Landlord Studio: The best alternative to Stessa
Award winning property management software. Trusted by 80,000+ landlords and letting agents.
Overview: Stessa vs Landlord Studio
Landlord Studio is rental property accounting software built accounting-first for self-managing landlords who treat their rentals like the business they are. Stessa started as a free portfolio dashboard for real estate investors who wanted to monitor performance, then layered on rent collection, tenant screening, and an embedded banking account.
Both track income and expenses, but only one was engineered to give you audit-ready books and tax-ready reports without compromise.
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. You get transaction-level reporting and unlimited receipt capture on the entry-level paid plan, with no second subscription to keep the books clean as the portfolio grows.
Stessa is built around portfolio monitoring and embedded banking.
Its strengths are a genuinely useful free Essentials tier with unlimited properties, automatic bank feeds, and a Cash Management account paying competitive APY with FDIC pass-through coverage, plus screening through sister company RentPrep.
The trade-off for landlords serious about their books: no Xero integration, simplified single-entry accounting, and unlimited receipt scanning and advanced reports locked behind the Pro tier at $28 a month, more than double PRO.
Feature Comparison
| Landlord Studio | Stessa | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & setup | ||
| Starting price | Free for up to 3 units, paid plans from $12/mo | Free Essentials, paid plans from $12/mo (billed annually) |
| Built for landlords | Purpose-built, accounting-first | Investor portfolio dashboard |
| Xero integration | Yes, two-way sync | Not supported |
| Income & expense tracking | ||
| Automated bank feeds | Included on all paid plans | Included, even on free |
| AI receipt scanning | Unlimited on PRO ($12/mo) | Unlimited only on Pro ($28/mo) |
| Transaction-level reporting | Full and customizable | Simplified single-entry |
| GPS mileage tracking | Built-in | Not supported |
| Reporting & tax | ||
| Landlord-specific reports | 15+ built-in | Core reports; advanced on Pro |
| Schedule E export | One-click on paid plans | On Manage and Pro |
| Accountant access | Direct accountant portal | Report sharing |
| Rent & tenants | ||
| Online rent collection | Built-in | Built-in |
| Tenant screening | Built-in (TransUnion) | Via RentPrep |
| Native mobile app | iOS & Android | iOS & Android |
| Best for | Landlords who want real accounting depth | Investors who want a free dashboard and banking |
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 Stessa Best For?
Built for investors who want a free portfolio dashboard with banking built in, Stessa tracks income and expenses across unlimited properties inside the Roofstock group. From automatic bank feeds to Schedule E reporting.
- Pricing: Essentials (Free), Manage ($12/mo annual), Pro ($28/mo annual)
- Features: Collect rent online, bank feeds, RentPrep screening, Schedule E reports
- Best Suited For: Investors wanting a free dashboard and built-in banking.
- Key Advantage: Polished free tier, though single-entry books and no Xero sync.
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 Stessa
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 Stessa alternative?
Yes. Landlord Studio is a strong Stessa alternative for landlords who want serious accounting. It adds Xero integration, transaction-level reporting, and unlimited AI receipt scanning on the $12-a-month PRO plan, alongside online rent collection, tenant screening, and one-click Schedule E reports.
Does Stessa integrate with Xero?
No. Stessa does not offer a Xero integration. Landlord Studio includes a two-way Xero sync on its paid plans, so your rental bookkeeping stays connected to your wider accounting.
Is Stessa free?
Stessa's Essentials plan is free and includes unlimited properties, bank feeds, and online rent collection. Advanced reporting, Schedule E, and unlimited receipt scanning require the paid Manage ($12/mo annually) or Pro ($28/mo annually) plans.
Can I track income and expenses by property in both?
Yes, both track income and expenses by property. Landlord Studio offers fuller, customizable transaction-level reporting, while Stessa uses a simplified single-entry approach designed for portfolio monitoring.
Which is better for tax time?
Landlord Studio includes one-click Schedule E reports on its entry-level paid plan plus a direct accountant portal. Stessa offers Schedule E reporting on its Manage and Pro tiers.
Can I switch from Stessa to Landlord Studio?
Yes. You can set up your properties in minutes, connect your bank feeds, and import historical transactions, with guided onboarding and support to help you move across.