Avail vs. Stessa: Which Free Property Management Software Fits Your Rentals?
Avail (Part of Realtor.com®) and Stessa are two rental property management platforms that aim to help landlords replace manual paper forms, physical check deposits, and scattered spreadsheets with automated workflows.
While external reviews frequently pigeonhole Stessa as strictly an investment accounting tool, Stessa actively markets a full property management system. Through their platform, you can publish rental vacancies, collect online rental applications, screen prospective tenants, generate legal leases, automate rent collection, and track maintenance tickets —similar to what you can do through Avail.
Because both platforms provide management capabilities alongside financial tracking, it can be tricky to determine which one is best for your rental business. Keep reading below to get a side-by-side comparison of both platforms, from feature-by-feature and pricing breakdowns.
What Are The Main Differences Between Avail And Stessa?
Avail and Stessa both provide end-to-end property management workflows for independent landlords, but they structure their free baseline tools and upgrade tiers differently.
Best for Avail
Landlords with 1 to 10 units who want unlimited free vacancy syndication, lawyer-reviewed state-specific leases with unlimited digital signatures, and built-in tenant rent reporting on a $0 baseline plan.
- Free compliance coverage: Generate lawyer-reviewed state-specific lease agreements with local disclosures and unlimited digital signatures for $0.
- Broad vacancy distribution: Broadcast listings across 22+ top rental platforms including Realtor.com® and Redfin, complete with Direct Apply and Schedule a Tour tools.
- Tenant incentive tools: Reward on-time payments through CreditBoost reporting to TransUnion and collect rent online with automated late fee enforcement.
Best for Stessa
Real estate investors who prioritize automated bank account reconciliation, balance sheets, and high-yield real estate cash management accounts alongside basic rental management tools.
- Automated bookkeeping feeds: Connect checking accounts, mortgages, and credit cards for hands-off transaction tracking.
- Stessa cash management: Earn high APY balances with integrated landlord banking and fee-free ACH rent collection into Stessa accounts.
- Investor metric portals: Monitor property equity, estimated market valuations, and mortgage balances in one place.
Pricing Breakdown: Avail vs. Stessa
Both platforms offer free core plans, but they monetize through distinct product mechanisms and feature gates.
Avail Pricing: Free Baseline With Flexible Per-Unit Scaling
Avail structures pricing around an accessible free plan, charging only when you choose to add premium operational automation:
- Unlimited ($0/unit/month): Covers the entire landlord workflow for free. Access listing syndication across 19+ platforms, online rental applications, TransUnion screening report requests, lawyer-reviewed state-specific leases, unlimited digital e-signatures, online rent collection, maintenance tracking, and the Rental Property accounting tool. On this tier, tenants pay a $2.50 transaction fee for ACH bank transfers.
- Unlimited Plus ($9/unit/month): Adds advanced automation features. Waive ACH transfer fees for your tenants, access FastPay next-business-day rent deposits, add custom lease clauses, clone reusable lease agreements, add custom application questions, launch a dedicated property website, and receive priority customer support with 2x faster response times.
Stessa Pricing: Tiered Plans With Accounting And Banking Upgrades
Stessa structures pricing across three distinct subscription tiers, gating legal document features, signature limits, and advanced tax reporting:
- Essentials ($0/month): Access vacancy advertising to the Zillow network, RentPrep tenant screening, online rent collection via Stessa Cash Management, automated bank feeds, manual expense logging, and basic cash-flow reporting. However, state-compliant lease templates cost $15 per document, digital e-signatures are excluded, and tax-ready Schedule E reports are unavailable.
- Manage ($12/month billed annually or $15/month billed monthly): Unlocks one electronic signature per month via DocuSign, attorney-drafted state-specific lease templates, ready-to-file Schedule E tax reports, accelerated rent payouts, and priority chat support.
- Pro ($28/month billed annually or $35/month billed monthly): Unlocks seven electronic signatures per month, smart receipt scanning, automated mileage tracking, budgeting and pro-forma analysis, priority phone support, waived tenant ACH fees on external bank accounts, and higher APY interest on Stessa Cash Management balances.
Avail vs Stessa: Feature-by-Feature Breakdown
| Feature / Dimension | Avail (Part of Realtor.com®) | Stessa |
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| Subscription Options |
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| Customer Support |
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| Listing Syndication |
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| Rental Applications & Screening |
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| State-Specific Leases & E-Sign |
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| Property Accounting & Financials |
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| Rent Collection & Payment Methods |
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| Renter Tools & Credit Reporting |
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| Maintenance Tracking |
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| Rent Price Tools & Analysis |
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Vacancy Marketing And Listing Syndication
Broad listing distribution fills vacancies faster and limits turnover loss.
Avail: Syndicates rental listings to 22+ top rental websites with one click, including Realtor.com®, Redfin, Zumper, Rent.com, and ApartmentGuide.com. Activate our Promoted Listings tool to place listings at the top of partner search results and expand exposure up to 10x. Prospective renters can also apply directly through Realtor.com® via Direct Apply, completing applications 2.6x faster than standard lead inquiries. You can also enable Schedule a Tour to let renters self-book showings from listing pages.
Stessa: Syndicates vacancies directly across the Zillow rental network, which includes Zillow, Trulia, and HotPads. You can also generate a shareable listing link to send directly to applicants or post on external classifieds. While Stessa connects with high-traffic Zillow platforms, it does not distribute listings across independent networks like Realtor.com®, Redfin, or Rent.com, and it lacks automated showing schedule calendar tools.
Tenant Screening And Online Rental Applications
Thorough applicant screening evaluates prospective renters and protects rental revenue.
Avail: Collects standardized online applications complete with employment verification, residence history, and household income. Order TransUnion-powered screening reports covering nationwide criminal background checks, credit history, and eviction records (ranging from $30-$55). Landlords can cover report fees or pass costs directly to applicants. To add custom questions, you’ll need to upgrade to Unlimited Plus.
Stessa: Delivers online application forms integrated with RentPrep tenant screening. Landlords order background checks including credit reports, criminal records, judgments, and eviction history ($35-45). You can also add Plaid-powered automated income verification for an additional $10 fee. Stessa handles core applicant vetting efficiently, but it does not support custom application questionnaires or automated reference follow-ups.
State-Specific Leases And Legal Compliance
Executing legally binding, state-compliant lease documents protects landlords from local housing disputes.
Avail: Generates lawyer-reviewed, state-specific lease agreements that automatically pull in statutory disclosures and mandatory legal clauses for all 50 states. Digital e-signatures are included for free across all plans without monthly volume limits. On Unlimited Plus, you can insert custom clauses and build reusable templates.
Stessa: Connects landlords with attorney-drafted state-specific lease templates powered by RocketLawyer. On the free Essentials plan, state-compliant lease agreements cost $15 per document. Subscribers on Manage and Pro receive lease templates within their plans. Electronic signatures via DocuSign are capped across all tiers: zero included e-signatures on Essentials, one per month on Manage, and seven per month on Pro.
Rent Collection And Payment Processing
Collecting rent online ensures steady cash flow and creates clear digital payment records.
Avail: Collects rent online across all plans, including the free Unlimited tier. Set up automated recurring payments through Autopay, establish grace periods, send automated payment reminders, and apply automatic late fees based on lease terms. Accept bank ACH transfers, credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Link. Card transactions carry a 3.5% processing fee. For bank transfers, tenant ACH payments cost $2.50 on the free plan, but ACH transfer fees are completely waived ($0) when you upgrade to Unlimited Plus. Standard deposits take three to five business days, while FastPay delivers funds next business day on Unlimited Plus.
Stessa: Offers online rent collection integrated with its Stessa Cash Management banking accounts. Tenants pay zero transaction fees on ACH transfers when rent deposits directly into the landlord’s Stessa Cash Management account. If the landlord chooses to route rent directly to an external third-party bank account, tenants pay a $2.00 fee per ACH transaction on Essentials and Manage (waived for Pro subscribers). Credit card payments carry a ~3% convenience fee. Standard deposits take 2 to 5 business days, with accelerated payouts available on Manage and Pro plans.
Rent Reporting And Tenant Credit Building
Offering rent reporting incentivizes on-time rent payments while providing meaningful value to tenants.
Avail: Features CreditBoost, an integrated rent reporting tool that allows tenants to report on-time monthly rent payments to TransUnion for $3.95 per month. Reporting payments helps renters build their FICO 9, FICO XD, and VantageScore credit scores using payments they already make. This feature runs entirely through the tenant portal without requiring setup or manual verification from the landlord.
Stessa: Does not offer a native rent reporting service for tenant credit building. Rent collection on Stessa functions strictly as an operational deposit mechanism tied to investor bookkeeping, without tenant-facing credit reporting incentives.
Maintenance Tracking And Tenant Communications
Documenting maintenance requests protects physical property conditions and keeps tenants informed.
Avail: Provides an integrated maintenance tracking system on all tiers for free. Tenants submit repair tickets with photos and detailed descriptions. You can communicate with tenants directly through our Avail Messages chat feature, in addition to log contractor expenses, attach invoices, and sync maintenance costs into your accounting dashboard.
Stessa: Includes maintenance tracking where tenants submit repair tickets through the tenant portal with photo and description attachments. Landlords review requests, update ticket progress, log vendor invoices, and track work order history across properties. Stessa connects maintenance expenses directly to property bookkeeping, but it lacks real-time direct in-app messaging between landlords and tenants.
Accounting, Cash Management, And Tax Reporting
Tracking transactions by unit preserves capital and simplifies annual tax preparation.
Avail: Automatically syncs collected rent, assessed fees, and logged maintenance expenses into the free integrated Rental Property accounting tool. Track financial performance by unit, export clean transaction logs, route payments to separate bank accounts, and access Form 1099-K reporting details.
Stessa: Delivers specialized real estate financial accounting. Stessa connects directly to business checking accounts, mortgages, and credit cards via automated bank data feeds. The platform auto-categorizes income and expenses according to IRS real estate rules, tracks capital improvements separately from operating expenses, and produces detailed cash-flow statements. On Manage and Pro tiers, Stessa compiles complete, ready-to-file Schedule E tax packages.
Which Platform to Choose for Your Rental Business?
Avail is the best platform for independent landlords who want a complete, free property management system covering vacancy syndication, lawyer-reviewed state leases, unlimited digital signatures, and rent collection with CreditBoost credit building.
Stessa is the best choice for real estate investors who want hands-off bank data feeds, landlord banking, and balance sheet performance tracking. For self-managing landlords seeking legal compliance and operational efficiency without upfront software costs, Avail offers the most complete free toolkit.
Frequently Asked Questions: Avail vs. Stessa
Is Avail Completely Free For Landlords?
Yes. Unlike other platforms, Avail gives landlords complete access to end-to-end management tools for free. You can easily unlock essential features like rental listing syndication, tenant screening, rent collection, lease creation, and much more.
You can optionally upgrade to Unlimited Plus ($9/unit/month) to waive tenant ACH fees, add custom lease clauses, and access next-day FastPay deposits.
Is Stessa Free For Landlords?
Yes, Stessa provides a free Essentials plan that includes vacancy marketing to Zillow, tenant screening, online rent collection via Stessa Cash Management, automated bank feeds, and basic cash-flow reports.
However, state-specific lease templates cost $15 per document, e-signatures are not included on the free tier, and ready-to-file Schedule E reports require subscribing to Manage ($12-15/month) or Pro ($28-35/month).
Is Avail Cheaper Than Stessa?
Avail is cheaper than Stessa for operational property management. Avail provides listing syndication, tenant screening, lawyer-reviewed state-specific leases, unlimited electronic signatures, in-app messaging, maintenance tracking, and live phone support for $0 per month.
Stessa charges $15 per lease document on its free plan and gates electronic signatures, Schedule E tax reports, and live phone support behind its Manage and Pro plans.
Does Avail Do Everything Stessa Does?
Avail handles the complete operational tenant lifecycle, including vacancy marketing across 19+ platforms, tenant screening, legal lease generation, rent collection, and maintenance tracking. Stessa provides similar core operational tools, but adds automated bank data feeds, high-yield landlord banking, and balance sheet metrics.
Avail includes a free Rental Property accounting tool for tracking property transactions, but does not provide direct automated bank syncing.
Can I Use Avail And Stessa Together?
Yes, many real estate investors pair Avail and Stessa. Landlords use Avail for front-end tenant operations — advertising listings across 19+ sites, screening applicants, executing lawyer-reviewed leases, and collecting rent — while linking their Avail-connected bank account to Stessa for automated bank feeds and Schedule E tax accounting.
Simplify Your Rental Operations With Avail
Managing your rental portfolio does not require juggling disjointed tools or paying steep annual software fees. Avail gives you the marketing reach, lawyer-reviewed legal protections, and automated payment systems needed to save time and manage your properties with confidence.
Create a free Avail account to syndicate your listings, screen prospective tenants, and collect rent online effortlessly.
- Advertise your rental online
- Collect rent online and more
- Access lawyer-reviewed lease agreements