TrueCap vs AirDNA: STR revenue data vs full underwriting
AirDNA is the gold standard for short-term rental market data — Airbnb / Vrbo occupancy rates, ADR, RevPAR by market and individual property. TrueCap is the underwriting calculator that turns AirDNA's revenue projections into a full deal analysis (cap rate, DSCR, cash flow, projection). AirDNA feeds the inputs; TrueCap runs the math.
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 best-in-class STR revenue projections (ADR, occupancy, RevPAR).
- You're evaluating multiple STR markets and need comparable data.
- You want a property-level Rentalizer report from real Airbnb 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 | Not modeled |
10-year projection | Pro — rent + expense + appreciation | Forward STR revenue forecast |
Secondary Screening Index | Free — 0-100 triage score + factor breakdown | Property-level investibility score |
STR revenue projection (ADR + occupancy) | Editable input only | Yes — best-in-class market data |
Comparable STR listings nearby | No | Yes — Airbnb + Vrbo comp set |
Long-term rent baseline | HUD Fair Market Rent | Not the focus |
Mortgage + financing math | Yes — PITI + DSCR + amortization | Not included |
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 MarketMinder dashboard with limited data |
Pricing (paid tier) | Paid Pro; see live pricing for current rates | Rentalizer ~$20-40 per property; Markets subscription $50-200+/mo (as of 2026) |
Shareable read-only analysis | Free — read-only public link; Pro adds co-branding | PDF reports on paid tier |
AirDNA details based on publicly available product info as of 2026. See airdna.co for their current state.
How STR investors use both
- Pick a target STR market in AirDNA. MarketMinder — occupancy rates, ADR, seasonality, regulations.
- Run a Rentalizer report on the specific property. AirDNA's address-level revenue projection ($20-40 per report).
- 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?
AirDNA vs Mashvisor — which one for STR data?
Does AirDNA do cap rate or DSCR calculations?
How accurate are AirDNA's revenue projections?
Can I use TrueCap free with AirDNA?
Sources & methodology: Feature and pricing rows reflect AirDNA's publicly listed information, last reviewed June 2026. Vendors change features and prices often — verify current details on AirDNA's own site. Where TrueCap claims “sourced defaults,” that refers specifically to an editable HUD area-rent benchmark and the FRED owner-occupied 30-year mortgage-rate benchmark. Property tax is a manual local input with a disclosed generic fallback, not a state-data auto-fill.
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 under your selected targets, rule-fit results for your Buy Box 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.
Ready to run a real deal and compare the screening results yourself?
Free 60-second analysis with labeled starting assumptions and no signup. Pro calculates the highest modeled Offer Ceiling that still meets your selected targets under the assumptions shown.
Underwrite the next deal — free.
TrueCap free covers cap rate, CoC, DSCR, NCF, and monthly cash flow. Pro adds 10-year cash-flow and equity projections, sensitivity, Offer Ceiling, co-branded share links, and PDF reports with Pro; see live pricing for current terms. No card to start.