Innago vs Avail (2026): Which Free Landlord Software Is Right for You?
Innago and Avail both offer free property management software for DIY landlords — but they're built around different priorities. Here's a detailed comparison of features, lease tools, screening, and pricing.
Innago is the stronger everyday platform for most landlords — genuinely free, lower tenant screening costs, better automation, and phone support included. Avail wins decisively on state-specific lease compliance, making it the right pick for first-time landlords or anyone in a tenant-friendly state who needs legally sound lease templates.
Innago and Avail are two of the most recommended free property management tools for independent landlords. Both are legitimately free for landlords, both handle the core workflow — listings, tenant applications, screening, rent collection, and lease signing — and both make their money primarily through tenant-side fees and paid upgrades rather than charging the landlord.
They’re also built around meaningfully different priorities.
Innago is a no-premium-tier platform. There is no paid plan and no upsell pressure. Everything is free for landlords, and the platform earns revenue from optional tenant fees (screening, card payments) and add-ons like renter’s insurance. That model produces a clean, feature-complete free experience with surprisingly strong tools — including unlimited e-signatures, automated rent collection, and phone support.
Avail is backed by Realtor.com (acquired 2021) and has leaned into its legal strength. Its attorney-reviewed, state-specific lease templates for all 50 states are the best in the industry. For a first-time landlord navigating complex state landlord-tenant laws, Avail’s guided lease builder and legal resource library can save real money and headaches. It also offers a paid Unlimited Plus tier for landlords who want additional features.
Here’s a detailed breakdown to help you choose.
Quick Verdict
| Innago | Avail | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Free platform with no upsell, lease flexibility | State-specific leases, legal compliance |
| Landlord cost | Always free (no paid tier) | Free / ~$9/unit/month (Unlimited Plus) |
| Tenant screening cost | ~$30–$35 (paid by tenant) | ~$30–$45 (paid by tenant) |
| Lease templates | Custom, fully editable | Attorney-reviewed, state-specific (all 50 states) |
| E-signatures | Unlimited, free | Limited on free; unlimited on paid |
| Listing syndication | Zillow, Apartments.com + partners | Zillow, Apartments.com, Realtor.com |
| Realtor.com listings | No | Yes (100M+ monthly visitors) |
| Rent collection | ACH free; automated late fees | ACH free; same-day payout on paid tier |
| Maintenance tracking | Structured request tracking | Basic request communication |
| Mobile app | Available | Available (3.9★ iOS) |
| Phone support | Yes, included free | No (email/chat only) |
| Legal resource library | No | Yes (state-specific guides) |
| Best portfolio size | 1–25 units | 1–15 units (per-unit pricing scales up) |
Choose Innago if: You want a completely free platform, lower tenant screening costs, unlimited e-signatures, phone support, and automated rent collection — with no pressure to ever upgrade.
Choose Avail if: You’re in a tenant-friendly state and need attorney-reviewed, state-specific lease templates to ensure legal compliance, or you value the Realtor.com listing integration.
Methodology
PickStack evaluates property management software on six criteria: pricing transparency, tenant screening quality and cost, listing distribution reach, rent collection reliability, lease management flexibility, and support quality. We review publicly available feature documentation, pricing pages, and user feedback from sources including Reddit’s r/landlord and r/realestateinvesting communities. We do not accept paid placements or rank products based on affiliate relationships.
Feature Comparison
Tenant Screening
Both Innago and Avail use TransUnion to power their background and credit checks. Reports from both platforms cover the core elements landlords need: credit history, criminal background check, and eviction records.
Innago charges tenants approximately $30–$35 for a full screening package. That is among the lowest prices for TransUnion-powered screening in this market segment. Lower screening costs reduce friction for qualified applicants who may be applying to multiple properties — important in markets where the best tenants have choices.
Avail charges tenants $30–$45 for screening, depending on the report tier selected. The basic Avail screening report is comparable in scope to Innago’s; the higher-cost option adds additional data. For many applicants, costs land near Innago’s range, but the ceiling is higher.
Winner: Innago — marginally lower and more predictable screening costs for tenants, with equivalent report quality at the base tier.
Lease Templates and Legal Compliance
This is Avail’s clearest competitive advantage. Avail offers attorney-reviewed, state-specific lease templates for all 50 states. Each template reflects current local landlord-tenant law for that state, with guided prompts that walk landlords through each clause — explaining what it means and what it governs. For a first-time landlord in California, New York, Illinois, or any state with detailed tenant protections, this is genuinely valuable.
Avail also allows custom clause additions on top of the base state template — pet policies, parking rules, shared-space guidelines — through a structured, guided process.
Innago’s lease builder is flexible and fully customizable: landlords can create templates from scratch, add their own clauses, and adjust terms per property or per tenant. Unlimited e-signatures are included free. The flexibility is real, but the templates are not attorney-reviewed or state-specific. Landlords in complex states need to verify compliance themselves or use a separate legal resource.
Winner: Avail — attorney-reviewed, state-specific templates are a meaningful legal safeguard. For landlords who need confidence their lease is legally compliant in their state, Avail has no equal at this price.
E-Signatures
Innago includes unlimited e-signatures for free. There is no per-document limit, no monthly cap, and no upgrade required. Leases and addenda can all be signed digitally without restriction.
Avail’s free tier limits the number of e-signature documents per month. Unlimited e-signatures are unlocked on the paid Unlimited Plus plan ($9/unit/month). For a landlord with multiple units or frequent lease renewals, this cap is a real friction point on the free tier.
Winner: Innago — unlimited e-signatures at no cost.
Vacancy Marketing and Listing Distribution
Avail’s Realtor.com integration is a meaningful differentiator. Realtor.com attracts over 100 million monthly visitors — a distribution channel no other free landlord platform (including Innago and TurboTenant) offers. Avail also syndicates to Zillow and Apartments.com, which covers most of the remaining high-volume rental search traffic.
Innago syndicates to Zillow and Apartments.com but does not include Realtor.com. Innago has not published a comprehensive list of all partner syndication sites, and its overall distribution network is narrower than Avail’s.
For landlords in markets where Realtor.com drives meaningful rental leads, Avail’s listing integration is a genuine advantage. In most markets, Zillow and Apartments.com together capture the large majority of qualified rental applicants — but having Realtor.com in addition is not nothing.
Winner: Avail — the Realtor.com integration gives Avail a listing distribution edge.
Online Rent Collection
Both platforms support free ACH bank transfers for rent collection. Neither charges landlords or tenants for standard ACH payments.
Innago includes automated late fee application, recurring payment reminders, partial payment controls, and a tenant-facing portal — all on the free plan. The automation is more complete out of the box and requires no upgrade to access. Landlords who want hands-off rent collection without manual follow-up will find Innago’s tooling more capable at the free tier.
Avail offers solid ACH rent collection on the free plan, with the tenant portal covering the basics. The paid Unlimited Plus tier unlocks FastPay, which routes rent to your bank account within one business day rather than the standard 2–5 day ACH window. For landlords who want faster access to rent funds, this is the only same-day-adjacent payout option at this price tier.
Winner: Innago for free-tier automation depth; Avail for paid-tier payout speed. For landlords staying on the free plan, Innago is more complete.
Maintenance Management
Innago provides a structured maintenance request module on the free plan. Tenants submit requests through the tenant portal with descriptions and photos attached. Landlords can track open requests, communicate with tenants, update status, and maintain a log of resolved issues. It is not the most advanced system available (DoorLoop and Buildium offer more), but it is functional and included at no cost.
Avail’s maintenance tracking is more basic. The platform supports maintenance request communication through the tenant portal but does not offer the same structured request-to-resolution workflow. Landlords managing multiple units or tracking recurring issues will find Innago’s system more useful.
Winner: Innago — better maintenance workflow at the free tier.
Customer Support
Innago includes email and phone support on the free plan. Phone support availability from a free-tier landlord platform is unusual and meaningful — most competitors reserve live phone access for paid subscribers. Innago’s response times are generally reported as responsive (live during business hours by phone, email responses within a few hours).
Avail offers email and chat support. There is no phone support option on either the free or paid tier. For landlords who prefer direct voice communication for complex issues, this is a notable gap.
Winner: Innago — phone support at no cost is a real differentiator.
Legal Resources
Avail maintains a library of state-specific landlord-tenant law guides, eviction process overviews, required disclosure checklists, and compliance resources. These are not just marketing blog posts — they are structured legal reference materials organized by state. For a new landlord learning the rules in their jurisdiction, this library has practical value.
Innago does not offer a comparable legal resource library.
Winner: Avail — clear advantage for landlords who want in-platform legal guidance.
Pricing Breakdown
Innago
| Plan | Price | What’s Included |
|---|---|---|
| Free (only plan) | $0/month | Listings, applications, tenant screening (tenant-paid ~$30–$35), ACH rent collection, automated late fees, lease builder, unlimited e-signatures, maintenance tracking, phone + email support |
Innago has no paid tier. There is no premium plan, no feature gating, and no upsell. The platform earns revenue from optional tenant-side fees (screening charges, card processing) and landlord add-ons such as renter’s insurance referrals. For landlords, the entire platform is free permanently.
Avail
| Plan | Price | What’s Included |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/month | Listings (Zillow, Realtor.com, Apartments.com), tenant screening (tenant-paid ~$30–$45), ACH rent collection, state-specific lease templates, maintenance tracking |
| Unlimited Plus | ~$9/unit/month | Unlimited e-signatures, FastPay same-day rent, custom applications, waived ACH fees, expedited support |
Avail’s per-unit pricing scales with your portfolio. A 5-unit landlord on the paid plan pays ~$45/month; a 10-unit landlord pays ~$90/month. For multi-unit landlords, this pricing model is expensive compared to platforms with flat-rate paid tiers.
Pros and Cons
Innago
Pros:
- Genuinely free with no premium tier — no upsell, no feature gating
- Lower, more predictable tenant screening costs (~$30–$35)
- Unlimited e-signatures included at no cost
- Automated rent collection with late fees, reminders, and partial payment controls
- Structured maintenance request tracking
- Phone support available on the free plan
- Clean, low-friction interface
Cons:
- No attorney-reviewed or state-specific lease templates
- No legal resource library for landlords navigating complex state laws
- No Realtor.com listing integration
- Narrower overall listing distribution network
- No dedicated landlord banking product
- Smaller user community and less third-party documentation
Avail
Pros:
- Best-in-class state-specific lease templates (attorney-reviewed, all 50 states)
- Realtor.com listing integration (100M+ monthly visitors)
- Comprehensive legal resource library by state
- Guided lease builder with clause-by-clause explanations
- Backed by Realtor.com’s real estate ecosystem
- FastPay same-day rent option on paid tier
Cons:
- E-signatures limited on the free plan; unlimited requires paid upgrade
- Per-unit pricing ($9/unit/month) gets expensive for multi-unit landlords
- No phone support on any plan
- Mobile app has lower ratings than competitors (3.9★)
- Maintenance tracking is more basic than Innago’s
- Free-tier rent collection automation is less complete than Innago’s
Who Should Choose Each Platform?
Innago is right for you if:
- You want a 100% free platform with no upgrade pressure or feature gating
- Lower tenant screening costs matter (fewer applicants dropping off at the screening step)
- You need unlimited e-signatures and solid lease customization without paying
- You want phone support available without a paid plan
- Your state’s landlord-tenant laws are relatively straightforward, or you already have a lease template you trust
- Your portfolio is 1–20 units and you want the most capable free tool available
Avail is right for you if:
- You’re in a state with complex landlord-tenant laws (California, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, Washington) and need legally sound lease templates
- You’re a first-time landlord who wants guided, attorney-reviewed lease documents to reduce compliance risk
- You want the Realtor.com listing integration for additional vacancy marketing reach
- You want access to a legal resource library organized by state
- Your portfolio is small enough that per-unit pricing remains reasonable
Our Recommendation
For most independent landlords, Innago is the stronger daily-use platform. It offers more automation and better tooling for free than Avail’s free tier — with phone support, automated rent collection, unlimited e-signatures, and lower tenant screening costs. The fact that there is no paid tier removes any concern about feature creep or upgrade pressure.
Avail’s advantage is specific and real: if you are in a tenant-friendly state and are building or reviewing your lease from scratch, Avail’s attorney-reviewed, state-specific templates are the best available in this price range. The cost of a legally flawed lease — in disputes, court costs, or failed evictions — far exceeds whatever inconvenience Avail’s e-signature limits create.
A practical approach for many landlords: use Avail’s free tier solely to generate or reference your state-specific lease, then use Innago for day-to-day management. Both platforms allow a free account, and using Avail’s lease builder as a reference document doesn’t require managing the full workflow there.
If you only want one platform: Innago for its complete, genuinely free feature set. Avail if lease compliance is your primary concern.
Try Innago Free | Try Avail Free
FAQ
Is Innago really free — no credit card required? Yes. Innago has no paid plan and does not require a credit card to sign up. The platform earns revenue from optional tenant fees (screening, card processing) and landlord add-ons like renter’s insurance. Landlords pay nothing to use the core platform.
Does Avail’s state-specific lease matter if I’m using my own template? If you already have an attorney-reviewed lease for your state, Avail’s template advantage is less relevant. The templates matter most for landlords who don’t have an existing compliant lease and don’t want to pay a real estate attorney to draft one. Avail’s free templates can be a meaningful substitute.
Can I switch from Avail to Innago without losing data? Neither platform offers a direct migration tool. Lease documents, tenant records, and payment history would need to be manually migrated or re-entered. Most landlords make the switch between tenancies to minimize disruption.
Which platform is better for landlords with 1–3 units? Both are well-suited for micro-landlords. Innago’s fully free model and lower tenant screening costs make it slightly more attractive at very small scale. Avail’s free tier is also solid for 1–3 units, and the state-specific lease templates add disproportionate value for first-time landlords regardless of portfolio size.
Does Avail still offer Realtor.com listings after the acquisition? Yes. Avail was acquired by Realtor.com in 2021, and the Realtor.com listing integration remains active and is a continuing advantage for Avail users looking to maximize vacancy marketing reach.
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PickStack researches and tests tools independently. Some links may be affiliate links — we only recommend tools we’d use ourselves.