TrueCap vs DealMachine: find leads on the street vs underwrite them at the desk
By TrueCap · built by a Philadelphia rental investor
DealMachine is a property and owner data platform with a driving-for-dollars app, skip tracing and direct mail built in. TrueCap models the economics of an address from user-reviewed assumptions. Different jobs: one finds the lead, the other underwrites it.
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TL;DR
Use TrueCap when
- You've found an address and want to know if it cash flows.
- You want the numbers in a form you can send to a partner: a read-only link, or a PDF report with Pro.
- You don't drive for dollars — you source on-market or via wholesalers.
- You want a free tier that covers real underwriting.
Use DealMachine when
- You actively drive for dollars and want to capture leads on the spot.
- You need owner phone/email for direct outreach (skip tracing).
- You're sending postcards and want automation, not a mail house.
- You're a wholesaler or active off-market buy-and-hold investor.
Feature-by-feature
Side-by-side on every dimension that matters for a comparison-shopping investor.
| Feature | TrueCap | DealMachine |
|---|---|---|
| Primary purpose | Per-deal underwriting calculator | Property and owner data, lead lists, driving for dollars, skip tracing, direct mail |
| Cap rate / CoC / DSCR analysis | Yes — full engine, free tier | Public calculators for rental cash flow, cap rate and cash-on-cash, plus BRRRR and wholesale offer price; DSCR not listed |
| 10-year projection | Pro — rent + expense + appreciation | Not listed in its public calculators |
| Deal score (0–100) | Free — 0–100 score with factor breakdown | Not listed on its tools or pricing pages |
| Starting values (rent/rate/tax) | HUD rent + FRED rate + manual local property tax | Rent estimate and nearby rentals in Comps & Analysis; its public rental calculator takes manual inputs |
| Driving for dollars / mobile lead capture | No | Yes, with routes, photos and instant owner lookups |
| Skip tracing (owner phone/email) | No | Yes, owner phone numbers and emails on paid plans |
| Direct mail campaigns | No | Yes, pay-as-you-go postcards with automated drip campaigns |
| Property data + lists | Limited (HUD rent benchmark + FRED) | Yes, 150M+ searchable properties with saved searches and lists |
| Mobile-first UX | PWA installable | Driving for Dollars phone app included with every plan |
| Free tier | Yes — core cap rate, CoC, DSCR, and cash flow | Free account to explore; owner and contact data, lists, driving for dollars and mail need a paid plan |
| Pricing (entry tier) | Free core; paid Pro — see live pricing | Basic $99 and Pro $149 per seat a month; Scale $599 per package a month (as of October 2026) |
| Shareable read-only deal link | Free — read-only public link; Pro adds co-branding | Not listed on its pricing page |
| PDF deal report | Included with Pro | Not listed on its pricing page |
DealMachine details were checked against its pricing, tools, Comps & Analysis and free account pages in October 2026. Prices are for monthly billing. Features and prices can change.
How the two fit together
- Drive for dollars or pull a list in DealMachine. Snap the distressed property; pull owner contact info.
- Skip-trace and send direct mail. DealMachine's mail app sends postcards and automated drip campaigns.
- Seller calls back. Now you have an address you might buy.
- Underwrite in TrueCap. Paste the address. A HUD rent benchmark and the FRED owner-occupied rate can pre-fill as editable benchmarks; property tax remains a manual local input. Review the Offer Ceiling under your targets.
- Verify, then record your decision. TrueCap's Offer Ceiling (in your first free decision) works backward from your target return.
Pulled a lead off the street and want the math? Run a quick rent-to-price screen with the free 1% rule calculator, then paste the address into 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 DealMachine
Quick answers to the questions investors comparison-shopping these tools actually ask.
Is TrueCap a DealMachine alternative?
Not really — they solve different problems. DealMachine finds motivated-seller leads via mobile driving for dollars + skip-tracing. TrueCap underwrites a specific property once you have an address. They do different jobs, so they can be used together.
DealMachine vs PropStream — which one?
DealMachine includes a driving-for-dollars app and a mail app with every plan, alongside its property and owner data. For PropStream, see its own site. Compare each vendor's current data coverage, filters and pricing before choosing.
Is DealMachine worth the price?
It depends on volume. DealMachine's paid plans start at $99 per seat a month (as of October 2026), and its acquisition workflow may fit frequent driving-for-dollars and direct-mail campaigns. If you buy only a few properties through listed channels, evaluate whether you need that workflow. TrueCap's free and paid underwriting options are listed on its live pricing page.
Does DealMachine do underwriting?
Partly. DealMachine publishes calculators for rental cash flow, cap rate and cash-on-cash, plus BRRRR and wholesale offer-price calculators, and says investment analysis is available on a lead inside its product. DSCR is not listed. TrueCap covers DSCR, a Deal score and an Offer Ceiling: the highest price that still meets your targets.
Can I use DealMachine + TrueCap on the same property?
One possible workflow is to source a property in DealMachine, then underwrite the entered assumptions in TrueCap. Pro calculates an Offer Ceiling under your targets. Verify the material inputs and record your own decision before any transaction step.
On price, plainly
Tools in this space run from free to well above TrueCap — check DealMachine'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.