TurboTenant vs Avail (2026): Best Free Landlord Software?
TurboTenant and Avail are the two most popular free property management platforms for small landlords. Here's an honest breakdown of which one is actually better.
TurboTenant offers more features for free and a better mobile experience; Avail wins on state-specific lease templates and landlord-tenant legal resources.
TurboTenant and Avail are the two names that come up in every “best free landlord software” search. Both are legitimately free for landlords (they monetize through tenant screening fees and paid upgrades). Both handle the core jobs — listing vacancies, screening tenants, signing leases, and collecting rent.
But they’re not interchangeable. TurboTenant has evolved into a more feature-rich platform with better mobile tools and a dedicated landlord bank account. Avail (now owned by Realtor.com) has leaned into its legal strength — offering the best state-specific lease templates in the industry.
The right choice depends on what you actually need most.
Quick Verdict
| TurboTenant | Avail | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Feature-rich free management | State-specific leases & legal resources |
| Free plan | Yes (very generous) | Yes (solid basics) |
| Paid tier | ~$15/month (Premium) | ~$9/unit/month (Unlimited Plus) |
| Tenant screening | TransUnion, $45 (paid by tenant) | TransUnion, $30–$45 (paid by tenant) |
| Lease templates | Basic (generic) | Attorney-reviewed, state-specific (all 50 states) |
| Rent collection | Free ACH + landlord bank account | Free ACH |
| Mobile app | Excellent (4.7★) | Functional (3.9★) |
| Listing syndication | Zillow, Trulia, Apartments.com, 20+ sites | Realtor.com, Zillow, Apartments.com |
Choose TurboTenant if: You want the most complete free platform with modern UX and a mobile-first experience.
Choose Avail if: You need state-specific, attorney-reviewed lease templates and strong legal resources.
TurboTenant Overview
TurboTenant launched in 2015 and has grown rapidly by offering one of the most generous free tiers in landlord software. Over 700,000 landlords use the platform. In 2024, TurboTenant added its own banking product and expanded its premium tier, but the free plan still covers the vast majority of what small landlords need.
What TurboTenant Does Well
The free plan is genuinely best-in-class. Listing syndication to 20+ sites, tenant screening (tenants pay), online rent collection via ACH, maintenance request tracking, and lease e-signing — all free. Most competitors gate at least one of these behind a paywall.
Landlord banking is a real differentiator. TurboTenant’s dedicated landlord bank account lets you keep security deposits separate automatically, earn interest on reserves, and issue virtual property cards. Rent collected through TurboTenant lands directly in this account, already tagged to the right property.
Mobile experience is polished. TurboTenant’s app is rated 4.7 stars and covers nearly everything the web version does — from reviewing screening reports to approving maintenance requests. For landlords who manage on the go, this matters.
Listing syndication is extensive. Post once, syndicate to Zillow, Trulia, Apartments.com, Rent.com, and 20+ other sites. Avail syndicates to fewer channels.
Maintenance tracking is robust. Photo uploads, vendor management, status tracking, and cost logging. Avail’s maintenance system is functional but significantly more basic.
Where TurboTenant Falls Short
- Lease templates are generic — not state-specific. If you’re in a state with complex landlord-tenant laws (California, New York, Massachusetts), you’ll need to customize or use a separate legal service.
- No built-in legal resources or landlord-tenant law guides.
- Premium tier ($15/month) required for lease e-signing and advanced features.
→ Try TurboTenant free — no credit card required
Avail Overview
Avail was acquired by Realtor.com in 2021, giving it access to a massive real estate ecosystem. Its core thesis: landlords shouldn’t need to be real estate experts to write a legally sound lease. Avail’s state-specific lease templates are its crown jewel, and the Realtor.com integration gives landlords a built-in listing advantage.
What Avail Does Well
State-specific lease templates are the best in the industry. Attorney-reviewed templates for all 50 states, with clauses that reflect current local landlord-tenant laws. For a first-time landlord in California or New York, this alone could save hundreds in legal fees and potential compliance headaches.
Legal resources are comprehensive. Avail maintains a library of landlord-tenant law guides, eviction process overviews, and compliance checklists by state. TurboTenant has a blog; Avail has a legal reference library.
Realtor.com integration means your vacancies can reach Realtor.com’s 100M+ monthly visitors alongside Zillow and Apartments.com. This is a meaningful distribution advantage for vacancy marketing.
The free tier is solid. Online rent collection (ACH), tenant screening, maintenance tracking, and listing syndication are all available free. The core experience works well for landlords with 1–10 units.
Custom lease clauses let you add property-specific rules (pet policies, parking, shared spaces) on top of the state-specific base template with guided prompts.
Where Avail Falls Short
- Mobile app lags behind the web experience — rated 3.9 stars vs. TurboTenant’s 4.7.
- No dedicated banking product — rent collection goes to your existing bank account.
- Paid tier pricing ($9/unit/month) gets expensive quickly for multi-unit landlords. A 10-unit landlord pays $90/month vs. TurboTenant’s flat $15/month.
- Maintenance tracking is more basic — no vendor management or cost tracking.
- Listing syndication covers fewer sites overall than TurboTenant.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
Tenant Screening
Both use TransUnion for background and credit checks. Both charge tenants $30–$45 for full reports. TurboTenant’s reports include a slightly more detailed credit breakdown and income verification integration. Avail’s reports are solid but more basic.
Winner: Slight edge to TurboTenant — more detailed reports and income verification.
Lease Agreements
This is where Avail pulls ahead decisively. Avail offers attorney-reviewed, state-specific lease templates for all 50 states, with guided clause customization. TurboTenant has lease templates, but they’re generic and require more manual customization for legal compliance.
Winner: Avail — significantly better if you need legally robust leases, especially in tenant-friendly states.
Rent Collection
Both offer free ACH rent collection. TurboTenant’s landlord bank account is a meaningful upgrade — dedicated accounts per property, automatic security deposit separation, and interest on reserves. Avail collects rent to your existing bank account with no added banking features.
Winner: TurboTenant — the dedicated landlord account adds real, practical value.
Vacancy Marketing
TurboTenant syndicates to 20+ sites including Zillow, Trulia, Apartments.com, and Rent.com. Avail syndicates to fewer sites but includes Realtor.com (100M+ monthly visitors), which TurboTenant doesn’t have.
Winner: Tie — TurboTenant has more channels; Avail has Realtor.com exclusivity.
Maintenance Tracking
TurboTenant has a more robust system with photo uploads, vendor management, status tracking, and cost logging. Avail’s is functional for basic request tracking but lacks vendor management and cost association.
Winner: TurboTenant — meaningfully better for landlords who want to track costs and vendors.
Mobile Experience
TurboTenant’s mobile app (4.7★ on iOS) is polished and covers nearly the full feature set. Avail’s app (3.9★) handles the basics but has historically lagged behind its web experience.
Winner: TurboTenant — clearly better mobile experience.
Pricing
| Plan | TurboTenant | Avail |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Listings, screening, ACH rent, maintenance | Listings, screening, ACH rent, maintenance |
| Paid | ~$15/month flat (all properties) | ~$9/unit/month |
| 5 units paid cost | $15/month | $45/month |
| 10 units paid cost | $15/month | $90/month |
| Paid features | E-signing, priority support, premium reports | FastPay (same-day rent), custom branding |
Winner: TurboTenant — flat pricing is dramatically better value for multi-unit landlords.
Who Should Choose TurboTenant?
✅ Landlords who want the most features for free — TurboTenant’s free tier is the most generous in the market.
✅ Multi-unit landlords — Flat pricing means 1 unit or 50 units costs the same on the paid plan.
✅ Mobile-first managers — If you manage from your phone, TurboTenant’s app is significantly better.
✅ Landlords who want integrated banking — The dedicated landlord bank account is a genuine competitive advantage.
Who Should Choose Avail?
✅ First-time landlords in complex states — If you’re in California, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, or any state with intricate landlord-tenant laws, Avail’s state-specific templates are worth their weight in gold.
✅ Landlords building their first lease from scratch — Avail’s guided lease builder walks you through every clause with explanations of what each one means.
✅ Landlords who value the Realtor.com ecosystem — Built-in listing to Realtor.com’s massive audience is a meaningful vacancy marketing advantage.
✅ Single-property landlords — Avail’s per-unit pricing is reasonable at low unit counts, and the legal resources are valuable when you’re learning.
Can You Use Both?
Not easily — unlike Stessa + Baselane (which serve different functions), TurboTenant and Avail are direct competitors covering the same workflow. Pick one as your primary platform.
Pro tip: If you choose TurboTenant for its superior features but need state-specific lease clauses, consider using Avail’s free tier solely for its lease template builder, then managing everything else in TurboTenant.
Final Verdict
For most small landlords, TurboTenant is the better choice. It does more for free, has a dramatically better mobile app, and the landlord banking feature is genuinely useful. The flat pricing on the paid tier is far more affordable than Avail’s per-unit model once you grow past 2–3 units.
Avail wins if your primary concern is legal compliance. Its state-specific lease templates are the best in the industry, and for a first-time landlord in a tenant-friendly state, that legal foundation is worth the tradeoff in features.
→ Try TurboTenant free | → Try Avail free
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