If you're a small landlord shopping for property management software, two names probably keep showing up in your searches: TurboTenant and KeyLoft. Both promise to make rental management easier without draining your wallet, but they take very different approaches to getting you there. TurboTenant has been around longer and built a strong web platform with marketing automation, online applications, and rent collection. KeyLoft is the newer, mobile-first option that runs entirely on your iPhone or iPad with no account, no cloud, and no monthly fee.
This comparison is honest. TurboTenant has real strengths and serves a lot of landlords well. But it also has real tradeoffs, especially if you value privacy, work in spotty-internet areas, or just want something simple that doesn't push you toward paid upgrades. Here's the side-by-side breakdown so you can pick what actually fits your workflow.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | KeyLoft | TurboTenant |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free forever | Free tier + $9.92/month premium |
| Works Offline | Yes, 100% | No, requires internet |
| Account Required | No | Yes, email signup |
| Best For | Solo landlords, 1–20 units, privacy-focused | Landlords wanting online applications and rent collection |
| Platform | iOS (iPhone & iPad) | Web browser, basic mobile app |
| Key Features | Properties, leases, payments, expenses, documents | Listings, applications, screening, rent collection, accounting |
| Data Privacy | Stored locally on your device | Stored on TurboTenant's cloud servers |
Pricing
Pricing is where these two apps diverge sharply, and it's worth getting into the details because "free" doesn't always mean what you think it means.
TurboTenant advertises itself as free landlord software, and the core platform genuinely is free for landlords. You can list properties, accept applications, and collect rent without paying a monthly fee. But the free tier passes costs to your tenants instead. Online rental applications cost the applicant $55, tenant screening reports cost extra, and ACH rent payments come with fees. If you want premium features like state-specific lease templates, expedited rent payouts, and document e-signing, you'll pay $9.92/month billed annually, or about $14.92/month billed monthly.
KeyLoft takes a different approach: the app itself is free, with no premium tier, no in-app purchases, and no fees passed to tenants. There's no online rent collection (you record payments after they happen through your existing method), so there are no payment processing fees on either side. You download it once and use it forever.
| Cost Over Time | KeyLoft | TurboTenant Free | TurboTenant Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly | $0 | $0 (tenants pay fees) | $9.92–$14.92 |
| 1 Year | $0 | $0 + tenant fees | $119–$179 |
| 3 Years | $0 | $0 + tenant fees | $357–$537 |
The honest take: TurboTenant's free tier works if you're okay with tenants absorbing application and payment fees. KeyLoft is free for everyone involved, but you handle rent collection through whatever channel you already use (Zelle, check, Venmo, bank transfer).
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Features
Both apps cover property management, but they aim at different parts of the workflow.
TurboTenant strengths: Online rental listings syndicated to Realtor.com, Apartments.com, and other sites. Online rental applications with built-in screening (credit, criminal, eviction reports). Online rent collection via ACH and card. State-specific lease agreements with e-signing on the premium plan. Maintenance request portal for tenants. Rental accounting tools and tax-ready reports. Marketing automation for vacant units. If you're filling vacancies frequently or want tenants to apply and pay online without you setting up separate tools, TurboTenant has the broader feature set.
KeyLoft strengths: Property and unit tracking with photos and notes. Lease management with renewal reminders and key terms stored locally. Rent payment logging with running balances per tenant. Expense tracking by property and category for tax time. Document storage on your device for leases, inspections, and receipts. Tenant contact and communication notes. Maintenance log with vendor info and costs. Inspection checklists you can fill out on-site without signal. KeyLoft is less of a marketing platform and more of a personal record-keeping system that lives in your pocket.
The right choice depends on whether you need front-end tenant acquisition (TurboTenant wins) or back-end record keeping that travels with you (KeyLoft wins). Many landlords actually use both: TurboTenant or another listing service to find tenants, then a private app like KeyLoft to manage the relationship after they sign. If you also run side projects, Stintly handles freelance time tracking and self-employment finances, and TrestleBook covers construction job costing if you do your own renovations between tenants.
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Offline & Privacy
This is where the two apps differ most fundamentally, and it's the section worth reading carefully because it affects how you actually use the software day-to-day.
TurboTenant is a web-first platform. Everything you do happens on their servers: tenant data, lease documents, financial records, communication logs. That's convenient because you can log in from any browser, but it means you need internet for every action, and your tenant data sits on a third-party cloud subject to their security practices, breach risk, and terms of service. If you're showing a unit in a basement with no signal, doing an inspection at a rural property, or just hate waiting for pages to load, the web dependency is a real friction point.
KeyLoft works 100% offline. Every feature, every screen, every record is available without a network connection because the data lives on your device. You can pull up a lease while standing in a tenant's kitchen with zero bars. You can log an expense at the hardware store parking lot. You can run an inspection in a concrete-walled garage and check off items as you go. When you're done, nothing syncs to a server because there is no server.
Privacy follows from the same architecture. Your tenants' names, phone numbers, payment histories, and lease terms never leave your phone. There's no account to breach, no password to reset, no data to subpoena from a third party. For landlords who take tenant privacy seriously, or who manage units for family members, friends, or clients who'd prefer their info not sit in a marketing-funded database, this matters a lot.
Tradeoff: KeyLoft data is tied to your device. If you lose your phone without a backup, you lose your records. Use iCloud device backup or export documents periodically and you're protected. TurboTenant handles backups for you in exchange for the privacy and connectivity tradeoffs above.
Who Should Use TurboTenant
TurboTenant is the right choice if any of these describe you:
- You list vacant units regularly and want syndicated marketing to listing sites built in.
- You want tenants to apply online and you're okay with them paying the application fee.
- You need tenant screening (credit, criminal, eviction) without piecing together separate vendors.
- You want online rent collection via ACH or card and don't mind the processing fees.
- You manage from a desk and prefer a web browser over a phone for record keeping.
- You want state-specific lease templates with e-signing built in (premium tier).
- You don't mind your data living on a cloud platform.
For active landlords who treat property management as a real business with frequent turnover and online-first tenants, TurboTenant's broader feature set earns its place. The free tier is genuinely useful if you can live with tenant-paid fees, and the premium tier at ~$10/month is reasonable for what it includes.
Who Should Use KeyLoft
KeyLoft is the right choice if any of these describe you:
- You own 1–20 rental units and don't need a marketing engine.
- You already have tenants and want to manage the relationship, not acquire new ones every month.
- You collect rent through Zelle, Venmo, check, or bank transfer and just need to log payments.
- You want zero monthly fees, zero tenant fees, and zero subscriptions.
- You inspect properties, do walk-throughs, or visit units in places with bad signal.
- You care about keeping tenant data on your device, not on a cloud.
- You prefer a phone-first workflow because you're rarely at a desk.
- You want something simple that doesn't push upgrades, ads, or upsells.
KeyLoft fits solo landlords, accidental landlords (inherited or relocated), small family operators, and anyone who treats their rentals as a side investment rather than a full-time business. It's the digital filing cabinet you wish you had, with smart reminders for lease renewals and a clean log of every dollar in and out per property.
The Bottom Line
TurboTenant is a strong web platform for landlords who want marketing, applications, screening, and online rent collection bundled together. The free tier is real, but it works by passing fees to tenants, and the premium tier costs roughly $120–$180/year. You also accept that your data lives on their servers and that you need internet for everything.
KeyLoft is the better fit if you want a free, private, offline-first app to manage existing properties and tenants without subscriptions or accounts. It's not trying to be a marketing platform, it's trying to be the cleanest possible record-keeping tool for a small landlord's pocket. If you already have tenants, already collect rent your own way, and just want lease tracking, expense logging, and maintenance records that work everywhere, KeyLoft costs nothing and gets out of your way.
Many landlords end up using both: TurboTenant or a listing service for finding tenants, KeyLoft for managing the relationship after move-in. There's no rule that says you have to pick one. Try KeyLoft first since it's free and takes 30 seconds to set up, and add TurboTenant later if you find yourself needing the marketing and online application features.
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