Prices checked on October 15, 2026 Prices change. Confirm on the vendor's site before you buy.
Stessa and Baselane both have free plans that track income and expenses by property. Stessa's Schedule E report starts on its $12/month Manage plan, while Baselane Core includes Schedule E reports for free. REI Hub is dedicated real-estate bookkeeping: its free plan includes Schedule E and tax reports, and automatic bank import starts at $9/month (up to 3 units, billed annually).
Comparison
| Baselane | Stessa | REI Hub | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Core: banking, property-level tracking, Schedule E, accountant tax package | Essentials: unlimited properties, bank feeds, basic reports | Free: tracking, Schedule E and tax reports, without auto import |
| Paid | Smart $20/mo annual | Manage $12/mo annual ($15 monthly) · Pro $28/mo annual ($35 monthly) | 3 units $9 · 10 units $15 · 20 units $27 · unlimited $48 per month billed annually (monthly: $15 / $25 / $45 / $80) |
| Schedule E | Yes, on Core | From Manage | Yes, on free and paid |
| Automation | Auto-tagging, rules and receipt matching on Smart | Unlimited receipt scanning on Pro (5/month on lower plans) | Automatic transaction import and booking rules on paid plans |
| Other | Balance sheet on Smart | Budgeting and pro-forma on Pro | Loan and fixed-asset tracking, depreciation, mileage log |
| Trial | 30-day free trial of Smart | — | 14 days free, no credit card |
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Annual Cost at 1, 4 and 10 Units
| Plan | 1 unit | 4 units | 10 units | What you get for the money |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baselane Core | $0 | $0 | $0 | Banking, property-level books, Schedule E, tax package |
| Baselane Smart | $240 | $240 | $240 | AI auto-tagging, rules, receipt matching, balance sheet, cost segregation |
| Stessa Essentials | $0 | $0 | $0 | Bank feeds, basic reports, 5 receipt scans/mo |
| Stessa Manage | $144 | $144 | $144 | Schedule E, accelerated rent, 60+ legal forms |
| Stessa Pro | $336 | $336 | $336 | Advanced reports, budgeting and pro-forma, unlimited receipt scans |
| REI Hub Free | $0 | $0 | $0 | Tracking, Schedule E and tax reports; manual entry |
| REI Hub Professional | $108 | $180 | $180 | Automatic import and booking rules (3-unit / 10-unit plans) |
What "Tax-Ready" Means in Practice
For most small landlords, tax-ready means income and expenses are assigned to each property, categorized to match Schedule E lines, and backed by receipts. You also want depreciation tracked so your preparer doesn't rebuild it every year. Here's how each tool handles the pieces:
| Task | Baselane | Stessa | REI Hub |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property-level tracking | Core | All plans | All plans |
| Schedule E report | Core | Manage and Pro | All plans |
| Receipts | Auto-matching on Smart | 5 scans/mo; unlimited on Pro | Document storage |
| Depreciation / fixed assets | Balance sheet and cost segregation on Smart | CapEx in Pro tax package | Fixed asset schedule and depreciation |
| Mileage | Check vendor | Mileage expense tracking | Mileage log |
| Accountant export | Accountant tax package | Accountant tax package (expands by plan) | Reports and Schedule E |
Month-End Routine (20 Minutes)
- Open your transaction feed and categorize anything untagged. Booking rules (REI Hub paid) or auto-tag rules (Baselane Smart) handle repeat items like the mortgage.
- Attach receipts for repairs and supplies.
- Check that each rent payment hit the right property.
- Glance at the property cash-flow report for anything unexpected.
- Once a year, export Schedule E and the tax package for your preparer.
Who Each Tool Fits
- Baselane: landlords who want banking and books in one place, with free Schedule E. Not for: landlords who won't move their banking.
- Stessa: landlords with many properties who want free, automated feeds. Not for: landlords who need Schedule E for free.
- REI Hub: landlords who want accountant-style books (loans, fixed assets, depreciation) at a unit-based price. Not for: anyone looking for rent collection.
Need a closer two-way look? Read Baselane vs REI Hub. Still deciding how much to spend? See free vs paid.
Bookkeeping Scenarios
One Unit, Low Transactions
REI Hub Free or Baselane Core. Both give you a Schedule E at $0. With a dozen transactions a month, manual entry in REI Hub takes minutes.
Four Units, Mortgage on Each
Automatic import saves real time once each property has its own mortgage, insurance and repairs. REI Hub's 10-unit plan ($180/year) adds booking rules for recurring payments, plus loan tracking that splits principal and interest.
Ten Units, Accountant Does Your Taxes
Give your accountant clean exports. Baselane's accountant tax package, Stessa's tax package (Schedule E from Manage, CapEx on Pro) and REI Hub's Schedule E and fixed-asset reports are all designed for that hand-off.
How We Checked
We read each vendor's own pricing and feature pages on October 15, 2026: Baselane pricing, Stessa pricing, REI Hub pricing. We only state prices and features shown there. Where a vendor doesn't publish a number, we say "check vendor" rather than guess. Worked examples use the listed prices and simple, stated assumptions; your totals will depend on your plan, billing term and how tenants pay.
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What is the best free bookkeeping software for landlords?
Baselane Core includes Schedule E reports for free. Stessa Essentials is free for unlimited properties. REI Hub's free plan works if you have few transactions.
Which tool produces a Schedule E report?
All three: Baselane Core, Stessa from the Manage plan, and REI Hub on all plans.
How does REI Hub pricing work?
By unit count. For example, up to 10 units costs $15/month billed annually or $25 billed monthly.
Can I do rental bookkeeping for free?
Yes. Baselane Core and REI Hub's free plan both include Schedule E reports. Stessa Essentials is free with bank feeds, but its Schedule E report starts on Manage.
Which tool tracks depreciation?
REI Hub lists a fixed asset schedule with depreciation. Baselane Smart lists balance sheets that calculate depreciation, plus cost segregation. Stessa Pro's tax package adds CapEx.
Does Baselane sync with QuickBooks?
Yes, Baselane lists QuickBooks and Xero sync.
How many receipts can I scan on Stessa?
Five smart receipt scans a month on Essentials and Manage, and unlimited on Pro.
Is REI Hub priced per property?
By unit count, in tiers: up to 3, 10, 20 or unlimited units. For example, up to 10 units is $15/month billed annually.
Do I need bookkeeping software if I use a spreadsheet?
Not strictly, but REI Hub, Stessa and Baselane all import transactions (automatically on most plans), assign them to properties and generate Schedule E, which saves manual work.
Can I share access with my accountant?
Stessa lists shared account access on Manage and Pro. Baselane lists shared access on Smart. For REI Hub, check vendor.
General information, not tax advice. Ask a tax professional about your situation.
Sources
- Baselane pricing: https://www.baselane.com/pricing
- Stessa pricing: https://www.stessa.com/pricing/
- REI Hub pricing: https://www.reihub.net/pricing/
All prices and features above come from these vendor pages, checked on October 15, 2026. Details we couldn't confirm there are left out.