RentSpree and TurboTenant both let a self-managing landlord list a unit, take applications, screen applicants and collect rent. They charge for it in very different shapes. TurboTenant has a plan that costs the landlord $0 and pushes the fees onto tenants, then sells flat yearly bands by portfolio size. RentSpree has a $0 plan too, but it takes $3 out of every recurring rent payment, and its paid plan is one flat price no matter how many doors you own.
Both are tools for running a tenancy, not for filling a vacancy faster. If an empty unit is the problem this month, list it on RentPlace for $39 a month so inquiries arrive with move-in date and income already answered, or score your ad first in the Listing Grader.
The short answer
On price, RentSpree Landlord PRO beats TurboTenant Pro from the first door: $83.88 a year, flat, against $199 for anything up to ten units and $699 at 50. The one exception is TurboTenant Free, which costs the landlord $0 where RentSpree Basic costs $36 a year per door in rent fees. TurboTenant also charges tenants more: $2 per bank payment on Free and $55 to apply, against $0 and $39.99 on RentSpree.
The full fee schedules sit on our RentSpree pricing and TurboTenant pricing pages. This article lines them up.
RentSpree vs TurboTenant pricing from 1 to 50 doors
Yearly cost to the landlord. RentSpree Basic is shown with the $3 recurring rent fee taken at twelve payments per door. Landlord PRO is billed annually. TurboTenant bills its paid plans annually only.
| Doors | RentSpree Basic | RentSpree Landlord PRO | TurboTenant Free | TurboTenant Essentials | TurboTenant Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $36 | $83.88 | $0 | $149 | $199 |
| 3 | $108 | $83.88 | $0 | $149 | $199 |
| 5 | $180 | $83.88 | $0 | $149 | $199 |
| 10 | $360 | $83.88 | $0 | $149 | $199 |
| 20 | $720 | $83.88 | $0 | $199 | $399 |
| 50 | $1,800 | $83.88 | $0 | $299 | $699 |
RentSpree publishes no unit cap on Landlord PRO, so the table assumes one flat price. Confirm at checkout that no cap applies to your account before you move a 50-door portfolio onto it. The gap between the two flat prices is the story: TurboTenant Pro costs $115 more at ten doors and $615 more at 50.
What tenants and applicants pay on each
The landlord's bill is half the comparison. Both companies earn from the other side of the tenancy, and here the gap runs the other way on the free plan.
| Fee | RentSpree | TurboTenant |
|---|---|---|
| Rent by bank transfer | $0 for the tenant | $2 per payment on Free, free on Pro, paid by the tenant |
| Rent by card | 3%, capped at $5,000 per transaction | 3.49%, paid by the tenant |
| Screening | $39.99 Standard, $49.99 with income verification | $55 per applicant on Free, $45 on Pro |
| Who pays screening | Applicant by default, landlord can choose before the request is sent | Applicant by default |
| Landlord rent fee | $3 per recurring payment on Basic, waived on either PRO plan | None |
On $1,800 of rent paid by card, a RentSpree tenant pays $54 and a TurboTenant tenant $62.82. A TurboTenant tenant paying by bank on the free plan hands over $24 a year, and a RentSpree tenant nothing. If your tenants talk to each other, that is a line they notice. Our TurboTenant review covers how landlords feel about passing those fees on.
The $3 rent fee, and when Landlord PRO pays for itself
Most comparison pages file RentSpree's processing fee under tenants. It is billed to the landlord, deducted from the payout, and it applies to every recurring payment. Twelve payments is $36 a door a year. One-time payment requests, such as a deposit or a pet fee, carry no fee.
That makes the break-even simple. Landlord PRO is $83.88 a year, so at three doors you would pay $108 in fees on Basic and the upgrade saves $24. At two doors, Basic costs $72 and is the cheaper choice unless you want the e-signatures, financial reports and phone support that PRO adds. On monthly billing at $107.88 the break-even is three doors almost exactly.
If you also bill owners or commercial tenants by invoice rather than card, a tool that chases overdue invoices by email and text covers the part of collections that rent-payment software does not.
Where TurboTenant is the better buy
- One or two doors and a $0 landlord bill. TurboTenant Free charges you nothing. RentSpree Basic costs $36 to $72 a year in rent fees.
- You want a done-for-you placement. TurboTenant sells a standalone tenant placement at a flat $1,500. RentSpree sells software, not placements.
- You are comfortable passing fees on. If tenants accept a $2 transfer fee, TurboTenant keeps your own cost at $0 at any portfolio size.
- You like fixed bands. Essentials at $149 is a known number up to ten units, with no per-payment fee for you.
Where RentSpree is the better buy
- Three doors or more. Landlord PRO is $83.88 flat, less than half of TurboTenant Pro from the first door.
- Tenants who should pay nothing for bank transfers. RentSpree never charges the renter for ACH.
- Cheaper applications. $39.99 against $45 or $55, with a landlord-pays option before screening starts.
- Zillow reach. RentSpree syndicates listings to Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, Rent.com and Redfin. See our Zillow Rental Manager vs TurboTenant pricing comparison for what that is worth.
RentSpree vs TurboTenant questions landlords ask
Is RentSpree cheaper than TurboTenant?
For paid plans, yes. RentSpree Landlord PRO is $83.88 a year flat, while TurboTenant Pro is $199 up to ten units. TurboTenant Free is the exception: it costs the landlord $0, where RentSpree Basic costs $3 per recurring rent payment. Applicants also pay less on RentSpree, $39.99 against $55 on TurboTenant Free.
Does RentSpree charge landlords?
Yes, in one place. Listings, applications and screening are free for the landlord, but each recurring rent payment on Basic costs $3 taken from the payout. Landlord PRO at $6.99 a month billed yearly waives it. One-time payment requests have no fee on any plan.
Is TurboTenant really free for landlords?
The free plan costs the landlord nothing, including rent collection. Tenants and applicants pay for it: $2 per bank payment, 3.49% by card and $55 per screening. Pro, at $199 a year for up to ten units, waives the bank fee and lowers screening to $45.
What neither one does for an empty unit
Both platforms syndicate your listing and hand you the leads. A lead is a name and a message. Deciding which of thirty to show the unit to still takes a phone call each, and a vacant $1,800 unit costs about $60 a day while you make them. That is the gap RentPlace fills: renters answer move-in date, income band, occupants, pets and lease length before their message can send, so you book showings only with people who fit.
Use it alongside either platform. The Landlord plan is $39 a month for up to five listings. If you are still pricing the stack, our Hemlane vs TurboTenant pricing comparison covers the repair-coordinator option, and the Baselane vs TurboTenant pricing comparison covers the bank-first one.