DoorKeeping vs Rentec Direct: every published fee side by side
Rentec Direct is unusually open about its prices: Pro is $2.00 per unit and PM is $2.50 per unit, both with a $50 monthly minimum, and a Starter plan is $25 a month flat for up to 10 properties. It then lists separate fees for bank payments, cards, screening and cash payments. DoorKeeping is $2 per unit with no minimum and no other fees. Rentec Direct has trust accounting and owner payouts on its PM plan and a long list of options; DoorKeeping is simpler and run through Claude or ChatGPT.
Three plans, one minimum
Rentec Direct's fee page lists Starter at $25 a month flat, Pro at $2.00 per unit and PM at $2.50 per unit. It states "Rentec Pro and PM have a $50 monthly minimum", no long-term contract and free setup and onboarding. Its pricing page adds that PM includes trust accounting, owner ACH payouts and an owner portal, and that Pro and PM accounts cannot move down to Starter.
| Made-up owner | Rentec Pro | Rentec PM | DoorKeeping |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 units | max($20, $50 minimum) = $50 a month, $600 a year | max($25, $50) = $50 a month, $600 a year | 10 x $2 x 12 = $240 |
| 30 units | 30 x $2 = $60 a month, $720 a year | 30 x $2.50 = $75 a month, $900 a year | 30 x $2 x 12 = $720 |
At 30 units Rentec Pro and DoorKeeping cost the same. Below that, the $50 minimum makes Rentec Pro more than $2 per unit; Starter at $300 a year is the cheaper Rentec choice for up to 10 properties, with higher payment fees.
The fees around the subscription
Rentec's list is long. On Starter, an incoming bank payment is $2.00 and a card payment is 3.50%. On Pro and PM, the first bank payment per active property each month is free and later ones are $0.50, cards are 2.95% (American Express 3.50%) with a $1.00 minimum, and the tenant or the manager chooses who pays. Screening ranges from $10 to $18 per applicant on Pro and PM and from $14.95 to $29.45 on Starter. Cash payments need a $200 setup and cost the tenant $4.99 each.
Example a made-up 30 unit owner on Rentec Pro where each tenant pays bank rent 12 times a year. Per property, the first payment each month is free, so a single payment a month costs nothing; a second payment in the same month would be $0.50. Software is $720 and bank fees are $0 in this case.
Rentec also lists $5.00 and $35.00 for ACH returns, $35.00 for chargebacks and $150 to close the merchant account in the first 12 months. DoorKeeping has none of these on bank transfers: tenants pay the owner's own bank directly. Rent and payments stay in your own bank accounts. DoorKeeping never holds your money and sends a payment only when you approve it.
Where Rentec Direct is stronger
Rentec offers trust accounting and owner payouts on PM, screening, card and cash rent, text messages, automated mailing and 1099 e-filing as listed features. DoorKeeping is not built for trust accounting. If you manage other people's buildings, Rentec PM is built for that and DoorKeeping is for owners managing their own.
| Feature | Rentec Direct | DoorKeeping |
|---|---|---|
| Software price | $25 flat, $2 or $2.50 per unit, $50 minimum on Pro and PM | $2 per unit, no minimum |
| Rent by bank | Mostly free on Pro and PM, $2.00 on Starter | Free |
| Rent by card | 2.95% to 3.50% | A tenant pays a 3% card fee, where state law allows it (credit cards only) |
| Screening | $10 to $29.45 | Passed through at DoorKeeping's cost, no markup |
| Trust accounting | PM plan | Not part of DoorKeeping |
| Separate books per LLC | Not described on its pricing page | Yes |
| Works from Claude or ChatGPT | Not described | Yes |
How DoorKeeping handles it
One plan, no tiers: you do not choose between Starter, Pro and PM or work out which fee applies to which payment. Switching in is a drop of your export files, and the AI maps the columns for you; see how it connects to your AI app.
Every fee: Rentec Direct and DoorKeeping
Everything Rentec Direct publishes that an owner, a tenant or an applicant pays, next to DoorKeeping, read from Rentec Direct's own pages (www.rentecdirect.com/pricing-transparency). "Not published" means it is not on Rentec Direct's own site.
| Fee | Rentec Direct | DoorKeeping |
|---|---|---|
| Software price | Starter $25 a month flat; Pro $2.00 per unit; PM $2.50 per unit (paid by the owner) | $2 per unit per month, every feature included (paid by the owner) |
| Minimum or contract | $50 a month on Pro and PM; no long-term contract (paid by the owner) | None. No minimum and no contract |
| Setup or onboarding | Free, including onboarding | None |
| Rent paid by bank (ACH) | Starter $2.00 each; Pro and PM free for one per active property per month, then $0.50 each; $0.50 to verify a new bank account | Free. Tenants pay your own bank directly |
| Rent paid by card | Visa, Mastercard, Discover 3.50% on Starter and 2.95% on Pro and PM (minimum $1.00); American Express 3.50%; the tenant or manager chooses who pays | 3% card fee, credit cards only; bank transfer stays free (paid by the tenant) |
| Tenant screening | Starter: $14.95 basic, $20.95 enhanced, $29.45 premium. Pro and PM: $10, $13, $18 (paid by the applicant) | No markup: our exact cost. Paid by the applicant by default, or by you if you choose |
| E-signatures | Free; fair-use charge of $2.50 each above 15% of your property count in signatures (paid by the owner) | Included, no per-document fee |
| Payouts to owners or vendors | Outgoing ACH $2.00 on Starter, $0.50 on Pro and PM (paid by the owner) | None. DoorKeeping never holds your money and sends a payment only when you approve it |
| Other published fees | Cash payments (Pro and PM): $200 one-time setup, $4.99 per payment paid by the tenant; ACH returns $5.00 or $35.00; chargebacks $35.00; text messages free up to a fair-use limit | None |
Sources
- Rentec Direct, Pricing, read Oct 30, 2026
- Rentec Direct, Pricing transparency (all fees), read Oct 30, 2026
- DoorKeeping, Pricing, read Oct 30, 2026
Questions
- What is the Rentec Direct minimum?
- Pro and PM have a $50 monthly minimum, per its fee page. Starter is $25 a month flat for up to 10 properties.
- Does Rentec Direct charge for ACH?
- Yes. Starter charges $2.00 per incoming bank payment. On Pro and PM the first per active property each month is free, then $0.50 each.
- Is there a DoorKeeping setup fee?
- No. There is no setup cost and no minimum. It is $2 per unit per month.