Avail 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 Avail. Who each fits: First-time or small landlords (1-5 units) who want a polished free end-to-end tool and may selectively upgrade single units to Plus. 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 | per unit | flat |
| Plans | Unlimited — $0/mo Free, unlimited units: listings on 19 sites, applications/screening, state-specific leases with e-sign, rent collection (tenant pays $2.50/ACH), maintenance tracking, income/expense tracking Unlimited Plus — $9/mo $9/unit/month; waived tenant ACH fees, next-day FastPay payouts, custom applications and lease clauses, lease cloning, property marketing website, 2x faster support | 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 | — | Pay annually and Manage drops $15 to $12/mo, Pro $35 to $28/mo (~20% off) |
| Tenant screening | Varies by state law; paid by the applicant most commonly, though the landlord can choose to cover it | $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
Avail
For- Free tier covers the entire rental cycle for unlimited units, including state-specific lawyer-reviewed leases
- Backed by Realtor.com — listings syndicate to 19 sites including the Realtor.com network
- Simple, transparent upgrade: one $9/unit/mo Plus tier, no contracts
- Screening costs are applicant-paid by default
- Free plan pushes a $2.50 ACH fee per rent payment onto tenants (3.5% for cards on any plan)
- Next-day payouts, custom leases, and waived ACH fees are all locked behind Plus
- $9/unit/mo scales badly past a handful of units versus flat-fee competitors
- Accounting is basic income/expense tracking, not real bookkeeping
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 Avail cheaper than Stessa?
Avail has a free plan; paid tiers start at $9/mo (per unit). 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: Avail Varies by state law; paid by the applicant most commonly, though the landlord can choose to cover it; Stessa $29 credit report or background check, $49 complete package via RentPrep; landlord or applicant can pay.
What does Avail have that Stessa doesn't?
Avail: nothing at the checklist level. Stessa: Integrated banking.
Which is better for a small landlord with 1–5 units?
First-time or small landlords (1-5 units) who want a polished free end-to-end tool and may selectively upgrade single units to Plus. 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.