TrueCap vs AirDNA: STR revenue data vs full underwriting
By TrueCap · built by a Philadelphia rental investor
AirDNA is a short-term rental data provider: occupancy, ADR, and revenue by market, plus a revenue projection for an individual address, built from Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com listings. TrueCap is the underwriting calculator that turns that revenue projection into a full deal analysis (cap rate, DSCR, cash flow, projection). AirDNA estimates the revenue; TrueCap adds financing, DSCR, and your Offer Ceiling, the highest price that still meets your targets.
Free analyzer: no card or signup
TL;DR
Use TrueCap when
- You want a full underwriting analysis with cap rate, DSCR, cash flow.
- You want financing math (PITI, amortization).
- You want to compare LTR and STR scenarios on the same property.
- You want a free tier that doesn't cap analyses.
Use AirDNA when
- You want STR revenue projections built from comparable listings (ADR, occupancy, revenue).
- You're evaluating multiple STR markets and need comparable data.
- You want a property-level Rentalizer report built from real listing data.
- You're scaling STR investments and need market intelligence.
Feature-by-feature
Side-by-side on every dimension that matters for a comparison-shopping investor.
| Feature | TrueCap | AirDNA |
|---|---|---|
| Primary purpose | Per-deal underwriting calculator | STR market + property revenue data |
| Cap rate / CoC / DSCR analysis | Yes — full engine, free tier | Rentalizer's calculator gives net operating income and a cap rate for a cash purchase; no cash-on-cash, DSCR or mortgage math is published |
| 10-year projection | Pro — rent + expense + appreciation | Future demand data on the Market Research plan |
| Deal score (0–100) | Free — 0–100 score with factor breakdown | Market Score: a market-level grade from 40 to 100 that includes investability |
| STR revenue projection (ADR + occupancy) | Editable input only | Yes: Rentalizer projects revenue from comparable listings |
| Comparable STR listings nearby | No | Yes: comparable listings in Rentalizer; custom comp sets on Market Research |
| Long-term rent baseline | HUD Fair Market Rent | Not the focus |
| Mortgage + financing math | Yes — PITI + DSCR + amortization | Not listed; Rentalizer's cap rate is for a cash purchase |
| Starting values (rent/rate/tax) | HUD rent + FRED rate + manual local property tax | STR-specific data only |
| Free tier | Yes — core cap rate, CoC, DSCR, and cash flow | Free plan with a limited Rentalizer and limited market insights |
| Pricing (paid tier) | Paid Pro; see live pricing for current rates | Market Research $125 a month, or $400 a year ($34 a month billed annually); Rentalizer is included, not sold per report (as of October 2026) |
| Shareable read-only analysis | Free — read-only public link; Pro adds co-branding | PDF report downloads on Market Research |
AirDNA details checked against airdna.co/pricing and AirDNA's help center in October 2026. See AirDNA's pricing page for current plans.
How AirDNA and TrueCap fit together
- Pick a target STR market in AirDNA. Market data: occupancy rates, ADR, seasonality, regulation.
- Run a Rentalizer report on the specific property. AirDNA's address-level revenue projection (limited on the Free plan, customizable on Market Research).
- Plug AirDNA's projected monthly revenue into TrueCap. Override the HUD long-term rent field with AirDNA's STR estimate (e.g. annual revenue ÷ 12, discounted for vacancy + cleaning).
- Run the stabilized-rental underwrite in TrueCap. Cap rate, DSCR, cash flow, sensitivity, and a 10-year cash-flow and equity projection.
- Save the deal + revisit later. Re-run with updated AirDNA data when market conditions shift.
Set the revenue forecast aside for a moment. Check whether projected STR income even covers the note with the free mortgage payment calculator, then run the full TrueCap analyzer for cap rate, DSCR, and cash flow. Our guide on 60-second underwriting walks through the workflow end-to-end.
Common questions about TrueCap vs AirDNA
Quick answers to the questions investors comparison-shopping these tools actually ask.
Is TrueCap an AirDNA alternative?
No — they solve different problems. AirDNA is STR market + revenue data; TrueCap is the underwriting calculator. AirDNA estimates the revenue; TrueCap adds financing, DSCR, and cash flow on top. The two can be used together.
AirDNA vs Mashvisor — which one for STR data?
AirDNA focuses on short-term rental data (ADR, occupancy, revenue). Mashvisor covers short-term rentals too and also estimates long-term rental rates. If STR is your only strategy, AirDNA's focus fits. If you compare long-term and short-term rents on the same property, look at Mashvisor as well.
Does AirDNA do cap rate or DSCR calculations?
Partly. Rentalizer estimates revenue and, once you add expenses and a purchase price, shows net operating income and a cap rate for a cash purchase. AirDNA's help center does not describe DSCR, cash-on-cash, or mortgage math. For those, plug the revenue into a separate calculator (TrueCap, DealCheck, or your spreadsheet).
How accurate are AirDNA's revenue projections?
They are estimates. Rentalizer projects revenue from comparable listings, and AirDNA reports a Comp Set Strength (Low, Medium, or High) that shows how consistent those comps are, so the projection still depends on the property being a good comp match in the local market. Always run sensitivity (TrueCap Pro's sensitivity grid lets you stress-test): what happens if AirDNA's projection is 20% high?
Can I use TrueCap free with AirDNA?
Yes — TrueCap's free tier covers core cap rate, CoC, DSCR, and cash-flow math. Pull AirDNA's monthly revenue projection, override TrueCap's HUD rent field with it, and run the analysis. You don't need TrueCap Pro for that basic combined workflow.
On price, plainly
Tools in this space run from free to well above TrueCap — check AirDNA's live pricing for their current number. What TrueCap's price buys is the decision layer, not more calculation: an Offer Ceiling for your targets, Buy Box fit with reasons, the downside stress test, and assumptions that are source-labeled instead of silently defaulted. Whether that workflow justifies the price depends on your volume, verification process, and existing tools.
Screening listings for investor clients? TrueCap for agents keeps a client roster and screens each deal against the Buy Box of the client you assign it to.
Underwrite the next deal — free.
TrueCap free covers cap rate, CoC, DSCR, and monthly cash flow. Your first complete decision also includes the Offer Ceiling. Pro adds 10-year cash-flow and equity projections, sensitivity, the Offer Ceiling, co-branded share links and PDF reports; see live pricing for current terms. No card to start.
About TrueCap
TrueCap is built by one person, a rental investor in Philadelphia. It started as the tool he wanted for his own underwriting — a way to get from an address to a source-labeled first-pass answer — and it's still how he runs the deals he considers.