RentSpree vs TurboTenant

The question with this pair is who pays for the screening report. RentSpree sells two reports at USD 39.99 and USD 49.99, and the applicant usually pays, while the landlord plan called Basic costs nothing. TurboTenant also has the applicant cover background, credit and eviction checks, with a free plan that allows unlimited listings and paid tiers that rise by units managed. Neither vendor names a country on its site. Pick RentSpree for the income-verified report and TurboTenant for a unit-based staircase, with listings on 25+ sites and no trial to manage.

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Both are reviewed in full in our tenant screening software ranking: RentSpree and TurboTenant.

1. 01

   Which report shows an applicant's income

   RentSpree's standard report costs USD 39.99 per applicant and covers credit, background and eviction, with no income verification. The fuller report at USD 49.99 adds bank-verified income and reference checks. TurboTenant lists background, credit and eviction checks, paid by the applicant, and its pricing page names no income check or reference check. A landlord who needs verified income, for instance for a first-time renter without a payslip, finds it spelled out only at RentSpree.

   Edge: RentSpree

2. 02

   What the first month costs a landlord

   On RentSpree the Basic plan is USD 0 a month with no credit card needed, and screening is paid per report, usually by the applicant. TurboTenant's free plan is USD 0 with, in its words, no fees or contracts, ever, and the applicant pays for the checks per the page. Both reach zero for the landlord on the day of signing up. TurboTenant adds a USD 199 Landlord Forms Pack on its free plan.

   Depends on the buyer

3. 03

   A monthly plan against a unit staircase

   Landlord PRO at RentSpree is USD 8.99 a month billed monthly or USD 6.99 billed annually, with a 30-day trial for which a card is required. TurboTenant says it has no trial. Its Essentials plan runs from USD 149 a year for 1 to 10 units to USD 349 for 61 or more, and Pro runs from USD 199 to USD 999 a year over the same bands. A landlord with 40 units pays USD 299 or 699 a year at TurboTenant.

   Edge: RentSpree

4. 04

   The USD 3 fee on each rent payment

   RentSpree charges landlords USD 3 per recurring rent payment by bank transfer, waived on Landlord PRO, and deposits are not covered by the waiver. Tenants pay nothing for bank transfer and 3% on cards. TurboTenant says it collects rent by autopay, names Stripe as a partner, and no fee for it appeared on the pages fetched. The two cannot be compared fairly on rent fees, so a buyer should ask TurboTenant for its rate.

   Depends on the buyer

5. 05

   Where a listing goes and how long review takes

   RentSpree syndicates listings to Zillow, Apartments.com and Trulia, and sends, signs and stores leases online, with deposits collected the same way. TurboTenant advertises on 25+ sites, allows unlimited listings on the free plan, and says free-plan listing pages are reviewed within 48 hours, with 24 hours on Essentials. For reach, TurboTenant puts the larger number on the page. For named portals RentSpree is more specific, and neither vendor prints a full site list.

   Edge: TurboTenant

6. 06

   Reporting rent and keeping the books

   RentSpree lets tenants opt in to on-time rent reporting to Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, and lists Schedule E and 1099 reporting for the landlord's tax return. TurboTenant lists income and expense tracking by property, plus maintenance requests, and a free plan limited to one connected bank account with manual transaction import, which suits a single property. Essentials adds automatic import, and Pro allows unlimited bank accounts. Tenant credit building is a RentSpree selling point, while bookkeeping detail is clearer at TurboTenant, so the round is a split.

   Depends on the buyer

Does either one ask for a card before I can start?

RentSpree's Basic plan needs no credit card, but the 30-day Landlord PRO trial does require one. TurboTenant says it has no trials, and its free plan is available forever. Neither asks for a card to open the free tier.

Where is each company based?

Neither vendor names a country anywhere we looked. TurboTenant's footer reads TurboTenant, LLC and Created in Sunny Colorado, with no owner or parent named. RentSpree names no address, country or parent company.

What does a landlord with 25 units pay on TurboTenant's paid plans?

That falls in the 11 to 30 unit band, so Essentials is USD 199 a year and Pro is USD 399 a year.

The page shows the annual figure and does not explain how it relates to the monthly from-prices of USD 12.42 and USD 16.58. Autopilot management has no stated price.

• RentSpree pricing page: report fees, Basic and Landlord PRO prices, card-required trial and the USD 3 payment fee waiver.
• RentSpree home page: Zillow, Apartments.com and Trulia syndication, e-signed leases, credit-bureau rent reporting and Schedule E reporting.
• TurboTenant pricing page: the free plan limits, unit-band annual tiers, Forms Pack price, no trial and Autopilot quote.
• TurboTenant home page: applicant-paid screening, listings on 25+ sites, autopay with Stripe and the TurboTenant, LLC footer.