If you're a landlord shopping for property management software, TurboTenant probably came up fast. It's one of the most marketed names in the space, and the free tier looks generous on paper. KeyLoft takes a different approach: a native iOS app that works fully offline, requires no account, and stays free without upsells. Both tools serve landlords, but they're built for different workflows. This comparison breaks down where each one wins so you can pick the right fit instead of the loudest brand.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | KeyLoft | TurboTenant |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free forever | Free tier + $9.92/month premium |
| Works Offline | Yes, 100% offline | No, requires internet |
| Account Required | No | Yes, email signup |
| Best For | Solo landlords, 1–20 units | Landlords needing online applications |
| Platform | iOS native app | Web browser (mobile responsive) |
| Key Features | Rent tracking, tenant records, lease notes, payment logs | Online rental applications, tenant screening, rent collection |
| Data Privacy | Stays on your device | Stored on TurboTenant servers |
Pricing
TurboTenant markets itself as "free landlord software," and the core landlord dashboard is genuinely free. The catch is twofold. First, premium features — lease templates, expense tracking exports, and priority support — sit behind a $9.92/month subscription (billed annually as $119). Second, tenants pay application fees ($45–$55 per applicant) for screening reports. That cost shifts to applicants, but it does affect how many quality tenants apply, especially in soft rental markets.
KeyLoft is free. No tier, no premium upgrade, no in-app purchases. Download it from the App Store and use every feature without a paywall.
| Cost Period | KeyLoft | TurboTenant Free | TurboTenant Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly | $0 | $0 | $9.92 |
| 1 Year | $0 | $0 | $119 |
| 3 Years | $0 | $0 | $357 |
For solo landlords managing fewer than 10 units, the math matters. Three years of TurboTenant Premium covers a minor repair or two. Three years of KeyLoft costs nothing.
Save money. Try KeyLoft free today. Download KeyLoft for Free — no account needed, works 100% offline.
Features
TurboTenant is feature-rich for what it does. Online rental applications flow directly into a tenant screening report (credit, criminal, eviction history) without you needing a separate service. Rent collection runs through ACH with optional autopay. State-specific lease templates are available on the premium tier. Maintenance requests route through a tenant portal. For a landlord who wants tenants to interact with software directly, that ecosystem is well-built.
KeyLoft is deliberately narrower. It tracks units, tenants, lease dates, rent due, payment history, and notes — the data a landlord actually references day to day. There's no tenant portal because tenants don't need an app to pay you. There's no online application engine because most solo landlords screen through a separate service like SmartMove or RentPrep when needed. What KeyLoft does, it does fast and without friction. Open the app, log a payment, close the app. No login screen, no loading spinner, no syncing.
If your operation includes side work — freelance consulting, contracting, or other small business income — sister apps cover those gaps. Stintly handles time tracking and finances for self-employed work, which pairs well for landlords who also do property inspections or repairs as a side trade. TrestleBook covers construction project management and job costing, useful if you flip properties or manage major renovations alongside rentals.
Want to try KeyLoft for free? Download KeyLoft for Free — no subscription required.
Offline & Privacy
This is where the two tools diverge sharply. TurboTenant is web-based. Every action — logging a payment, checking a lease date, pulling up tenant contact info — requires an internet connection and a round trip to their servers. In a property basement, a rural rental, a parking garage, or anywhere with weak signal, the app stalls. Your data also lives on TurboTenant's infrastructure, which means you depend on their uptime, their security practices, and their pricing decisions for continued access.
KeyLoft works fully offline. Tenant records, lease info, payment logs — everything sits on your phone. Walk into a basement to check a unit, log the inspection notes, walk back out. No connection needed. Data stays on your device. No servers, no analytics pipelines, no third-party processors holding tenant SSNs or financial info. For landlords with a few units who care about tenant privacy — or who just don't want another company holding their records — that matters.
The offline angle isn't just about no-signal scenarios. It's also about reliability. Web apps go down. Companies pivot business models. Subscriptions get raised. An offline app on your phone keeps working regardless of what happens to the company that built it.
Who Should Use TurboTenant
TurboTenant is the right call for landlords who want tenants to interact with software directly. If you're running 10+ units, accepting online applications regularly, and want screening reports flowing in without setting up a separate service, the integrated workflow saves real time. The free tier genuinely covers a lot of what mid-size landlords need. Premium adds polish but isn't required for the core flow to work.
It also fits landlords who prefer working from a laptop. The web interface is well-designed, dashboards are clean, and the tenant-facing portal looks professional. Tenants get a branded experience for paying rent and submitting maintenance requests, which can feel more legitimate than informal text-message arrangements.
If you're managing units across multiple states and want lease templates kept current with local law, the premium tier's template library is a fair value. Doing that legal work yourself takes hours. Paying $119/year to skip it is reasonable.
Who Should Use KeyLoft
KeyLoft fits solo operators and small landlords managing 1–20 units who already have working systems for the parts TurboTenant bundles in. If you screen tenants through an existing service, collect rent through Zelle or a personal check, and just need a clean place to track who lives where and what they owe — KeyLoft is that place.
It also fits landlords who value privacy and ownership. Your tenants' information — names, lease terms, payment history — doesn't need to live on a third-party server to be useful. KeyLoft keeps it on your phone, which means no breach risk from a vendor incident, no data being analyzed for ad targeting, no surprise emails to your tenants from the platform.
If you spend time on-property — doing inspections, walking units, meeting tenants — the offline-first design pays off daily. No spinning loader when you're standing in a basement trying to check a lease end date. Open, look, close.
And if cost matters — not because you can't afford $10 a month, but because you'd rather not add another subscription to the pile — KeyLoft staying free forever removes the ongoing line item. The app updates regularly, gets new features, and never asks for a credit card.
The Bottom Line
TurboTenant is a solid platform for landlords who want an integrated tenant-facing system and don't mind a web app, a required account, and a premium tier dangled in front of advanced features. It's not a bad product. For the right landlord, it earns its place.
KeyLoft is the better fit for solo landlords who already have their workflows sorted and just need a fast, private, offline tool to track the data that matters — tenants, leases, rent, notes. No account, no subscription, no internet required, no upsell screens. It does less than TurboTenant on purpose, and that focus is the point.
If you're a landlord with under 20 units who handles tenant communication directly, screens through a separate service when needed, and wants property data on your phone without the platform overhead, try KeyLoft. It costs nothing to find out if it fits.
Ready to switch? Download KeyLoft for Free — it takes 30 seconds and costs nothing.