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.
The best software to track rental properties
Every landlord knows the feeling: rent is late on one unit, a plumber needs paying on another, and tax season is three months away with receipts in a shoebox. Tracking rental properties means tracking money in, money out and work done, per property, all year. The software that does this well replaces the spreadsheet with bank feeds, rent collection, maintenance tickets and reports your CPA can actually use.
The eight tools below range from free landlord apps to full property management platforms. Four offer genuinely free plans; paid options run from $12 to $69 per month. The right pick depends on your door count and whether you want accounting depth, management breadth or both.
#1
Stessa
Best for: Investors who want free rental accounting with tax-ready reports
Visit stessa.com
Starting priceFree (Essentials plan); $12/month (Manage, billed annually); $28/month (Pro, billed annually)
Free planYes (Essentials)
Stessa is the accounting-first pick for landlords. Connect bank accounts, and income and expenses categorize automatically per property; the Essentials plan is free with unlimited properties, which is unmatched for tracking. Paid tiers add the tax layer: Manage at $12 per month includes Schedule E reporting and maintenance tracking, while Pro at $28 adds advanced reports and unlimited receipt scanning.
The trade-off is management depth. Stessa handles rent collection, listings and basic maintenance, but landlords who need work-order dispatch, tenant communication portals and team workflows will find TenantCloud or Buildium deeper. For buy-and-hold investors whose main job is knowing what each property earns, Stessa's free tier is the best starting point on this list.
What we like- Free tier includes unlimited properties, bank feeds and rent collection
- Schedule E reporting on paid plans
- Clean dashboards built for investors
Watch out for- Maintenance coordination is thinner than full management platforms
- Advanced reporting requires the Pro plan
#2
TenantCloud
Best for: DIY landlords who want management plus accounting at a low price
Visit tenantcloud.com
Starting price$15/month (Starter plan, billed annually; $25 month-to-month)
Free planNo (14-day free trial)
TenantCloud packs a lot into $15 per month: listings, applications, screening, online rent payments, maintenance requests and financials, with unlimited properties on every plan. Pricing scales by lease count rather than units: Starter covers 10 leases, Growth ($29.17 per month annual) covers 30, and Pro ($50 per month annual) adds bank reconciliation, tax reporting and an owner portal.
The catch is tiering. The accounting features landlords buy the software for, like bank reconciliation and tax reports, sit on Pro, so the real price for full books is $50 per month. Still, against DoorLoop and Buildium it is dramatically cheaper. For landlords with a handful of doors who want one system for everything, TenantCloud is the value management platform.
What we like- Low entry price with unlimited properties and units on every plan
- Combines listings, screening, rent collection and accounting
- QuickBooks sync on Pro
Watch out for- No permanent free plan
- Bank reconciliation and tax reports require the Pro tier
#3
RentRedi
Best for: Landlords who want one flat rate regardless of door count
Visit rentredi.com
Starting price$12/month (billed annually; $29.95 month-to-month)
Free planNo
RentRedi's pitch is simple: $12 per month on annual billing, unlimited units, everything included. Rent collection, listings, screening, leases, maintenance and a performance dashboard come in the base price, and adding doors never changes the bill. For landlords growing from 5 to 50 units, that flat rate beats every per-unit competitor by an increasing margin.
The fine print: premium accounting features are an add-on tiered by unit count, and maintenance coordination upgrades cost extra. But the core promise holds: the subscription never punishes growth. Landlords who plan to scale should price RentRedi against per-unit tools at their 3-year door count, not today's.
What we like- Flat-rate pricing with unlimited units, so costs never rise with portfolio growth
- Full management suite plus accounting
- No per-unit math
Watch out for- No free plan
- Premium accounting features cost extra on top of the base rate
Starting priceFree (Free plan); $9.92/month (Pro, billed annually); $12.42/month (Premium, billed annually)
Free planYes
TurboTenant is the leasing-first option: its free plan syndicates listings across dozens of sites, handles applications and screening, collects rent online and manages maintenance requests. For a landlord whose main problem is vacancies, not bookkeeping, the free tier does the job. Pro at $9.92 per month adds unlimited lease agreements and landlord forms; Premium at $12.42 adds income verification and waived ACH fees.
The weakness is accounting depth. Income and expense tracking exists but is basic; serious bookkeeping comes through a paid accounting add-on or an integration. Free-plan users also pay $59 per state-specific lease. For landlords who want tracking plus leasing in one free package, Avail or Innago pair stronger accounting with their free tiers.
What we like- Free plan covers listings, applications, screening and rent collection
- Huge listing syndication network
- Low-cost paid tiers
Watch out for- Accounting is basic without the paid add-on
- Free-plan leases cost $59 each
#5
Avail
Best for: DIY landlords who want the full leasing cycle free
Visit avail.co
Starting priceFree (Unlimited plan); $9/unit/month (Unlimited Plus)
Free planYes (Unlimited)
Avail, part of Realtor.com, offers the most complete free landlord software here: the Unlimited plan at $0 per unit includes syndicated listings, applications with screening, state-specific leases with e-signing, online rent collection, maintenance tracking and income and expense tracking, with no cap on units. For a landlord starting out, that is a full operating system for free.
The costs sit with tenants and upgrades. Tenants pay $2.50 per ACH transfer on the free plan, and custom applications, custom leases and faster payouts require Unlimited Plus at $9 per unit per month. For small portfolios the free plan is genuinely enough; costs only bite as customization needs grow. The Realtor.com integration also speeds up applications from Realtor.com listings.
What we like- Free Unlimited plan covers listings on 19 sites, screening, leases, rent collection and accounting
- Backed by Realtor.com
- No unit cap on free
Watch out for- Tenants pay ACH fees on the free plan
- Customization requires the per-unit Plus plan
#6
DoorLoop
Best for: Growing property management businesses that need depth
Visit doorloop.com
Starting price$69/month (Starter plan, billed annually; $99 month-to-month)
Free planNo (free demo available)
DoorLoop is the professional-grade platform: full accounting with bank sync, tenant and owner portals, maintenance management, listing syndication, e-leases and workflow automations. The Starter plan at $69 per month covers up to 10 units on annual billing, with Pro at $149 and Premium at $209 adding communications, advanced accounting and API access. Pricing scales with units, so large portfolios pay more.
This is overkill for a landlord with three doors, and the price shows it. But property managers and landlords scaling past 20 units get a system that replaces several tools, with the reporting depth that Stessa and TurboTenant lack. Price it at your unit count including add-ons like e-signatures and ACH fees before comparing.
What we like- Deep feature set: accounting, leasing, maintenance, portals and automations in one platform
- Scales to thousands of units
- Strong reporting
Watch out for- The priciest entry point here
- Pricing rises with unit count
- No free plan or trial
#7
Buildium
Best for: Professional property managers with residential portfolios
Visit buildium.com
Starting price$62/month (Essential plan; Growth $192/month; Premium $400/month)
Free planNo (14-day free trial)
Buildium has managed residential portfolios for over a decade, and the accounting shows it: full general-ledger-style books, bank reconciliation, accounts payable, and reporting that CPAs accept without rework. The Essential plan starts at $62 per month, with Growth at $192 and Premium at $400 adding automation, API access and priority support. A 14-day trial lets managers test with real data.
The pricing reflects the audience: this is built for property managers, not DIY landlords with two units. Setup fees for bank accounts ($99 each) and per-signature e-sign costs on Essential add up. For managers past 50 units who need real accounting plus operations, Buildium is the established pick; smaller landlords should look at TenantCloud or RentRedi first.
What we like- Strong accounting with bank reconciliation and full financial reporting
- Resident and owner portals
- Scales from small managers to large operations
Watch out for- Entry price is high for DIY landlords
- Bank account setup fees and e-signature costs add up
#8
Innago
Best for: Landlords who want core management software at zero cost
Visit innago.com
Starting priceFree (free for landlords; tenants pay transaction fees)
Free planYes
Innago is the cleanest free option here: no subscription, no tiers, no paywalls, free for landlords at any unit count. Listings, applications, screening, e-leases, rent collection, maintenance and document storage all work on the free plan. The company makes money from tenant-paid transaction fees ($2 per ACH, card percentages) and screening fees.
The trade-off is accounting. Income and expense tracking exists but is lighter than Stessa's, and there is no advanced tax reporting. Landlords who want free management plus serious books often pair Innago with Stessa's free tier. But for zero-cost operations with no catch on the landlord side, Innago is the simplest decision on this list.
What we like- Completely free for landlords with no unit cap and no paywalled features
- Covers listings, screening, leases, rent collection and maintenance
Watch out for- Accounting depth is basic next to Stessa or Buildium
- Revenue comes from tenant-paid fees, which some landlords dislike
Key takeaways
- The free tier shortlist: Stessa (accounting depth), Avail (full leasing cycle), Innago (management, no paywalls) and TurboTenant (leasing-first). All four are genuinely free for landlords.
- Best flat-rate value for growers: RentRedi at $12 per month with unlimited units, or TenantCloud at $15 per month, both far cheaper than per-unit platforms at scale.
- For professional management: Buildium ($62 per month) and DoorLoop ($69 per month) bring real accounting depth, portals and automation that the free tools cannot match.
- Tax time is the real test: only Stessa, TenantCloud (Pro), Buildium and DoorLoop produce the Schedule E-ready reporting CPAs want without manual work.
What rental tracking software must do at tax time
Everything else is convenience; tax reporting is the requirement. The software must produce a per-property profit and loss statement, categorize income and expenses to Schedule E lines, and export cleanly to your CPA or tax software. Stessa builds this in (Schedule E on Manage and Pro), TenantCloud offers tax reports on Pro, and Buildium and DoorLoop include full financial statements. The free tools mostly stop at income and expense tracking, which means spreadsheet work in April.
Second, receipts. Every deductible expense needs documentation; look for receipt scanning with automatic categorization (Stessa Pro offers unlimited scanning) and bank feeds that capture transactions without manual entry. Third, mileage: landlords who drive to properties need mileage logs, which some apps include and others ignore. Fourth, 1099s for contractors: if you pay a handyman over $600 a year, someone must file; check whether the platform helps or leaves it to you. Buy for December, not for June: the software that saves you ten hours at tax time earns its price in one filing.
Free vs paid: where the free plans stop
Four tools here are free, and each free plan stops in a different place. Stessa Essentials is free forever with unlimited properties and bank feeds, but Schedule E reporting, maintenance tracking and unlimited receipt scanning need Manage ($12) or Pro ($28). TurboTenant's free plan covers the leasing cycle but charges $59 per lease agreement and keeps accounting basic; Pro ($9.92) and Premium ($12.42) remove those limits.
Avail's Unlimited is free with no unit cap, but tenants pay ACH fees and customization needs Plus ($9 per unit per month). Innago is free with no paywalls at all, but accounting stays basic and there is no paid upgrade for deeper books. The pattern: free plans handle operations, paid plans handle money. If your priority is knowing what each property earns and filing clean taxes, budget $12 to $28 per month for Stessa or pair a free manager with free Stessa Essentials. If your priority is filling units and collecting rent, the free tiers of Avail, Innago or TurboTenant are enough.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
| Stessa | Investors who want free rental accounting with tax-ready reports | Free (Essentials plan); $12/month (Manage, billed annually); $28/month (Pro, billed annually) | Yes (Essentials) |
| TenantCloud | DIY landlords who want management plus accounting at a low price | $15/month (Starter plan, billed annually; $25 month-to-month) | No (14-day free trial) |
| RentRedi | Landlords who want one flat rate regardless of door count | $12/month (billed annually; $29.95 month-to-month) | No |
 TurboTenant | Small DIY landlords focused on filling vacancies | Free (Free plan); $9.92/month (Pro, billed annually); $12.42/month (Premium, billed annually) | Yes |
| Avail | DIY landlords who want the full leasing cycle free | Free (Unlimited plan); $9/unit/month (Unlimited Plus) | Yes (Unlimited) |
| DoorLoop | Growing property management businesses that need depth | $69/month (Starter plan, billed annually; $99 month-to-month) | No (free demo available) |
| Buildium | Professional property managers with residential portfolios | $62/month (Essential plan; Growth $192/month; Premium $400/month) | No (14-day free trial) |
| Innago | Landlords who want core management software at zero cost | Free (free for landlords; tenants pay transaction fees) | 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.
How we chose
We started with the categories buyers search: software to track rental properties, rental property management software and landlord accounting software. For each candidate we opened the vendor's own pricing page, checked prices against public reviews on G2 and Capterra and practitioner discussion on Reddit, and compared rent collection, accounting depth, maintenance tracking, tax reporting and price. Where a price could not be verified on the vendor's page we wrote "See website" rather than guessing.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need software if I only own one rental property?
Probably not a paid platform, but a free tier helps. Stessa Essentials or Wave's free plan tracks income and expenses per property at zero cost, which beats a spreadsheet at tax time. Paid management software earns its keep around 3 to 5 doors, when rent collection and maintenance coordination take real hours.
Can rental property software do my taxes?
No, but the good ones make taxes easy. Stessa, TenantCloud (Pro), Buildium and DoorLoop produce per-property P&L statements and Schedule E-ready reports your CPA can use directly. You or your accountant still file; the software just makes the numbers clean and documented.
What is Schedule E and why does it matter?
Schedule E is the IRS form where landlords report rental income and expenses per property. Software with Schedule E reporting categorizes your transactions to match the form's lines, which turns tax prep from a weekend project into an export. If your software cannot do this, you are doing it manually.
Who pays the transaction fees on free landlord software?
Usually the tenant. Innago, Avail (free plan) and TurboTenant (free plan) charge tenants per ACH transfer or card payment, which keeps the software free for landlords. Some landlords dislike passing fees to tenants; paid plans like Avail Plus or TurboTenant Premium waive or reduce them.
Can I switch from spreadsheets without losing my history?
Yes. Stessa, Buildium, DoorLoop and TenantCloud all support importing historical transactions, usually via bank feeds that pull past months automatically plus CSV imports for older data. Expect an afternoon of categorization for the first import; after that, bank feeds keep it current.
At what portfolio size should I move from free tools to Buildium or DoorLoop?
Around 20 to 30 units, or when you hire help. The triggers are team workflows (maintenance dispatch, owner portals), accounting complexity (trust accounting, many bank accounts) and time: when managing the free tools takes longer than the subscription costs, upgrade. Below that, RentRedi or TenantCloud bridge the gap cheaply.
Sources we checked (10)
- https://www.stessa.com/pricing/
- https://www.tenantcloud.com/pricing/
- https://rentredi.com/pricing/
- https://www.turbotenant.com/pricing/
- https://www.avail.co/pricing/
- https://www.doorloop.com/pricing/
- https://www.buildium.com/pricing/
- https://www.innago.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 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.