Who each is for
Stessa is built for real estate investors who want a free portfolio dashboard: bank feeds, property performance, cash-flow snapshots, and — if you pay — a Schedule E. It sits in the Roofstock / CoStar world. Paid tiers sit next to cash management and banking yield.
Manor Keeper is built for self-managing US landlords who still do the work. The job is categorized transactions, per-property P&L, and a tax packet a CPA can open. We charge you. We do not sell mortgages, landlord bank accounts, or insurance.
If you mostly watch the portfolio, Stessa may be enough. If you operate the rentals and file the return, start here.
Pricing
Stessa figures are from their pricing page as of September 2026. They change — confirm there before you decide. Ours are on Manor Keeper pricing.
| Manor Keeper Pro | Stessa Essentials | Stessa Manage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $9/mo + $1 per unit past 3 | $0 | $15/mo ($12/mo billed annually) |
| Units | Up to 999 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Schedule E report | Yes | No | Yes |
| Form 8825 worksheet | Yes | — | — |
| Bank feeds | Plaid, on Pro | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | 14 days, no card | Free plan | — |
Stessa Pro is $35/mo monthly ($28/mo annual) for unlimited portfolios, unlimited receipt scans, and advanced reports. We do not have a third paid tier.
A 10-unit landlord pays $16/mo here ($9 + $7). Stessa Manage is a flat $15/mo (or $12 annual) with unlimited units. At a large portfolio their flat paid tier can cost less. At 1–5 units we are usually cheaper for Schedule E.
Features
| Job | Manor Keeper | Stessa |
|---|---|---|
| System of record | Active ledger: manual, CSV, or Plaid. Categories follow IRS Schedule E lines. | Automated feeds and investor dashboards. Schedule E is on Manage, not Essentials. |
| Tax packet | Schedule E + P&L + transaction register for a CPA. Form 8825, depreciation schedule, and loan principal / interest / escrow on Pro. | Accountant tax package on paid tiers. Schedule E on Manage. CapEx export on their Pro. |
| Rent collection | Pro: landlord-paid ACH. Tenants pay face rent. Manor Keeper takes $0. No cards, autopay, or automatic late fees yet. | Online rent on the free tier. Faster payouts on paid plans. |
| Listings and leasing | Public vacancy page, branded listing site, applications inbox. Not one-click Zillow syndication. | Screening in the funnel. E-sign and forms on paid tiers. Not a full property-management suite. |
| Receipts | Upload and match to the bank line. No OCR yet. | Smart receipt scanning: 5/month below their Pro, unlimited on Pro. |
| Who pays | You pay. No mortgage, bank, or insurance cross-sell. | Paid software plus cash management / yield. Rates depend on plan and balance. |
We do not claim feature parity we have not shipped.
What Stessa does better
- Free at unlimited units. Essentials is a real product: bank feeds, basic reports, rent collection. Our free plan is a ledger for up to 3 units, with no Schedule E until Pro.
- Investor dashboard. Portfolio value, cash yield, and a read-mostly snapshot are their home field.
- Receipt OCR and e-sign. Paid Stessa is further along at snapping receipts and signing documents.
- Brand and distribution. Roofstock / CoStar is a bigger machine than we are.
What Manor Keeper does better
- Books you can file from. Schedule E lines, Form 8825, depreciation, loan splits, and a CPA packet are the paid job — not an upgrade you discover in April.
- You are the customer. We make money when you keep Pro. We do not need you to open a landlord bank account.
- Small-portfolio price for that job. Pro is $9/month plus $1 per extra unit, 14-day trial, no credit card.
- Landlord words. Property, unit, rent, repair — not a generic chart of accounts.
When to pick Stessa anyway
Pick Stessa if you want a free unlimited-property dashboard, you are fine paying Manage for Schedule E at tax time, or cash management / yield is part of the product you want.
Pick Manor Keeper if you self-manage, the job is running the rental through tax time, and you want the tool to work for you rather than next to a bank product.
Start a 14-day Pro trial — no credit card. Or read Manor Keeper vs Landlord Studio if you need a full-suite comparison.
See a sample Schedule E · Tax prep checklist · Landlord calculators · Back to all comparisons