TurboTenant vs Stessa: which fits your rentals in 2026?
Pricing and features verified from vendor pricing pages on 2026-07-04.
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Both have free plans, so the decision comes down to where each one hides its costs — check the per-transaction and tenant-side fees in the tables above, because those are what you (or your tenants) will actually pay. Stessa counters with integrated banking, missing from TurboTenant. Who each fits: Cost-conscious DIY landlords with 1-10 doors who want free core tools and don't mind tenants absorbing the fees. DIY rental investors who care most about accounting, taxes, and portfolio finances rather than heavy-duty tenant management.
Pricing, side by side
| Starting price | Free tier | Free tier |
| Pricing model | flat (unlimited rentals) | flat |
| Plans | Free — $0/mo Unlimited rentals; marketing, applications, screening, rent collection, maintenance tracking; tenants pay $55 screening and $2 ACH fee; lease agreements sold a la carte Essentials — $12.42/mo $149/yr billed annually; adds lease agreements/e-sign and other perks; tenants still pay $2 ACH fee Pro — $16.58/mo $199/yr billed annually; tenant ACH fee waived, screening drops to $45, faster rent payouts (2-4 days vs 5-7) | Essentials — $0/mo Free forever; unlimited properties, bank feeds, basic reports, rent collection, vacancy marketing, up to 1.88% APY on cash Manage — $12/mo $12/mo billed annually ($15 month-to-month); adds maintenance tracking, Schedule E, 60+ legal forms, 1 eSignature/mo Pro — $28/mo $28/mo billed annually ($35 month-to-month); unlimited portfolios, advanced reports/budgeting, 7 eSignatures/mo, up to 3.24% APY |
| Annual discount | Displayed prices are annual billing ($149/yr Essentials, $199/yr Pro) | Pay annually and Manage drops $15 to $12/mo, Pro $35 to $28/mo (~20% off) |
| Tenant screening | $55 paid by applicant on the Free plan; $45 on the Pro plan | $29 credit report or background check, $49 complete package via RentPrep; landlord or applicant can pay |
Feature checklist
| Feature | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tenant screening | ✓ | ✓ |
| Online rent collection | ✓ | ✓ |
| Accounting & reporting | ✓ | ✓ |
| Maintenance tracking | ✓ | ✓ |
| Listing syndication | ✓ | ✓ |
| Leases & e-sign | ✓ | ✓ |
| Integrated banking | — | ✓ |
| Landlord mobile app | ✓ | ✓ |
Strengths and trade-offs
TurboTenant
For- Genuinely usable free plan with unlimited rentals — capped max cost of $199/yr
- Applicant-paid screening means $0 landlord cost to vet tenants
- One-click listing syndication and lead management included free
- Large ecosystem — 1M+ landlords, lots of educational content and templates
- Monetized via renter fees: $55 screening and $2-per-ACH-payment fee on the free plan land on your tenants
- Full accounting requires a separate paid REI Hub subscription
- State lease agreements cost extra unless you're on a paid plan
- Rent payouts take 5-7 business days unless you pay for Pro
Stessa
For- Genuinely useful free tier with unlimited properties and automatic bank feeds
- Best-in-class investor accounting: Schedule E, tax packages, portfolio dashboards
- High-yield cash management accounts (up to 3.24% APY on Pro)
- No per-transaction rent collection fees advertised on any tier
- Maintenance tracking and eSignatures locked behind paid plans
- eSignatures tightly capped (1/mo on Manage, 7/mo on Pro)
- Lighter on day-to-day tenant management than Buildium or Innago
- Complete screening package ($49) costs more than Innago or TenantCloud equivalents
Frequently asked questions
Is TurboTenant cheaper than Stessa?
TurboTenant has a free plan; paid tiers start at $12.42/mo (flat (unlimited rentals)). Stessa has a free plan; paid tiers start at $12/mo (flat). Subscription price isn't the whole story — compare tenant-side ACH and screening fees too. Screening: TurboTenant $55 paid by applicant on the Free plan; $45 on the Pro plan; Stessa $29 credit report or background check, $49 complete package via RentPrep; landlord or applicant can pay.
What does TurboTenant have that Stessa doesn't?
TurboTenant: nothing at the checklist level. Stessa: Integrated banking.
Which is better for a small landlord with 1–5 units?
Cost-conscious DIY landlords with 1-10 doors who want free core tools and don't mind tenants absorbing the fees. DIY rental investors who care most about accounting, taxes, and portfolio finances rather than heavy-duty tenant management. If you're still unsure, start with whichever has the free tier — you can export your data and switch later.