Azibo alternatives for landlords who want a free or low-cost start
Azibo lists a platform monthly fee of "None" and free bank rent. Other tools with a free or low entry price include Avail (Unlimited at $0, with $2.50 per bank payment on the free plan), Landlord Studio (Go free for 3 units, $2.50 per payment), RentSpree (Basic $0, $3 per recurring payment charged to the landlord), PayRent (Free-for-five, $9.95 per bank payment), Rentec Direct (Starter $25 a month) and DoorKeeping ($2 per unit, free bank rent). The entry price is only half the cost: the per-payment fees decide the rest.
Why a free plan still deserves a comparison
Azibo's pricing page is unusual in listing free bank rent for both sides, with revenue coming from cards, leases, screening, banking and other items. Other free or cheap plans make money differently, mostly through a fee on every bank payment. Add up the payments across a year before you decide that free means free.
What does bank rent cost for 10 tenants over a year?
Ten tenants paying once a month is 120 bank payments a year. Using each company's published per-payment fee on its entry plan:
| Tool and plan | Plan price | Bank payment fee | Fees on 120 payments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azibo | $0 platform fee | Free | $0 |
| Avail Unlimited | $0 | $2.50 added to the tenant payment | $300 |
| Landlord Studio Go | $0 (3 units) | $2.50, landlord or tenant | $300 |
| RentSpree Basic | $0 | $3 to the landlord, per recurring payment | $360 |
| PayRent Free-for-five | $0 | $9.95 | $1,194 |
| Rentec Direct Starter | $25 a month | $2.00 each | $240, plus $300 for the plan |
| DoorKeeping | $2 per unit per month | Free to the owner's own bank | $0, plus $240 for the plan |
Example a made-up owner with 10 units and 10 tenants pays 10 x 12 = 120 bank payments a year. On Avail's free plan at $2.50 each that is $300, on PayRent's Free-for-five at $9.95 each it is $1,194, and on Azibo and DoorKeeping it is $0.
Several of these let the owner cover the fee or pass it on, so the payer changes with your settings. Check who pays before you tell tenants anything.
Card rent and screening
- Azibo: 2.99% card fee, paid by the renter; credit and background checks $39.99, charged to the applicant.
- Avail: 3.5% on both plans; screening price varies by location, most commonly paid by the tenant.
- Landlord Studio: 3.49% card; screening $55 on Go.
- RentSpree: 3% card for renters; screening $39.99 or $49.99, the landlord chooses who pays.
- DoorKeeping: 3% card, credit cards only, where state law allows it; screening at exact cost.
Choosing among them
If you own one to three units, the free plans are worth trying and the table shows where the cost hides. If you own ten or more and want your bookkeeping done too, a flat per-unit price starts to look reasonable: DoorKeeping's $2 covers the books for each property, bills read and coded, Schedule E and a way to run it all from Claude or ChatGPT. See every price on the compare page.
What changes when you move from a free plan?
Moving off a free plan usually means moving your tenants too, so check the process before the price. Ask how leases and tenant records come across, whether open balances carry over, and whether tenants need new logins. DoorKeeping takes one drop zone for any export, spreadsheet or PDF rent roll, uses AI to map the columns, flags problems with one-tap fixes and carries opening balances over as of a cutover date, with nothing posting until you confirm.
Whichever tool you pick, keep your lease documents and payment history exported somewhere you control. A free plan can change its terms, and a dated export is the simplest protection.
Sources
- Azibo, Pricing, read Oct 30, 2026
- Avail, Pricing, read Oct 30, 2026
- Landlord Studio, Pricing, read Oct 30, 2026
- RentSpree, Pricing, read Oct 30, 2026
- PayRent, Pricing, read Oct 30, 2026
- Rentec Direct, Pricing transparency, read Oct 30, 2026
- DoorKeeping, Pricing, read Oct 30, 2026
Questions
- What is a good free alternative to Azibo?
- Avail Unlimited and Landlord Studio Go list $0 plans, and RentSpree has a $0 Basic plan. Each charges per bank payment or per use, so compare the yearly total.
- Which alternatives charge nothing for bank rent?
- Azibo lists free bank rent, PayRent's Go-like-a-pro plan lists free ACH, and DoorKeeping adds no fee for rent paid by bank transfer.
- Which card fee is lowest?
- On published rates Azibo is 2.99%, RentSpree and DoorKeeping 3%, Landlord Studio 3.49% and Avail 3.5%, with PayRent adding a flat amount.