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Buyer's guide Cheapest for 25 units

Choosing cloud-based property management software

Start with what your unit count costs a month and any unit minimum, then check who pays rent payment fees, owner statements and how you sign up.

Landlord Bench ResearchPublished 18 min readEditorial policy
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On this page
  1. The short answer
  2. Pick by what you need
  3. All 7 picks at a glance
  4. What will my portfolio pay a month?
  5. Is there a unit minimum or a minimum fee?
  6. Can I sign up and cancel without a sales call or a long contract?
  7. Who pays when tenants pay rent online?
  8. Does it keep the books, owner statements and trust accounts?
  9. Can I take my data with me if I leave?
  10. The tools that stand out
  11. Prices compared
  12. How we compared
  13. Questions buyers ask
  14. Sources

The short answer

For a handful of rentals, Rentec Direct starts at $25 a month and you can sign it up online with no sales call. RentPost starts at $30 a month and keeps a separate trust balance for each owner.

Rentroom suits a landlord who wants no unit minimum, at $49.99 a month for 5 units. AppFolio Property Manager is sold only through a quote request.

On 29 October 2026 we listed 44 tools: 16 of them under Property management software and 13 with a free plan.

  • Rentec Direct’s entry plan costs $25 a month.
  • The median entry plan costs $50.57 a month.
  • Unit minimums are common: AppFolio Property Manager, DoorLoop, ManageCasa and ManageGo set a minimum number of units or a minimum fee, 4 of the 7, while Rentroom says one unit is enough.
  • DoorLoop, ManageCasa and Rentroom advertise a promotion beside their regular price, 3 of the 7, so check what the plan costs once the offer ends.
  • Free plans are absent: AppFolio Property Manager, ManageCasa, ManageGo and Rentroom have none, and DoorLoop, Rentec Direct and RentPost do not mention one.

Pick by what you need

Logos of AppFolio Property Manager, DoorLoop, ManageCasa, ManageGo, Rentec Direct, RentPost, Rentroom. 7 tools compared, from $25 a month.

All 7 picks at a glance

Table 1 Price and the questions that separate them, checked 28 October 2026
ProductFromPromotion and regular priceCost for 5 units a monthCost for 50 units a month
AppFolio Property Manager
On quote
–
Partly
Partly
DoorLoop
$239 a month
Yes
Yes
Yes
ManageCasa
$51.14 a month
Yes
Partly
Yes
ManageGo
$200 a month
No
Partly
Partly
Rentec Direct
$25 a month
No
Yes
Yes
RentPost
$30 a month
No
Yes
Yes
Rentroom
$49.99 a month
Yes
Yes
Partly

What will my portfolio pay a month?

Rentec Direct’s entry plan costs $25 a month. DoorLoop, Rentec Direct, RentPost and Rentroom state what 5 units cost, and DoorLoop, ManageCasa, Rentec Direct and RentPost state what 50 units cost.

RentPost starts at $30 a month, and Rentroom’s Starter Plan is $49.99 a month for 5 units. ManageGo starts at $200 a month and charges $200 a month on Premium for 5 units and the same $200 a month for 50 units, so a small portfolio pays the full fee.

Is there a unit minimum or a minimum fee?

Usually yes: AppFolio Property Manager, DoorLoop, ManageCasa and ManageGo set a minimum number of units or a minimum fee, 4 of the 7, and Rentec Direct and RentPost apply one in part.

AppFolio Property Manager has a fifty-unit minimum plus a minimum spend it does not publish, so landlords below fifty units cannot buy at its per-unit rate. Rentroom says one unit is enough and charges a flat monthly fee, though its starter package stops at 15 tenants. ManageCasa also caps units on its plans.

Can I sign up and cancel without a sales call or a long contract?

Rentec Direct and RentPost let you sign up online, and with DoorLoop they carry no long contract, 3 of the 7.

DoorLoop opens a trial with an email address and no card but routes buying through a demo, and Rentroom sells only its starter package online. AppFolio Property Manager, ManageCasa and ManageGo send every buyer to sales. Setup is free at DoorLoop, ManageGo, Rentec Direct and RentPost. ManageCasa waives onboarding fees on select plans in a current offer and Rentroom’s terms refer to onboarding fees, and neither gives the amount.

Who pays when tenants pay rent online?

On Rentec Direct, tenants pay nothing for twelve rent payments by bank transfer or for credit reporting, and AppFolio Property Manager shows renters its transaction fee before they submit but does not publish the amounts.

Rentec Direct, DoorLoop, ManageCasa and RentPost list rent payment fees, but DoorLoop leaves part of what tenants can be charged unstated. For cash, AppFolio Property Manager takes payments at participating shops at $4.99 a transaction, ManageGo at MoneyGram shops and Rentroom through a linked Chime account, and neither ManageGo nor Rentroom gives that fee.

Does it keep the books, owner statements and trust accounts?

AppFolio Property Manager, DoorLoop and RentPost keep trust accounts, and AppFolio Property Manager, DoorLoop, ManageCasa and RentPost give owners a portal with statements.

RentPost shows each owner a trust balance and statements for any date range, DoorLoop pushes income and expenses to QuickBooks Online, and Rentec Direct includes a report laid out by Schedule E categories on every edition. ManageCasa, Rentec Direct, RentPost and Rentroom let you keep a bank account per property. Rentroom gives owners their own access and shared documents but describes no periodic owner statement.

Can I take my data with me if I leave?

Yes at AppFolio Property Manager, DoorLoop, ManageCasa, Rentec Direct, RentPost and Rentroom.

Rentec Direct downloads every tenant, property and bank ledger at once and exports reports as spreadsheet or QuickBooks files, and DoorLoop exports any report as a spreadsheet, printable document or QuickBooks file. AppFolio Property Manager can push your data into your own data warehouse, RentPost keeps your data reachable after you cancel, and ManageCasa closes an account through a documented procedure run with support.

The tools that stand out

AppFolio Property Manager

Best for managers who want their data in their own warehouse: AppFolio Property Manager pushes reports and underlying data into your own data warehouse and links bank accounts through Plaid so transactions are matched automatically.

Price On quote

Bank accounts link through Plaid so transactions are matched automatically. Late fees are charged automatically against the terms in each lease, and staff can waive them one by one or in bulk. Owners collect their 1099s through their own portal, and vendor records flag whether the management company must issue one.

Every plan’s only button is a quote request, and sales set the minimum spend, so there is no way to sign up and pay online. There is no free plan. Live chat and a call-back come with the cheapest plan, live phone support arrives on the middle plan and a named success manager on the top one. Role-based permissions come with every plan, custom roles cost a dearer plan, and no per-user price is published.

Reports and underlying data export to files or into your own data warehouse, and owner reports export to Excel or spreadsheet files. Rentec Direct and RentPost both let a buyer start online without a sales call, which suits a smaller portfolio.

What it does well

  • Bank accounts link through Plaid, so transactions are matched automatically.
  • Late fees are charged from each lease’s terms, with waivers one by one or in bulk.
  • Reports and underlying data export to files or straight into your own data warehouse.

Where it falls short

  • Every plan is sold by quote, so buying starts with a sales conversation.
  • There is no free plan.
  • Live phone support starts on the middle plan and a named success manager on the top plan.
  • Free plan: no
  • Who it’s for: A management company that buys through sales and wants bank transactions matched automatically and its data pushed into its own data warehouse.
  • Skip it if: A landlord with a handful of rentals who wants to price a plan and sign up online should pick Rentec Direct, which prices itself with a unit calculator and starts a trial in about a minute.

ManageCasa

Best for running HOAs beside rental units: ManageCasa runs homeowners association (HOA) communities and rental units side by side on one system.

Price From $51.14 a month

ManageCasa puts homeowners associations and rental portfolios on one system. Its Minii AI answers resident questions from your documents around the clock, turns a photo into a work order, codes invoices and summarizes leases, with capacity rising by plan. Late fees apply automatically to outstanding balances, with a grace period and a flat or percentage fee you set yourself. Vendor payments are tracked all year and compiled for 1099 generation on every plan, as a spreadsheet to hand to an accountant.

There is no free plan. Every plan card routes to Get a Quote, and you begin by scheduling a demo with sales, who set up the account. A promotion runs beside the regular price, and onboarding is listed as included while the current offer advertises zero onboarding fees on select plans, so ask whether a fee applies to yours. Email and ticket support plus live training come with every plan from 6am to 7:30pm Pacific, with phone and Zoom support from Growth.

Staff get role-based logins, but extra user seats are capped by plan and no price per additional user is published. Records export from list views whenever you want, and support runs a documented account close-out. Rentec Direct starts at $25 a month, for a landlord who has no association to run.

What it does well

  • Homeowners associations and rental units run side by side on one system.
  • Minii AI answers resident questions from your documents around the clock and turns a photo into a work order.
  • Vendor payments are compiled for 1099 generation on every plan.
  • Email, ticket support and live training come with every plan from 6am to 7:30pm Pacific.

Where it falls short

  • Buying starts with a demo booked with sales.
  • Staff seats are capped by plan, at two extra users on Base and ten on Growth, so a bigger team has to move up a plan.
  • An onboarding fee may apply outside the current promotion, and its amount is not published.
  • Free plan: no
  • Who it’s for: A manager running homeowners associations and rental units together who wants one system and an AI that answers residents from its own documents.
  • Skip it if: A landlord who wants to start without booking a demo should pick RentPost, whose 30-day trial starts from a signup link with no card.

Rentec Direct

Best for small landlords watching the monthly bill: Rentec Direct’s paid entry plan costs $25 a month, with fee-free rent by bank transfer.

Price From $25 a month

Rentec Direct offers landlords and small managers fee-free rent by bank transfer. Automated late fees are included on every edition, and its AI writes rental ads from a property’s bedrooms and amenities. A person is reachable by phone, email, chat or video call from the Oregon office on every edition.

The entry plan costs $25 a month. You price yourself with the unit calculator and start a trial in about a minute, with no sales call needed. There is no standing free plan; a trial of any edition takes its place. There is no setup, implementation or training charge, and one-to-one onboarding is included on every edition.

The cheapest edition caps user accounts, while the larger editions give unlimited free staff logins, each with its own permissions. Every tenant, property and bank ledger downloads in one click, and reports export as spreadsheet, document or QuickBooks files. Rentec Direct says it has been in business since 2007, and its entry price sits below RentPost’s $30 a month.

What it does well

  • A paid entry plan at $25 a month.
  • You price the plan with a unit calculator and start a trial online in about a minute.
  • One-to-one onboarding is included on every edition.
  • Every ledger downloads in one click, with reports in spreadsheet or QuickBooks files.

Where it falls short

  • The cheapest edition caps user accounts; unlimited staff logins start on the larger editions.
  • Its AI writes rental ads, and nothing claims it answers tenants.
  • Chat runs in office hours only, and no clock times are published.
  • Who it’s for: A landlord with a handful of rentals who wants to price the plan online and pay an entry price of $25 a month.
  • Skip it if: A manager who wants AI to answer tenants should pick ManageCasa, whose Minii AI answers resident questions around the clock, since Rentec Direct’s AI writes rental ads and nothing claims it answers tenants.

RentPost

Best for keeping separate trust balances per owner: RentPost keeps separate trust balances and statements for each owner, at $30 a month priced by rental units.

Price From $30 a month

RentPost is trust-accounting software that keeps separate balances and statements for each owner. Tenants pay rent online from a United States bank account or by card through RentPost’s own payments service, and card payments fund the next day. You define a late fee schedule once, and the system raises the charge and tells the tenant.

The plan costs $30 a month, with 10% off for paying a year ahead. The price depends on rental units, and colleagues, maintenance staff and outside contractors each get their own login with a different level of access. You start the 30-day trial yourself from the signup link with no card. Onboarding, training and help importing your data come free with every new account, and setting up online payments costs nothing.

Live chat and phone support are staffed every day of the week. RentPost promises continued access to your data after you cancel and lets you export any report, though it does not spell out a single full-account download. Rentec Direct starts lower, at $25 a month, for a landlord who holds no owner funds.

What it does well

  • Separate trust balances and statements for each owner.
  • Staff and outside contractors each get their own login, with the price set by rental units.
  • Live chat and phone support are staffed every day of the week.
  • A 30-day trial starts from the signup link.

Where it falls short

  • No single full-account download is spelled out, only report exports.
  • The entry price of $30 a month sits above Rentec Direct’s $25 a month.
  • Bank rent payments are held to clear before they fund, while card payments fund the next day.
  • Who it’s for: A property manager who holds owners’ money in trust and needs separate balances and statements for each owner.
  • Skip it if: A landlord who wants one-click downloads of every ledger when leaving should pick Rentec Direct, since RentPost does not spell out a single full-account download.

Prices compared

Figure 1 · Entry price, a month Monthly entry prices; Rentec Direct’s is $25 a month
  1. Rentec Direct$25$25 a month
  2. RentPost$30$30 a month
  3. Rentroom$49.99$49.99 a month
  4. ManageGo$200$200 a month

Source: Each vendor’s pricing page, read between 27 October 2026 and 28 October 2026.

Rentec Direct starts at $25 a month and RentPost at $30 a month, while ManageGo starts at $200 a month. ManageGo charges the same $200 a month for 5 units as for 50 units, so a small portfolio pays the full fee.

“RentPost does not believe in holding your data hostage, ever. It’s your data and you will always have access to it, even if your account is canceled. Filter, export and print your reports whenever you need them.”

From RentPost’s own page, read on 27 October 2026

How we compared

We compared 7 tools on price, free plan and 3 questions a buyer asks, reading each vendor’s pricing page and product pages between 26 October 2026 and 28 October 2026. We did not sign up for or run any of them. In all we answered 51 questions about what they do.

Questions buyers ask

How much does property management software cost for 5 units?

Rentec Direct starts at $25 a month and RentPost at $30 a month, and both state what 5 units cost, as do DoorLoop and Rentroom. Rentroom’s Starter Plan costs $49.99 a month for 5 units. ManageGo charges $200 a month on Premium for 5 units, bought through sales.

Is there free property management software?

No. AppFolio Property Manager, ManageCasa, ManageGo and Rentroom have no free plan, and DoorLoop, Rentec Direct and RentPost do not mention one.

Does AppFolio have a minimum number of units?

Yes. The cheapest plan of AppFolio Property Manager carries a fifty-unit minimum plus a minimum spend AppFolio does not publish, so landlords below fifty units cannot buy at the per-unit rate.

Who pays the fee when tenants pay rent online?

It depends on the tool. On Rentec Direct, twelve rent payments by bank transfer and credit reporting are free to tenants, and on the larger editions a tenant can be charged the screening report if you pass it on. Rentec Direct and DoorLoop both list rent payment fees, but DoorLoop leaves part of what tenants can be charged unstated, so ask DoorLoop which fees land on the tenant.

Which property management software does trust accounting?

AppFolio Property Manager, DoorLoop and RentPost do trust accounting. AppFolio Property Manager includes it on every plan, the cheapest too, and DoorLoop carries full trust accounting for owners’ money and tenants’ deposits. RentPost is built around it, with a trust balance per owner account and separate management and trust books.

Can I sign up without talking to sales?

Yes, with Rentec Direct and RentPost. Rentec Direct lets you price it on its unit calculator and start a trial yourself, and RentPost opens a 30-day trial with no card. DoorLoop starts a trial with an email address but begins paid plans with a sales demo, and Rentroom sells only its starter package online. AppFolio Property Manager, ManageCasa and ManageGo send every buyer to sales.

Can I cancel and take my data with me?

Yes with DoorLoop, Rentec Direct and RentPost, which carry no long contract and let you export your data. AppFolio Property Manager, ManageCasa and Rentroom also let you export, and Rentroom’s terms promise a copy of your data for thirty days after the agreement ends.

Sources

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