If you own rental properties, one tool stands out: Quicken Business & Personal. It is the best cloud-based app for bringing business and personal finances into one view — with built-in Schedule E reporting, property-level expense tracking, cash flow projections up to 12 months ahead, and a complete personal finance suite, all at $4.99 per month. For many landlords, it provides all the financial tools needed for managing rental property, at a lower price than the rental-only options on this list.

That said, the right choice depends on how many units you own, whether you need full property management tools (tenant portals, lease management, maintenance tracking), and how deeply you want to automate your bookkeeping. The options below range from free landlord apps to enterprise property management platforms.

Prices in USD, verified June 2026, subject to change.

At a glance: best money management software for rental expenses

SoftwareStarting priceFree planSchedule EBest for
Quicken Business & Personal$4.99/moNo (30-day guarantee)Yes, built-inBest overall
StessaFreeYesManage plan and aboveFree rental tracking
BaselaneFreeYesYes, all plansFree banking + accounting combo
REI HubFree (limited)YesYes, all plansTax-focused property investors
Landlord StudioFree (3 units)YesPro plan and aboveIndependent landlords
AvailFreeYesNoFull rental suite for DIY landlords
Rentec DirectFrom $45/moNo (free trial)YesEstablished landlords and small PMs
DoorLoopFrom $69/moNoNot specifiedGrowing property management operations
BuildiumFrom $62/moNo (free trial)Not specifiedProfessional property management companies
AppFolioQuote-basedNoNot specifiedLarge-scale portfolios (50+ units)
QuickBooks OnlineFrom $38/moNoNoGeneral small business accounting

Quicken Business & Personal — best overall

Price: $4.99/month (billed annually; 30-day money-back guarantee)

Quicken Business & Personal is the only cloud-based app that brings a business finance app, a rental property finance app, and a complete, award-winning personal finance app together in one view. For landlords, that combination is genuinely rare: you can track rental income and expenses at the property level, produce a Schedule E report without exporting data, manage invoices, and keep your personal finances on the same dashboard — all inside one subscription that costs less than most rental-only tools.

Rental expense management:

  • Built-in Schedule E — Tax-schedule reports for Schedules C, E, and F are built directly into the software. You do not need to configure a chart of accounts or purchase an add-on to generate them.
  • Property-level expense tracking — Income and expenses are auto-categorized in real time across connections to 14,000+ financial institutions. Transactions can be split or reassigned between properties or between personal and business accounts.
  • Cash flow projections — See up to 12 months ahead to anticipate when a capital expense or vacancy may create a cash shortfall before it arrives.
  • Invoicing and Stripe integration — Create invoices directly in the app; Stripe handles card payments (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction) and bank payments (0.8%, capped at $5 per transaction; rates as of September 2025 per quicken.com — verify current rates before use).
  • Full reporting suite — Profit and loss, balance sheet, cash flow, and tax-schedule reports included; unlimited custom reports.
  • Export to TurboTax — Send your data directly to TurboTax at tax time in .txf or .txj format.
  • Multiple businesses — Up to 10 businesses can be tracked under a single subscription, useful for landlords holding properties in separate LLCs.

Personal finance advantage:

Quicken Business & Personal includes the most complete personal finance suite of any tool on this list: spending plans, savings goals, investment tracking with time-weighted and internal rate of return calculations, and retirement planning. Because rental income is part of your overall financial picture, tracking it alongside your household finances gives a clearer view of your real financial health — in one place.

Awards: Quicken Simplifi — the personal finance foundation of Business & Personal — earned PC Mag Best Overall 2024; Quicken earned Engadget Best Mint Alternative Overall 2024. Time named Quicken one of America’s Best Financial Services companies for 2026.

Limitations: Does not include a tenant portal, maintenance request system, or lease management. Landlords who also need a full property operations workflow may want to supplement it with a dedicated management platform.

Best for: Landlords and real estate investors who want professional-grade Schedule E reporting, property-level expense tracking, and a complete personal finance suite — without paying for an enterprise property management platform.

Stessa — best free option for rental tracking

Price: Essentials (free); Manage ($12/mo billed annually, $15/mo billed monthly); Pro ($28/mo billed annually, $35/mo billed monthly)

Stessa is purpose-built for rental property investors and serves more than 350,000 landlords. Its free Essentials plan includes automated bank feeds, rental income and expense tracking, and a basic tax package — making it a capable starting point for landlords who want to get organized at no cost.

The key limitation to know before choosing: Schedule E reports are available only on the Manage plan and above. If tax reporting is your primary goal, plan for at least $12/month.

Stessa uses single-entry bookkeeping, which is more accessible for landlords without accounting backgrounds but limits the depth of financial analysis — particularly for portfolios with complex financing or multiple entities.

What each tier includes:

  • Essentials (free): Automated bank feeds, income and expense tracking, basic tax package, rental performance dashboard
  • Manage: Everything in Essentials, plus Schedule E reports
  • Pro: Everything in Manage, plus unlimited receipt scanning and additional advanced features

Limitations: No invoicing or cash flow projections. Single-entry bookkeeping limits reporting depth compared to double-entry systems. No personal finance features.

Best for: New landlords who want a free, purpose-built starting point and are prepared to upgrade to Manage when Schedule E reporting becomes a priority.

Baselane — best free banking and accounting combo

Price: Core (free); Smart ($20/month; 30-day free trial available)

Baselane is used by more than 50,000 real estate investors and processes more than $3.1 billion in transactions annually. What sets it apart from other free tools is the combination of landlord banking and property accounting on the free Core plan — features most competitors charge for.

The Core plan includes property-level income and expense tracking, Schedule E reports, and FDIC-insured banking accounts through Thread Bank. Savings accounts earn up to 2.63% APY (rate subject to change). Keeping property cash in a dedicated Baselane account means every deposit and payment is tracked automatically — no manual import needed.

Core plan (free) includes:

  • Property-level income and expense tracking
  • Schedule E reports
  • FDIC-insured banking through Thread Bank
  • Savings accounts with up to 2.63% APY (subject to change)

Smart plan adds:

  • AI-powered auto-tagging for transactions
  • Balance sheets
  • Cost segregation analysis
  • Automated receipt matching

Limitations: Baselane is a financial tracking and banking tool, not a full property management platform. No lease management, tenant portals, or maintenance features. Balance sheets require the paid Smart plan.

Best for: Landlords who want to consolidate property banking and bookkeeping — including Schedule E reporting — at no cost.

REI Hub — best for tax-focused property investors

Price: Free plan (manual entry only, Schedule E included); Professional: $9/mo for up to 3 units (annual billing), $15/mo for up to 10 units, $27/mo for up to 20 units, $48/mo for unlimited units. Monthly billing available at higher rates. No credit card required to start.

REI Hub is accounting software built specifically for real estate investors, with a strong focus on tax reporting. Unlike general-purpose accounting tools, REI Hub comes pre-configured for Schedule E — no chart-of-accounts setup required. It works for long-term rentals, short-term rentals, and mixed portfolios, and is one of the few tools that can import Airbnb and VRBO payout statements directly.

Schedule E is included on every plan, including the free tier. The difference between free and paid is automation: Professional plans add automatic bank transaction import and automatic booking rules for recurring transactions.

What REI Hub includes:

  • Schedule E reports for every property and unit, on all plans
  • Profit and loss, cash flow statement, and balance sheet
  • Property-by-property and portfolio-wide reporting
  • Fixed asset tracking with depreciation
  • Mileage log that feeds directly into Schedule E
  • Automated mortgage accounting (principal, interest, and escrow split)
  • Automatic bank feeds via Plaid and Yodlee (Professional plans)
  • Rule-based transaction matching (Professional plans)
  • Airbnb and VRBO payout statement import

Limitations: REI Hub is an accounting-only tool. It does not include tenant portals, lease management, maintenance request tracking, or online rent collection. Designed for investor-landlords, not full-service property management operations.

Best for: Rental property investors — particularly those with short-term rentals or mixed portfolios — who want clean, property-level Schedule E reports without configuring accounting software from scratch.

Landlord Studio — best for independent landlords

Price: Go (free, up to 3 units); Pro ($12/mo billed annually; $1/unit/mo for units above 3); Pro Plus ($28/mo billed annually; $1/unit/mo for units above 3)

Landlord Studio is rated 4.9 stars from more than 10,000 landlords and serves more than 80,000 independent landlords. It combines rental accounting with lease tracking, tenant management, and maintenance requests — making it more operationally complete than accounting-only tools like REI Hub, at similar pricing.

Important: The free Go plan covers basic income and expense tracking for up to 3 units but does not include Schedule E reports. Schedule E and advanced financial reporting (20+ reports) are available on the Pro plan and above.

Pro plan includes:

  • Schedule E reports
  • 20+ financial reports
  • Bank feeds via Plaid (up to 5 accounts)
  • Smart receipt scanner and mileage tracker
  • Xero accounting integration
  • Lease and tenant management
  • Maintenance requests

Pro Plus adds:

  • Up to 20 bank account connections
  • Portfolio-level reporting
  • Priority support

Limitations: Free plan has no Schedule E and limited reporting. Per-unit pricing ($1/unit/mo above the base three units) can add up for larger portfolios. Not designed for property management companies managing properties on behalf of third-party owners.

Best for: Independent landlords who want rental accounting and basic property operations in one platform — particularly those starting on the free plan who want a clear upgrade path.

Avail — best rental suite for DIY landlords

Price: Unlimited ($0/unit, free); Unlimited Plus ($9/unit/month)

Avail is used by more than 1 million landlords and is built primarily as a rental management platform rather than an accounting-first tool. It covers the full landlord workflow — listing units, screening tenants, signing leases online, and collecting rent — with income and expense tracking included.

Avail tracks rental income and expenses and generates a 1099-K for rent collected through the platform. Tenants can pay online, and payments are logged automatically.

Important note on Schedule E: Avail does not appear to include a dedicated Schedule E report. Landlords who need Schedule E for tax filing should pair Avail with a dedicated accounting tool (REI Hub or Baselane both integrate well) or choose a platform that includes it built-in.

Pricing note: The Unlimited Plus plan charges $9 per unit per month. A landlord managing five units would pay $45/month — comparable to Rentec Direct’s entry price, which includes fuller accounting and Schedule E.

What Avail includes:

  • Online rent collection with automatic payment tracking
  • Tenant screening (credit, background, and eviction checks)
  • Online lease creation and e-signing
  • Maintenance request management
  • Income and expense tracking
  • 1099-K generation for rent collected through Avail
  • Exportable data in spreadsheet format

Limitations: No dedicated Schedule E report. Per-unit pricing can scale quickly for multi-unit landlords. Accounting tools are less comprehensive than dedicated financial platforms. No personal finance features.

Best for: DIY landlords who prioritize the full rental lifecycle — listing, screening, leasing, and collecting rent — and use a separate tool for detailed tax reporting.

Rentec Direct — best for established landlords and small property managers

Price: Rentec Pro from $45/month (annual billing; $2/unit/month; minimum $50/month); Rentec PM from $2.50/unit/month. Two-week free trial included.

Founded in 2007, Rentec Direct holds a 4.9-out-of-5 rating from more than 14,734 reviews and has built a strong reputation on trust-account-certified accounting. A single rent payment automatically posts across the tenant, property, owner, and bank account ledgers simultaneously — eliminating the duplicate entry required by general accounting systems.

Rentec Direct is certified to meet the trust accounting standards required by most state real estate boards — an important distinction for property managers who handle client funds.

What Rentec Direct includes:

  • Full general ledger accounting
  • Schedule E tax reports and 1099 e-filing
  • Rent Roll, Balance Sheet, Operating Statement, Owner Statement, Profit/Loss, and more
  • Free ACH rent collection from tenants (no additional cost)
  • Bank reconciliation with three-way reconciliation support
  • Tenant portal and online rent payments
  • Vacancy listing and tenant screening
  • Data export to QuickBooks
  • Unlimited US-based phone and email support
  • Two-week free trial

Limitations: The $50/month minimum makes it less economical for landlords with one or two units. Interface is functional but less visually modern than some newer competitors. No personal finance features.

Best for: Landlords managing three or more units and small property management companies that need trust-account compliance, Schedule E reporting, and a full general ledger — without paying enterprise prices.

DoorLoop — best for growing property management operations

Price: Starter from $69/month (billed annually, up to 10 units); or $99/month billed monthly; Pro and Premium plans also available. Current promotional discounts may apply — verify pricing at doorloop.com.

DoorLoop is rated the top property management software on Capterra and is designed for professional property managers rather than individual landlords. Its accounting suite is full-featured: chart of accounts, automatic bank sync, reconciliation, P&L reports, balance sheets, and a direct QuickBooks Online integration that eliminates double entry for teams already using QuickBooks.

What DoorLoop includes:

  • Full double-entry accounting with a customizable chart of accounts
  • Automatic bank sync and reconciliation
  • P&L, cash flow, and balance sheet reports
  • Direct QuickBooks Online sync (no duplicate data entry)
  • AI Assistant for drag-and-drop invoice and receipt processing
  • Owner portal, tenant portal, and maintenance management
  • Online rent collection with automated late fees and reminders
  • Lease management

Limitations: DoorLoop does not advertise a dedicated Schedule E report — it is built for property management operations rather than individual investor tax prep. Pricing starts higher than accounting-focused tools. Not designed for single-unit landlords. No personal finance features.

Best for: Property management companies and landlords with growing portfolios who need a full operations platform with robust built-in accounting and seamless QuickBooks integration.

Buildium — best for professional property management companies

Price: Essential starts at $62/month; Growth starts at $192/month; Premium starts at $400/month. 14-day free trial available (no credit card required).

Buildium launched in 2008 and is now part of RealPage. It is designed primarily for property management companies managing properties on behalf of owners — less suited for individual landlord-investors focused on personal tax prep.

Its accounting suite covers bank reconciliation, accounts payable with automatic bill processing, property-specific financial reporting, and 1099 e-filing (available as a paid add-on). The platform includes the full tenant lifecycle: listing, screening, leasing, rent collection, maintenance, and owner reporting. Buildium holds a 95% customer support satisfaction rating and resolves 85% of support calls on the first contact.

What Buildium includes:

  • Bank reconciliation and property-specific financial reporting
  • 1099 e-filing (paid add-on)
  • Accounts payable with automatic bill processing
  • Resident and owner portals
  • Maintenance request management and work orders
  • Online rent collection via ACH and credit card
  • 14-day free trial with sample data

Pricing note: Live phone support is included on Growth ($192/month) and Premium ($400/month) plans only. The Essential plan includes ticket support.

Limitations: Full-featured use requires Growth or above. Pricing scales with unit count. No personal finance features. No explicit Schedule E reporting on their accounting features page.

Best for: Professional property management companies that manage portfolios on behalf of clients and need a complete platform — from vacancy listing through owner reporting.

AppFolio — best for large-scale property management

Price: Quote-based (Core, Plus, and Max tiers); 50-unit minimum applies

AppFolio is an enterprise-grade property management platform designed for operators with portfolios of 50 or more units. Its accounting suite is built at institutional scale: property and trust accounting, automated invoice processing, corporate accounting, advanced budgeting, and real-time flexible reporting with drill-down dashboards.

AI is embedded throughout the platform under the Realm-X brand — powering Smart Budgeting, Bank Feed automation, Bill Approval Flows, Smart Bill Entry, and workflow automation for collections and operations. AppFolio serves single-family, multifamily, student housing, affordable housing, community associations, and commercial portfolios.

What AppFolio includes:

  • Property and trust accounting with automated reconciliation
  • Automated invoice processing
  • Corporate accounting
  • AI-powered Smart Budgeting, Bank Feed, and Bill Approval Flows
  • Customizable reports: owner statements, income statements, cash flow, balance sheets, CAM reporting
  • Resident, vendor, and owner mobile apps
  • Realm-X AI for workflow automation, collections, and leasing

Limitations: 50-unit minimum makes it inaccessible for most individual landlords and small portfolios. Quote-based pricing requires a sales conversation — no published rates. No personal finance features. Designed for large operators, not individual investors.

Best for: Large residential and commercial property management companies with 50 or more units that need enterprise-grade accounting, trust compliance, and AI-assisted operations.

QuickBooks Online — why most landlords outgrow it

Price: Simple Start $38/month; Essentials $75/month; Plus $115/month; Advanced $275/month (standard pricing; promotional rates may be available at time of purchase)

QuickBooks Online is the most widely used small business accounting platform in the United States. Many landlords start with it because their accountant or bookkeeper already knows it, or because they use it for another business alongside their rentals.

QuickBooks is a general-purpose accounting tool, not a rental property tool. It handles income and expense tracking, invoicing, bank feeds, receipt capture, and standard financial reports (P&L, cash flow, balance sheet) well. What it does not include:

  • No Schedule E report — generating one requires manual workarounds or a real estate-knowledgeable accountant
  • No property-level income and expense tracking — class and location tracking is available in Plus and above but requires manual configuration and is not pre-built for real estate
  • No owner statements — relevant for landlords who hold properties with partners or investors
  • No tenant or lease management

For landlords who prefer to stay in the QuickBooks ecosystem, several tools on this list integrate with it: Rentec Direct can export data to QuickBooks, and DoorLoop syncs directly with QuickBooks Online.

Best for: Landlords who already use QuickBooks for a separate business and want a single accounting system, or those working closely with a QuickBooks-fluent bookkeeper. For dedicated rental expense management, the purpose-built tools on this list will generally serve landlords better.

How to choose money management software for rental expenses

Do you need Schedule E reporting?

If you own rental property and file taxes personally, your rental income and expenses go on Schedule E. Not every tool on this list includes it. Tools that produce Schedule E reports: Quicken Business & Personal (built-in), Baselane (Core plan and above), REI Hub (all plans), Stessa (Manage plan and above), Landlord Studio (Pro plan and above), and Rentec Direct.

How many units do you manage?

For one to three units with light transaction volume, REI Hub’s free plan, Baselane Core, or Stessa Essentials may be all you need. For three to ten units with active management, Landlord Studio Pro or Rentec Direct offer more depth. For 20 or more units under professional management, DoorLoop, Buildium, or AppFolio provide complete operational platforms.

Do you need a full property management platform or just accounting?

Pure accounting tools — REI Hub, Baselane, and Quicken Business & Personal — deliver deep financial reporting at lower cost. Full platforms like DoorLoop, Buildium, and AppFolio add tenant portals, maintenance workflows, and owner reporting, but cost significantly more and are designed primarily for property management companies rather than individual investors.

Do your personal and rental finances need to be in one place?

Quicken Business & Personal is the only option on this list that integrates rental accounting with a complete personal finance suite — including spending plans, savings goals, investment tracking, and retirement planning. For landlords who want a single view of their entire financial picture, it is the only cloud-based tool that provides this.

Does your accountant or bookkeeper use QuickBooks?

If your CPA prefers QuickBooks, you have options: Rentec Direct exports data to QuickBooks, DoorLoop syncs directly, and Landlord Studio integrates with Xero. This lets you use a purpose-built rental tool for day-to-day tracking while keeping the accounting format your professional prefers.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best money management software for rental property expenses in 2026?

For rental property expense management, Quicken Business & Personal is the best overall choice for most landlords in 2026. It is the only cloud-based app that combines built-in Schedule E reporting, property-level expense tracking, cash flow projections up to 12 months ahead, and a complete personal finance suite — at $4.99 per month. Landlords who also need tenant portals and lease management can supplement it with a dedicated property management platform, or choose a platform like Rentec Direct or DoorLoop for the operational layer.

What is Schedule E, and why does it matter for landlords?

Schedule E is the IRS form used to report supplemental income and losses from rental real estate. If you own rental property and file taxes personally — rather than through a C-corporation — you report your rental income and expenses on Schedule E each year. Software that generates Schedule E reports makes this significantly faster than building the form manually from a spreadsheet or general accounting tool. Rental property tools that include Schedule E: Quicken Business & Personal, Baselane, REI Hub, Stessa (Manage and above), Landlord Studio (Pro and above), and Rentec Direct.

Is there free software for tracking rental property expenses?

Yes. Several options offer meaningful free plans: Baselane (free Core plan with Schedule E reports and integrated banking), REI Hub (free plan with Schedule E and manual entry), Stessa (free Essentials plan with basic tracking — Schedule E requires a paid upgrade), and Landlord Studio (free Go plan for up to 3 units with basic tracking — Schedule E requires Pro). The distinction matters at tax time: Baselane and REI Hub include Schedule E on their free plans; Stessa and Landlord Studio charge for it.

What is the difference between accounting software and property management software for rentals?

Accounting software — such as Quicken Business & Personal, REI Hub, and Baselane — focuses on financial tracking, tax reporting, and bookkeeping. Property management software — such as DoorLoop, Buildium, and AppFolio — adds operational tools: tenant portals, lease management, maintenance request tracking, and owner reporting. Full platforms combine both but cost significantly more and are primarily designed for property management companies. Quicken Business & Personal is unique in pairing rental accounting with a complete personal finance suite under a single subscription.

Can I track multiple rental properties in one account?

Yes. Most rental property tools support multiple properties in a single account. Quicken Business & Personal supports up to 10 businesses per subscription — useful for landlords who hold properties in separate LLCs. REI Hub, Baselane, Stessa, Landlord Studio, and Rentec Direct all support multi-property portfolios. Rentec Direct, DoorLoop, and Avail price by unit count; Quicken, REI Hub, and Landlord Studio offer flat-rate plans that do not scale by the number of units.