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
- RentRedi, Avail, TurboTenant, and Stessa all offer genuinely usable free plans, which makes them the cheapest starting points for self-managing landlords.
- Mid-size managers usually land on Buildium ($62 per month), DoorLoop ($69 per month), or TenantCloud ($15 per month billed yearly), all with free trials.
- AppFolio and Propertyware target larger operations: AppFolio starts at $1.49 per unit per month with a $298 minimum, Propertyware at $1 per unit per month.
- Pricing models differ more than feature lists do: per-unit pricing punishes growth, flat monthly plans reward it, so match the model to your portfolio size.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 AppFolio | large mixed portfolios with AI workflows | $1.49 per unit/month ($298 minimum) | Free trial |
 RentRedi | flat-rate simplicity with strong accounting | $12 per month (billed yearly) | No |
 Buildium | growing managers who want full accounting | $62 per month | Free trial |
 Stessa | investors who live in their numbers | Free | Yes |
 TurboTenant | DIY landlords starting from zero cost | Free | Yes |
 DoorLoop | small to mid-size managers wanting flat pricing | $69 per month | Free trial |
 Avail | DIY landlords who want a free full cycle | Free | Yes |
 TenantCloud | budget managers billed by lease count | $15 per month (billed yearly) | Free trial |
 Rentec Direct | US-based support and trust accounting | $25 per month | Free trial |
 Propertyware | large single-family portfolios | $1 per unit/month | No |
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We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Starting price$1.49 per unit/month ($298 minimum)
Free planFree trial
AppFolio is the default pick for professional managers running hundreds of units. The Core plan runs $1.49 per unit per month with a $298 monthly minimum and a 50-unit minimum, Plus is $3.20 per unit, and Max is $5 per unit with a leasing CRM and API access. The pricing structure means a 50-unit portfolio pays an effective $5.96 per door on Core, so the math only works at scale.
What you get for the money is depth: property accounting, marketing and leasing, work orders, inspections, owner and tenant portals, and AI baked into maintenance dispatch and leasing conversations. Reviews consistently praise the interface and mobile app while flagging slow support and reports that resist customization. If you manage 300 or more doors and want one system, AppFolio earns its keep. Under 100 units, the minimums make it a poor value.
What we like- Handles residential, commercial, and student housing in one platform
- AI tools for leasing chats and maintenance triage
- Strong mobile app
Watch out for- $298 monthly minimum means small portfolios overpay per door
- 50-unit minimum to get started
Starting price$12 per month (billed yearly)
Free planNo
RentRedi's pitch is refreshingly simple: one plan, $12 per month billed annually ($29.95 month-to-month), unlimited properties, tenants, and team members, with the full feature set on every term. That includes rent collection with autopay and late fees, tenant screening, listings, e-signatures, maintenance, and an accounting suite with property-level profit and loss and one-click Schedule E summaries.
The flat model is the whole argument. A landlord with 100 units pays $12 a month while per-unit competitors charge hundreds. There is no free tier, but the 30-day money-back guarantee takes the risk out of trying it. The tradeoff is a smaller integration ecosystem than the big platforms, and the mobile experience gets mixed reviews from first-time users.
What we like- One flat price for unlimited units and teammates
- Built-in accounting suite with Schedule E reporting
- No per-unit fees as you grow
Watch out for- No free plan and no free trial
- Payment processing fees still apply per transaction
Starting price$62 per month
Free planFree trial
Buildium has been the mid-market workhorse since 2004. The Essential plan starts at $62 per month, Growth at $192, and Premium at $400, with no per-seat charges so the whole team can use it. Every plan includes accounting, leasing, maintenance, communications, and resident portals, and the company now bundles AI agents for leasing inquiries and maintenance triage.
Users like the accounting depth and the support team, though some flag manual bank reconciliation and reports that could customize more. The flat tiers make budgeting predictable, and the price sits well below AppFolio for portfolios under a few hundred units. If you want professional-grade software without enterprise minimums, this is the comfortable middle.
What we like- Strong accounting module with bank reconciliation
- No per-seat pricing
- 14-day free trial of the full platform
Watch out for- No free-forever plan
- Accounting lacks automatic bank feeds on lower tiers
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
Stessa is built for rental investors first and property managers second. The free Essentials plan covers unlimited properties, automated bank feeds, income and expense tracking, rent collection, tenant screening, and a basic tax package. Paid tiers start at $12 per month billed annually for Manage, which adds Schedule E reports, and $28 per month for Pro with advanced reporting and unlimited receipt scanning.
The free tier is one of the most generous in the category, which makes Stessa an easy first step for a landlord getting organized. The honest limit is accounting depth: single-entry books work fine for straightforward rentals but strain under multi-entity structures. If your main goal is clean numbers at tax time without paying for software, start here.
What we like- Genuinely free Essentials plan with unlimited properties and bank feeds
- Automated Schedule E and tax packages on paid tiers
- Cash management account with cash back
Watch out for- Single-entry bookkeeping limits depth for complex portfolios
- Maintenance tracking and lease templates require paid plans
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
TurboTenant lets a landlord run the whole rental cycle without paying anything. The free plan includes unlimited listings syndicated to dozens of sites, applications, tenant screening, online rent collection, maintenance requests, and messaging. Premium tiers run $149 per year for Essentials or $199 per year for Pro on 1 to 10 units, adding unlimited lease agreements, expedited payouts, e-signatures, and waived ACH fees.
The free plan's catches are specific: leases cost $59 each, tenants pay a $2 ACH fee per transaction, and support is email and chat only. For a landlord with a few doors who wants to stop using spreadsheets today, the free tier does the job. Upgrade when the lease fees and payout speed start to matter.
What we like- Free plan covers listings, applications, screening, rent collection, and expense tracking
- Premium tiers from $149 per year
- Tenant-paid screening keeps costs down
Watch out for- Free plan charges $59 per state-specific lease
- ACH fees fall on tenants unless you upgrade
Starting price$69 per month
Free planFree trial
DoorLoop positions itself as the modern alternative to AppFolio and Buildium: all-in-one property management at a flat monthly price. The Starter plan runs $69 per month for up to 20 units, with Pro and Premium tiers adding owner portals, bank reconciliations, custom websites, and API access. The accounting suite is complete enough to replace QuickBooks, with online rent collection, maintenance, and tenant screening built in.
Reviews highlight ease of use and responsive support, which is DoorLoop's main edge over the incumbents. The flat pricing makes it easy to budget, though watch for add-on costs around onboarding and merchant processing. It is a strong pick for managers who want premium features without per-unit pricing.
What we like- Flat monthly pricing with no per-unit math
- Complete accounting that can replace QuickBooks
- Owner portals and custom websites included
Watch out for- Onboarding and payment processing fees can add to the bill
- Newer platform with a smaller integration ecosystem
#7
Avail
Best for: DIY landlords who want a free full cycle
Visit avail.co
Starting priceFree
Free planYes
Avail, now part of Realtor.com, is designed for landlords who manage their own rentals. The free Unlimited plan is remarkably complete: syndicated listings, applications with TransUnion screening, state-specific lawyer-reviewed leases with e-signatures, online rent collection, maintenance tracking, and accounting. Unlimited Plus at $9 per unit per month adds FastPay next-day payouts, waived ACH fees, and customizable leases.
The free plan's cost lands on tenants, who pay $2.50 per bank transfer, which some landlords find awkward to explain. And the per-unit Plus pricing punishes growth: 20 units costs $180 a month. For a landlord with a handful of doors who wants the whole rental cycle free, Avail is hard to beat.
What we like- Free Unlimited plan covers unlimited units, listings on 19 sites, leases, and rent collection
- Lawyer-reviewed state-specific leases
- Phone support
Watch out for- Tenants pay $2.50 per ACH transfer on the free plan
- Unlimited Plus at $9 per unit per month gets expensive as you scale
Starting price$15 per month (billed yearly)
Free planFree trial
TenantCloud prices by active lease count rather than units: Starter is $15 per month billed annually for 10 leases, Growth $29.17 for 30 leases, and Pro $50 for 60 leases, with a custom Business tier above that. Every plan covers unlimited properties and units, plus rent collection, maintenance, listings, and applications.
The pricing model favors landlords with few leases relative to units, and the entry price is among the lowest for paid software. The catch is feature gating: bank reconciliation, tax reports, and the owner portal all start at Pro. There is a 14-day free trial but no free plan, so budget from day one.
What we like- Lease-count pricing is cheap for small portfolios
- 14-day free trial
- Unlimited properties and units on every plan
Watch out for- No free-forever plan
- Key features like bank reconciliation and tax reports start at the $50 Pro tier
Starting price$25 per month
Free planFree trial
Rentec Direct is the veteran pick for managers who value human support. The Starter plan is $25 per month for up to 10 properties, while Pro and PM start at $50 per month and scale with unit count. Every plan includes unlimited US-based customer support, free one-on-one onboarding, and no setup fees. The PM tier adds trust accounting and owner portals for managers handling other people's money.
The accounting is general-ledger based, which suits managers coming from QuickBooks, and ACH payments are free for tenants on Pro and PM. The interface shows its age compared to DoorLoop or AppFolio, but the support team has a loyal following. If you want a person on the phone who knows property management, this is the one.
What we like- 100% US-based support with free onboarding
- Trust accounting and owner portals on the PM plan
- No setup or training fees
Watch out for- No free-forever plan
- The Starter plan caps at 10 properties and charges $2 per ACH transaction
Starting price$1 per unit/month
Free planNo
Propertyware, part of RealPage, is built for single-family and scattered-site portfolios at scale. Pricing starts at $1 per unit per month with a $250 monthly minimum, which makes it one of the cheaper per-unit options for large books. The platform's strengths are customizable reporting, CRM-style tenant communication, and workflows that adapt to complex operations.
The tradeoffs are real: the interface feels dated, onboarding takes effort, and there is no self-serve trial. This is software you buy after a demo, not on a credit card at midnight. For managers running hundreds of single-family doors who need reporting depth more than polish, the per-unit price is competitive.
What we like- Per-unit pricing scales cleanly for big portfolios
- Deep customization of reports and workflows
- Strong single-family feature set
Watch out for- No free trial without a sales conversation
- Steep learning curve and dated interface
How we chose
We compared pricing pages, feature lists, and documentation from each vendor, plus third-party comparisons and public reviews on G2, Capterra, and Trustpilot. We kept only tools that serve rental portfolios today and cover the core loop of leasing, rent collection, maintenance, and accounting. We never claim hands-on testing: plan details come from vendor-published pricing, and user sentiment comes from public reviews.
Matching the pricing model to your portfolio
The biggest money decision is not which logo you pick but which pricing model you buy into. Per-unit pricing (AppFolio, Propertyware) is cheap per door but the monthly minimums mean small portfolios pay for phantom units. Flat monthly plans (Buildium, DoorLoop, RentRedi) make budgeting simple and reward growth. Free plans (Stessa, Avail, TurboTenant) cover the essentials at zero cost but push some fees onto tenants or charge for leases.
Do the math on your actual unit count. A 5-unit landlord pays $0 on Avail's free plan, $12 on RentRedi, or $298 on AppFolio's minimum. A 200-unit manager pays $200 on Propertyware, $298 on AppFolio Core, or $12 on RentRedi. The crossover points are stark, so run your own numbers before committing to a demo.
Also check who pays the transaction fees. Several free and cheap plans keep base prices low by charging tenants for ACH transfers or card payments. That is standard in the industry, but make sure your leases allow it and your tenants understand it before the first rent run.
When a free plan is enough, and when it is not
Free plans from Stessa, Avail, and TurboTenant cover listings, applications, screening, rent collection, and basic accounting, which is the entire rental cycle for a self-managing landlord. They start to strain when you need trust accounting for other people's money, advanced tax reporting across entities, owner portals, or team roles with permissions. That is the line where paid plans from Buildium, DoorLoop, or Rentec Direct earn their fee.
One more check: integrations. If your bookkeeper lives in QuickBooks, confirm the sync works on your plan tier before migrating years of data. TenantCloud and Rentec Direct both offer QuickBooks connections, while RentRedi and Stessa aim to replace QuickBooks outright. Pick the philosophy that matches your accountant.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free rental property management software?
Stessa, Avail, and TurboTenant all offer genuinely free plans that cover listings, tenant screening, rent collection, and basic accounting. Stessa is strongest on financial reporting, Avail on the leasing workflow, and TurboTenant on getting started fast. All three push some costs to tenants or add-ons, so read the fee details.
How much does property management software cost?
Free plans exist for DIY landlords. Paid plans for small portfolios run $12 to $69 per month flat. Mid-size managers typically pay $62 to $400 per month on Buildium or $69 to $179 on DoorLoop. Enterprise per-unit pricing runs $1 to $5 per unit per month with monthly minimums of $250 to $298.
Which property management software is best for small landlords?
For under 10 units, start with a free plan: Avail, TurboTenant, or Stessa. If you want a paid tool with more depth, RentRedi at $12 per month or TenantCloud at $15 per month are the cheapest entries. Avoid per-unit platforms with high minimums until your portfolio justifies them.
Do tenants have to pay fees on these platforms?
Often, yes. Free and budget plans commonly charge tenants $2 to $2.50 per ACH transfer or around 3.5% for card payments, and screening fees are usually tenant-paid. Paid tiers like Avail Unlimited Plus or TurboTenant Premium waive some of these fees. Check your lease language and local rules before passing fees to tenants.
Can property management software replace QuickBooks?
For straightforward rental portfolios, yes. RentRedi, Stessa, Buildium, and DoorLoop all include property-level accounting and tax reporting designed to replace a general ledger. Landlords with complex multi-entity structures or CPAs married to QuickBooks should confirm the integration or export options on their plan before switching.
Sources we checked (10)
- https://rentredi.com/blog/rentredi-vs-quickbooks-rental-accounting/
- https://www.stessa.com/blog/turbotenant-alternative/
- https://www.doorloop.com/blog/appfolio-vs-buildium
- https://avail.co/
- https://www.buildium.com/blog/best-tenant-management-software/
- https://www.tenantcloud.com/review/tenantcloud-vs-doorloop
- https://www.rentecdirect.com/products
- https://www.propertyware.com/
- https://www.turbotenant.com/
- https://www.appfolio.com/
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.