Rentastic vs Stessa (2026): Which Rental Bookkeeping App Costs Less for Schedule E?

Stessa is the better fit for most small landlords. Its free Essentials plan covers unlimited properties with bank feeds and basic reports. Its cheapest plan with a Schedule E report, Manage, costs $144 a year billed annually, and it also includes rent collection, screening and listings.

Rentastic is the narrower bookkeeping and investing app:

• Core: $60 a year for 2 properties
• Unlimited: $238 a year, which adds Schedule E and Schedule C reports and AI auto-classification

Pick Rentastic if you want its deal analyzer, rent estimates and Schedule C. Pick Stessa if you also want to collect rent in the same tool.

Prices below come from both vendors' pricing pages, checked October 28, 2026. We haven't tested either app hands-on.

Rentastic vs Stessa at a glance

Pricing in detail

Rentastic

• Core: $5 a month billed annually, which is $60 a year, or $7 month to month. It covers:
  • 2 properties and 2 bank accounts
  • 2 rent estimates a year
  • Transaction management and receipt scanning
  • Mileage tracking
  • P&L, cash flow and balance sheet reports
  • The deal analyzer
  • iOS and Android apps
• Unlimited: $238 a year billed annually, or $29 month to month. It adds:
  • Unlimited properties and bank accounts
  • Unlimited rent estimates
  • A calendar and tenant communications
  • Schedule E and Schedule C reports
  • AI auto-classification of transactions
  • Custom categories

The 7-day trial includes everything in Unlimited and needs no card. Rentastic offers a 7-day money-back guarantee. Its billing FAQ says that if you cancel, your account expires back to "the Free Plan," but the page doesn't list what that plan includes.

Stessa

• Essentials (free):
  • Unlimited properties
  • Automatic bank feeds and basic financial reports
  • Vacancy marketing, tenant screening and online rent collection
  • Maintenance requests and tracking
  • A basic tax package
  • 5 receipt scans a month
  • State lease templates at $15 each
• Manage: $12 a month billed annually, or $15 month to month. It adds:
  • A Schedule E report
  • One e-signature a month
  • 60+ legal forms
  • Accelerated rent payments
  • Priority chat support
  • Unlimited state-compliant lease agreements
• Pro: $28 a month billed annually, or $35 month to month. It adds:
  • Unlimited portfolios and receipt scanning
  • All advanced reports
  • Budgeting and pro-forma
  • Seven e-signatures a month
  • Priority phone support
  • Higher APY tiers on cash balances

Every Stessa plan, including the free one, comes with a cash management account through Thread Bank. That's where the APY figures on its pricing page come from.

What each costs at 1, 2, 5 and 10 properties

Annual billing, subscription only:

Neither app charges per unit, so the price doesn't grow with your portfolio once you're on the right plan. Stessa costs less at every size if Schedule E is what you're paying for. Rentastic Core is the cheapest paid option, at $60 a year for one or two properties, but Core doesn't list Schedule E.

Rent collection: only Stessa has it

Stessa collects rent on every plan. Per its help center:

• There are no landlord fees.
• ACH into Stessa's own cash account is free.
• ACH to an outside bank costs the resident up to $2.
• Card payments cost 3%.
• ACH can take up to 5 business days. Accelerated rent payments are a Manage and Pro feature.

Rentastic's pricing page doesn't list rent collection. It lists "tenant communications" on Unlimited, which is not the same thing. If you use Rentastic, you'll need a separate rent tool. See best rent collection apps.

Who should pick which

Pick Stessa if:

• You want one free tool for books, rent collection, screening and listings.
• You have more than two properties and want Schedule E for $144 a year.
• You'd like unlimited bank feeds without paying.

Pick Rentastic if:

• You analyze deals and want rent estimates and a deal analyzer in your bookkeeping app.
• You also file a Schedule C, for example for flips or a side business, and want both reports in one place.
• You have one or two properties and only need P&L, cash flow and receipts, for $60 a year.

Consider neither if you want full double-entry accounting with a CPA-style general ledger. See best rental property accounting software, which covers REI Hub and QuickBooks.

Visit Rentastic Visit Stessa

How we checked

On October 28, 2026, we read:

• Rentastic's pricing page, for plans, monthly and annual prices, the trial and the refund policy
• Stessa's pricing page, for plans, the feature comparison table and APY notes
• Stessa's rent collection help article, for payment fees and timing

Annual totals are the published monthly-equivalent prices times 12. We didn't test either product hands-on. Prices change, so confirm on each vendor's site before you buy.

FAQ

Is Rentastic or Stessa cheaper?

For Schedule E, Stessa: Manage is $144 a year, and Rentastic Unlimited is $238. For the cheapest paid plan of any kind, Rentastic Core is $60 a year for 2 properties. Stessa's Essentials plan is free.

Does Stessa's free plan include Schedule E?

No. Stessa's comparison table lists a "basic tax package" on Essentials and "plus Schedule E" on Manage and Pro.

Does Rentastic have a free plan?

Its pricing page refers to "the Free Plan," which accounts fall back to after canceling, but it doesn't say what that plan includes. The 7-day trial (no card) includes everything in Unlimited.

Can Rentastic collect rent?

Its pricing page doesn't list rent collection. Stessa includes online rent collection on all plans, including the free one.

Which is better for short-term rentals?

Stessa says Manage suits investors who "manage STRs." Rentastic's Schedule C report may matter if your short-term rental income is reported as a business. Ask your tax preparer which form applies to you.

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