TrueCap vs TurboTenant: underwrite the deal, then manage the tenant
By TrueCap · built by a Philadelphia rental investor
TurboTenant handles the landlord operations stack after you own the property — listing, screening, leases, rent collection, maintenance requests. TrueCap models a property's pre-purchase economics from the assumptions you review. They don't compete; they cover different halves of the rental lifecycle.
Free analyzer: no card or signup
TL;DR
Use TrueCap when
- You're evaluating a property before making an offer.
- You want cap rate, DSCR, cash flow, 10-year projection.
- You want modeled economics and a Deal score, with Buy Box fit on your first decision and then with Pro.
- You're comparing 2-3 deals side-by-side before deciding.
Use TurboTenant when
- You already own a rental and need to list it for tenants.
- You want online applications + tenant screening through TransUnion.
- You want online rent collection + maintenance request tracking.
- You need state-specific leases with e-signature (Essentials and Pro).
Feature-by-feature
Side-by-side on every dimension that matters for a comparison-shopping investor.
| Feature | TrueCap | TurboTenant |
|---|---|---|
| Lifecycle stage | Pre-purchase — underwrite the deal | Post-purchase — operate the property |
| Cap rate / CoC / DSCR analysis | Yes — full engine, free tier | A free web calculator for cap rate, cash-on-cash, NOI and cash flow, outside the management plans |
| 10-year projection | Pro — rent + expense + appreciation | Not on TurboTenant's plan comparison |
| Deal score (0–100) | Free — 0–100 score with factor breakdown | Not applicable |
| Sensitivity grid | Pro — rent ±10%, vacancy ±5pp, rate ±1pp | Not on TurboTenant's plan comparison |
| Rental listing distribution | No | Yes, on every plan: Realtor.com, Redfin, Rent.com, Zumper and others |
| Online rental application | No | Yes, on every plan; custom screening questions on Pro |
| Tenant screening | No | Yes, on every plan: a TransUnion credit report with criminal and eviction checks |
| Online lease signing | No | State-specific leases and e-signatures on Essentials and Pro; not on the Free plan |
| Online rent collection | No | Yes, on every plan: a $2 renter-paid ACH fee, waived on Pro; cards 3.49% |
| Maintenance request workflow | No | Yes, maintenance requests on every plan |
| Free tier | Yes — core cap rate, CoC, DSCR, and cash flow | Yes: listings, applications, screening, online rent payments and maintenance requests |
| Starting values (rent/rate/tax) | HUD rent + FRED rate + manual local property tax | Not applicable |
| Multi-property dashboard | Yes — portfolio rollup of saved deals | A payments dashboard and lead tracking; the Insights dashboard is on Pro |
| Pricing (paid tier) | Paid Pro; see live pricing for current rates and limits | Essentials from $149 a year and Pro from $199 a year for up to 10 units; higher bands for larger portfolios (as of October 2026) |
TurboTenant details checked in October 2026 against TurboTenant's pricing page, including the yearly price table behind its "Starting at" link, and its list of listing sites. See TurboTenant for current plans.
How TrueCap and TurboTenant fit together
- Source the deal. Zillow, MLS, wholesaler, off-market.
- Underwrite in TrueCap. Start with editable HUD rent and FRED rate benchmarks, then enter local property tax. Check cap rate, CoC, and DSCR. Sensitize the inputs. Save the deal.
- Verify the material inputs and record your decision. If you proceed, the transaction and closing workflow happens outside TrueCap.
- Set up the property in TurboTenant. List the unit, accept applications, screen tenants with a TransUnion credit report, and sign a state-specific lease online (Essentials and Pro).
- Operate in TurboTenant. Collect rent online (renters pay a $2 ACH fee unless you are on Pro), handle maintenance requests, track payment history.
- Annual review in TrueCap. Revisit the saved analysis to compare actuals vs the original underwrite. Apply that learning to the next acquisition.
Screening the deal before the tenant? The free 1% rule calculator gives you a pass/fail read in seconds, and the full TrueCap analyzer runs the complete underwrite described in step two. Our guide on 60-second underwriting walks through the workflow end-to-end.
Common questions about TrueCap vs TurboTenant
Quick answers to the questions investors comparison-shopping these tools actually ask.
Is TrueCap a TurboTenant alternative?
No — different stages. TurboTenant operates rentals you own (listing, screening, leases, rent collection). TrueCap underwrites rentals you're considering buying (cap rate, CoC, DSCR, cash flow, projection). The two fit one after the other: TrueCap before you buy, TurboTenant once you own.
Is TurboTenant really free?
Yes. TurboTenant's Free plan covers listings, applications, tenant screening, online rent payments and maintenance requests. The applicant pays the screening fee unless you choose to cover it, and on rent payments renters pay a $2 ACH fee or 3.49% by card. Lease agreements and e-signatures start on Essentials (from $149 a year for up to 10 units); waived ACH fees and accounting tools are on Pro (from $199 a year for up to 10 units). Prices as of October 2026.
Does TrueCap have rent collection or tenant screening?
No, and we're not planning to. Rent collection is a regulated payments product (NACHA rules, late-fee automation) and tenant screening is FCRA-regulated. We don't build there. TurboTenant and RentRedi both offer those workflows.
Is TurboTenant or Avail better?
We don't rank them. Compare the plan tables on each vendor's pricing page for the features you need, such as leases, rent collection fees and listing sites. TrueCap comes before either one: it models the purchase.
Can I afford TrueCap + TurboTenant?
The free tiers can cover portions of underwriting and operations. If you need TrueCap Pro or a paid TurboTenant plan (Essentials or Pro), compare both live pricing pages and add the current rates for the units and features you actually need.
On price, plainly
Tools in this space run from free to well above TrueCap — check TurboTenant'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.