If you own 1-5 rental units, you are the backbone of the US rental market — and you are also the exact landlord that software companies fight over with free tiers. The best news in property tech right now: you can run a small portfolio at $0 per month using free tiers that are genuinely usable, not crippled demos.
We scored the leading options — Baselane, Innago, Stessa, TurboTenant, Avail, TenantCloud, RentRedi, and DoorLoop — against what actually matters at 1-5 units: cost, rent collection reliability, screening quality, ease of use, and whether the free tier is actually free. Our full 12-tool scoreboard is in the Best Landlord Software 2026 review; this page is the small-portfolio edition.
At a Glance — 1-5 Unit Scoreboard
| Tool | Cost (1-5 units) | Best For | Free Tier Usable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Innago | $0 forever | Truly free all-in-one | ✅ Yes, no unit cap |
| Baselane | Core free | Banking + accounting | ✅ Yes (Smart ~$20/mo optional) |
| Stessa | Essentials free | Accounting & Schedule E | ✅ Yes (Manage $144-180/yr) |
| TurboTenant | Free base | Vacancy filling & screening | ✅ Yes (Premium $10-12/mo) |
| Avail | Free base | All-in-one free suite | ✅ Yes (Plus $9/unit) |
| TenantCloud | $0 trial / $15-29/mo | Budget paid plans | ⚠️ Trial then paid |
| RentRedi | Free base | Flat-rate subscription | ✅ Yes ($5-15/mo paid) |
| DoorLoop | $69-99/mo | Growing portfolios | ❌ Overkill for 1-5 |
Pricing verified August 2026 from official pricing pages. See our full scoreboard for the 25-point scoring breakdown.
Hands-on verification (August 2026): we created test accounts on every tool with a free tier, added a sample 1–5 unit property, and walked the maintenance-request, tenant-screening, and accounting flows end to end — timing each from signup to first usable screen. Full rubric and test log: How We Test Landlord Software.
How We Scored These Tools
All scores above use the same five-dimension rubric as our full scoreboard, weighted specifically for 1–5 unit landlords — where the free tier and ease of use matter more than enterprise features:
| Dimension | Weight | What we actually checked |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & value | 25% | Is it genuinely free at 1–5 units? Unit caps, tenant-paid fees, hidden costs |
| Core features | 25% | Rent collection, accounting, leases, maintenance — present and usable at small scale |
| Ease of use | 25% | Setup time and daily workflow for a landlord running 1–5 units part-time |
| Trust & support | 15% | Company stability, data security, support responsiveness |
| Ecosystem | 10% | Banking, accounting exports, integrations that matter at small scale |
Pricing was verified from official pages in August 2026 and cross-checked against live signup flows where possible. "Free" was judged by what the signup flow actually grants. Scores reflect the 1–5 unit use case; tools that shine at larger portfolios (DoorLoop, AppFolio) are marked accordingly rather than penalized blindly.
1. Innago — The 100% Free Option
Innago is the only platform in this category that is genuinely free with no unit cap: listings, rent collection, lease e-signing, maintenance requests, and accounting reports at $0 for landlords. The catch is small and tenant-facing — tenants may pay a processing fee on some payment methods, which keeps the lights on.
For a 1-5 unit landlord who wants one system and never wants a bill, Innago is the cleanest answer. It won't dazzle you with banking features or AI, but it reliably does the job. If you're deciding between the two big free platforms, our TurboTenant vs Innago comparison covers the trade-offs.
2. Baselane — Banking + Accounting in One
Baselane pairs a landlord-specific bank account (with high APY on deposits) with rent collection and accounting tools. The Core tier is free and covers the essentials; the Smart tier (~$20/month) adds automated bookkeeping and deeper insights.
For small landlords who currently juggle a personal account and a spreadsheet, Baselane's "bank account that does accounting" model is genuinely useful — income lands in the account, expenses get categorized, and tax time stops being a panic. Compare it head-to-head with Stessa in our Stessa vs Baselane review.
3. Stessa — The Accounting Specialist
Stessa's Essentials tier is free forever and focuses on what it does best: income and expense tracking, property performance reports, and Schedule E export. The Manage plan ($144-180/year) adds rent collection, document storage, and tenant screening.
If your #1 pain is taxes and you already handle rent collection another way, Stessa is the strongest free accounting layer in the category. It's also a great second tool: many 1-5 unit landlords run rent collection on one platform and books on Stessa.
4. TurboTenant — The Vacancy Filler
TurboTenant's core strength is listing syndication — one submission pushes your listing to Zillow, Apartments.com, Realtor.com, and the major marketplaces. The free tier covers listings, basic screening, ACH rent collection, and e-sign leases; Premium ($10-12/month) adds card payments and automation.
For landlords whose biggest problem is a vacant unit bleeding money, TurboTenant shortens time-to-lease better than anything else here. See how it stacks against Avail in our TurboTenant vs Avail comparison.
5. Avail — The Free All-in-One Suite
Avail (from the Realtor.com family) covers the full cycle free: listings, TransUnion tenant screening (tenant-initiated), lawyer-reviewed leases, maintenance, and rent collection. The free Unlimited tier charges tenants $2.50 per ACH transfer; Unlimited Plus ($9/unit/month) waives that and adds income verification.
Avail is the best "everything in one place" free suite — ideal if you want one login for the entire rental cycle. It's compared against the flat-rate alternative in our Avail vs RentRedi review.
6. TenantCloud & RentRedi — The Paid-Plan Options
TenantCloud (trial then $15-29/month) is the budget paid pick with solid screening and maintenance tools. RentRedi (free base, $5-15/month paid) is the flat-rate option that bundles screening, collection, and maintenance without per-unit pricing. Both are fine, but at 1-5 units the free tiers above usually cover you — see TenantCloud vs RentRedi for the detail.
What Actually Matters at 1-5 Units
Ranked by real-world impact for a small landlord:
- Online rent collection — reliability and deposit speed beat every other feature.
- Tenant screening — credit + criminal + eviction; the cheapest insurance you'll ever buy. See our tenant screening services ranking.
- Lease e-signing — kills the "lease in the mail" week.
- Accounting & expense tracking — your future self at tax time will thank you.
- Maintenance requests — nice to have; paper works too at this scale.
Skip heavy features: team permissions, full accounting integrations, and portfolio dashboards matter at 10+ units, not 1-5.
Our Verdict
Run your 1-5 unit portfolio at $0. Pick Innago for a genuinely free all-in-one, Baselane if you want banking and accounting combined, Stessa if taxes are the pain, and TurboTenant if vacancies are. Add Avail if you want the most complete free suite. You should not be paying for property management software at this scale — the free tiers are that good in 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best free property management software for 1-5 units?
Innago is the only genuinely 100% free option with no unit cap — listings, rent collection, leases, and maintenance at $0 for landlords. TurboTenant and Avail also have strong free tiers covering screening, listings, and rent collection, with paid upgrades for advanced features.
Do I need property management software for 1-5 units?
Yes — even at 1-2 units, software pays for itself by automating rent collection, screening, and lease signing, and by keeping clean financial records for tax time. At 1-5 units you should pay $0: free tiers from Innago, TurboTenant, Avail, Baselane, and Stessa cover the full workflow.
Which is better for a small landlord: Baselane or Stessa?
Baselane is better if you want a landlord bank account with high APY plus rent collection and accounting in one place. Stessa is the more mature pure accounting tool — its Essentials tier tracks income, expenses, and Schedule E reporting for free, with a Manage plan around $144-180/year.
How much does property management software cost for small landlords?
For 1-5 units, expect $0-30/month. Free tiers cover most needs (Innago $0 forever, TurboTenant/Avail free base, Baselane Core free, Stessa Essentials free). Paid upgrades range from $9-29/month: Avail Plus is $9/unit, TurboTenant Premium $10-12/month flat, TenantCloud $15-29/month, DoorLoop starts at $69/month (usually overkill for 1-5 units).
What features matter most for a 1-5 unit landlord?
Ranked by impact: online rent collection, tenant screening, lease e-signing, accounting/expense tracking, and maintenance requests. Listing distribution matters only when you have vacancies. Skip heavy features like full accounting integrations and team permissions until you grow past 5 units.