Stessa vs Baselane: 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 covers maintenance tracking, listing syndication, leases & e-sign — which Baselane doesn't. Who each fits: DIY rental investors who care most about accounting, taxes, and portfolio finances rather than heavy-duty tenant management. Financially-minded landlords who care most about banking, bookkeeping, and taxes and will pair it with other tools for leasing.
Pricing, side by side
| Starting price | Free tier | Free tier |
| Pricing model | flat | flat |
| Plans | 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 | Core — $0/mo Free: banking (unlimited checking/savings, tiered APY, debit cards), bookkeeping, rent collection, tax package Smart — $20/mo $20/mo, 30-day free trial; adds 2-day rent deposits, auto-tagging + receipt matching, balance sheet and cost-seg reports, shared role-based access, priority support |
| Annual discount | Pay annually and Manage drops $15 to $12/mo, Pro $35 to $28/mo (~20% off) | — |
| Tenant screening | $29 credit report or background check, $49 complete package via RentPrep; landlord or applicant can pay | From $24.99, paid by applicant |
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
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
Baselane
For- Only major landlord tool with real integrated banking — free checking/savings with tiered APY and virtual cards
- Best-in-class bookkeeping: auto-categorized transactions, Schedule E tax package
- Free core plan with no account, maintenance, or minimum-balance fees
- Tenant ACH fee waived when rent deposits into a Baselane account
- Not full property management software — no listings, leases, or maintenance tracking
- $2 ACH rent fee unless deposits go to Baselane banking (soft lock-in to their bank)
- 2-day deposits, advanced reports, and shared access all require the $20/mo Smart plan
- Banking is via fintech partner Thread Bank, not a direct chartered-bank relationship
Frequently asked questions
Is Stessa cheaper than Baselane?
Stessa has a free plan; paid tiers start at $12/mo (flat). Baselane has a free plan; paid tiers start at $20/mo (flat). Subscription price isn't the whole story — compare tenant-side ACH and screening fees too. Screening: Stessa $29 credit report or background check, $49 complete package via RentPrep; landlord or applicant can pay; Baselane From $24.99, paid by applicant.
What does Stessa have that Baselane doesn't?
Stessa: Maintenance tracking, Listing syndication, Leases & e-sign. Baselane: nothing at the checklist level.
Which is better for a small landlord with 1–5 units?
DIY rental investors who care most about accounting, taxes, and portfolio finances rather than heavy-duty tenant management. Financially-minded landlords who care most about banking, bookkeeping, and taxes and will pair it with other tools for leasing. If you're still unsure, start with whichever has the free tier — you can export your data and switch later.