DoorStax vs RentMerchant

DoorStax is a property management and payment platform for landlords, property managers, tenants, vendors and owners, available on Android, iOS and the web, with an API. It accepts rent payments by ACH and card, and supports autopay with pre-charge notices, smart retries and chargeback tracking. Its append-only payment ledger records corrections as new entries and reconciles daily against settlements. Accounting features include a general ledger, owner statements, accountant CSV exports and a tax center with 1099 exports. Property operations span leasing and screening, tenant onboarding, work orders, inspections, vendor management, turnovers, parking, eviction tracking and expense management. Portfolio CSV imports are listed for Buildium, AppFolio, Yardi and Rent Manager; calendar sync uses iCal with Google Calendar and Outlook. The Property Manager Plan is billed at $3 a month per unit, with a $150 base including 50 units; a 14-day trial is offered without a credit card. Card payments currently carry a 3.25% surcharge, subject to change with notice.

RentMerchant provides online rent collection and property management for independent landlords, with web and iOS access. Tenants can pay by bank transfer or debit and credit card, either once or through autopay. The system sends monthly recurring invoices, payment reminders, and automatic late fees. A tenant portal supports payments, payment-history and ledger viewing, and repair requests. Landlords can collect online applications and obtain electronic lease signatures with an audit trail. Property owners can receive read-only logins showing collections, fees, and net amounts. Reports include CSV and Schedule E exports, and landlords can import properties in bulk from CSV. Payments are processed by Stripe; RentMerchant says it does not store raw card or bank numbers, and accounts can use two-factor login. The Free plan costs nothing and supports up to three properties. Pro costs $15 a month billed annually for unlimited properties and units, while month-to-month Pro costs $20 a month. ACH payments on Free cost 0.8% capped at $5 plus a $2 RentMerchant fee; the $2 fee is waived on Pro.