TurboTenant is cheaper for basic leasing and rent collection at 1 to 60 doors because its Free plan costs $0 and its paid Essentials bands undercut TenantCloud's entry plans. TenantCloud fits landlords who need accounting with bank reconciliation and owner reporting, available on Pro at $600 a year. Compare the required features before treating a lower subscription as a complete replacement.
If a vacancy started this search, you can list it on RentPlace for $39 a month and receive inquiries with move-in date, income band and pets already answered while choosing your back office. You can also grade your listing before paying to publish it.
The short answer
TurboTenant Free suits a landlord keeping separate books, while Essentials adds state-specific leases for $149, $199 or $299 a year across the bands through 60 doors. TenantCloud's cheapest capacity-matched plans cost $180, $350 or $600, less than TurboTenant Pro at $199, $399 or $699. That capacity comparison does not make their features equal, since TenantCloud reserves reconciliation and owner tools for Pro.
The source tables are our TenantCloud pricing breakdown and TurboTenant pricing bands. TenantCloud counts leases, with unlimited properties and units. TurboTenant counts doors. A vacant unit therefore needs a different capacity check from an occupied unit with a lease.
What each platform charges line by line
Separate your subscription from applicant charges and tenant payment fees. TurboTenant's former Premium tier is now Pro in our pricing source. Essentials is the cheaper paid tier, and paying for it does not waive tenant ACH charges.
| Charge | TenantCloud | TurboTenant | Who pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic subscription | Starter $180 yearly, 10 leases | Free $0 | Landlord |
| Higher annual subscriptions | Growth $350, 30 leases; Pro $600, 60 leases | Essentials $149 / $199 / $299; Pro $199 / $399 / $699 for 1 to 10 / 11 to 30 / 31 to 60 doors | Landlord |
| Monthly billing | Starter $25, Growth $35, Pro $60 | Paid plans billed annually only | Landlord |
| Business subscription | From $100 a month, custom lease capacity and quote | Autopilot management has a separate unpublished quote | Landlord |
| Screening report | $40 Full Check | $55 Free, $45 Essentials or Pro | Applicant |
| Income verification | $10 screening add-on | Included on Pro | TenantCloud applicant; TurboTenant landlord through subscription |
| ACH rent payment | $1.95 Starter, $1.75 Growth, $1.50 Pro; custom Business | $2 Free or Essentials, $0 Pro | Tenant, per payment |
| Credit or debit card rent | 3.5% plus $0.30 | 3.49% on every plan | Tenant, per payment |
| Listings and syndication | Included | Included on Free | Included in landlord plan |
| Trial and setup | 14-day trial, no setup fee | Permanent Free plan available | No charge for the stated access |
| Optional rent reporting | No separate price in our source | $4.99 a month, opt-in | TurboTenant tenant |
| Standalone tenant placement | No separate price in our source | $1,500 once | TurboTenant landlord |
TenantCloud's source notes an older $18 Starter monthly block, but its plan card and checkout support $25, which is the budget used here. Crossing its lease caps adds $170 yearly at the 11th lease and $250 at the 31st. Business team add-ons and premium features affect the quote, so the starting price is not a final bill.
TurboTenant includes unlimited state-specific leases and addenda on Essentials and Pro. If you pay TurboTenant for those templates, compare your document workflow with software that keeps every signed lease and addendum in one place before buying a separate tool for the same filing work.
Yearly landlord cost at 1 to 60 doors
Assume one active lease per door and choose the cheapest TenantCloud plan that covers that lease count. TurboTenant Free is its cheapest qualifying plan at every size; Essentials is shown as the cheapest paid option, with Pro alongside for comparison. These US dollar totals exclude taxes, optional services and renter fees. Annual billing is used unless the column says otherwise.
| Doors | TenantCloud annual minimum | TenantCloud monthly billing for a year | TurboTenant Free minimum | TurboTenant Essentials | TurboTenant Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Starter $180 | $300 | $0 | $149 | $199 |
| 5 | Starter $180 | $300 | $0 | $149 | $199 |
| 10 | Starter $180 | $300 | $0 | $149 | $199 |
| 20 | Growth $350 | $420 | $0 | $199 | $399 |
| 30 | Growth $350 | $420 | $0 | $199 | $399 |
| 60 | Pro $600 | $720 | $0 | $299 | $699 |
Monthly TenantCloud totals are $25, $35 or $60 multiplied by 12. At 20 doors, Growth saves $49 against TurboTenant Pro, but TurboTenant Essentials saves $151 against Growth. If reconciliation is required, TenantCloud Pro costs $600 even at 20 doors. Do not use the minimum-capacity column as a quote for that feature.
At ten occupied doors, Starter saves $19 against TurboTenant Pro but costs $31 more than Essentials. That small subscription difference should send you back to the feature list. If your accountant already handles reconciliation elsewhere, paying for another reconciliation tool may add little. If you manage for owners and need distributions, the relevant TenantCloud price is Pro. Write the required plan beside each task before comparing the final invoices.
Tenant ACH cost on $1,800 monthly rent
Each tenant pays $21,600 in rent over 12 months. Assume one ACH payment each month, with no screening or optional rent reporting. The payment fee is flat, so the rent amount does not change it.
| Landlord plan | Fee per payment | Tenant fees for 12 payments | Rent plus fees for the year |
|---|---|---|---|
| TenantCloud Starter | $1.95 | $23.40 | $21,623.40 |
| TenantCloud Growth | $1.75 | $21.00 | $21,621.00 |
| TenantCloud Pro | $1.50 | $18.00 | $21,618.00 |
| TurboTenant Free or Essentials | $2.00 | $24.00 | $21,624.00 |
| TurboTenant Pro | $0 | $0 | $21,600.00 |
TenantCloud Business needs a custom ACH quote. Cards stay expensive on both platforms even after a landlord upgrade. At $1,800, TenantCloud's card fee is $63.30 per payment and TurboTenant's is $62.82. Keep those charges separate from the subscription when explaining payment options to a tenant.
Across ten occupied Starter leases, tenants pay $234 yearly in ACH fees, alongside your $180 subscription. That is $414 shared across landlord and tenants, against $199 for TurboTenant Pro with no tenant ACH fee. At 60 occupied leases, TenantCloud Pro plus tenant ACH fees totals $1,680, against $699 for TurboTenant Pro. Those combined figures do not all come from your pocket. They show why the cheaper landlord subscription can still leave the building paying more overall.
Where TenantCloud is the better buy
TenantCloud Pro makes the stronger accounting case when you need bank reconciliation, tax reports and an owner portal with distributions and management fees. At 60 leases it costs $600 against TurboTenant Pro's $699, while offering those management workflows. For simpler landlord accounting below 31 doors, TurboTenant Pro costs less than TenantCloud Pro.
Growth gives a growing lease book room up to 30 leases, plus inspections, a team member and a second bank account. Pro takes 60 leases and nine bank accounts. Ask whether ended or pending leases count before importing. The TenantCloud review for landlords explains the practical limits. If you expect to exceed 60 leases, request Business terms during the trial rather than budgeting only its $100 monthly starting price.
Where TurboTenant is the better buy
TurboTenant Free fits one or two units when your books already live elsewhere. Listings, syndication, applications, screening access, rent collection and maintenance requests cost the landlord nothing. Essentials adds state-specific leases, addenda, phone support and faster payouts without buying Pro. Paid ACH payouts take 2 to 4 business days against 5 to 7 on Free.
That is a useful leasing package, not a reason to assume every portal carries your ad. TurboTenant does not publish directly on Zillow, so check placement before relying on syndication alone. Read our TurboTenant review for landlords for the workflow limits. If you need a broader management suite, the DoorLoop vs TurboTenant comparison separates owner accounting from ordinary landlord leasing.
What neither does with the inquiries
Neither subscription guarantees that a vacancy inquiry arrives with enough information to arrange a showing. Listing syndication brings messages; a full application and paid screening happen later. You still need move-in timing, household details and lease preferences before deciding which conversation to continue.
RentPlace asks for move-in date, income band, occupants, pets and lease length before the inquiry sends. Use TenantCloud or TurboTenant for the lease and rent, and RentPlace for that earlier vacancy work. The Landlord plan is $39 a month, with plan details on the RentPlace pricing page. Inquiry answers are renter statements, not verified screening reports.
How to decide this week
Count active leases and doors separately, then write down the features you actually use each month. Test TenantCloud's 14-day trial on the plan carrying those features. If you need owner reporting, run that workflow on Pro. Try TurboTenant Free for applications and rent, then price Essentials for leases or Pro for accounting and waived ACH fees.
Confirm the next capacity band, renewal bill, tenant payment charges and payout timing before importing everything. Choose from a completed task and a full yearly cost, rather than the monthly equivalent printed above an annual checkout.
For the trial, follow a lease from application through signing and the first rent payment setup. Check which documents you can reuse and where the signed copy lives. Then ask support to confirm how your next lease or door changes the bill. Keep those answers with your comparison before selecting annual billing.
TenantCloud vs TurboTenant questions landlords ask
Is TenantCloud cheaper than TurboTenant?
TenantCloud is cheaper than TurboTenant Pro on minimum capacity pricing, $180 versus $199 through 10 doors, $350 versus $399 through 30, and $600 versus $699 through 60. TurboTenant Free and Essentials cost less. TenantCloud's cheaper plans do not include every Pro feature, so compare required tools before choosing.
Does TenantCloud have a free plan?
No. TenantCloud offers a 14-day trial on every plan, but no permanent free landlord tier. Starter costs $180 annually for up to 10 leases, or $25 billed monthly. Units are unlimited, while lease caps determine the plan. Tenants and applicants still pay payment and screening fees after you subscribe.
Which is better for a small landlord, TenantCloud or TurboTenant?
TurboTenant is the better starting point for a small landlord who needs listings, applications and rent collection without a subscription. TenantCloud fits better when reconciliation, owner reporting or a growing lease operation justify its paid plans. Compare tenant fees too, since only TurboTenant Pro removes the ACH payment charge.