Stessa
Best for Small Hosts
Pick Stessa if you're a real estate investor who wants free, unlimited property tracking with tax-ready Schedule E reports and optional high-yield banking.
From $0/mo • No free trial
View alternativesAll tools/Patriot Software
Accounting & TaxUpdated 2026-04-24
Patriot Software
Affordable small-business accounting that handles rental books
At a glance
Updated 2026-04-24Solid Option
Solid budget ledger, but not built for rental operations
Best for: Small property owners who need basic, affordable accounting for a rental side business alongside other income
Pricing
From $20/mo • Free trial
Free trial available
What Patriot Software actually is
Patriot Software is a general-purpose small-business accounting platform that can serve short-term rental operators needing straightforward bookkeeping. At $20/month flat with no per-listing fees, it covers invoicing, expense tracking, and bank reconciliation — but lacks STR-specific features like channel management, guest communication, or occupancy reporting. Best suited for hosts who treat their rental as one line of business among several and want a simple, low-cost ledger rather than a purpose-built property management tool.
Core features
- Unlimited invoices, contractors, customers, and payments
- Bank and credit card transaction import via Plaid
- Stripe payment processing for credit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay
- Payroll add-on with direct deposit and tax filing
- Expense tracking and basic financial reporting
Pros
- Flat $20/mo pricing with no per-listing or per-booking fees
- Consistently praised for ease of use and responsive customer support
- Stripe integration enables modern payment collection
Cons
- No STR-specific features — channel management, guest comms, and dynamic pricing require separate tools
- Support unavailable on weekends or outside business hours
- Reporting lacks depth for multi-property portfolio analysis
Best for
- Small property owners who need basic, affordable accounting for a rental side business alongside other income
Not for
- Operators who need STR-specific automation, channel management, or detailed occupancy and revenue analytics
Is Patriot Software right for you?
Honest per-segment take. Click any card for the full breakdown.
1–5 listings
Small portfolios
Patriot handles basic bookkeeping affordably at $20/mo flat, but you will need separate tools for every STR-specific workflow.
Read full take →
5–20 listings
Mid-sized portfolios
At 10-25 listings you need integrated accounting tied to your PMS and channels — Patriot has no STR connections and would mean double data entry.
Read full take →
20–100 listings
Large portfolios
Enterprise operators need automated revenue recognition, owner statements, and trust accounting — none of which Patriot offers.
Read full take →
Airbnb primary
Airbnb-first hosts
Patriot has no Airbnb integration. You would manually re-enter every payout, which defeats the purpose of accounting software.
Read full take →
Vrbo primary
Vrbo-first hosts
Same gap as Airbnb-first operators — no Vrbo integration means manual entry for every booking and payout.
Read full take →
3+ channels
Multi-channel operators
Multi-channel operators need accounting that pulls from multiple OTAs automatically. Patriot connects to none of them.
Read full take →
Related tools
Same category, different fits. Each pick has a direct comparison reason.
Avalara MyLodgeTax
Best for Scale
Pick Avalara MyLodgeTax if your real pain is multi-jurisdiction lodging tax compliance and you need registration, filing, and remittance handled for you.
From $27/listing • No free trial
View alternativesHostfully Bookkeeper
Solid Option
Pick Hostfully Bookkeeper if you want accounting embedded in a full PMS with channel connections to Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.
From $129 • No free trial
View alternativesClearing
Solid Option
Pick Clearing if you manage 10+ STR units — especially for outside owners — and need trust accounting, owner statements, and multi-OTA reconciliation tied to your PMS.
From $25 • No free trial
View alternativesStay in the loop
Keep comparing with STRStack
Sign up for new comparisons and practical notes on your rental software stack.
Planning your setup? Get the STR tech stack checklist →