Cozy vs TenantCloud: Price, Features & What’s Best in 2019

Cozy and TenantCloud provide online property management for do-it-yourself (DIY) landlords. Cozy is free for landlords and charges $2.99 for expedited payment processing. TenantCloud costs up to $35 a month. Cozy is ideal for landlords who need a simple-to-use platform while TenantCloud is preferable for those who want rental accounting, mobile access, and service support.

When to Use Cozy

Cozy is a free, easy-to-use, online property management software solution for DIY landlords managing commercial and residential properties. The Cozy rent payment system is free for landlords and tenants. Cozy offers background screening, maintenance tracking, a website for advertising vacancies, tenant communication, and the ability to upload and share leases and other documents.

Visit Cozy

When to Use TenantCloud

TenantCloud offers background and credit screening, maintenance tracking, listing syndication, e-signatures on leases, and communication with service professionals within the platform. TenantCloud is free for up to 75 units, and paid accounts can have access to QuickBooks and Google Calendar syncing, making TenantCloud ideal for landlords who want a more robust system with accounting features.

When to Use Avail as an Alternative

If you’re a DIY landlord who specializes in residential properties, you might want to consider Avail. Avail is a residential property management platform where you can advertise vacancies, screen tenants, collect rents, track maintenance, communicate with tenants, and find state-specific digital leases. Landlords can manage their first rental for free using Avail.

Visit Avail

Cozy vs TenantCloud at a Glance

How We Evaluated Cozy & TenantCloud

When comparing Cozy vs TenantCloud, we reviewed each platform’s pricing, number of allowable rental property listings, the types of properties they included, and additional features such as electronic signatures and syncing with other software. We also evaluated their customer support, how easy the software is to use, and user reviews.

The specific criteria we used to evaluate Cozy vs TenantCloud include:

• Pricing: Affordability for landlords with many features included at the free to low-cost option
• Number of rental property listings: The number of rental properties landlords can advertise and manage using the software
• Types of rental property: The types of rental properties that the online rental property software can accommodate
• Additional features: Additional features such as the ability to sign documents online, connect with service professionals, and sync with calendars and accounting software
• Ease of use: How easy the property management software is for customers to learn and use
• Customer service: Avenues for customers to get assistance or answers to questions.
• Customer reviews: User testimonials and reviews provided to third-party sites.

Cozy and TenantCloud offer a lot of the same features and benefits. However, we chose TenantCloud as our top online property management software because it is far more robust than Cozy. TenantCloud offers customizable documents with e-signing capability, online accounting, a customizable dashboard, a mobile app, Google Calendar and QuickBooks syncing, and a business development platform for service professionals and contractors who work with property owners.

Cozy vs TenantCloud: Pricing & Features

Both Cozy and TenantCloud offer free core services to landlords. Their free programs are great for new landlords who are just getting started and want a platform that grows with them as they grow their portfolios. For TenantCloud users to receive free automated clearing house (ACH) bank deposits, they have to have a paid account starting at $9 a month. Cozy online rent collection and bank deposits are free unless a landlord wants expedited payment processing.

Cozy Pricing & Features

Cozy’s core services are always free for landlords with no strings attached. The only services Cozy charges a fee for are $2.99 per month per unit for Express payment processing, which takes about three days for rental income to be deposited in the landlord’s bank account, and a $19.99 fee for a rent estimate. For the normal payment process of five days, there is no charge.

Tenants who pay rent through Cozy with a credit card are charged a 2.75% processing fee. Tenants pay for their own credit and background checks. Landlords can assess late fees in Cozy, even on partial rent payments, whereas TenantCloud won’t allow late fees if the bill is marked “paid”―even if the payment is not in full.

Unlimited Vacancy Listings

With Cozy, you can list and manage as many properties as you want, and it will always be free. Features available to landlords are never restricted based on the number of units they manage. Where Cozy differs from TenantCloud is that Cozy only has syndication on two sites—Realtor.com and Doorsteps.com. Cozy gives you a website with a link to share to advertise vacancies on popular sites like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and others.

Commercial and Residential Property Management

Cozy is not restricted to residential property owners. With Cozy, landlords and property managers can manage both commercial and residential properties. Cozy customers with commercial properties can collect rent, screen tenants for commercial and office spaces, and even manage individual parking spaces and desks. One challenge with Cozy for commercial properties is owners cannot use the syndication since Realtor.com and Doorsteps.com only cater to residential listings.

Leases and Documents

Cozy allows landlords to upload, store, and share documents such as leases, rental applications, and move-in/move-out checklists, so landlords can keep documents organized in one place. Cozy does not have an electronic signature feature, meaning users have to sign, scan, and upload documents into the platform. Cozy also does not offer state-specific documents, so landlords have to create or acquire their own.

Maintenance and Service Professionals

Cozy allows landlords and tenants to communicate about maintenance requests directly through the platform. They can upload photos, communicate about contractor scheduling, and landlords can track and manage their maintenance in one convenient place. Cozy does not offer the ability to communicate directly with service professionals, which is another downside to the platform. Landlords have to email or call service pros to schedule maintenance and give details.

Product Syncing

Unlike TenantCloud, Cozy currently does not sync with other products like QuickBooks and Google Calendar. Cozy does sync with multiple bank accounts for easy payment processing as does most online property management software. Product syncing adds convenience for landlords who manage multiple rental properties.

Additional Features

Cozy is not loaded with features but is a free, easy-to-use option that allows landlords to manage an unlimited number of rentals. A few additional features Cozy offers include tenant access to renter’s insurance for $20 per month and the option for tenants to upload their own rental insurance information for landlord review. Cozy allows landlords to track expenses per property, assign tax categories, manage rental property deductions, and attach images of receipts from their phones.

TenantCloud Pricing & Features

TenantCloud’s free version allows landlords to manage up to 75 units. The fee for the Standard plan is $9/month, and the Advanced plan is $35/month. The main differences between the plans are the number of units that can be managed, the amount of data that can be stored, how many administrator accounts are allowed, and access to premium features such as tenant matching, online payments, and QuickBooks and Google calendar syncing.

TenantCloud includes accounting features right within the platform such as rental property calculators, depreciation tracking, amortization tracking, and a Tax Preparation Report where you can toggle to IRS Form Schedule E. For paid accounts, landlords can sync with QuickBooks.

Unlimited Vacancy Listings

TenantCloud is good for landlords with fewer than 500 units. The software lets landlords manage and market up to 75 units in their free account, up to 150 in their Standard package ($9/month), and up to 500 in their Advanced package ($35/month). Where TenantCloud outshines Cozy is their one-click syndication on more than 25 popular rental websites such as Zillow, Trulia, ApartmentFinder, MSN, and more.

Commercial and Residential Property Management

TenantCloud users can use the platform to manage both commercial and residential properties. With the available digitized accounting, amortization, and depreciation calculators, investors can track and separate principal and interest payments and create a tax preparation report. They can also track annual depreciation for residential and commercial rental properties. They receive a downloadable table and graphs they can share with their accountant.

Leases and Documents

TenantCloud offers sample leases and other documents for landlords who are using the software. Users also have the capability of gathering electronic signatures, which Cozy does not offer. Being able to create, send, get signatures, and store documents online is a big time-saver for busy landlords.

Some online documents TenantCloud offers include:

• Eviction notices
• Lease with option to buy and rent-to-own agreements
• Month-to-month/tenancy-at-will rental agreements
• Notice to quit
• Notice to vacate
• Rental applications
• Tenant’s notice of intent to vacate premises form
• Rent increase letters

While TenantCloud offers some online templates and electronic signatures, if you’re looking for lawyer-approved, state-specific leases and pertinent documents, you may want to consider Avail. Avail also can create, send to get signatures, and store documents online, but they also offer state-specific leases and documents, which may protect landlords from potential legal action from not having the right documents.

Visit Avail

Maintenance and Service Professionals

TenantCloud also provides maintenance requests and tracking, along with video and photo uploads. What’s different from Cozy is TenantCloud allows landlords to add and communicate with service professionals within the platform, saving them time from having to call or email with repair issues. A unique feature of TenantCloud is the ability for service professionals to have their own free account and business profile on the platform and market their business to landlords right within the app.

Product Syncing

TenantCloud offers Advanced account holders the ability to sync their account with QuickBooks. When users sync TenantCloud, the income and expense transactions are sent to their QuickBooks Online account. Both the Standard and Advanced accounts also sync with Google Calendar to schedule maintenance and other tasks, helping landlords and service pros to be more efficient and organized.

Additional Features

TenantCloud offers paid account users access to Tenant Match, which allows landlords and tenants to find each other. Landlords can view a list of suggested potential tenants after posting a vacancy and invite them to apply for the unit. Another feature that comes with a paid account is a landlord can add up to three admin account users and manage their access to different parts of the platform. TenantCloud also has a mobile app while Cozy doesn’t.

Cozy vs TenantCloud: Ease of Use

We found Cozy’s platform to be more user-friendly than TenantCloud. TenantCloud has more bells and whistles and, as a result, is more complicated to learn and use. Both platforms have simple visible menus with one-click access to most features and helpful frequently asked questions (FAQs) sections. We based our review of ease of use by signing up for free accounts on both platforms and entering data, plus reading customer reviews.

Cozy Ease of Use

We found Cozy to be very user-friendly. Signup is easy, and the platform is not overloaded with links. The menu contains everything landlords and tenants need to manage their rental accounts and each page within a section has a help menu for that section topic. Setting up property listings, maintenance requests, and payment processing is also very simple.

TenantCloud Ease of Use

TenantCloud has more features and is more complicated to use. Subscribers will need to spend some time learning the software. Customers also reported that while they liked having their listings synced across so many popular real estate platforms, that responding to tenants and having them apply to vacant rentals was cumbersome and placed limitations on the number of applications they received.

Cozy vs TenantCloud: Customer Service

Both Cozy and TenantCloud offer email support and generous online Help Centers for FAQs. Both platforms’ FAQs sections were very easy to use and find answers, and they both have search capabilities. Neither offered phone customer service. TenantCloud allows users to submit a support ticket.

Cozy Customer Service

Cozy provides email support and responds within 24 hours, seven days a week. There is no phone or live chat support. Cozy has a user-friendly help center with many FAQs and a tech page for help with common technical issues and questions. When signing up for a new account, users immediately receive an email from a personal success manager they can reach out to for support.

Cozy customer service includes:

• E-mail support with responses within 24 hours, even on weekends
• Help Center (FAQs) that is easy to navigate
• Tech support page for answers to common tech questions
• An assigned Personal Success Manager to help users with their accounts

TenantCloud Customer Service

TenantCloud also offers email support and a well-informed Help Center for FAQs. Some reviewers have complained about slow response time and unreliable customer support. In addition to email support and FAQs on the site, TenantCloud users can submit a support ticket right from the Contact Us page.

TenantCloud customer service includes:

• Email support
• Generous Help Center/FAQs
• Support Tickets from the Contact Us page

Cozy vs TenantCloud: Customer Reviews

Cozy and TenantCloud received nearly equal customer reviews, with Cozy’s being slightly higher due to faster response times and an easier-to-use platform. Some reviewers had used one system but switched to the other, while others were loyal fans of one or the other. Reasons for switching involved paid vs free, ease of use, and customer support.

Cozy Customer Reviews

Cozy reviewers reported the software as easy to use and liked that it was free. Landlords also reported that their tenants liked having access to the software. Landlords spoke favorably about tracking property expenses, maintenance requests, and the ability to set up payment reminders for tenants. Cozy users also reported they wished they could have access to electronic fillable online leases, and that the payment processing was faster than three to five days.

TenantCloud Customer Reviews

TenantCloud’s overall ratings are strong, and landlords with small portfolios report satisfaction with both the paid and free versions. Users also reported favorably on access to online templates and e-signing. Complaints were about customer service response time, not having access to live customer support, and issues with tenant applications from syndicated websites.

Bottom Line

We found both Cozy and TenantCloud to be great programs for landlords. However, we ranked TenantCloud higher than Cozy because of the many features such as accounting, online documents with e-sign, the ability to schedule maintenance with service pros right through the app, and QuickBooks and Google Calendar syncing with paid accounts. The free account allows up to 75 units, which is great for new landlords with smaller portfolios.

You can try TenantCloud for free by signing up through their website. Signing up online takes just a few minutes, and you can select a free or paid account, add your first property, and get your first rental unit listed in an afternoon.