Guide
Stessa vs Avail (2026): Free Plans, Fees and Which to Use for Your Rentals
Stessa vs Avail for small landlords: both free, but Stessa leads on bookkeeping and Schedule E, Avail on leases and listings. Fees and paid plans compared.
By Landlord Software Directory · Updated on · Pricing checked
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Stessa and Avail both give small landlords a free plan with online rent collection, applications, screening and maintenance requests, for any number of units. They come from opposite ends. Stessa started as rental bookkeeping and added rent collection. Avail started as a leasing and rent tool and added income and expense tracking.
Short answer: Pick Stessa if bookkeeping and taxes matter most: bank feeds are free, and Manage adds Schedule E for $15 a month month to month ($12 billed yearly). Pick Avail if leasing matters most: its free plan includes state-specific leases with e-signing and listings to 19 sites. Both free plans cover unlimited units.
Best for:
- Best for bookkeeping and tax prep: Stessa, because it has free bank feeds and a Schedule E report on Manage.
- Best for free leases with e-signing: Avail, because state-specific leases with digital signing are on its free plan.
- Best for zero tenant ACH fees on a free plan: Stessa, because ACH is free when rent lands in Stessa's cash account.
- Best for next-day rent deposits: Avail Unlimited Plus, because it includes FastPay.
We haven't used either app with our own rentals. This comparison is based on each company's public pricing and help pages.
Prices at a glance
| Tool | Starting price (as checked) | Free plan | Key fees | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stessa Essentials | $0, unlimited properties | Yes | Tenant ACH $0 into Stessa, up to $2 to an outside bank; card 3%; leases $15 each | Free bookkeeping with rent collection |
| Stessa Manage | $15/mo monthly or $12/mo billed yearly ($144/yr), any number of units | No | Same rent fees; unlimited leases | Schedule E, leases and legal forms |
| Stessa Pro | $35/mo monthly or $28/mo billed yearly ($336/yr) | No | Same rent fees | Budgets, advanced reports |
| Avail Unlimited | $0, unlimited units | Yes | ACH $2.50; card 3.5%; screening $30–$55 | Free leases, listings and rent collection |
| Avail Unlimited Plus | $9/unit/mo | No | ACH $0; card 3.5%; screening $30–$55 | Next-day deposits, custom lease templates |
Stessa's prices don't change with portfolio size. Avail Plus is priced per unit, and we didn't see an annual option on its pricing page. More detail: Stessa pricing.
Yearly cost of the paid plans
Subscription only, assuming you use the paid plan on every unit.
| Units | Stessa Manage monthly | Stessa Manage yearly | Avail Unlimited Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $180 | $144 | $108 |
| 5 | $180 | $144 | $540 |
| 10 | $180 | $144 | $1,080 |
| 20 | $180 | $144 | $2,160 |
How we got these: Stessa Manage is $15 × 12 or $144. Avail Plus is $9 × units × 12.
They buy different things. Stessa Manage mostly adds Schedule E, leases and legal forms. Avail Plus mostly adds FastPay, waived ACH fees and custom lease templates.
Rent collection fees
| Stessa | Avail Unlimited | Avail Unlimited Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tenant ACH | $0 into Stessa's cash account; up to $2 to an outside bank | $2.50 | $0 |
| Card | 3% | 3.5% | 3.5% |
| Payout timing | Up to 5 business days; faster on Manage and Pro | 2–3 business days | Next day with FastPay |
To make ACH free for tenants on Stessa, rent has to go into Stessa's cash management account, offered through Thread Bank. On Avail's free plan, you can absorb the $2.50 yourself: at 5 units, that's $150 a year, more than Stessa Manage's $144 yearly price.
Leases, listings and screening
Leases: Avail's free plan includes state-specific leases with digital signing, and Plus adds customizable, reusable templates. Stessa charges $15 per state-specific lease on Essentials. Manage includes unlimited state-compliant leases and 60+ legal forms, but only one eSignature a month.
Listings: Avail syndicates to "the top 19 sites," naming Zumper, Padmapper, Realtor.com and ApartmentList; Avail is part of Realtor.com. Stessa lists vacancy marketing with syndication to Zillow.
Screening: Avail's comparison page puts TransUnion screening at $30–$55, varying by state, paid by the tenant or landlord. Stessa offers screening through RentPrep at $29–$49.
Bookkeeping and taxes
Stessa's free Essentials plan includes automatic bank feeds, unlimited receipt and document storage, basic financial reports, a basic accountant tax package, mileage tracking and full data export. Manage adds the Schedule E report. Pro adds budgets, pro-forma analysis, advanced reports and unlimited receipt scans.
Avail's pricing page lists income and expense tracking and property-specific bank accounts. It doesn't list a Schedule E report, so check with Avail if you want tax reports from the same app. If you need tax reports, you can pair Avail for leasing and rent with a separate bookkeeping tool such as Stessa.
Which should you pick?
- You care most about clean books and tax time: Stessa. Its free plan has bank feeds, and Manage adds Schedule E for $15 a month month to month.
- You need leases and listings without paying: Avail Unlimited.
- You want tenants to pay no ACH fee on a free plan: Stessa, if you're happy to use its cash account.
- You have 1 unit and want next-day deposits: Avail Plus, at $108 a year.
- You want both: you can use Avail for leasing and rent, and Stessa's free plan for bookkeeping. Link the bank account that receives your Avail rent to Stessa's bank feeds so the deposits show up in your books.
- Comparing more free options: see Avail vs TurboTenant and Stessa vs TurboTenant.
How we checked
On October 28, 2026, we read Stessa's pricing page, including its plan comparison table, and Avail's pricing page, its Unlimited Plus help article and its comparison page (updated October 21, 2026) for screening prices and payout timing. The yearly totals are our own math from those published prices. Neither company pays us for this page, and we don't rank by commission.
FAQ
Are Stessa and Avail really free?
Yes. Stessa Essentials and Avail Unlimited are both $0 for unlimited units. You pay per use: on Avail, $2.50 per tenant ACH payment; on Stessa, $15 per lease on the free plan.
Which has lower rent collection fees?
Stessa, if rent lands in its cash account: ACH is $0 and cards are 3%. Avail charges $2.50 per ACH payment on the free plan and 3.5% for cards; Plus waives the ACH fee.
Does Avail have Schedule E reports?
Avail's pricing page doesn't list a Schedule E report; it lists income and expense tracking. Stessa includes Schedule E on Manage, at $15 a month month to month or $12 billed yearly.
Which is better for leases?
Avail, because its free plan includes state-specific leases with digital signing. Stessa charges $15 per lease on Essentials, and Manage includes unlimited leases but one eSignature a month.
Is Stessa a bank?
No. Stessa's cash management account is offered through Thread Bank.
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