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Award winning property management software. Trusted by 80,000+ landlords and letting agents.

Overview: Zillow Rental Manager vs Landlord Studio

Landlord Studio is built accounting-first for self-managing landlords, with property-by-property bookkeeping, reporting, and Schedule E at the core. Zillow Rental Manager is a listings-first marketplace: it puts your rental in front of millions of renters, takes applications, screens tenants, and collects rent, mostly free to the landlord.

Zillow helps you fill the unit; Landlord Studio helps you run the business behind it.

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. Listing syndication is included, and once a tenant is placed the same app keeps rent, expenses, and tax-ready books running rather than handing you back to a marketplace.

Zillow Rental Manager's strength is reach.

Listing on Zillow, Trulia, and HotPads puts a vacancy in front of one of the largest renter audiences in the US, alongside online applications, tenant screening paid by the applicant, lease creation, and rent collection.

The trade-off is that it's a leasing tool, not a rental accounting platform: no income and expense tracking, no bank feeds, no landlord reporting, no Schedule E export, and no Xero integration, with listings at $9.99 a week after the first, plus a $29.99 premium upgrade.

Landlord StudioZillow Rental Manager
Pricing & scope
PricingFree for up to 3 units, paid plans from $12/moFirst listing free, then $9.99/wk per listing
What it isFull rental platform, accounting-firstListings marketplace
Listing reachSyndicated listingsOne of the largest US renter audiences
Accounting & tax
Income & expense trackingUnlimited, built-inNot supported
Automated bank feedsIncludedNot supported
Schedule E exportOne-clickNot supported
Xero integrationNative two-way syncNot supported
Landlord reports15+ built-inNot supported
Day-to-day landlord tools
Online rent collectionBuilt-inBuilt-in (free ACH)
Tenant screeningBuilt-in (TransUnion)Built-in (Experian/CIC, tenant-paid)
Listings & applicationsBuilt-inCore product
Lease trackingBuilt-inDigital lease signing
Best forLandlords who want to run the whole businessLandlords advertising a vacancy
Accounting Data Screens

Why landlords are choosing Landlord Studio over Zillow Rental Manager

Category reports for accounting
Reporting Document
Lease Automation Screen

Landlord Studio

Appfolio

Income & expense tracking

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Manual expense tracking

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Recurring expenses

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Automated bank feeds

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Smart receipt scanner

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Automatic mileage tracker

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Portfolio dashboard

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Online rent collection

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Collect rent online

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Receipts and reminders

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Collect deposit online

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Control partial payments

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Tenant auto-pay

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Reporting & tax returns

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Integration with Xero

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Tax reporting

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Accountant collaboration

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Find & screen tenants

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Create a listing

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Manage applicants

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Screen applicants

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Property maintenance

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Track Maintenance Tasks

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Tenant Portal

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Document storage

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Native iOS and Android app

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Limited functionality

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.

FAQs

Is Landlord Studio a good Zillow Rental Manager alternative?

Yes. Landlord Studio is a strong alternative for the parts Zillow doesn't cover — full rental accounting, bank feeds, 15+ reports, and a one-click Schedule E export — alongside online rent collection, tenant screening, listings, and lease tracking, from $12 a month.

Does Zillow Rental Manager have accounting?

No. Zillow Rental Manager is a listings-first marketplace with no income and expense tracking, bank feeds, landlord reporting, or Schedule E export. Landlord Studio is built accounting-first to handle all of that.

How much does Zillow Rental Manager cost?

The first listing is free, then it's $9.99 per property per week, with an optional $29.99 premium upgrade. Applications and screening are free to the landlord (renters pay a $35 fee), and ACH rent collection is free. Landlord Studio PRO is $12 a month with full accounting included.

Can I use Zillow Rental Manager and Landlord Studio together?

Yes, and many landlords do. You can advertise vacancies on Zillow for reach, then use Landlord Studio to collect rent, track income and expenses, and keep tax-ready books once a tenant is placed.

Does Zillow Rental Manager do Schedule E?

No. Zillow Rental Manager has no Schedule E report or expense tracking. Landlord Studio includes a one-click Schedule E export plus 15+ landlord-specific reports.

Which is better for managing rental finances?

Zillow is best for advertising a vacancy and placing a tenant. For managing rent, expenses, and tax-ready books over the life of the tenancy, Landlord Studio is purpose-built for the financial side.