As an investor or property manager with a small portfolio, it can be easy to fall into the trap of managing your properties manually.

You know, the good ol’ Excel spreadsheet.

There’s no denying that it works better than keeping tabs from your smartphone’s Notes app.

But even if you’re only managing a few properties, there are far better options available to you today.

Property management software for small landlords and large portfolios alike can do all kinds of things, such as:

• Make it easier to collect rent, collect more rent, and do it faster
• Streamline maintenance requests and tenant communications as a whole
• Simplify the screening and application process
• Give you accounting tools that are purpose-built for property management (instead of using a general accounting system like QuickBooks, which can be inconvenient)

And much more.

That’s why we’ve put together a list of the best property management software for small landlords.

Each of the options we’ll cover below have one or more of the following pros designed to be best for investors and property managers with smaller portfolios:

• Free plan or trial
• Affordable pricing
• Large feature set
• And easy to use and get started

Read on to find out the best landlord software available.

What Is the Most Popular Property Management Software?

DoorLoop is an all-in-one property management solution that is made by property managers, for property managers and property management companies. Since the entire software is made by a development team full of real estate professionals, it is sure to meet all the needs of your business, making it the most popular and user friendly property management software in the market.

Some of DoorLoop's features include:

Leasing and Marketing Tools: Completely automate the listing of vacant properties to quickly fill in the units that you have available.
Fully Integrated Accounting Suite: Manage all of your financials and accounting needs from one single portal with a system that integrates with dozens of other software.
Exceptional Customer Support: Enjoy excellent technical support throughout your experience with the software and even the training process.
Maintenance Management: Manage all maintenance requests from your rental properties and keep track of the service done on the properties.
Tenant Portal: Making things like paying rent, viewing your balance, and requesting maintenance very easy with a convenient tenant portal.

As an added bonus, DoorLoop offers free Demos to help you get familiarized with the software, so schedule one today!

8 Best Property Management Software for Small Landlords

Below are 8 of the best property management software tools for small landlords.

Each of the tools below are designed to help you manage your properties in multiple areas. Some are even all-in-one solutions you can use to manage your entire portfolio.

Let’s start with some of the best tools with free plans (or free trials).

Best for: Free plan

Several property management tools offer a free trial or, in some cases, a 100% free plan.

However, keep in mind that while a free plan sounds like a great starting point, the options below do tend to be limited in terms of features.

However, if you don’t have the budget to spend right now on software, these could be a good starting point.

1. Landlordy

If you’re looking for a simple solution that you can take with you on your smartphone, Landlordy is a good option.

They have both an iOS and Android app version and a decent enough UI (though not the best), but as you’ll see, compared to some of the other options we review later, the feature set of Landlordy is minimal.

Still, if you’re simply looking for something that helps you manage rent payments and you’re willing to give up some of the more powerful features in the typical property management software, it’s worth a look.

Landlordy pricing

Landlordy offers a 100% free version, though it’s limited to only a few basic features.

For $14.99, you can pay for a premium version and get access to a few more basic accounting features and data backup.

However, Landlordy still doesn’t come close to some of the more robust features on this list, even with those add-ons.

2. Avail

Avail is another good option that offers a more comprehensive feature set than Landlordy while also offering a free plan.

Unlike Landlordy’s affordable premium plan, however, Avail’s paid plan isn’t cheap.

Other pros and cons include a decent UI that’s easy to maneuver. It can be challenging to get started because Avail doesn’t offer good tutorials or a competent knowledge base for learning how the software works.

Features include:

• Online rent payments
• Work order management
• Tenant screening
• Automatic listings

Avail pricing

Avail offers a free plan with an unlimited number of units. However, their Unlimited Plus paid plan is pricey even compared to some of the higher-end options on this list. If you want to get many of their more valuable features, it will cost you $5 per unit, per month.

3. TenantCloud

TenantCloud offers a free plan most similar to Landlordy’s, being free up to 75 units. It’s not unlimited, but it will suffice just the same if you have a small portfolio.

If you’re looking for a convenient app you can take with you on the go– that offers a free plan– Landlordy is likely still the best option.

However, the one benefit TenantCloud has over Landlordy is that its feature list on both its free and premium plan is better.

Features include:

• Online rent payments
• Work order management
• Vendor payments

TenantCloud pricing

TenantCloud has a free plan of up to 75 units. If you need something more or are looking for more features, they offer a Standard plan for $12 up to 150 units and a Growth plan for $40 up to 150 units.

However, you’ll need to opt for their $40 Growth plan to get a decent list of features comparable to the other options on this list.

Best for: Affordability

So, you’ve decided to invest a bit into property management software.

But you want to get the most for your money, and for that, you need to know which software isn’t just affordable but will do the job you need it to do.

Here are two more great options for investors and property managers with a small portfolio, particularly if you’re looking for a good feature set without paying an arm and a leg.

4. SimplifyEM

SimplifyEM is an excellent option if you’re primarily looking for an accounting tool for managing your properties.

SimplifyEM mainly makes tracking and collecting rent easier, with some unique features such as payment reminders.

They have a free trial version of the software that’s unique among other property management software tools in that you can test out the complete software for a limited time without putting any sensitive information in.

Features include:

• Robust accounting features
• QuickBooks integration
• Reminders
• Automated rent payments

SimplifyEM Pricing

SimplifyEM has a free trial version of the software. Their paid plans start at just $20 per month, making it one of the most affordable paid plans on this list, though it only covers up to 10 units.

5. Property Matrix

Property Matrix is a good option for businesses with very specific reporting needs. Offering over 500 customizable reporting fields, this software allows you to generate virtually any report you’ll need. 

However, it’s important to note that users report that Property Matrix’s price point is quite high for smaller businesses, especially when compared to software options with comparable features. Its Starter plan starts at $400/month for up to 250 units.

Features include:

• Mobile app
• Custom user roles
• Custom fields and reports
• ACH and credit card payments

Property Matrix pricing

Property Matrix starts at $400/month on its Starter plan, which is quite high compared to other options out there.

Even if you manage as many as 250 units, there are other software options out there that offer a more advanced subscription tier that still costs less than this basic package.

Best for: Custom reporting

If you’re looking for powerful customizability when it comes to your reports, Property Matrix is a solid option. With that said, it may be worth it exploring other options that offer similar (or higher) functionalities at a lower price point.

6. Rentec Direct

Rentec Direct is a property management tool with a large set of features and a great pricing model.

It has one of the most comprehensive sets of features of any option on this list. Their accounting features, in particular, are diverse, including everything from online rent payments to robust reporting tools.

However, users report Rentec’s interface is hard to navigate and find what you need, making it a bit of a pain to use on a regular basis.

Features include:

• Good accounting features
• Work order management
• Tenant communications tools
• Owner portal

Rentec Direct pricing

Rentec Direct’s pricing starts at a base of $35 per month for up to 10 units, with pricing increasing based on a tiered model.

For up to 50 units, you’ll $55 per month, 100 units for $90, and all the way up to 500 units for $450 per month.

7. Buildium

Buildium is another option that offers a deep set of features for managing your portfolio.

In addition to the solid feature set, Buildium users report it having good tutorials for getting started, though that’s balanced with a somewhat overwhelming amount of options and settings that can make it not the greatest option if this is your first property management software.

Features include:

• Work order management
• Online rent payments
• Good reporting features
• Expense tracking

Buildium pricing

Buildium offers a 14-day free trial. Their starter plan comes in at $50 per month for up to 20 units and 150 units for $235 monthly.

Best for: All-around

Last but quite the opposite of least, we have our pick for the best all-around property management software for small landlords that offers a free trial, low price, and competitive feature set.

Whether you’re a property management or investor with a few properties (or even a vast portfolio), if you want something that checks off all the boxes, this is where to look.

8. DoorLoop

So far, we’ve covered options that have:

• An affordable pricing model, so that when you decide you want to invest, you know it will fit the budget
• And a robust feature set, allowing you to get the most value for your property business, from streamlining mundane tasks to optimizing processes and giving you peace of mind

We truly believe we’re not just tooting our own horn when we say that our very own DoorLoop is the best of all three of those worlds– and more.

In fact, DoorLoop not only is affordable, it's also 50% off your first two months.

Pricing is some of the most competitive in the industry, at just $49 per month for up to 20 units before the promo.

And as for features? DoorLoop provides every feature mentioned in this review thus far and then some, allowing you to:

• Handle all your accounting needs, from automatic rent payments via multiple payment methods to reporting and a full chart of accounts
• Manage all of your work orders, allowing tenants to submit maintenance requests themselves via the app, and you to assign to vendors and pay them when the job is done
• Communicate with tenants straight from the app, streamlining communications in a way you never thought possible
• Access an owner portal, for easy reporting and check printing all in one place
• Simplify the process of bringing in new tenants, including everything from automatic listings to tenant screening
• And much more

And if all that wasn’t enough, DoorLoop is purpose-built for ease of use.

The UI is hyper-responsive, load times lightning-fast, and it’s easy to find anything you need in seconds.

DoorLoop Pricing

So then, how about pricing?

DoorLoop’s online rent payment and property management system is 50% off your first two months. So, you can give it a try and see how it works for you.

DoorLoop’s basic plan starts at just $49 per month, up to 20 units and with room to grow.

Try the Best All-Around Property Management Software

No matter which option you decide to go with, one thing is true: property management software can do a lot for you if you’re an investor or property manager with a small portfolio.

Excellent property management software can:

• Streamline complex systems
• Simplify communication with tenants, vendors, and owners alike
• Even automate many monotonous tasks so you have fewer things to worry about
• And much more.

To take advantage of these and other invaluable benefits that make managing your properties easier, try DoorLoop’s all-in-one property management software.

It’s purpose-built for investors and property managers of all sizes, whether you have a few or a few hundred properties.

Give DoorLoop a try and schedule a free Demo today!