Apartments.com Rental Manager vs Baselane
Baselane scores 7.5/10 vs 6.5/10. Best for: Small landlords and real estate investors who want free banking, rent collection, and bookkeeping in one place.
Baselane scores higher overall at 7.5/10 vs 6.5/10. Baselane is a smart pick for small landlords who want to earn interest on deposits while tracking rent and expenses for free. The banking-first approach is genuinely different from other PM tools. Just know you are trading maintenance tracking and vacancy features for that free price tag and 4.46% APY. The tiny review count means the platform is still early, so keep that in mind.
Apartments.com Rental Manager 
Baselane Rank
#26 of 31
Rank
#14 of 31
Features
10/17
Features
10/17
Starting at
$0/mo
Starting at
$0/mo
User reviews
4.2/5 (50)
User reviews
— (18)
What they cost
| Apartments.com Rental Manager | Baselane | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting at | Free /mo | Free /mo |
| Free trial | Free tier available | Free tier available |
| Number of plans | 3 | 1 |
What the pricing really means
At first glance, Baselane looks cheaper at $0/month vs $0/month. But sticker price is only part of the story. Look at what is included on the base plan, how many users you get, and whether you need add-ons to get the features you actually need. The $99/month plan that requires $200 in add-ons is actually more expensive than the $250/month plan that includes everything.
Where Apartments.com Rental Manager wins
- Free listing syndication across the Apartments.com network reaches millions of renters
- Core features like screening, rent collection, and applications are free
- Backed by CoStar Group, giving it long-term stability and investment
- Inherited Cozy's user-friendly approach to small landlord management
Where Baselane wins
- Truly free platform with no monthly fees or per-unit charges
- FDIC-insured banking accounts earning up to 4.46% APY on idle cash
- Auto-splits rental income by property so you always know where each dollar goes
- Built-in bookkeeping generates tax-ready reports without QuickBooks
Where Apartments.com Rental Manager falls short
- No built-in accounting or financial tracking beyond basic expense logging
- Website can be glitchy, especially during peak application processing
- Maintenance tracking lacks advanced features like recurring tasks and priority levels
- Limited feature depth compared to dedicated property management platforms
Where Baselane falls short
- Very small review base (under 20 on Capterra, not listed on G2)
- No maintenance request tracking, you still need a separate system for work orders
- No vacancy advertising or listing syndication
- Banking features require opening a Baselane account, which may not suit landlords with established bank relationships
Who is each product built for?
Apartments.com Rental Manager
Target: 1-50 units
Apartments.com Rental Manager is best for small landlords who value listing exposure above all else. Being part of the largest rental listing network in the US is a genuine competitive advantage for filling vacancies quickly. However, the management tools are relatively basic — there is no real accounting, and the platform works better as a listing and screening tool than a full property management solution.
Baselane
Target: 1-50 units
Baselane is a smart pick for small landlords who want to earn interest on deposits while tracking rent and expenses for free. The banking-first approach is genuinely different from other PM tools. Just know you are trading maintenance tracking and vacancy features for that free price tag and 4.46% APY. The tiny review count means the platform is still early, so keep that in mind.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Apartments.com Rental Manager | Baselane |
|---|---|---|
| Tenant Management | ||
| Tenant screening | ||
| Online rent collection | ||
| Lease management | ||
| Tenant portal | ||
| E-signatures | ||
| Property Operations | ||
| Maintenance requests | ||
| Owner portal | ||
| Property inspections | ||
| Vendor management | ||
| Vacancy advertising | ||
| Finance & Reporting | ||
| Accounting/bookkeeping | ||
| Bank account management | ||
| Insurance tracking | ||
| Reporting/analytics | ||
| Platform | ||
| Document storage | ||
| Mobile app | ||
| API access | ||
Common questions
Baselane scores 7.5/10 vs Apartments.com Rental Manager's 6.5/10 in our ranking. Baselane is the better pick for 1-50 units. Apartments.com Rental Manager is better if you need small landlords who want free listing exposure on the largest rental marketplace in the us.
Apartments.com Rental Manager starts at $0/month. Baselane starts at $0/month. Watch for add-on costs — the base price often does not include all features. Pricing last verified 2026-03-01.
Apartments.com Rental Manager: Free tier available. Baselane: Free tier available. Always test with your actual workflow before committing to an annual plan.
Apartments.com Rental Manager covers 10 of 17 features we track. Baselane covers 10 of 17. Both are tied on feature coverage, but more features does not always mean better — pick the tool that covers what your business actually needs.
No, Apartments.com Rental Manager does not have a mobile app. Baselane does have one.
Yes. The main effort is migrating your data (customer lists, job history, invoices). Plan for 1-2 weeks of overlap where you run both. Most property management tools can import CSV data. Ask both vendors about migration support before you sign.
The bottom line
Pick Apartments.com Rental Manager if...
Small landlords who want free listing exposure on the largest rental marketplace in the US
Pick Baselane if...
Small landlords and real estate investors who want free banking, rent collection, and bookkeeping in one place