Published 2026-09-28 · 12 min read

TurboTenant vs Innago (2026): Which Free Landlord Software Actually Wins?

TurboTenant and Innago are the two most recommended "free" landlord platforms in 2026, and they both mean it — neither charges landlords a monthly subscription. But they make their money in completely different places, and the wrong pick can cost you several hundred dollars a year you never expected. Here's the honest breakdown.

The short answer

Choose TurboTenant if your bottleneck is filling vacancies: its listing syndication reaches 28+ sites, Rentometer-powered rent estimates help you price right, and the application flow is the most polished of any free platform.

Choose Innago if your bottleneck is managing the day-to-day: you get the deepest toolkit at $0/month — real accounting with QuickBooks integration, work-order maintenance tracking, and free human support — with no paid tier to grow into.

The fine print difference: TurboTenant keeps landlord cost at $0 by shifting fees to tenants (screening, ACH), then upsells a $149/year Premium plan for leases and accounting. Innago stays free for landlords indefinitely and gives you the accounting and support free — but charges per ACH rent payment ($2) and per screening ($30–$35). For a typical 3–4 unit landlord, the realistic annual cost lands in the same $70–$200 band either way. The rest of this guide shows exactly where each dollar goes.

Head-to-head comparison table

Pricing in detail: what "free" actually costs

Both platforms are genuinely free for landlords — no trial in disguise, no unit caps that force an upgrade. They just earn their keep differently.

TurboTenant is free for landlords and monetizes two ways: tenant- and applicant-paid fees (screening, payment processing), and its paid plans. Premium costs $149/year and buys unlimited state-specific lease agreements, unlimited e-signatures, lower screening fees, income verification, waived ACH fees, and more. The Pro plan (billed by unit count, climbing as high as $999/year for 61+ units) adds integrated rental accounting, expedited rent payouts, and custom screening questions. On the free plan, you can do almost everything except generate unlimited leases — each state-specific lease runs about $59 on Free.

Innago is $0/month with no paid plans, no setup fee, and no contract — full platform access, unlimited units and properties, for landlords. It earns revenue only from per-transaction fees: $2 per ACH rent payment, 2.99% per card payment, and $30–$35 per screening (all defaulting to tenant- or applicant-paid, with the option for the landlord to absorb). Because there's no subscription to grow into, your cost never rises with your portfolio — you only pay per transaction.

The realistic math for a 4-unit landlord:

• TurboTenant Free: 48 ACH payments × $2 (tenant-paid) = $96 charged to tenants, $0 to you. Screening two vacancies: 2 × ~$50 (applicant-paid). Your out-of-pocket: $0 — but your leases each cost ~$59 to generate, and you have no accounting tools. Add Premium for accounting + unlimited leases: $149/year.
• Innago: 48 ACH payments × $2 = $96 (absorbed by you or passed to tenants — your choice). Screening two vacancies: 2 × ~$32 (applicant-paid). Accounting, leases, and support: $0. Your out-of-pocket: anywhere from $0 to ~$96/year depending on how you set up the fees.

Bottom line: neither is a trick. TurboTenant's paid tiers are the only way to unlock accounting and bulk leases; Innago never asks for a subscription at all, which is why it's the cheapest platform for landlords who self-manage accounting-style work inside the software. For more free options beyond these two, see our roundup of the best free property management software.

Screening face-off

Screening is where the two platforms diverge most in practice — and where tenant turnover makes one clearly cheaper.

TurboTenant screens through its partnership with Rent Butter: full credit, background, criminal, and eviction history, with reports delivered instantly once the applicant completes the application. Cost: $45–$55 per applicant, paid by the applicant (lower on the Premium plan). TurboTenant also offers income verification and custom screening questions on paid tiers. The reports are branded and thorough, and landlords never handle the applicant's Social Security number — the biggest operational advantage of any platform-based screening.

Innago runs criminal, credit, and eviction history at $30–$35 per applicant, plus optional income verification at $10. That's roughly 40% cheaper per applicant than TurboTenant — a meaningful gap when you're filling multiple vacancies a year. The reports are comprehensive for the price, and like TurboTenant, the landlord never touches sensitive applicant data.

Winner: Innago on price, TurboTenant on polish. If you turn over units regularly, Innago's cheaper screening adds up fast: at four vacancies a year, the ~$18-per-applicant gap saves you ~$72 in applicant-paid fees (which, yes, tenants pay — but lower screening costs mean fewer application drop-offs). TurboTenant's reports are slightly more recognized by name and its Premium tier adds income verification and custom questions, but for most independent landlords the screenings are functionally equivalent. For a deeper look at what to look for in a screening provider, read our tenant screening services comparison.

Rent collection face-off

This is the feature you'll use every single month, so the fee structure matters more here than anywhere.

TurboTenant collects ACH and debit/credit card payments. On the Free plan, tenants pay $2 per ACH transfer (you can choose to cover it yourself) or 3.49% for cards. Premium waives the ACH fee entirely. Features include autopay, automatic payment reminders via email and push notification, automatic late fees, automatic rent receipts (required by law in many states), the ability to record offline cash/check payments, and rent reporting to credit bureaus — which encourages on-time payment and helps you attract responsible renters. There's no same-day deposit option, and phone support is paid-plan only.

Innago collects ACH at $2 per payment and cards at 2.99% — a slightly lower card rate than TurboTenant, which matters if tenants pay by card. Either you or the tenant pays the fee; Innago lets you choose per account. Features include autopay, automatic rent reminders, automated late fees, recurring invoices, partial-payment settings, and automatic receipts. Its rent reporting is thinner — TransUnion only, and only when the tenant opts in — and there's no cash-payment option (ACH and card only). ACH clearing can run 4–7 days during high-volume periods, per landlord reports.

Winner: tie, with different strengths. TurboTenant's rent collection is the more tenant-friendly funnel: better reminders, fuller credit-bureau reporting, and waived ACH on Premium. Innago's is the cheaper, more flexible operation: lower card fees, your choice on who pays the ACH fee, and partial-payment controls baked in free. Compare both against the broader market in our rent collection software comparison.

Listings and leases

Listings. TurboTenant wins this round clearly. Publish one listing and it syndicates to 28+ rental sites, with Rentometer-powered rent estimates built into the workflow so you can price against comparable units before you publish. The listing setup takes minutes, lead capture and in-platform messaging keep applicant communication in one place, and the application link you share is genuinely polished — it looks like a professional property management operation. For landlords in competitive rental markets, this marketing funnel is TurboTenant's single biggest advantage.

Innago's listing tools are serviceable but simpler: create a listing, syndicate to Zillow and partner sites, and share an application link. Premium placement costs extra. It gets the job done, but landlords consistently rate it a step behind TurboTenant and Avail for reach and presentation. (See how Innago stacks up against Avail, the other free marketing standout, in our Avail vs Innago comparison.)

Leases. The two take opposite approaches. TurboTenant offers 50+ state-specific lease templates with e-signatures — but on the Free plan each lease costs about $59 to generate; unlimited leases are a Premium feature. Innago includes state-specific digital leases with unlimited e-signing free — no per-lease charge, no plan to buy. If you sign several leases a year, Innago's approach is plainly cheaper; if you want the most templated library and don't mind paying per lease (or buying Premium), TurboTenant's documents are excellent. For landlords who need standalone legal paperwork beyond what either platform offers, our Rocket Lawyer review covers attorney-drafted lease options — and Rocket Lawyer's legal plans are available at a discount through this link.

Winner: TurboTenant for marketing, Innago for lease cost. Pick based on which side of the lease cycle hurts you more.

Accounting and reporting

This is where Innago pulls decisively ahead — and where TurboTenant's free plan shows its limits.

Innago includes real accounting at $0: income and expense tracking per property, dynamic financial reports, data exportable to Excel, and a direct QuickBooks integration so transactions flow into your books automatically. It's not a full accounting suite, but it's the deepest free bookkeeping of any $0 platform — and since there's no paid tier, it never gets taken away from you.

TurboTenant's free plan has minimal accounting: you can see rent payment status and record offline payments, but integrated rental accounting — income/expense tracking, P&L-style reporting — is reserved for the Pro plan. If your bookkeeping lives in a spreadsheet or you already use dedicated landlord accounting software, the gap doesn't matter. But if you want one platform for both management and books without paying, Innago is the answer.

A note on the wider financial stack: neither platform is a bank. Landlords who want free business checking with automated per-unit bookkeeping and rent collection in one place should look at Baselane — it's a different product category from TurboTenant and Innago, but it fills the money-management gap both leave open. Read our full Baselane review for the details.

Winner: Innago. Free accounting with QuickBooks integration beats paid-plan accounting for any landlord watching costs.

When to pick each

Pick TurboTenant if:

• Filling vacancies is your biggest problem — the 28+ site syndication and Rentometer pricing are the best free marketing funnel available
• You want the most polished applicant and tenant experience (application flow, reminders, autopay)
• You're willing to pay $149/year for Premium when you need unlimited leases, income verification, and waived ACH fees
• Your bookkeeping already lives in a spreadsheet or separate accounting tool

Pick Innago if:

• You want the deepest feature set for $0/month — accounting, work orders with tenant photo/video uploads, unlimited e-signed leases, free phone support
• A $2 ACH fee per payment (about $96/year on 4 units, absorbable or passable) doesn't bother you
• You turn over units regularly and want the cheapest screening ($30–$35 vs $45–$55)
• You run 1–20 units and want one platform instead of software plus a spreadsheet

Pick neither (go paid) if: you're scaling past ~20 units, managing units for other owners, or need QuickBooks-grade double-entry accounting — then Hemlane, Buildium, or RentRedi are the right tier. See our Hemlane vs TurboTenant comparison for what the first paid rung up looks like.

Can you use both? Some landlords do: TurboTenant for marketing a vacancy (syndication plus applications), then move the signed tenant into Innago for ongoing management. It works, but the double data entry gets old after the first cycle. Pick one and commit for a full lease year.

FAQ

Is TurboTenant really free?

Yes — the free plan is genuinely useful, covering unlimited listings, applications, screening, and rent collection for unlimited properties and units. The costs shift to applicants and tenants (screening fees, the $2 ACH fee, 3.49% card fee), and features like unlimited state-specific leases, accounting, and unlimited e-signatures require Premium ($149/year) or Pro.

Is Innago really free?

Yes — arguably the most honestly free platform in the industry. There's no subscription, no setup fee, no contract, and no paid tier at all: unlimited units, properties, leases, and users. Innago earns revenue only from per-transaction fees (screening, payment processing), which default to tenant- or applicant-paid.

Which is better for a landlord with 1–4 units?

Either works, but Innago has the edge at small scale: free accounting, free leases, and free support mean your total software cost can be genuinely $0 if you pass transaction fees to tenants. TurboTenant is the better pick if your market is competitive and you need the strongest possible listing funnel.

Which has better tenant screening?

Innago is cheaper ($30–$35 vs $45–$55 per applicant); TurboTenant's Rent Butter reports are marginally more recognized and Premium adds income verification and custom screening questions. Functionally a wash for most independent landlords — the price gap is the real differentiator.

Which has better accounting?

Innago, by a clear margin. Income/expense tracking, financial reports, QuickBooks integration, and Excel export are all free. TurboTenant reserves its integrated accounting for the Pro plan.

Can I switch from TurboTenant to Innago (or vice versa)?

Yes — both are free to join, so switching costs nothing but your time. Export your tenant and lease records, recreate your properties and units in the new platform, and have tenants set up payment in the new tenant portal at lease renewal or mid-lease (ACH setups take a few days to verify). Most landlords switch between leases rather than mid-tenancy.

Do either report rent payments to credit bureaus?

TurboTenant offers payment-history reporting to credit bureaus, which can encourage on-time payment and attract responsible renters. Innago reports only to TransUnion, and only when the tenant opts in.

Are there limits on how many units I can manage?

No — both platforms allow unlimited properties and units on their free tiers. The real scaling constraints are feature depth (accounting, team access), which is why portfolios past ~20 units usually graduate to paid platforms.

The bottom line

There's no wrong answer here — both are genuinely free, both beat paying $50+/month for features a small landlord barely touches, and both will have you collecting online rent this week instead of chasing paper checks. If marketing is your bottleneck, TurboTenant's syndication and polished funnel win. If management depth is your bottleneck, Innago's free accounting, leases, maintenance tracking, and support win. Run your own numbers on the ACH and screening math above, pick one, and commit for a full lease cycle.

See also: Innago Review 2026, Avail vs Innago 2026, Avail vs TurboTenant 2026, Best Free Property Management Software for Landlords in 2026, Best Rent Collection Software for Landlords.

Compare more landlord software

• Landlord software compared: all reviews & comparisons
• TurboTenant Review (2026): The Free Landlord Platform, Honestly Tested
• Innago Review 2026: The Free Property Management Software That Actually Works
• TurboTenant vs Rentec Direct (2026): Which Is Right for Your Portfolio?

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