We make Landlord Cart, so we are not a neutral reviewer. We checked Stessa’s public pricing and independent listings in November 2026, and below we say plainly where Stessa is the better pick and where it is not.
The short answer
- Your main need is income, expenses and tax reports: Stessa started as rental bookkeeping and has a free plan.
- You also want tenants, repairs and leases in one place: Landlord Cart does both, free for up to 2 properties.
- You have 3 to 30 rentals: Landlord Cart is $99 a year for up to 10 and $249 a year for up to 30.
Stessa pricing in 2026
Stessa has a free Essentials plan that reportedly covers unlimited properties, bank feeds and online rent collection. Its paid plans are Manage at about $12 a month billed annually ($15 monthly) and Pro at about $28 a month billed annually ($35 monthly), according to listings checked in late 2026. Schedule E reports and advanced reporting are on the paid plans.
- Free plan: Essentials, with unlimited properties and bank feeds.
- Paid plans: about $12 and $28 a month when billed annually.
- Fees: one review reports a 3 percent charge when tenants pay by card. Confirm on Stessa’s site.
Stessa’s pricing and fees come from its public page and third-party reviews checked in November 2026. They change, so confirm on Stessa’s site.
Stessa and Landlord Cart side by side
| Stessa | Landlord Cart | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes, Essentials | Yes, up to 2 properties |
| Paid plans | About $12 and $28 a month billed annually | $99 a year for up to 10 properties, $249 a year for up to 30 |
| Rent payments | Online rent collection offered | Optional. ACH platform fee of $2 on Free, $1 on Starter, $0 on Professional, plus bank processing. Tenants pay card fees. |
| Strongest at | Bookkeeping, income and expense tracking, tax reports | Tenants, repairs, leases and payments together, with expense tracking and profit and loss reports |
| Recording Zelle, Venmo, cash and checks | Check Stessa’s current plan details | Free, on every plan |
| Free AI lease generator, state-specific | Not part of the pricing | Yes |
| Tenant portal and maintenance requests | Check Stessa’s current plan details | Yes, on every plan |
When Stessa is the better choice
- Your main need is bookkeeping and tax reports across many properties.
- You want bank feeds that import transactions automatically on a free plan.
- You track an investment portfolio more than day-to-day tenant work.
When Landlord Cart fits better
- You want to manage tenants, repairs and leases, not just the books.
- You want a tenant portal where tenants see balances and send maintenance requests.
- You want a free state-specific lease generator.
Common questions
Is Stessa free?
Stessa has a free Essentials plan with unlimited properties and bank feeds. Advanced reporting and Schedule E reports are on the paid Manage and Pro plans.
Is Stessa a property management tool?
It started as rental bookkeeping and now includes rent collection. Landlord Cart covers tenants, repairs, leases and payments, along with expense tracking and profit and loss reports.
Can I use Stessa and Landlord Cart together?
Yes. Some landlords keep their books in Stessa and run tenants and repairs in Landlord Cart.
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