ValleyUnit vs TurboTenant
Both collect rent. Only one exports your Form 4562.
TurboTenant's full accounting costs $149/month
TurboTenant offers accounting features, but the full suite (40+ reports, depreciation tracking) requires the Premium plan at $149/month. That's nearly 3x the cost of ValleyUnit Pro for comparable accounting features -- and TurboTenant still doesn't export Form 4562 or track 1099-NEC thresholds.
Feature Comparison
An honest look at what each platform does and doesn't do
| Feature | ValleyUnit | TurboTenant |
|---|---|---|
| Online rent collection (ACH) | Yes | Yes |
| Credit/debit card payments | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic late fees | Yes (flat or %) | Yes |
| Tenant portal | Yes | Yes |
| Maintenance requests | Yes (with photos) | Yes |
| Lease management | Yes | Yes (state-compliant templates) |
| Tenant screening | No | Yes (TransUnion) |
| Listing syndication | No | Yes (multiple sites) |
| Built-in accounting | Yes (lease-level ledgers) | Yes (40+ reports) |
| P&L report | Yes (Starter+) | Yes |
| Schedule E mapping | Yes (line-item level) | Yes (guidance + reports) |
| Form 4562 export | Yes (Pro) | No |
| 1099-NEC tracking | Yes (Pro) | No |
| Year-End Tax Pack | Yes (Pro) | Tax summary available |
| AR Aging report | Yes (Pro) | No |
| Security alerts (default) | Yes | No |
| Full data export (CSV/JSON) | Yes | Limited |
| SMS notifications | Yes (opt-in) | Yes |
| Unlimited units | No (10 max) | Yes |
| Native mobile app | No (responsive web) | Yes |
Pricing Comparison
TurboTenant
| Plan | Price | Units | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/mo | Unlimited | Basic rent collection, listings |
| Pro | ~$10/mo | Unlimited | Screening, lease templates |
| Premium | ~$149/mo | Unlimited | Full accounting, phone support |
ValleyUnit
| Plan | Price | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/mo | 1 |
| Starter | $19/mo | 3 |
| Pro | $59/mo | 10 |
Which one is right for you?
When to choose TurboTenant
- You have more than 10 units
- You need tenant screening
- You want listing syndication
- You want a native mobile app
- You need the broadest free plan
- You want 40+ report types
When to choose ValleyUnit
- You need IRS-ready tax exports (Form 4562)
- You track vendor payments for 1099-NEC
- You want a CPA-ready tax package
- You want full accounting at a lower price ($59 vs $149)
- Customer support matters (founder-led)
- Security alerts are non-negotiable
- You want full data portability
The real difference
TurboTenant is a full-featured property management platform. It does more things: screening, listings, 40+ reports, unlimited units. If you need a Swiss Army knife for landlording, it's a strong choice.
ValleyUnit doesn't try to do everything. It skips screening and listings entirely. Instead, it focuses on the part of landlording that costs real money when done wrong: taxes.
Most landlords with 1-10 units don't need 40 report types. They need three things at tax time: (1) Rental income and expenses organized by property, mapped to Schedule E. (2) Depreciation deductions ready to file (Form 4562). (3) A clear answer on which vendors need a 1099.
ValleyUnit delivers all three. TurboTenant delivers the first one but not the second or third.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, and they're solid. TurboTenant offers automated bookkeeping, cash flow tracking, depreciation tracking, and a tax summary. However, the full accounting suite (40+ reports) requires the Premium plan at $149/mo. TurboTenant does not export Form 4562 or track 1099-NEC thresholds.
No. ValleyUnit focuses on rent collection, accounting, and tax prep. For screening, you'd use a standalone service like TransUnion SmartMove or RentPrep.
It depends on what you need. TurboTenant's free plan covers unlimited units with basic rent collection and listing features. ValleyUnit's free plan covers 1 unit but includes the lease-level ledger and tenant portal. For a single-unit landlord who cares about record-keeping, ValleyUnit's free tier may be more useful despite the unit limit.
It's the most common complaint on Capterra, G2, and BBB. Free plan users report slow or no email responses and no phone access. Paid plan users generally report better experiences. ValleyUnit is small enough that the founder personally responds to support emails.
Yes. ValleyUnit supports manual data entry and you can set up your properties, units, and leases from scratch. There is no automated import from TurboTenant, but the setup takes about 15-30 minutes for a small portfolio.
Both work. TurboTenant gives you more features (screening, listings) at the free or Pro tier. ValleyUnit Pro ($59/mo) gives you the full tax prep suite. If you're spending $500+ per year on CPA time reconciling rental income, ValleyUnit could pay for itself in saved accounting fees.
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