Avail vs MRI Software
Avail scores 7.5/10 vs 7.0/10. Best for: Independent DIY landlords who want free or low-cost basic rent collection and tenant screening.
Avail scores higher overall at 7.5/10 vs 7.0/10. Avail is the best free option for independent landlords needing basic rent collection, screening, and leases. The free tier is genuinely useful. Strictly for DIY landlords with no owner portal or real accounting. Recent price increases on Plus have frustrated users.
Avail
MRI Software Rank
#9 of 26
Rank
#15 of 26
Features
10/17
Features
15/17
Starting at
$0/mo
Starting at
$55/mo
User reviews
4.8/5 (350)
User reviews
3.8/5 (264)
What they cost
| Avail | MRI Software | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting at | Free /mo | $55 /mo |
| Free trial | Free tier available | 0 days |
| Number of plans | 2 | 2 |
What the pricing really means
At first glance, Avail looks cheaper at $0/month vs $55/month. But sticker price is only part of the story. Look at what is included on the base plan, how many users you get, and whether you need add-ons to get the features you actually need. The $99/month plan that requires $200 in add-ons is actually more expensive than the $250/month plan that includes everything.
Where Avail wins
- Genuinely free tier with no unit limits covering core landlord needs
- State-specific lease templates and e-signatures included free
- Listings syndicate to Zillow, Realtor.com, and 20+ sites
- Simple clean interface for non-professional landlords
Where MRI Software wins
- Highly customizable platform that adapts to complex enterprise workflows
- Platform X integrates hundreds of third-party applications into a unified environment
- Strong commercial lease management with CAM reconciliation and retail tools
- Serves 45,000+ clients globally with decades of enterprise real estate experience
Where Avail falls short
- Recent 300%+ price increase on Plus plan has upset users
- No real accounting depth, just basic expense tracking
- No API access or integrations
- No owner portal, not for third-party management
Where MRI Software falls short
- Pricing is opaque and typically starts at $10,000/year for commercial, putting it out of reach for small firms
- Steeper learning curve than competitors — not as intuitive as Yardi or AppFolio
- System can crash or freeze during month-end close when under heavy load
- Support response times can stretch to weeks for non-critical issues
Who is each product built for?
Avail
Target: 1-50 units
Avail is the best free option for independent landlords needing basic rent collection, screening, and leases. The free tier is genuinely useful. Strictly for DIY landlords with no owner portal or real accounting. Recent price increases on Plus have frustrated users.
MRI Software
Target: 500-100000 units
MRI Software is an enterprise-grade real estate management suite built for large property companies, REITs, and commercial operators. Its customization depth and third-party integration ecosystem are unmatched, but the high cost, steep learning curve, and inconsistent support make it a poor fit for anyone managing fewer than 500 units. Best for organizations that need the flexibility to build highly tailored workflows across complex portfolios.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Avail | MRI Software |
|---|---|---|
| Tenant Management | ||
| Tenant screening | ||
| Online rent collection | ||
| Lease management | ||
| Tenant portal | ||
| E-signatures | ||
| Property Operations | ||
| Maintenance requests | ||
| Owner portal | ||
| Property inspections | ||
| Vendor management | ||
| Vacancy advertising | ||
| Finance & Reporting | ||
| Accounting/bookkeeping | ||
| Bank account management | ||
| Insurance tracking | ||
| Reporting/analytics | ||
| Platform | ||
| Document storage | ||
| Mobile app | ||
| API access | ||
Common questions
Avail is designed for 1-50 units, making it a strong pick for small shops. MRI Software targets 500-100000 units.
Avail starts at $0/month. MRI Software starts at $55/month. Pricing was last verified in 2026-03-01.
Avail has a free tier you can use to get started.
Yes, you can switch between Property Management tools. The main effort is migrating your data and setting up new workflows. Plan for 1-2 weeks of overlap where you run both systems.
The bottom line
Pick Avail if...
Independent DIY landlords who want free or low-cost basic rent collection and tenant screening
Pick MRI Software if...
Large property companies and REITs managing commercial, multifamily, or mixed-use portfolios at scale