Avail vs Innago 2026: Which Free Property Management Software Wins?
Avail and Innago are the two names that come up every time a landlord asks, "is there property management software that's actually free?" Both answer yes — but they mean very different things by "free," and the right choice depends on what your portfolio actually needs. Here's the honest head-to-head.
The one-paragraph verdict
Choose Avail if listings marketing and the tenant-facing experience matter most to you — its syndication and polished application flow are the best of any free platform. Choose Innago if you want the most complete toolkit at near-zero cost — deeper accounting, work-order tracking, and direct support — and don't mind a $2 ACH fee per rent payment.
Pricing: what "free" really costs
| Avail | Innago |
|---|
| Software cost | $0, no unit limit advertised | $0/month, $0/unit |
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| ACH rent payments | Free on standard timing | $2 per transaction |
|---|
| Card payments | Fee (tenant/landlord) | 2.99% per transaction |
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| Tenant screening | Applicant-paid TransUnion reports | ~$30–$35 per applicant |
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| Faster payment processing | Paid add-on | N/A |
|---|
Avail makes money from optional add-ons (faster payouts, screening services). Innago makes money from the $2 ACH fee and screening. For a 3-unit landlord, Innago's realistic annual cost is roughly $72 in ACH fees — Avail's is $0 if you skip the add-ons. Neither is a trial in disguise; both give you the full core product without a subscription.
Feature-by-feature
Listings and marketing. Avail wins. Create a listing once and it syndicates to the major rental sites, with a shareable apply link. Innago covers listings but Avail's syndication reach and polish are a clear step up — it matters if you self-manage in a competitive market.
Applications and leases. Both handle online applications, customizable forms, and state-specific leases with e-signatures. Avail's lease workflow is the more refined of the two; Innago's unlimited document storage is a practical plus.
Tenant screening. Avail partners with TransUnion (credit, criminal, eviction) and the applicant pays — the industry-standard fair setup. Innago runs criminal, credit, and eviction history plus income verification at roughly $30–$35 per applicant. Functionally a wash; Avail's TransUnion branding is marginally more recognized.
Rent collection. Both collect ACH and card payments with automatic rent reminders and late fees. Avail's standard ACH is free; Innago charges $2 per ACH transaction. Innago counters with automated late fees and recurring invoices baked in.
Maintenance. Both have tenant request portals. Innago pulls ahead with work-order tracking and photo/video upload from tenants — genuinely useful when you're managing repairs across multiple units. Avail's maintenance tracking is simpler.
Accounting. Innago wins. Income/expense tracking, dynamic reports, exportable data — basic but real. Avail's accounting is minimal; landlords serious about bookkeeping will pair it with a spreadsheet regardless. (For heavier accounting needs, see our rental property accounting software comparison.)
Support. Innago wins, unusually for free software: direct personal support by phone, email, and live chat is included. Avail's free-tier support is adequate but not white-glove, and response times are the most common complaint in landlord forums.
Who should pick which
Pick Avail if:
- Filling vacancies fast matters — best listing syndication of any free platform
- You want the most polished experience for applicants and tenants
- You want $0 fixed cost with no per-transaction fees at all
- Your portfolio is 1–10 units and bookkeeping lives in a spreadsheet
Pick Innago if:
- You want the deepest feature set for $0/month — accounting, work orders, messaging
- A $2 ACH fee per payment doesn't bother you (about $72/year on 3 units)
- You value real human support without paying for a plan
- You run 1–20 units and want one platform instead of software + spreadsheet
Pick neither (go paid) if: you're scaling past ~20 units, managing for other owners, or need QuickBooks-grade accounting — then Buildium, AppFolio, or RentRedi are the right tier. Both Avail and Innago are built for independent landlords, not property managers.
Can you use both?
Some landlords do: Avail for marketing a vacancy (syndication + applications), then move the signed tenant into Innago for ongoing management. It works, but the double data entry gets old fast. Pick one and commit for a full lease cycle.
The bottom line
There's no wrong answer here — both are genuinely free, and both beat paying $50+/month for features you barely use. If marketing is your bottleneck, Avail. If management depth is your bottleneck, Innago. Either way, you're collecting online rent this week instead of chasing paper checks.
See also: Avail Review 2026, Innago Review 2026, Best Free Property Management Software for Landlords in 2026, Tenant Screening Services Compared 2026.
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