Prizm P.M. vs Spreadsheets, Payment Apps and Big Platforms
There are four realistic ways to run a small rental portfolio. Each of them works for somebody — here is where each one stops working.
Spreadsheets and a bank account
Free, flexible, and fine for one unit with a reliable tenant. It breaks when you need a payment history you can prove, a late fee you can defend, or a year-end packet you can hand to an accountant without a weekend of reconstruction.
Consumer payment apps
Easy for the tenant and instant for you, but they move money without recording anything: no lease, no balance, no receipt trail, no late-fee logic. Several consumer apps also restrict business use, which is a poor surprise to discover with a month's rent in transit.
Large property management platforms
Genuinely powerful and the right answer at scale — accounting suites, owner portals, vendor networks. The cost is per-unit pricing with monthly minimums written for portfolios of dozens of doors, plus an onboarding process measured in days.
Prizm P.M.
The parts a small landlord actually uses — rent charges, autopay, late fees, leases, tenant portal, maintenance with expenses, payouts and exports — set up in minutes, with published fees a landlord cannot alter.
Side by side
| Capability | Spreadsheet | Payment app | Large platform | Prizm P.M. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automatic monthly rent charges | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Card and bank payments | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Autopay tenants control | No | Partial | Yes | Yes |
| Lease records tenants can read | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Maintenance tickets with photos | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Landlord-only expense tracking | Manual | No | Yes | Yes |
| Exportable reports for your accountant | Manual | No | Yes | Yes |
| Priced for one to twenty units | Yes | Yes | Rarely | Yes |
| Setup time | Hours, ongoing | Minutes | Days | Minutes |
Common questions
- Why not just use a payment app for rent?
- Payment apps move money but keep no lease, no ledger, no receipts and no late-fee logic — and consumer apps often prohibit business use, which can freeze funds.
- Is Prizm P.M. cheaper than a property management platform?
- For a small portfolio, usually. Large platforms price per unit with minimums that assume dozens of doors; Prizm charges on payments and payouts instead of a monthly per-unit minimum.
- Can I move my records in later?
- Yes. Properties, units, tenants and leases can be entered at any time, and everything exports to CSV or PDF if you leave.