and landlord banking. RentRedi charges a flat subscription and skips the games entirely.
For a landlord with under 10 units, the practical difference between these models is small: your out-of-pocket cost is zero or near zero either way. The differences appear at scale and at the margins: per-unit pricing penalizes growth, tenant-paid fees can reduce application volume, and payment processing margins show up in what tenants pay to use a card. None of these are deal-breakers, but read the fee schedule for screening and card processing before you choose, not after your first applicant complains.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best software for landlords?
For most DIY landlords, Avail and TurboTenant lead because their free tiers cover the full workflow: listings, screening, leases, rent collection and accounting. Stessa is best for bookkeeping and taxes, RentRedi for flat transparent pricing. The right pick depends on whether your bottleneck is vacancies, late rent or tax time.
Is there really free landlord software?
Yes. Avail, Innago, Stessa (Essentials) and TurboTenant all offer genuinely free plans for landlords. They typically earn from tenant-paid screening fees, payment processing or premium tiers rather than charging you a subscription.
How much does landlord software cost?
From $0 to about $30/month for most small landlords. RentRedi charges $12/month on annual billing for unlimited units; Avail's Plus tier is $9/unit/month. Larger portfolios on per-unit pricing can pay more, which is why flat-rate plans appeal to growing landlords.
Do I need landlord software for one rental property?
You do not need it, but the free tiers make it worth having: automated rent reminders, digital leases and expense tracking beat spreadsheets even for a single door, and tax-time reports alone justify the signup.
What is the difference between landlord software and property management software?
The terms overlap heavily. "Landlord software" usually means tools built for DIY owners managing their own rentals (this list), while "property management software" can also target professional managers with trust accounting, owner portals and larger portfolios. Many products, like TenantCloud and RentRedi, serve both.
Can landlord software handle tenant screening?
Yes, all seven tools offer or integrate screening, typically credit, criminal and eviction history through bureaus like TransUnion. The cost is usually paid by the applicant as an application fee, not by the landlord.
Sources we checked (8)
- https://www.avail.co
- https://innago.com/
- https://stessa.com/
- https://www.landlordstudio.com
- http://tenantcloud.com/
- https://rentredi.com/
- https://www.turbotenant.com/
- https://www.g2.com/categories/property-management
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 spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.