There are many property management software options out there, and each one offers a unique set of features. While there is no shortage of choices, many landlords narrow their list to two and compare them head-to-head, like TurboTenant vs. Zillow Rental Manager.
While both of these pieces of software are designed to improve landlord-tenant relationships, the features they bring are far from the same.
Below, we’ll compare Zillow vs. TurboTenant and tell you what you need to know about both. Not only this, but we’ll also tell you how these two platforms stack up against other leading property management software providers.
TurboTenant Overview
Let’s start by analyzing TurboTenant.
Founded in 2015, TurboTenant is an established property management software best fit for experienced landlords managing several properties or apartment buildings.
Simply put, the platform delivers basic property management features that help you from listing a property to collecting rent and doing some basic accounting.
Overview of TurboTenant's Features
For starters, it’s important to note that TurboTenant has a paid and free unlimited plan. In the free plan, the software allows you to collect rent payments, track your expenses, create rent reports, manage rental maintenance requests, and complete other necessary tasks.
You can also upgrade to the paid monthly plan to add more than one bank account and hire additional services through the platform, like state-specific lease templates.
Pros and Cons of Using TurboTenant
As with all other platforms, TurboTenant has advantages and drawbacks that you must consider before committing.
Below, we’ll examine the pros and cons of using TurboTenant to manage your real estate.
Pros:
Tubotenant has the ability to list your rental property.
Not only this, but you can have unlimited properties regardless of your plan and get your listing reviewed in a maximum period of 48 hours.
Landlords that use TurboTenant can also create a lead magnet and take advantage of the platform’s tenant screening features. Paid users have access to financial insights, although it’s also possible to track income on the free version.
Cons:
If you’re looking to manage a single rental, TurboTenant’s free plan provides the basics of what you need. The platform’s premium version is designed for landlords with several properties, so the paid features can help you manage multiple properties.
Additionally the user experience and interface is not as modern and may be harder to use for some landlords and tenants.
Finally, this property management software is not known for delivering good customer service, which may be difficult for independent landlords that need help learning about accounting features, payment tracking, and other platform capacities.
Pricing and Plans Available for TurboTenant
As we’ve mentioned, this rental property management software has two pricing structures: free and paid.
The free version allows property managers to add as many units as possible without a cost. Moreover, the paid version of this rental property management software costs $99 per year or $8.25 per month, and it’s charged per year.
Zillow Overview
Zillow Rental Manager is a property management software that’s relatively simple, which makes it ideal for landlords that only take rent payments from an individual unit.
Zillow, the property marketplace website, created this property manager tool, so it’s not the main product that this company has available.
Overview of Zillow's features
Regarding property management software, Zillow Rental Manager was built for DIY landlords.
The platform offers relatively simple tenant management functionalities; however, its limited available features work extremely well.
Pros and Cons of Using Zillow Rental Manager
Let’s dive deeper into the pros and cons of using this property management software.
Pros:
Zillow brings many basic features that help beginner landlords streamline their most important tasks. For example, landlords can set up online rent collection and get tenant screening features for free.
Not only this, but the Zillow Rental Manager app is powerful, easy to use, and available for both iOS and Android devices.
Lastly, Zillow Rental Manager has a major marketing component that links with the company’s marketplace. This allows you to place your rental listing across various websites in addition to the tenant management features that come with the platform for a fee.
Cons:
While it does make it easier to put up rental listings, it’s important to note that Zillow Rental Manager has a few setbacks.
For example, the platform only allows landlords to receive one payment per unit. This means that roommates can’t pay rent separately.
Zillow Rental Manager doesn’t automatically add late fees either, so you have to monitor payment and update the due amount manually for overdue payments.
Pricing and Plans Available for Zillow
Zillow Rental Manager is free for landlords with 1 to 24 units.
There is also a premium version of this property management software, priced at $29 for three months as of this writing that’s great for landlords with numerous properties.
Online rent collection is free for landlords, and free for renters if they pay with ACH (bank transfer). Tenants will pay a 2.95% fee when using a credit card and a $9.95 convenience fee for debit payments.
Baselane vs TurboTenant and Zillow
Regarding property management software, Zillow Rental Manager and TurboTenant are far from the only alternatives. There are many features you may be able to find in addition to tenant screening, rent payments, and maintenance requests if you look beyond these two options.
Take Baselane, for instance, which centers around helping landlords with less than 50 units simplify and streamline some of the tasks they have to complete.
Baselane is a robust banking and financial platform designed for landlords. It has built-in banking features (business checking account), including online rent collection, accounting, reporting, and other capabilities designed specifically for landlords.
Other features found in Baselane include:
Banking:
- No account fees or minimum balance requirements
- Unlimited virtual banking accounts per property
- Automatically label rent income
- 4.25% APY on all deposits and Up to 5% Cash Back
Rent collection:
- Compatible with all types of entities and property types
- Automatic generation and tracking of comprehensive invoices
- Online rent collection without any costs for Landlords; tenants are only charge a 2.99% fee if paying by debit or credit card
Accounting and reporting:
- Connect and auto-import data from any bank or credit card account for free
- Easy integration with other software like Quickbooks
- Upload unlimited receipts
- Easily analyze your properties income and expenses
- Comprehensive cash flow and tax reporting
Other:
- An intuitive interface
- 60-second quotes for competitive bank loans
- Fast insurance purchase
Pricing:
- It’s Free!
Final Thoughts
While Zillow Rental and TurboTenant both offer a unique combination of features, it’s important that you choose a platform that’s perfectly suited to your requirements.
We hope that our article above helps you choose the best property management software for your real estate. To learn more about Baselane and the additional features of this landlord software solution, contact us today.
