Ranking Small property managers
The 17 best small property managers tools (2026): online applications
The best small property managers tools in November 2026 are SimplifyEm, MRI Software and Buildium. SimplifyEm is the pick for small and midsize residential landlords and property managers. We read the price of all 17 on their own sites.
17 ranked · each checked against its own site 27–30 October 2026
- Under $2511 of 12
- $25 to $9977 of 12
- $100 to $29944 of 12
- $300 or more00 of 12
- 17
- ranked
- $44
- median first paid plan
- 3
- of the 17 have a free plan
landlordbench.com · First paid plan from each tool's own pricing page, read 27–30 October 2026.
The short answer
SimplifyEm ranks first. It starts at $35 a month.
MRI Software ranks second, and Buildium third from $65 a month. Apartments.com Rental Manager has the only free plan in the top five.
Half of the 12 tools with a monthly paid plan charge $44 a month or less.
3 tools here have a free plan to try before you pay. The highest ranked are Apartments.com Rental Manager, Hemlane and RentSpree.
All 17 picks at a glance
| # | Tool | Best for | Starts at |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Small and midsize residential landlords and property managers | From $35 a monthits pricing page | |
| 2 | Large multifamily operators and managers running leasing | On quoteits pricing page | |
| 3 | A property manager, or a landlord with a growing portfolio, who wants owner statements | From $65 a monthits pricing page | |
| 4 | Self-managing landlords with a handful of rentals who already advertise on Apartments.com | Freeits pricing page | |
| 5 | Single-family, multifamily and student housing managers who manage units for other owners | On quoteits pricing page | |
| 6 | Property managers and owners running residential, commercial or affordable portfolios | From $239 a monthits pricing page | |
| 7 | Managers running HOA communities and rental units side by side on one system | From $51.14 a monthits pricing page | |
| 8 | Property managers keeping separate trust balances and statements for each owner | From $30 a monthits pricing page | |
| 9 | US management companies wanting one system for rent, books, leases and maintenance | From $200 a monthits pricing page | |
| 10 | Small to mid-sized property managers who need built-in real-estate accounting | From $100 a monthits pricing page | |
| 11 | Single-family rental managers wanting custom workflows and portfolio-level accounting | From $250 a monthits pricing page | |
| 12 | Landlords and small managers who want staffed repair and leasing help behind the software | Free, then $36.50 a monthits pricing page | |
| 13 | Property management companies that have outgrown simple platforms | On quoteits pricing page | |
| 14 | Fee-based management companies running mixed rental portfolios in one accounting system | On quoteits pricing page | |
| 15 | Landlords with one or two rental units | Free, then $8.99 a monthits pricing page | |
| 16 | Landlords and small managers wanting per-unit pricing and fee-free rent by bank transfer | From $25 a monthits pricing page | |
| 17 | DIY landlords and small managers who want rent, screening and books in one place | From $25 a monthits pricing page |
Checked between 27 October 2026 and 30 October 2026.
17 tools, ranked. How we rank
About this list
17 of 32 small property managers tools match “Online applications”. Of the rest: 5 on some plans only, 0 no, 10 unknown.
How the small property managers tools matching “Online applications” differ: 16 of 17 also match “Rent collected online”, against 5 of 15 in the rest of the category.
The ranking
Lowest monthly price in the top five
Best forSmall and midsize residential landlords and property managers
Online applications: Yes — The vendor’s search result says prospective applicants can submit rental applications electronically.“SimplifyEm provides online application and lease signing features. Prospective tenants can submit their applications electronically.”Search result snippet for Property Management Archives · checked 2026-10-29
- Price
- From $35 a month · source
Large multifamily operators and managers running leasing
Best forlarge multifamily operators and managers running leasing
Online applications: Yes — Applicants apply from a phone in Engage Apply with autofill, co-applicant links and checks inside the flow; the application fee amount is never published.“Renters finish the application in one sitting: smart autofill cuts application time by 60%, and ID verification, payments, e-signatures, and renters insurance are built into the flow, not linked out of it.”Engage Apply section, 'The leasing portal' · checked 2026-10-28
- Price
- On quote · source
A property manager, or a landlord with a growing portfolio
Best forA property manager, or a landlord with a growing portfolio, who wants owner statements
Online applications: Yes — Applicants apply straight from the listing page and pay whatever fee the manager sets online; the vendor charges nothing for the form itself and bills the screening report separately.“Any related application fees are attached to their account and can be paid online.”Share with applicants in a click section · checked 2026-10-28
- Price
- From $65 a month · source
A free plan before you pay
Best forself-managing landlords with a handful of rentals who already advertise on Apartments.com
Online applications: Yes — Renters apply straight from the listing through an Apply button, and the applicant rather than the landlord pays for the application and its reports.“Applicants pay $29.00 + tax for their application and screening reports, and they'll be able to share their application and screening reports for 30 days with up to 10 participating landlords.”Help Center article 'How much do the applications and reports cost?', second answer · checked 2026-10-28
- Price
- Free · source
Single-family, multifamily and student housing managers
Best forsingle-family, multifamily and student housing managers who manage units for other owners
Online applications: Yes — Applicants apply through secure online forms from computer, tablet or phone; the vendor publishes no application fee, so what it costs an applicant is unknown.“Modernize your resident application process by converting them into secure online forms. You'll attract more applicants and save time.”Features grid, 'Online Applications' tile · checked 2026-10-28
- Price
- On quote · source
Side by side
Every field, side by side
Scroll sideways to see them all.
| Feature | SimplifyEm | MRI Software | Buildium | Apartments.com Rental Manager | PropertyBoss | DoorLoop | ManageCasa | RentPost | ManageGo | Yardi Breeze | Propertyware | Hemlane | Revela | Rent Manager | RentSpree | Rentec Direct | TenantCloud |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Description | Unit-capped property management software with rental books, portals, and work orders. | Enterprise multifamily suite: Engage front office, Property Management X back office, sold by demo only. | Runs rentals, community associations and commercial units on one subscription priced by the unit band you fall in. | Free landlord tools bundled with an Apartments.com listing; applicants and card-paying renters carry the costs. | Windows-hosted property management suite for student, multifamily and single-family managers, sold by live demo. | AI agents answer tenants, run repairs and renewals inside the same system holding your leases and books. | All-in-one platform for HOAs, rental portfolios and marinas, priced in unit tiers. | Trust-accounting property management software for landlords and managers, priced per rental unit. | Per-unit property management platform for payments, accounting, leasing, maintenance and resident services. | Cloud property management software from Yardi for small and mid-sized residential and commercial portfolios. | Customisable single-family property management platform from RealPage, sold per unit through sales. | Rental management software with optional 24/7 repair coordination and leasing help, priced per unit. | Property management platform with built-in accounting, embedded banking and an AI agent. | All-in-one property management software with double-entry accounting, leasing, payments and maintenance, sold by quote. | Rental workflow software with free listings and applicant-paid screening options. | Property management software for landlords and small managers, priced per unit with free rent payments by bank transfer. | All-in-one rental management: listings, screening, leases, rent collection, maintenance and accounting. |
| Category | Landlord software, Property management software, Small property managers, Cheapest for 25 units, Landlords who self-manage | Property management software, Multifamily, Small property managers | Property management software, Cheapest for 25 units, Small property managers | Landlord software, Landlords who self-manage, Free landlord software, Small property managers | Property management software, Multifamily, Small property managers | Property management software, Cheapest for 25 units, Landlords who self-manage, Small property managers | Property management software, Cheapest for 25 units, Multifamily, Small property managers | Property management software, Cheapest for 25 units, Landlords who self-manage, Small property managers | Property management software, Cheapest for 25 units, Multifamily, Small property managers | Property management software, Cheapest for 25 units, Small property managers | Property management software, Cheapest for 25 units, Small property managers | Landlord software, Cheapest for 25 units, Free landlord software, Landlords who self-manage, Small property managers | Property management software, Multifamily, Small property managers | Property management software, Small property managers | Tenant screening services, Landlord software, Free landlord software, Landlords who self-manage, Small property managers, Cheapest for 25 units | Property management software, Cheapest for 25 units, Landlords who self-manage, Multifamily, Small property managers | Landlord software, Cheapest for 25 units, Landlords who self-manage, Small property managers |
| Tags |
Questions buyers ask
How much do small property managers tools cost?
The median first paid plan is $44 a month, across the 12 of the 17 that publish a monthly price. They run from $8.99 to $250.
Which small property managers tools have a free plan?
3 of the 17 have a free plan.
How current are these figures?
The prices were read 27–30 October 2026.
Sources and method
Every price here is read from the vendor's own pricing page.
Pricing pages 17 read
- SimplifyEm simplifyem.com/features-pricing
- MRI Software mrisoftware.com
- Buildium buildium.com/pricing
- Apartments.com Rental Manager propertyhelp.apartments.com/article/755-are-there-any-fees-with-collecting-or-paying-rent-on-apartments
- PropertyBoss propertyboss.com
- DoorLoop doorloop.com/pricing
- ManageCasa managecasa.com/pricing
- RentPost rentpost.com/pricing
- ManageGo managego.com/pricing
- Yardi Breeze yardibreeze.com/residential-features
- Propertyware propertyware.com/pricing
- Hemlane hemlane.com/pricing
- Revela revela.co/resources/appfolio-alternatives
- Rent Manager rentmanager.com/pricing
- RentSpree rentspree.com/pricing
- Rentec Direct rentecdirect.com/pricing
- TenantCloud tenantcloud.com/pricing
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