Stessa Review
Stessa is accounting and portfolio tracking software for landlords, not full property management. The free tier generates a Schedule E report automatically. For buy-and-hold landlords who care more about NOI and tax prep than tenant portals, Stessa covers the financial side better than any other free tool.
Quick Verdict
Best for Accounting-first landlords: Stessa
Bank feeds automatically categorize every rent payment and expense, so a landlord with 12 rental units has a clean P&L and Schedule E ready at tax time without manually entering a single transaction.
Free tier. Unlimited properties. No per-unit fee. Schedule E report included.
Free tier with no time limit. No credit card required.
What Stessa Does
Bank feed integration
Connect checking, savings, and mortgage accounts. Stessa pulls transactions in real time and auto-categorizes income and expenses to the correct property and tax category.
Schedule E report
Generates a Schedule E formatted for your CPA or direct entry into your tax return. Cuts rental income tax prep time by hours for landlords with multiple properties.
Net worth dashboard
Aggregates property value estimates, mortgage balances, and equity. Tracks portfolio net worth over time so you see the full picture, not just cash flow.
Income and expense tracking
Every transaction is tagged to a property, category, and tax line item. Run a P&L for any property or the full portfolio in real time.
Rent collection (paid plans)
Essentials and Pro plans add ACH rent collection, auto-reminders, and late fee automation. Free plan does not include rent collection.
Mortgage tracking
Connect mortgage accounts to track principal paydown, interest paid, and equity buildup by property. Useful for refinance timing and lender packages.
Plan Pricing
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Free | $0/month |
| Essentials | $20/month |
| Pro | $65/month |
What Stessa Does Not Cover
No tenant management (free tier)
Lease generation, maintenance tracking, and tenant portals require the paid tiers. Most free-tier users pair Stessa with TurboTenant or Innago for tenant operations.
No trust ledger accounting
Stessa is single-entry income/expense tracking. It does not have the double-entry general ledger or trust ledger that Buildium and AppFolio provide for licensed property managers.
No maintenance portal
Tenants cannot submit maintenance requests through Stessa. It is not designed for day-to-day tenant communication.
No listing syndication
Stessa does not post vacant units to rental listing sites. Use TurboTenant or Innago for leasing, then Stessa for accounting.
Best Stack for Stessa Users
Most landlords use Stessa alongside a tenant management platform. The free combination below covers every operational need at zero monthly cost:
Tenant management
TurboTenant (free) or Innago (free): applications, leases, rent collection, maintenance
Accounting and tax prep
Stessa (free): bank feeds, P&L tracking, Schedule E, portfolio analytics
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Stessa's free plan include?
Stessa's free plan includes unlimited properties, bank feed integration, automatic transaction categorization, income and expense tracking, a net worth dashboard, and a Schedule E report for tax prep. It does not include tenant management, lease generation, or maintenance tracking. It is accounting software, not full property management software.
Does Stessa replace a property management platform?
No. Stessa is accounting and portfolio analytics software. It does not handle tenant applications, lease generation, rent collection (without the paid plan), or maintenance requests. Most landlords pair Stessa with TurboTenant or Innago for the operational side, then use Stessa for the financial side.
How much does Stessa cost?
Stessa has a free tier with full accounting features. The Essentials plan is $20/month and adds rent collection, e-sign leases, and tenant screening. The Pro plan is $65/month and adds mortgage tracking, advanced tax prep tools, and priority support. All plans cover unlimited properties.
Can Stessa generate a Schedule E report?
Yes. Stessa generates a Schedule E (Supplemental Income and Loss) report formatted for your tax return. It categorizes income and expenses to the IRS property category codes. Most landlords hand this report directly to their CPA, which cuts accounting prep time from days to hours.
Who owns Stessa?
Stessa was acquired by Roofstock in 2018. Roofstock is a single-family rental investment marketplace. Stessa operates as an independent product under the Roofstock umbrella. The Roofstock ownership provides integration between investment sourcing and portfolio management for landlords who buy through the marketplace.