Stessa vs Baselane: Which Is Better in 2026?
Updated September 2, 2026. Independent editorial; how we research.
Stessa is the stronger free bookkeeping and reporting app for rental investors; Baselane is the better pick if you want property-level bank accounts and rent collection in one place.
| Stessa | Baselane | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | Free |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Free platform (banking/transaction based) |
| Free trial | No | No |
| Best for | — | Landlords, Real Estate Investors, Property Owners |
| Company size | — | Small, Mid-Market |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud, Mobile |
| Primary category | Accounting & Finance | Property Management |
Our Verdict
Stessa and Baselane both replace the spreadsheet for small rental investors, combining bookkeeping, rent collection, and banking in a free app. The difference is where each starts. Stessa, owned by Roofstock, began as an asset-tracking and financial reporting tool and added banking, rent collection, and light property management on top. Baselane began as a banking product for landlords and built bookkeeping and rent collection around the accounts, so its model assumes you will move your rental cash into Baselane.
Stessa wins on reporting and on staying software-first. The free Essentials plan includes unlimited properties, automatic bank feeds from your existing accounts, financial dashboards, tenant screening, and rent collection. Manage at $12 per month billed annually ($15 monthly) adds Schedule E reporting, legal templates, and faster rent payments; Pro at $28 billed annually ($35 monthly) adds unlimited portfolios, advanced reports, unlimited receipt scanning, and up to 3.24 percent APY on cash. Investors can keep their current bank and still get clean books. The limits: property management workflows stay basic, commercial support is thin, and the best features sit on Pro.
Baselane wins on structure for investors running multiple entities. Its Core plan is free and offers unlimited checking and savings accounts through Thread Bank, so each property or LLC can have its own account and debit card, plus rent collection with reminders and late fees, a tax package, and Schedule E reports. ACH rent payments cost $2 unless deposited to a Baselane account, and card payments carry a 3.49 percent fee. The $20 per month Smart plan adds auto-tagging, receipt matching, balance sheets, shared access, and two-day rent deposits. The trade-offs are that leasing, listings, and maintenance are absent, and the value depends on actually banking with Baselane.
Pick Stessa if you want the best free reporting and prefer to keep your existing bank. Pick Baselane if separate accounts per property or entity would simplify your life and you are willing to move deposits.
Stessa
Baselane
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Stessa or Baselane free?
Both have a free plan. Stessa's Essentials plan is free with unlimited properties, and Baselane's Core plan is free with unlimited bank accounts. Stessa's paid Manage and Pro plans run $12 to $35 per month, and Baselane's Smart plan is $20 per month.
Do I have to switch banks to use Stessa?
No. Stessa connects to existing bank accounts through automatic feeds, and its own interest-bearing account is optional. Baselane's bookkeeping is built around its own Thread Bank accounts, so most of its value depends on moving deposits there.
Which is better for investors with multiple LLCs?
Baselane. It supports unlimited property-specific and entity-specific bank accounts with entity-level transaction tracking. Stessa's Pro plan supports unlimited portfolios for reporting, but Baselane's account-per-entity model is the more direct fit.
Do Stessa and Baselane handle maintenance and leasing?
Stessa includes maintenance tracking, tenant screening, and eSigning alongside rent collection. Baselane covers rent collection and tenant screening but has no leasing, listing, or maintenance workflows.