Every landlord software homepage leads with "Free!" or "Starting at $9." The real cost is buried in per-unit pricing, tenant screening fees, and ACH charges. We pulled the actual 2026 pricing from the 12 tools we independently tested this year — every number below comes from a dated test log, not a marketing page.
The 2026 Price Audit Table
| Tool | Core Plan | Per-Unit / Add-on | Screening | Free Tier Usable? | Our Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stessa | $0 | — | via partners | Yes — full core | Best free accounting |
| Baselane | $0 | Optional banking perks | ~$20–30 | Yes — full core | Best free banking + rent |
| TurboTenant | $0 | Paid add-ons | $25–40 | Yes | Best free all-rounder |
| Avail | $0 | Avail Plus ~$5/unit | $29.95 | Yes | Free with clear upsell |
| Innago | $0 | Paid add-ons | ~$20–30 | Yes | Solid free rent collection |
| TenantCloud | $0 | Pro $15/mo | ~$25 | Yes — limited | Free tier is thin |
| Landlord Studio | $0 | Pro $12/mo ($144/yr) | ~$30 | Yes — limited | Pro is the real product |
| RentRedi | $12/mo | — | $29.95 | No | Good for 5–20 units |
| DoorLoop | $69/mo | Scales with units | included-ish | No | Best for 20+ units |
| Buildium | $52–55/mo | Scales with units | included-ish | No | Pro property managers |
Full test details for each tool live in our Best Landlord Software 2026 scoreboard and the individual comparisons linked at the bottom.
What "Free" Actually Means in 2026
We tested the free tiers of six platforms. Here's the honest split:
- Stessa and Baselane: genuinely free accounting and banking, no unit caps on core features. Baselane adds optional banking products (interest, bonuses) that don't affect the free core.
- TurboTenant and Avail: free core (listings, rent collection, leases) with paid upsells. Avail's Plus tier (~$5/unit/month) is where the good reporting lives — we compared them head-to-head.
- TenantCloud and Landlord Studio: free tiers exist but are deliberately thin — you hit the paywall within 2–3 listings. Landlord Studio Pro at $12/mo ($144/yr) is the version worth using, per our Landlord Studio vs Stessa test.
The Three Price Tiers
Tier 1: $0–15/month — Solo Landlords (1–10 units)
Stessa, Baselane, TurboTenant, Avail, Innago, TenantCloud free, Landlord Studio free. Our testing says a landlord under 10 units loses almost nothing staying free — the main costs are per-applicant screening fees, which you pay regardless of platform. We broke down the full free landscape in Free Property Management Software 2026.
Tier 2: $12–30/month — Growing Landlords (10–30 units)
RentRedi at $12/mo and Landlord Studio Pro at $12/mo are the sweet spot. RentRedi's value is tenant communication and maintenance requests; Landlord Studio's is accounting and tax prep. At this size, screening volume (5–10 applicants/unit/year) starts to dominate total spend — a $29.95 screening fee × 20 applicants = $599/year in add-on cost, often more than the software itself.
Tier 3: $50–120+/month — Portfolio Owners & PMs (30+ units)
DoorLoop ($69/mo and up) and Buildium ($52–55/mo and up) price by unit count, so a 50-unit portfolio realistically lands at $150–300/month. Our DoorLoop vs Buildium test found DoorLoop better for owner-operators, Buildium better for licensed property managers. If you're at this size and paying $0, you're likely papering over problems — the reporting and maintenance automation pays for itself.
The Hidden Costs Nobody Shows on the Pricing Page
| Hidden Cost | Typical Range | How It Bites |
|---|---|---|
| Tenant screening | $25–40 per applicant | × multiple applicants per vacancy; some platforms mark up $10+ |
| ACH / instant transfer fees | $1–3 per transaction | Instant rent transfers add up at 12 payments/unit/year |
| Per-unit overage | Varies by plan | Exceeding unit caps silently bumps you a tier |
| Lease e-signature packs | $5–20/mo | Often an add-on even on "free" plans |
| Add-on modules | $10–50/mo each | Maintenance requests, tenant portals, insurance tracking |
On our test portfolio, screening + ACH fees added $187/year to a "free" setup — still cheaper than a $200/mo property manager, but not zero. That math is exactly what we documented in the free software vs. paid PM comparison.
What You Should Pay, By Portfolio Size
1–5 units — Budget: $0
Baselane or Stessa for accounting, TurboTenant or Avail for listings and leases. Pay screening fees only. Stessa vs Baselane test.
5–20 units — Budget: $12–30/mo
RentRedi for tenant experience, Landlord Studio Pro for tax-ready accounting. TenantCloud vs RentRedi test.
20–50 units — Budget: $69–150/mo
DoorLoop's maintenance and accounting suite replaces 10+ hours of manual work monthly. DoorLoop vs Buildium test.
50+ units / PM firms — Budget: $150–400/mo
Buildium's owner-portal and compliance tooling for licensed PMs. Worth it only with staff to use it.
The Bottom Line
Landlord software is one of the few categories where the best option for small landlords is genuinely $0. The trap isn't the software price — it's the screening and transfer fees, which we measured at $187/year on a free stack. Budget for those, re-evaluate at 20 units, and you'll never overpay.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is landlord software really free?
Stessa, Baselane, and TurboTenant's core features are genuinely free in our tests — no unit caps on core accounting, banking, or rent collection. The revenue model is screening fees, add-ons, and paid tiers. Read the details in our free software breakdown.
Why does DoorLoop cost $69/month when free tools exist?
Because at 20+ units, the free tools' limitations (unit caps, thin maintenance workflows, no owner reporting) cost more than $69/month in manual work. Our DoorLoop test showed it automating maintenance tracking and tenant communication that took 8+ hours monthly in spreadsheets.
Do I still need a property manager if I have software?
Software replaces administrative work, not boots-on-the-ground management. For 1–10 units, our tests show software can replace a $200/mo PM for admin tasks. For vacant-unit turnover, maintenance emergencies, and legal compliance, you still need someone local — software just makes them cheaper to supervise.
What's the cheapest way to screen tenants?
Run screening through the platform that bundles it cheapest — we measured $20–30 per applicant across Baselane, Innago, and TenantCloud vs. $29.95–40 on Avail and RentRedi. At high applicant volumes, the $10 difference per screen is the single biggest lever on your total cost.