Landlord Studio: The best alternative to Xero
Award winning property management software. Trusted by 80,000+ landlords and letting agents.
Overview: Xero vs Landlord Studio
Landlord Studio is built accounting-first for self-managing landlords, so online rent collection, receipt scanning, and Schedule E reporting all feed one connected set of property books. Xero is general small business accounting software, a powerful double-entry ledger for any service business, retailer, agency, or freelancer.
They aren't mutually exclusive: Landlord Studio syncs to Xero, so you get rental-specific tools without giving up your general ledger.
Landlord Studio is a full rental property accounting all-in-one.
Its core strengths cover the everyday and the financial: online rent collection, tenant screening, listings, and maintenance, plus automated bank feeds, AI receipt scanning, Xero integration, and Schedule E reports.
All of it is standard on PRO at $12 a month, with a free GO plan for up to three units. And because Landlord Studio offers a native two-way Xero integration, you can push clean, property-level books straight into Xero if you also run a wider business through it.
Xero is powerful general-purpose accounting software.
Used by millions of small businesses, it's genuinely excellent at what it does: double-entry bookkeeping, bank reconciliation, invoicing, payroll, sales tax, and a huge app ecosystem, with accountants everywhere already trained on it.
The trade-off is that Xero isn't built for rental property: no per-property tracking out of the box, no rent collection, no tenant screening, no lease tracking, and no Schedule E report, so landlords bend tracking categories to approximate properties.
Feature Comparison
| Landlord Studio | Xero | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & setup | ||
| Starting price | Free for up to 3 units, paid plans from $12/mo | From $20/mo (Starter) |
| Built for | Self-managing landlords | General small business accounting |
| Setup | Rental-ready in minutes | Custom chart of accounts & tracking categories |
| Income & expense tracking | ||
| Property-by-property tracking | Unlimited, built-in | Via tracking categories (manual setup) |
| Automated bank feeds | Included | Included |
| AI receipt scanning | Included | Hubdoc capture |
| GPS mileage tracking | Built-in | Not built-in |
| Reporting & tax | ||
| Landlord-specific reports | 15+ built-in | General ledger reports only |
| Schedule E export | One-click | Not supported |
| Syncs with Xero | Yes, native two-way integration | It is Xero |
| Rent & tenants | ||
| Online rent collection | Built-in | Not supported |
| Tenant screening | Built-in (TransUnion) | Not supported |
| Listings & lease tracking | Built-in | Not supported |
| Best for | Landlords who want rental-specific books | Businesses needing a general ledger |
Who's Landlord Studio Best For?
Tailored for landlords and property managers, Landlord Studio is a user-friendly software which offers a seamless approach to real estate accounting and property management. From automated rent collection to advanced tax reporting.
- Pricing: GO (Free for up to 3 units), Pro ($12/mo), Pro Plus ($28/mo)
- Features: Collect rent online, financial reports, real estate accounting, listings
- Best Suited For: Self managing landlords with small-medium portfolios.
- Key Advantage: Full-featured, user-friendly interface, and affordable pricing.
Who's Xero Best For?
Built for small businesses across every industry, Xero offers deep double-entry bookkeeping, payroll add-ons, and a large app marketplace. It isn't tailored to real estate at all.
- Pricing: Starter ($20/mo), Standard ($47/mo), Premium ($80/mo), payroll extra
- Features: Double-entry accounting, invoicing, bank reconciliation, 1,000+ integrations
- Best Suited For: Businesses needing a full general ledger across any industry.
- Key Advantage: Best-in-class general ledger, though no rent collection or Schedule E.
Join 80,000+ landlords and stay one step ahead
"Managing 20 rentals alone was overwhelming, but Landlord Studio became my one-stop shop. It simplified bookkeeping, rent, leases, and taxes — even my CPA loves it."
"I found Landlord Studio so much easier to understand after I looked at AppFolio, RentRedi, and Buildium. All three of them were so hard to understand."
"It has been an excellent way of tracking expenses all in one app. I had considered using AppFolio, but that was too complicated for me."
“I looked at Doorloop, RentRedi, and Appfolio and they all offer the same features, but the customer support was the absolute best on Landlord Studio.”
"I can't highly recommend it more if you have a rental property. It exceeded my expectations."
"I've been a user for about three years now. I recommend Landlord Studio for anyone looking to optimize their business."
"I chose Landlord Studio because it created a complete package for management of rental properties for the landlord"
"I realized that QuickBooks wasn't quite sufficient and I started to look around for an affordable tool to replace my spreadsheets and chose Landlord Studio."
"We looked at all the different software that's out there for managing our properties. We chose Landlord Studio over RentRedi and it's been a great investment."
"One of the things that I like about the software is that the customer service is fantastic and I felt the price was reasonable considering I only have one property."
"I have a mix of properties, so I like how you can manage Airbnb and short-term rentals. Another great feature is reconciling from your bank account, which includes checking accounts and credit cards."
"Landlord Studio helps me manage my rentals effectively and efficiently. It's a great app and definitely worth the low cost."
"I tested out several other programs before purchasing Landlord Studio and I'm very happy with it so far. One of my favorite features is the ability to just snap a picture of a receipt and put it in the correct rental unit expense."
“My dad’s 75 and has over 20 units – Airbnbs, apartments and commercial. We needed a software to help us and Landlord Studio’s been the one. It’s made it so easy for him.”
“It’s a no-brainer. It’ll make your life so much easier. You can find out everything you need to know about your portfolio in a few quick taps.”
“With Landlord Studio I can track income and expenses and manage my properties if I’m at home, on my lunch break at work, in the car. There are so many things you can do with it.”
“It’s so much easier. Put it all in there, take a picture of your receipt and you’re done!”
“It’s excellent for any landlord with one property up to multiple. I highly recommend testing it out and seeing if it’s the right solution for you and your business – it has been for me.”
“I love having all the units accessible at my fingertips. And would highly recommend it to anybody who’s looking to get onboard with bank to bank transfers for rent payments and wanting to create customizable reports. I love it.”
“If you want an all in one solution this app is what you need. With this app you can get rid of paper and spreadsheets.”
“Give it a shot! That’s what I did. This app really organized how I manage my business made everything more efficient.”
“I was looking for a software that I was able to screen tenants on, collect rent through, track all of my income and expenses for each unit. And Landlord Studio fit the bill there. I’ve been using it for a few months and love it. The customer support is just unrivaled.”
“The mobile app is incredible, and when it comes to tax time, clicking a few buttons and sharing with our tax advisor has been a dream. Thanks Landlord Studio!”
"Managing 20 rentals alone was overwhelming, but Landlord Studio became my one-stop shop. It simplified bookkeeping, rent, leases, and taxes — even my CPA loves it."
"I found Landlord Studio so much easier to understand after I looked at AppFolio, RentRedi, and Buildium. All three of them were so hard to understand."
"It has been an excellent way of tracking expenses all in one app. I had considered using AppFolio, but that was too complicated for me."
“I looked at Doorloop, RentRedi, and Appfolio and they all offer the same features, but the customer support was the absolute best on Landlord Studio.”
"I can't highly recommend it more if you have a rental property. It exceeded my expectations."
"I've been a user for about three years now. I recommend Landlord Studio for anyone looking to optimize their business."
"I chose Landlord Studio because it created a complete package for management of rental properties for the landlord"
"I realized that QuickBooks wasn't quite sufficient and I started to look around for an affordable tool to replace my spreadsheets and chose Landlord Studio."
"We looked at all the different software that's out there for managing our properties. We chose Landlord Studio over RentRedi and it's been a great investment."
"One of the things that I like about the software is that the customer service is fantastic and I felt the price was reasonable considering I only have one property."
"I have a mix of properties, so I like how you can manage Airbnb and short-term rentals. Another great feature is reconciling from your bank account, which includes checking accounts and credit cards."
"Landlord Studio helps me manage my rentals effectively and efficiently. It's a great app and definitely worth the low cost."
"I tested out several other programs before purchasing Landlord Studio and I'm very happy with it so far. One of my favorite features is the ability to just snap a picture of a receipt and put it in the correct rental unit expense."
“My dad’s 75 and has over 20 units – Airbnbs, apartments and commercial. We needed a software to help us and Landlord Studio’s been the one. It’s made it so easy for him.”
“It’s a no-brainer. It’ll make your life so much easier. You can find out everything you need to know about your portfolio in a few quick taps.”
“With Landlord Studio I can track income and expenses and manage my properties if I’m at home, on my lunch break at work, in the car. There are so many things you can do with it.”
“It’s so much easier. Put it all in there, take a picture of your receipt and you’re done!”
“It’s excellent for any landlord with one property up to multiple. I highly recommend testing it out and seeing if it’s the right solution for you and your business – it has been for me.”
“I love having all the units accessible at my fingertips. And would highly recommend it to anybody who’s looking to get onboard with bank to bank transfers for rent payments and wanting to create customizable reports. I love it.”
“If you want an all in one solution this app is what you need. With this app you can get rid of paper and spreadsheets.”
“Give it a shot! That’s what I did. This app really organized how I manage my business made everything more efficient.”
“I was looking for a software that I was able to screen tenants on, collect rent through, track all of my income and expenses for each unit. And Landlord Studio fit the bill there. I’ve been using it for a few months and love it. The customer support is just unrivaled.”
“The mobile app is incredible, and when it comes to tax time, clicking a few buttons and sharing with our tax advisor has been a dream. Thanks Landlord Studio!”
"Managing 20 rentals alone was overwhelming, but Landlord Studio became my one-stop shop. It simplified bookkeeping, rent, leases, and taxes — even my CPA loves it."
"I found Landlord Studio so much easier to understand after I looked at AppFolio, RentRedi, and Buildium. All three of them were so hard to understand."
"It has been an excellent way of tracking expenses all in one app. I had considered using AppFolio, but that was too complicated for me."
“I looked at Doorloop, RentRedi, and Appfolio and they all offer the same features, but the customer support was the absolute best on Landlord Studio.”
"I can't highly recommend it more if you have a rental property. It exceeded my expectations."
"I've been a user for about three years now. I recommend Landlord Studio for anyone looking to optimize their business."
"I chose Landlord Studio because it created a complete package for management of rental properties for the landlord"
"I realized that QuickBooks wasn't quite sufficient and I started to look around for an affordable tool to replace my spreadsheets and chose Landlord Studio."
"We looked at all the different software that's out there for managing our properties. We chose Landlord Studio over RentRedi and it's been a great investment."
"One of the things that I like about the software is that the customer service is fantastic and I felt the price was reasonable considering I only have one property."
"I have a mix of properties, so I like how you can manage Airbnb and short-term rentals. Another great feature is reconciling from your bank account, which includes checking accounts and credit cards."
"Landlord Studio helps me manage my rentals effectively and efficiently. It's a great app and definitely worth the low cost."
"I tested out several other programs before purchasing Landlord Studio and I'm very happy with it so far. One of my favorite features is the ability to just snap a picture of a receipt and put it in the correct rental unit expense."
“My dad’s 75 and has over 20 units – Airbnbs, apartments and commercial. We needed a software to help us and Landlord Studio’s been the one. It’s made it so easy for him.”
“It’s a no-brainer. It’ll make your life so much easier. You can find out everything you need to know about your portfolio in a few quick taps.”
“With Landlord Studio I can track income and expenses and manage my properties if I’m at home, on my lunch break at work, in the car. There are so many things you can do with it.”
“It’s so much easier. Put it all in there, take a picture of your receipt and you’re done!”
“It’s excellent for any landlord with one property up to multiple. I highly recommend testing it out and seeing if it’s the right solution for you and your business – it has been for me.”
“I love having all the units accessible at my fingertips. And would highly recommend it to anybody who’s looking to get onboard with bank to bank transfers for rent payments and wanting to create customizable reports. I love it.”
“If you want an all in one solution this app is what you need. With this app you can get rid of paper and spreadsheets.”
“Give it a shot! That’s what I did. This app really organized how I manage my business made everything more efficient.”
“I was looking for a software that I was able to screen tenants on, collect rent through, track all of my income and expenses for each unit. And Landlord Studio fit the bill there. I’ve been using it for a few months and love it. The customer support is just unrivaled.”
“The mobile app is incredible, and when it comes to tax time, clicking a few buttons and sharing with our tax advisor has been a dream. Thanks Landlord Studio!”
Landlord Studio, Simplified Accounting Software
- Manage your properties on the go via desktop or mobile app.
- Save time and money with advanced accounting tools. Connect your bank accounts, digitize receipts and more.
- File your accurate end-of-year tax return without the headache with our Schedule E report.
- Powerful property management features designed specifically for landlords.
Why landlords are choosing Landlord Studio over Xero
Say goodbye to late rent forever.
Landlord Studio ensures you give tenants multiple ways to pay along with the tools to ensure you get paid on time, every time.
- Online rent collection with Landlord Studio is ungated without any up-sells
- Connect your bank accounts to import transactions and reconcile with the tap of a button.
- Collect rent via Credit Card and ACH easily without having to upgrade with Landlord Studio
- Automate your rent reminders to tenants so you never have to chase rent again.
Schedule E reports in 1 Click
Instantly generate and share professional reports. All our reports can be customized by date range, property, owner, expense categories, and payment categories.
At tax time, run our built in Schedule E report and share with your accountant with a few taps.
E-Sign, Tenant Screening and Syndicated Property Listings all in one platform
List, screen and sign documents all from the same platform without the hidden charges.
Manage your portfolio in one place and complete your end to end landlord lifecycle easily.
End to end property management software
From finding tenants and collecting rent to managing maintenance requests, our suite of features will help you save time and run a professional and scalable property portfolio.
Simple rental accounting
Keep track of your rental income and expenses and maximise the return on your investments
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Reporting & tax accounting
Stay on top of your finances with industry-specific reports and make filing your Schedule E easy.
Property maintenance
Close maintenance requests faster with easy task management and prioritization.
Online rent collection
Never worry about late rent again with automatic rent payments made directly into your bank account.
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Tenant screening
Protect your real estate investment by ensuring you secure the very best tenants fast.
FAQs
Is Landlord Studio a good Xero alternative?
Yes. Landlord Studio is a strong Xero alternative for landlords who want rental-specific accounting. It tracks income and expenses by property, includes online rent collection, tenant screening, and a one-click Schedule E export, and still syncs to Xero if you run a wider business through it.
Can Landlord Studio work with Xero?
Yes. Landlord Studio offers a native two-way Xero integration, so you can manage rental-specific bookkeeping in Landlord Studio and sync clean, property-level data into Xero. You don't have to choose one or the other.
Is Xero good for landlords and rental properties?
Xero is excellent general accounting software, but it isn't built for real estate. To track rentals you customize a chart of accounts and use tracking categories, and you still need separate tools for rent collection and tenant screening. Landlord Studio handles all of that out of the box.
Does Xero have rent collection or tenant screening?
No. Xero has no rent collection, tenant screening, or lease tracking. Landlord Studio includes all three alongside its accounting tools.
How much does Xero cost?
After an April 2026 rebrand, Xero's US plans are Starter $20/mo, Standard $47/mo, and Premium $80/mo, with payroll and payments billed separately. Landlord Studio PRO is $12 a month with rental accounting included.
Which is better for Schedule E tax time?
Landlord Studio includes a one-click Schedule E export and 15+ landlord-specific reports. Xero produces general ledger reports, so a Schedule E has to be assembled manually.