DoorKeeping vs Hemlane for owners with a few to a few dozen units
Hemlane's Basic plan costs $2 per unit plus a $28 monthly platform fee, and its Essential and Complete plans add services at $20 and $58 per unit, per its pricing page. A free Starter plan also exists. DoorKeeping costs $2 per unit with no platform fee, and tenants pay no rent fees. Hemlane is the one to look at if you want a company to place tenants or run inspections for you; DoorKeeping is for owners who manage themselves through Claude or ChatGPT.
Software on its own, or software with services
Hemlane's pricing page splits its offer in two. Software plans are Starter (free) and Basic. Software and services plans are Essential and Complete, which cost more per unit because Hemlane staff do part of the work. It also lists add-ons: tenant placement from $695, inspections from $300 and Eviction Shield from $4.95 a month.
DoorKeeping has one product and one price, and no staff doing the work for you. The AI does the routine work, and you approve what involves money or the law.
The monthly math
On Hemlane's paid plans the $28 platform fee is added to the per-unit charge. The page does not show annual prices, only that annual billing saves "up to 20%".
| Made-up owner | Hemlane Basic | Hemlane Essential | DoorKeeping |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 units | $28 + 10 x $2 = $48 a month, $576 a year | $28 + 10 x $20 = $228 a month, $2,736 a year | 10 x $2 = $20 a month, $240 a year |
| 30 units | $28 + 30 x $2 = $88 a month, $1,056 a year | $28 + 30 x $20 = $628 a month, $7,536 a year | 30 x $2 = $60 a month, $720 a year |
These are monthly list prices from the page, before any annual discount. Hemlane's free Starter plan has no price at all, so a very small owner can compare it with DoorKeeping on features alone.
Tenant fees
Hemlane lists no fee for rent paid by bank transfer, 3% for card payments and $40 for tenant screening, paid by the tenant. That is a lighter tenant bill than many competitors publish, and worth weighing if tenants already pay by card.
DoorKeeping adds no tenant fee of its own: bank transfer is free, and a tenant who pays by credit card pays a 3% card fee, where state law allows it. Credit cards only. Screening is passed through at cost.
What you get
| Feature | Hemlane | DoorKeeping |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | $28 a month on paid plans | None |
| Accounting | Bank sync, cash flow report and income statement on Starter | Separate books per property, rolled up; Schedule E and 1099-NEC report |
| E-sign | Included from Basic | Included |
| Tenant placement and inspections | Paid add-ons from $695 and $300 | Software only; you choose your tenant from the application link |
| Screening | $40, paid by the tenant | Passed through at DoorKeeping's cost, no markup |
| AI through Claude or ChatGPT | Not described on the pricing page | Yes |
Hemlane sells people-powered services: tenant placement, inspections and Eviction Shield. DoorKeeping sells software only. DoorKeeping is ahead on cost at small and mid sizes and on keeping a separate set of books per LLC.
Questions to ask before you pick
- Do you want to hire anyone? If yes, Hemlane's service plans are built for that and DoorKeeping is not. If you would rather do the work yourself with an assistant, the software-only plans fit better.
- How many units will you have in a year? The $28 platform fee is a larger share of the bill when you have 5 units than when you have 50.
- Do your tenants pay by card? Hemlane lists 3% for cards, and DoorKeeping charges a tenant who pays by credit card a 3% fee, where state law allows it.
- Do you need a separate set of books for each LLC? Hemlane's page describes income and expense tracking and reports, not books per entity.
How DoorKeeping handles it
You connect the bank account for each property, and DoorKeeping matches deposits to rent. Rent and payments stay in your own bank accounts. DoorKeeping never holds your money and sends a payment only when you approve it. Maintenance requests become work orders you can send to your own vendor by link, with no account for the vendor. Read more on how it connects to your AI app.
Every fee: Hemlane and DoorKeeping
Everything Hemlane publishes that an owner, a tenant or an applicant pays, next to DoorKeeping, read from Hemlane's own pages (www.hemlane.com/pricing/). "Not published" means it is not on Hemlane's own site.
| Fee | Hemlane | DoorKeeping |
|---|---|---|
| Software price | Starter $0; Basic $2 per unit + $28 platform fee a month; Essential $20 per unit + $28; Complete $58 per unit + $28 (the last two include services) (paid by the owner) | $2 per unit per month, every feature included (paid by the owner) |
| Minimum or contract | $28 monthly platform fee on every paid plan (paid by the owner) | None. No minimum and no contract |
| Setup or onboarding | Not published | None |
| Rent paid by bank (ACH) | No fee | Free. Tenants pay your own bank directly |
| Rent paid by card | 3% on debit or credit card payments (paid by the tenant) | 3% card fee, credit cards only; bank transfer stays free (paid by the tenant) |
| Tenant screening | $40 total (paid by the applicant) | No markup: our exact cost. Paid by the applicant by default, or by you if you choose |
| E-signatures | Document storage and e-sign included from Basic up; no separate fee shown | Included, no per-document fee |
| Payouts to owners or vendors | Not published | None. DoorKeeping never holds your money and sends a payment only when you approve it |
| Other published fees | Tenant placement from $695; inspections from $300; Eviction Shield from $4.95 a month; premium listing on 7 more sites $89 for 30 days (paid by the owner) | None |
Sources
- Hemlane, Pricing, read Oct 30, 2026
- DoorKeeping, Pricing, read Oct 30, 2026
- DoorKeeping, Features (live feature list), read Oct 30, 2026
Questions
- How much is Hemlane for 20 units?
- On Basic, $28 plus 20 x $2 = $68 a month at list price, per its pricing page. Essential would be $28 plus 20 x $20 = $428 a month.
- Does Hemlane charge tenants to pay rent?
- Its page lists no fee for bank payments and 3% for cards. Screening is $40, paid by the tenant.
- Does DoorKeeping have a platform fee?
- No. It is $2 per unit per month, with no setup cost, no minimum and nothing added on top.