RentGuard vs TurboTenant: Which Free Landlord Tool Actually Helps?

TurboTenant is one of the most popular "free" landlord tools on the market. Over half a million landlords use it. And the free plan genuinely includes a lot: unlimited listings, online rent collection, screening, and lease management.

So why would you pay $15/month for RentGuard instead?

Because they solve completely different problems. Let me explain.

How TurboTenant Works

TurboTenant is a full landlord platform. It handles the entire rental cycle: listing vacancies, screening applicants, signing leases, and collecting rent.

The free plan includes unlimited property listings syndicated to major sites, online rental applications, tenant screening (background and credit checks), lease creation, and online rent collection via ACH.

Here's the catch: TurboTenant is free for landlords because it charges tenants. Screening reports cost $55 per applicant (paid by the tenant). ACH rent payments cost $2.50 per transaction (paid by the tenant). Credit and debit card payments have a 3.49% fee.

Their paid tiers add more features. Pro at $9.92/month (billed annually) includes unlimited lease agreements and expedited rent payouts. Premium at $12.42/month adds income verification, advanced features, and more support.

The Tenant Cost Problem

TurboTenant's free-for-landlords model is clever. But it has a side effect: your tenants are the ones paying.

A tenant paying $1,200/month rent through TurboTenant ACH pays $2.50 per transaction. That's $30/year in payment processing fees. Not huge, but it's not nothing. And the $55 screening fee can deter applicants, especially in competitive markets where tenants are applying to 10+ units.

Some landlords are fine with this. Others feel uncomfortable passing costs to tenants. Know which camp you're in before choosing TurboTenant.

What RentGuard Does Instead

RentGuard doesn't handle listings, screening, leases, or rent collection. It does none of those things.

RentGuard monitors your existing Google Sheet. That's it. Your rent roll spreadsheet that you already maintain. RentGuard reads it daily and sends you an alert when rent is overdue past the grace period or when a maintenance request is aging.

No tenant-facing features. No tenant-facing costs. Your tenants don't even know RentGuard exists. They keep paying rent however they currently pay it (Venmo, Zelle, check, whatever).

$15/month flat. You pay it. Nobody else does.

Feature Comparison

Listings. TurboTenant wins. Unlimited listings syndicated to major sites. RentGuard doesn't do listings.

Screening. TurboTenant wins. Background, credit, criminal, and eviction checks. RentGuard doesn't screen tenants.

Leases. TurboTenant wins (on paid plans). Digital lease agreements with e-signatures. RentGuard doesn't handle leases.

Rent collection. TurboTenant wins. Online payments via ACH and card. RentGuard doesn't collect rent. It monitors whether rent has been collected by checking your spreadsheet.

Overdue rent alerts. RentGuard wins. Proactive monitoring with same-day alerts. TurboTenant sends rent reminders to tenants, but the landlord alerting for overdue payments isn't the same level of proactive daily monitoring that RentGuard provides. And if a tenant pays outside TurboTenant's platform, TurboTenant can't track it.

Maintenance monitoring. RentGuard wins. It watches your maintenance tracker and alerts you when requests are aging. TurboTenant has basic maintenance request features but the proactive aging alerts aren't there.

Workflow preservation. RentGuard wins. You change nothing about how you work. TurboTenant requires tenants and landlords to use its platform for the features to work.

Who Is TurboTenant Best For?

TurboTenant is best for landlords starting out who need an all-in-one platform and don't want to pay for it. If you're getting your first rental and need to list it, screen tenants, create a lease, and set up rent collection, TurboTenant gives you everything for $0.

It's also great if you don't mind that tenants absorb some costs. In markets where landlords have leverage, tenants won't blink at a $2.50 payment fee or a $55 application fee.

Who Is RentGuard Best For?

RentGuard is best for landlords who already have a working system and don't want to switch. You've been using a spreadsheet for years. Your tenants pay via Venmo or check. You have your own lease template. Everything works except for the part where you forget to check the spreadsheet.

If your problem isn't "I need tools to run my rental business" but rather "I need something to watch my data and tell me when something needs attention," RentGuard is the answer. I explain this further in managing rental properties in spreadsheets.

Can You Use Both?

You could. Use TurboTenant for screening and leases (things you do a few times per year). Use your spreadsheet plus RentGuard for day-to-day rent and maintenance monitoring (things that need daily attention).

I know landlords who use TurboTenant's screening and then manage everything else in spreadsheets. That's a perfectly valid approach.

The Honest Take

"Free" is a powerful word. And TurboTenant delivers real value for $0. But free only matters if it solves your actual problem.

If your problem is "I need tools to find and screen tenants," TurboTenant is excellent. If your problem is "I keep missing late payments because I don't check my spreadsheet," TurboTenant won't fix that. No matter how many features it has.

Figure out your actual problem first. Then pick the tool that solves it.

If your problem is the spreadsheet-checking thing, descoshop.com. $15/month. Free forever. 5 minutes to set up.