Per unit, flat fee or tiered: how landlord software prices work and how to compare them
Landlord software is priced one of three ways: per unit per month, a flat monthly price, or tiers set by how many units or leases you have. Per-unit pricing grows with you, a flat price is cheapest at the top of its limit, and tiers jump at each cap. Pick the model by multiplying your unit count today and in two years, then add any monthly minimum.
What are the pricing models?
| Model | Published example | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Per unit per month | AppFolio Core from $1.49, Yardi Breeze $1, DoorLoop One $2.50 billed yearly | Unit minimums and monthly minimum spends |
| Flat monthly price | RentRedi $12 a month billed annually, one flat price for unlimited units; Rentec Direct Starter $25 a month | Plan limits on properties or features |
| Tiers by unit or lease count | TurboTenant 1 to 10 units on Essentials $149 and Pro $199 a year; TenantCloud caps leases at 10, 30 and 60 | A jump in price at each cap |
| Per unit plus a platform fee | Hemlane Basic $2 per unit plus a $28 monthly platform fee | The fee that does not shrink with fewer units |
Read from each company's pricing page on 2026-10-29 and 2026-10-30. Plans and prices change; check the page.
How do minimums change the real price?
A per-unit price has a hidden second number: the minimum. DoorLoop's One plan lists a $199 monthly minimum billed yearly, Yardi Breeze lists $100 a month, and Rentec Direct's Pro and PM plans list $50 a month. Below that many units the minimum, not the unit price, sets your bill.
Example a made-up owner with 12 units. At a published $2.50 per unit the unit math is 12 x $2.50 = $30 a month. Against a $199 monthly minimum the bill is $199, so the effective price per unit is $199 / 12 = about $16.58. The per-unit price on the page was never the number that mattered.
How do you compare models fairly?
- Write down your unit count now and the count you expect in 24 months.
- For each product, compute the monthly price at both counts, using the minimum if it is higher.
- Add known per-payment fees that you will pay, not the tenant.
- Add onboarding or setup fees, and count any bank-account fee.
- Compare the yearly total, not the monthly price.
A flat price is cheapest when you are near the top of its limit. A per-unit price is cheapest when you are small and want to pay for only what you use.
What about pricing as a percent of rent?
A percentage of collected rent is how full-service property managers charge, and a software plan priced that way would work the same. It means your software bill rises when rents rise, even though the work does not change. For self-managers, a flat or per-unit price is easier to predict, and a percent-of-rent price is easier to overpay.
When does each model fit?
- One to three units: a free or low flat plan is hard to beat if you do not need accounting.
- Five to fifty units: per-unit pricing with no minimum tracks your growth.
- You expect to add units soon: avoid tiers that jump at the next cap.
- You want predictable costs: a flat price or a per-unit price with no per-payment fees.
How DoorKeeping handles it
DoorKeeping uses one price, so the comparison above has one line for it: units times $2 times 12, with nothing to add. Ten units is 10 x $2 x 12 = $240 a year.
DoorKeeping costs $2 per unit per month with every feature included, no setup cost and no minimum. Tenants pay your own bank by bank transfer, which is always free, or by card with a 3% card fee, which covers card processing. DoorKeeping never holds your rent, and anything involving money waits for your one-tap approval.
Sources
- AppFolio, Pricing, read Oct 30, 2026
- Yardi Breeze, Pricing, read Oct 30, 2026
- DoorLoop, Pricing, read Oct 30, 2026
- RentRedi, Pricing, read Oct 29, 2026
- Rentec Direct, Pricing transparency (all fees), read Oct 30, 2026
- TurboTenant, Pricing, read Oct 29, 2026
- TenantCloud, Pricing, read Oct 29, 2026
- Hemlane, Pricing, read Oct 30, 2026
Questions
- Is per-unit or flat pricing cheaper for a small landlord?
- It depends on unit count and minimums. Multiply both prices by your units and add any minimum, then compare the yearly total.
- Why does a $1 per unit price cost more than $1 per unit?
- Because a monthly minimum can set the bill. Below the unit count where units times price passes the minimum, you pay the minimum.
- Should I pay annually to save money?
- Annual billing is often cheaper per month, but it locks you in for a year. Check the cancellation terms first.