Most “best property management software” lists are written by whoever pays the highest affiliate commission. This one is simpler: we checked the current entry pricing on each vendor’s own pricing page in July 2026, we say plainly who each tool genuinely fits — and yes, we make LandLordSpan, our own product, sit in the same comparison table and take the same scrutiny.
If you own a handful of rentals, the good news is that this market is genuinely competitive. There are real free plans, flat plans under $20 a month, and professional suites that scale to thousands of doors. The trick is matching the tool to your portfolio instead of paying for someone else’s.
How to choose: five questions before you compare anything
- How many units do you have — and how many in three years? This single number decides whether per-unit or flat pricing wins. Per-unit plans look cheap at two doors and expensive at ten. Price the portfolio you intend to build, and if you are still deciding whether the next property pencils out, run it through a rental property ROI calculator before you buy software for it.
- Do you want rent paid online? If yes, compare how each platform handles online rent collection: which methods are supported (ACH, debit, credit), who pays the transaction fee — you or the tenant — and whether the fee disappears on a paid plan. Several “free” platforms fund the free tier with tenant-side payment fees.
- Will you screen applicants through the platform? Nearly every tool offers credit, criminal, and eviction reports, usually paid by the applicant. The differences are in report depth, who the screening partner is, and price. If you screen regularly, read up on tenant screening workflows before committing.
- Do you need leases and e-signatures? Some platforms include state-specific lease templates on free plans; others charge per document or reserve e-signing for paid tiers. If you sign more than a lease or two per year, per-document pricing adds up quickly.
- What is your honest budget — including the hidden lines? The subscription is only part of the bill. Add expected screening fees, per-lease charges, payment fees, and any onboarding costs, then compare totals. A $0 plan with $59 leases and tenant payment fees can cost more in practice than a $12 flat plan.
Comparison at a glance
| Tool | Entry pricing | Best for | Standout strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| LandLordSpan | Free up to 2 properties; Pro $12/mo flat; Team $35/mo flat | Independent landlords with 1–20 units | Flat pricing and data export on every plan |
| TurboTenant | Free plan; paid from $149/yr (about $12.42/mo) | DIY landlords marketing vacancies often | Full-featured free tier with unlimited units |
| Avail | Free plan; Unlimited Plus $9/unit/mo | Landlords who want state-specific leases | Lawyer-reviewed leases and wide listing syndication |
| RentRedi | Start $5/mo; Grow $29.95/mo or $12/mo billed annually | Mobile-first landlords on a tight budget | Lowest flat entry price with unlimited units |
| TenantCloud | Starter $18/mo ($15/mo billed annually) | Landlords who want accounting built in | Broad all-in-one feature set at a flat rate |
| Stessa | Free plan; Manage $12/mo billed annually | Owners focused on bookkeeping and taxes | Automated bank feeds and financial reporting |
| DoorLoop | Starter $99/mo list (frequent promotions) | Growing portfolios that want a full suite | Polished, complete platform that scales far |
| Buildium | Essential from $62/mo | Professional property management companies | Pro-grade accounting, owner and trust workflows |
Pricing checked on each vendor’s pricing page as of July 2026. Plans, promotions, and fees change frequently — verify current pricing with each vendor before you buy.
The contenders, fairly
TurboTenant
TurboTenant has the strongest truly free plan in the category: unlimited units with listing syndication, applications, screening, messaging, and rent collection at $0, with paid tiers at $149 and $199 per year that add premium leases, accounting, and waived fees. The model works because costs shift to the other side of the transaction — applicants pay the screening fee, free-plan landlords pay per state-specific lease, and free-plan tenants pay a small convenience fee on bank-transfer rent. If you market vacancies often and your tenants will not mind those fees, it is an excellent deal.
Avail
Avail, part of Realtor.com, pairs a genuinely free Unlimited plan with the best lease story in the group: lawyer-reviewed, state-specific lease templates with digital signing, plus syndication to a wide listing network. Upgrading to Unlimited Plus at $9 per unit per month waives tenant ACH fees and adds faster payouts and custom lease clauses. The per-unit math is the thing to watch — Plus is $18 a month at two units but $90 a month at ten, so it suits small, stable portfolios better than growing ones.
RentRedi
RentRedi’s new Start plan at $5 per month is the cheapest flat subscription in this comparison, and every plan includes unlimited properties. The Grow plan ($12 per month billed annually, $29.95 month-to-month) adds listings, screening, e-signatures, and maintenance tools. RentRedi is built phone-first, which delights landlords who run everything from an app and frustrates those who prefer a desktop workflow; note also that some extras, like tenant credit reporting, are paid add-ons.
TenantCloud
TenantCloud dropped its old free tier some time ago and now starts at $18 per month ($15 billed annually) — but the flat plans cover unlimited units and pack in a lot: payments, maintenance, listings, and applications on Starter, with deeper accounting, inspections, and tax reports arriving in the $35 and $60 tiers. It fits landlords who want management and bookkeeping in one system without per-unit pricing, and who do not mind that the best accounting features cost extra.
Stessa
Stessa comes at the problem from the finance side. The free plan offers unlimited properties with automated bank feeds and solid financial reporting; Manage ($12 per month billed annually) adds maintenance tracking, e-signatures, and a Schedule E report. It is the best pure bookkeeping experience here, but it is not a full management suite — leasing and day-to-day operations tools are thinner than the dedicated platforms’, so many owners pair it with something else.
DoorLoop
DoorLoop is a full professional suite — real double-entry accounting, owner portals, CRM-grade polish — with a Starter plan listing at $99 per month and frequent promotional discounts. It scales comfortably into the hundreds of units, which is exactly the point: it is priced and built for portfolios that are becoming businesses. For a landlord with three doors, most of what you are paying for will sit unused.
Buildium
Buildium is the property-management-company standard in this list, starting at $62 per month for Essential and scaling past 5,000 units on custom pricing. Trust accounting, owner statements, and community association management are things almost nothing else here does properly. If you manage properties for other owners, it belongs on your shortlist; if you own a few rentals yourself, it is more infrastructure than you need.
Where LandLordSpan fits
LandLordSpan is built for one specific person: the independent landlord with roughly 1 to 20 units who wants professional tooling without per-unit math or enterprise overhead. Pricing is flat — Free for up to two properties, Pro at $12 per month, Team at $35 per month — so the bill is the same at four doors or fourteen. Pro covers online rent collection through Stripe, tenant screening, inventory tracking, maintenance schedules, reports, and document storage; Team adds your own branding, public listings, online applications, tenant messaging, and multiple users.
Two things we think matter and are easy to check: every plan, including Free, lets you export your data — your records are yours, and switching away should never be held hostage — and there is no per-unit meter ticking as you grow within the plan.
And the honest limits: LandLordSpan does not do trust accounting, owner statements for third-party management clients, or community association management, and there is no dedicated onboarding team. If you manage other people’s properties or run fifty-plus doors, Buildium or DoorLoop will serve you better — that is what they are for.
The verdict, by scenario
- 1–2 units and you want free forever: TurboTenant or Avail — both free plans are real, with unlimited units; just check the tenant-side fees. LandLordSpan’s Free plan also covers up to two properties if you would rather start on a flat-priced system you can grow into without migrating.
- Lowest possible subscription, unlimited units: RentRedi’s $5 per month Start plan is the cheapest paid entry point in this comparison.
- Bookkeeping and Schedule E are your real problem: Stessa, no contest. Its bank feeds and reporting are the best in this group.
- State-specific leases matter most: Avail’s lawyer-reviewed templates are the standout, free plan included.
- 1–20 units and you want payments, screening, and leases at a flat, predictable price: LandLordSpan Pro at $12 per month is our sweet spot — that is precisely who we built it for.
- Small team with a branded public presence: LandLordSpan Team at $35 per month, or DoorLoop if you also need full-suite accounting.
- Managing for other owners, or 50+ doors: Buildium or DoorLoop. This is enterprise territory, and the enterprise tools earn their price there.
Whatever you pick, the tool matters less than the habit: consistent rent records, documented screening, and money that never mixes with your personal account. Choose the platform that makes those habits easiest for the portfolio you actually have.
This guide is educational, not legal or financial advice. Pricing and features were checked on vendor sites in July 2026 and change often — confirm details with each vendor before purchasing.