RentalTabs › Stessa alternative
A Stessa alternative that keeps your books in your own Google Sheet
Stessa is a good free app, and many landlords use it. But some people would rather keep their rental records in a spreadsheet they own. This page compares the main options for landlords with 1 to 10 rentals.
Prices checked on October 18, 2026. Written by the RentalTabs team, so we have a stake in this. We tried to be fair.
Short answer: If you want a free all-in-one app for your rentals, Stessa or Baselane is a good fit. If you want your books in a Google Sheet that you and your CPA can open and change, use a spreadsheet. Start with our free template, or Tiller if you want bank sync today.
How the options compare
| Stessa | Baselane | Tiller | RentalTabs (free template now, add-on planned) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where your books live | In Stessa's web app | In Baselane's web app | Your Google Sheet or Excel file | Your Google Sheet |
| Made for rentals | Yes | Yes | No, general budgeting. A free community rental template exists (Google Sheets only). | Yes |
| Schedule E report by property | On the Manage plan and up | Yes, on the free plan | Not built in | Yes, in the free template (3 properties per tab) |
| Bank sync | Yes, all plans | Yes | Yes | Yes (planned) |
| Price | Free; Manage $12/mo or Pro $28/mo, billed yearly | Free; Smart $20/mo billed yearly | $99/year | Template free; add-on planned at $8/mo or $79/year |
| Also sells you | Banking (Stessa Cash Management), loan quotes through a partner | Banking | Nothing else | Nothing else |
From each company's public pricing page on October 18, 2026. Prices can change, so please check their sites. Stessa, Baselane and Tiller are trademarks of their owners. RentalTabs is not affiliated with them.
When Stessa is the better choice
- You want everything in one app: bank feeds, rent collection, tenant screening and maintenance tracking. Stessa's free plan includes all of these.
- You don't like spreadsheets and don't plan to change your reports.
- You want a bank account for your rentals in the same place.
When a spreadsheet is the better choice
- You want to own the file. A Google Sheet stays in your Drive even if you stop paying for any tool.
- Your CPA wants to see the numbers. You can share one link. There is no app login to set up.
- You want to add your own columns. For example, a receipt link, a unit number or a note for your tax preparer.
- You only need the books. If you already collect rent another way, you may not need an all-in-one app.
What landlords say about Stessa
Stessa is rated 4.5 out of 5 on GetApp (104 reviews, October 2026). In reviews, a few themes come up again and again:
- Bank sync sometimes needs fixing, and some transactions need sorting by hand.
- Some users wish they could set up recurring rent entries.
- Support reviews are mixed. Phone support is only on the Pro plan.
None of these are deal breakers for most people. They are worth knowing before you pick a tool.
Moving from Stessa to a spreadsheet
- Export your transactions. Stessa's pricing page lists full data export on every plan.
- Make a copy of our free rental property spreadsheet.
- List your properties on the Properties tab, then paste your transactions into the Transactions tab.
- Pick a category for each row. Each category matches one line on Schedule E. See our Schedule E categories guide if you're not sure.
- Open the Schedule E tab and check the totals for each property.
Try the free template first
A Google Sheet with tabs for transactions, properties and a Schedule E summary. Free to copy and keep.
Get the free spreadsheetWhere RentalTabs fits
RentalTabs is a Google Sheets add-on we are building. It will bring your bank and card transactions into your own sheet every day and sort them by property and Schedule E line. It is planned for early 2027. Join the waitlist to hear when it opens.
Questions
Is Stessa free?
Stessa has a free Essentials plan with bank feeds and basic reports. Its Schedule E report starts on the Manage plan, which is $12 a month billed yearly or $15 billed monthly, as of October 2026.
Which free tool gives a Schedule E report?
Baselane's free Core plan lists Schedule E reports and an accountant tax package. If you want a spreadsheet instead of an app, our free template totals each Schedule E line by property.
Can I export my data from Stessa?
Stessa's pricing page lists full data export on every plan. You can export your transactions and sort them into a spreadsheet by property and Schedule E line.
Is RentalTabs available now?
Not yet. The add-on is planned for early 2027. The free Google Sheets template is available today.
Sources
- Stessa pricing (checked October 18, 2026)
- Baselane pricing (checked October 18, 2026)
- Tiller pricing and Tiller Property Rental Manager template (checked October 18, 2026)
- Stessa reviews on GetApp