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    Baselane Lease Alternative

    If you signed up for Baselane on or after July 31, 2026, you cannot create a lease or send one for e-signature there: Baselane's help center says both were sunset for all new users on that date, and accounts opened earlier pay $10 per lease built through Rocket Lawyer or $5 to e-sign an uploaded lease. MakeLease fills that one gap: build the lease in a guided wizard, download the PDF and send it for e-signature at no cost today, with no card (you need a free account to generate, save or send), then upload the signed copy back into Baselane. This is not a case for leaving Baselane. Its Core plan is $0 and covers banking through Thread Bank, rent collection and bookkeeping, none of which MakeLease offers. The sensible setup for most landlords is to keep Baselane for money and use MakeLease for the lease document itself. The tables below show where each one stands, including the places where MakeLease is clearly the weaker option.

    Prices and features verified: · by MakeLease Editorial Team

    The short answer

    Choose Baselane if…

    • you want a landlord bank account with property-level accounts and debit cards; Baselane's banking runs through Thread Bank and MakeLease has none
    • you want rent collected online with automated invoices, reminders and late fees, and tenants on auto-pay
    • you want bookkeeping that ties rent and expenses to each property and produces Schedule E reports for your accountant
    • your account predates July 31, 2026 and you want a state-specific lease from Rocket Lawyer for $10, inside the same app that collects the rent
    • you need tenant screening with credit, eviction and criminal reports, which applicants pay for

    Choose MakeLease if…

    • you opened Baselane after July 31, 2026 and need somewhere to actually create the lease, since new Baselane accounts can only upload and store signed leases
    • you want to create, download and e-sign a lease without paying $10 or $5 per document and without entering a card
    • your tenant should be able to sign from an emailed link without creating an account
    • you are comfortable adding your own state's required clauses and disclosures, because MakeLease does not add state-specific clauses
    Create a free lease

    Who should choose which

    New Baselane user who just bought a rental

    Better fit: Baselane and MakeLease together

    You get Baselane's free Core banking and rent collection, but the Lease Agreements tab will only let you upload a signed lease. Create and e-sign the lease in MakeLease, upload the signed PDF to Baselane under Rent Collection > Lease Agreements, then set up Rent Collection with the same terms.

    Long-time Baselane user who needs state-specific clauses

    Better fit: Baselane

    If your account had Lease Agreements before July 31, 2026, you can still build a Rocket Lawyer lease with state-specific disclosures for $10. MakeLease does not add state-specific clauses, so if you want them generated for you, paying Baselane is the better fit.

    Landlord with a few leases a year who wants no per-lease fee

    Better fit: MakeLease

    At $10 per created lease or $5 per uploaded e-signature on Baselane, the cost adds up with every renewal and new tenant. MakeLease charges nothing today for the wizard, the PDF or the e-signature, and the tenant signs without making an account. You still keep Baselane for banking and rent.

    Investor who mainly wants finances in one place

    Better fit: Baselane

    If banking, auto-tagged transactions, receipts, rent roll and Schedule E reports are the point, Baselane is built for that and MakeLease only offers expense tracking and investor calculators with no bank feeds.

    Pricing: Baselane vs MakeLease

    Pricing comparison of Baselane and MakeLease, verified 2026-10-27
     BaselaneMakeLease
    Plan priceCore $0/mo; Smart $20/mo on an annual plan (30-day trial)[7]$0, no card[19]
    Create a lease (account opened on or after July 31, 2026)NoNot availableP1[1]YesFree, guided 8-step wizard[19]
    Create a lease (account with Lease Agreements before July 31, 2026)Paid$10 per lease, built via Rocket Lawyer[2][3]YesFree, guided 8-step wizard[19]
    E-sign an uploaded leasePaid$5 per lease; pre-July 31, 2026 accounts only[2][1]YesFree; tenant needs no account[21]
    Card or payment method to e-signUpload-and-e-sign flow asks you to add a payment method[5]No card[19]
    Rent payment fees (tenant or landlord)ACH $2 (table shows $2–$5, waived for Baselane deposits), landlord or tenant pays; cards 3.49% paid by tenant[12][13]NoNot offered[20]
    Tenant screening fee (paid by applicant)Paid$24.99 basic; criminal $5, eviction $10, income $10 add-ons[16]NoNot offered[20]

    Baselane's lease fees come from its help center article updated August 13, 2026. Its lease-agreement landing page still advertises up to 3 free leases; we treat the help center as current because it is newer and specific about the July 31, 2026 change.

    1. P1. Baselane's help center says lease creation and e-signature were sunset for all new users effective July 31, 2026; new users can only upload and store signed leases.

    Features compared

    Feature comparison of Baselane and MakeLease, verified 2026-10-27
     BaselaneMakeLease
    Guided lease builder for new accountsNoSunset for new usersF1[1]YesFree, guided 8-step wizard[19]
    State-specific lease clausesPaidRocket Lawyer lease, $10; pre-July 31, 2026 accounts only[3][2]NoNot state-specific; you add state rules[20]
    E-signaturePaid$5–$10 per lease; pre-July 31, 2026 accounts only[2][1]YesFree; tenant needs no account[21]
    BankingYesFree Core accounts via Thread Bank, Member FDIC[10][8]NoNot offered[20]
    Rent collectionYesAutomated rent, reminders and late fees on Core[9][11]NoNot offered[20]
    Bookkeeping and tax reportsYesProperty-level tracking and Schedule E reports on Core[9]PartlyExpense tracking and investor calculators; no bank feeds[19]
    Tenant screeningPaidApplicant pays from $24.99[16]NoNot offered[20]
    Tenant portalYesTenant portal and auto-pay[11]YesFree[19]
    Mobile appYesIncluded on Core[9]NoWeb only[20]
    Other landlord formsYesFree printable forms (rent receipt, pet agreement, deposit letters, late rent notice)[15]PartlyLease plus free landlord forms[19]

    Baselane lets new and existing users upload a signed lease for storage. MakeLease has no equivalent row here because the useful move is the reverse: sign in MakeLease, then store the signed PDF in Baselane next to the rent ledger.

    1. F1. Per Baselane's help center, new users since July 31, 2026 no longer have access to create leases or send documents for e-signature.

    ✓ included · ✗ not offered · Paid = paid plan or per-use fee · Partial = offered with a limit noted in the cell. Bracketed numbers link to the source.

    Where Baselane is better

    • Banking: Baselane offers checking and savings through Thread Bank with debit cards on its $0 Core plan. MakeLease has no banking at all.
    • Rent collection: Baselane sends automated invoices and reminders, adds late fees and lets tenants pay by ACH or card with auto-pay. MakeLease does not collect rent.
    • Bookkeeping: Baselane tracks income and expenses per property and produces an accountant tax package with Schedule E reports. MakeLease has expense tracking and calculators but no bank feeds.
    • Tenant screening: Baselane offers credit, eviction, criminal and income reports paid by the applicant. MakeLease does not run credit or background checks.
    • State-specific leases: accounts that had Lease Agreements before July 31, 2026 can still get a Rocket Lawyer lease with state-specific disclosures for $10. MakeLease does not add state-specific clauses.
    • Mobile app: Baselane includes a mobile app on Core. MakeLease is web only.
    • Scale: Baselane says it is trusted by 50,000+ real estate investors. MakeLease is a newer, smaller product.

    What changed recently

    • 2026-07-31: Baselane sunset lease creation and e-signature for all new users. New users can still upload and store signed leases.[1]
    • 2026-08-13: Baselane's help center lists $10 per state-specific lease (powered by Rocket Lawyer) and $5 per uploaded lease sent for Baselane e-signature, both limited to accounts that had Lease Agreements before July 31, 2026.[2][3]

    Other Baselane alternatives

    MakeLease is not the only free option. These tools ranked above us in our roundup of free lease generators, mainly because they offer state-specific lease content and MakeLease does not.

    • Avail

      Best for: Landlords who want a free, state-specific lease with e-signature and can live with the standard clauses.

      The free plan (named Unlimited) includes state-specific lease templates with digital signing. Avail says all its lease templates and e-sign options are free, offers a free printable lease PDF, and lets you upload your own lease and send it for e-signature at no cost. Avail says the free tier is not a trial.[22][23][24][25][26]

      What Avail charges for

    • Innago

      Best for: Landlords who want a free downloadable state lease template plus free online signing in the same place.

      Innago's pricing page lists online leasing and document storage as free with no setup fee, monthly fee or contract. Its site publishes a residential lease template page for every state and DC (credited to REI Grove), and its signing page says you can sign and store as many leases and documents as you like for free, using Dropbox Sign as its e-signature partner.[27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34]

      What Innago charges for

    Switching from Baselane

    1. Keep your Baselane account. Nothing here requires closing it; banking, rent collection and bookkeeping stay where they are.
    2. If you already have a lease in Baselane, find it under Rent Collection > Lease Agreements so you can copy over the terms (rent, dates, deposit, policies) when you renew.
    3. Create a free MakeLease account and start the lease wizard. No card is asked for. Check your state's required clauses and disclosures and add them yourself, because MakeLease does not add state-specific clauses.
    4. Send the lease for e-signature from MakeLease. Your tenant signs from an emailed link without creating an account, then download the PDF.
    5. In Baselane, go to Rent Collection > Lease Agreements, choose New Lease Agreement > Upload (E-sign optional), upload the signed PDF and answer Yes when asked if it has already been signed. Baselane allows this for new and existing users.
    6. Set up Rent Collection in Baselane with the same lease term, start and end dates, rent amount and due date as the signed lease.

    Frequently asked questions

    Does Baselane still have a lease template?

    Not for new users. Baselane's help center says that effective July 31, 2026, lease creation and e-signature were sunset for all new users, who can only upload and store signed leases. Accounts that had Lease Agreements before that date can still create a state-specific lease through Rocket Lawyer.[1][3]

    How much does a Baselane lease cost?

    For accounts that had Lease Agreements before July 31, 2026, Baselane's help center lists $10 per state-specific lease powered by Rocket Lawyer and $5 per uploaded lease sent for Baselane e-signature. Its lease-agreement landing page still mentions up to 3 free leases, but the help center article, updated August 13, 2026, is the newer source.[2][6]

    Is Baselane free?

    Baselane's Core plan is $0 a month and covers banking, bookkeeping and rent collection. The Smart plan is $20 a month on an annual plan with a 30-day trial. Some actions cost extra, such as tenant card payments at 3.49%, ACH rent fees of $2 that the landlord or tenant pays, and lease fees for older accounts.[7][8][12]

    Are Baselane leases made by Rocket Lawyer?

    For the lease builder that remains for older accounts, yes. Baselane's help center says that after you choose Customize & E-Sign you are redirected to Rocket Lawyer to complete the lease, and lists the fee as $10 per state-specific lease powered by Rocket Lawyer.[3][2]

    Can I upload a lease I made somewhere else to Baselane?

    Yes. Baselane says new and existing users can upload previously signed leases for record keeping under Rent Collection > Lease Agreements > New Lease Agreement > Upload (E-sign optional). That is how a lease signed in MakeLease ends up stored next to your Baselane rent collection.[4]

    Is there a free Baselane alternative for creating a lease?

    For the lease itself, yes. Baselane's help center says new users since July 31, 2026 can no longer create leases or send them for e-signature, and older accounts pay $10 per Rocket Lawyer lease or $5 per uploaded lease e-signed. MakeLease lets you create a lease, download the PDF and send it for e-signature at no cost today, with no card (you need a free account to generate, save or send). It does not add state-specific clauses, collect rent or run screening, so most landlords keep Baselane's $0 Core plan for banking and rent and store the signed MakeLease PDF there.[1][2][7][4][19][20]

    Do I need to replace Baselane entirely?

    Usually not. MakeLease only covers the lease document and e-signature. Baselane's Core plan is $0 and covers banking through Thread Bank, rent collection and bookkeeping, which MakeLease does not offer, and Baselane lets new and existing users upload a signed lease for storage. Sign the lease in MakeLease, then upload the PDF under Rent Collection > Lease Agreements.[8][10][4][19][20]

    Does Baselane do tenant screening?

    Yes. Baselane's help center lists basic reporting at $24.99 paid by the applicant, with optional criminal ($5), eviction ($10) and income verification ($10) reports. MakeLease does not offer screening.[16][20]

    Does opening a Baselane bank account affect my credit?

    Baselane's help center says the banking application does not impact your credit score and typically takes a few minutes.[18]

    Try MakeLease for your next lease

    Answer eight short sections, generate a PDF and send it for e-signature. It costs nothing today and no card is asked for; you create a free account when you generate the lease. MakeLease does not add state-specific clauses, so check your state's lease rules before you sign.

    Create a free leaseSee what the lease includes

    Sources and methodology

    • We read each company's public pricing, feature and help pages on the date shown. We did not create accounts, start trials or contact sales.
    • A claim appears on this page only if a public page supports it. Anything we could not load or confirm was left out rather than guessed.
    • Complaints are quoted only as what some reviewers report, with a link. They are not statements of fact.
    • We do not publish scores or star ratings. We re-check every source monthly and date each change.
    • Baselane prices and features were read from its public pricing page, lease-agreement landing page, free forms page and help center articles on 2026-10-27. No account was created and no trial was started.
    • Help center article pages return 403 to plain HTTP fetches, so each article was rendered in headless Chrome (which loaded the normal article URL) and cross-checked against Baselane's public help center API, which returned the same article body and its last-updated date; each source links the human-readable article URL.
    • Where Baselane's marketing page (up to 3 free leases) conflicts with its help center (lease creation sunset for new users on July 31, 2026), we report the help center because it was updated more recently and describes the change directly.
    • Lease features for accounts created before July 31, 2026 were taken from Baselane's documentation, not tested.
    • MakeLease facts come only from our own published pages, checked 2026-10-26.
    • Trustpilot reviews were looked at but not used: we could not save a verbatim copy of the page, so no review content appears here.
    1. [1] Baselane Help Center: How to Create, Upload, and E-Sign Lease Agreements (updated 2026-08-13) · accessed 2026-10-27
      “Effective July 31, 2026, lease creation and e-signature have been sunset for all new Baselane users. New users can continue to upload and store signed lease agreements but will no longer have access to create leases or send documents for e-signature through Baselane.”
    2. [2] Baselane Help Center: lease agreement fees · accessed 2026-10-27
      “State-specific leases powered by Rocket Lawyer: $10 per lease Uploaded leases using Baselane e-signature: $5 per lease”
    3. [3] Baselane Help Center: lease creation for existing users · accessed 2026-10-27
      “Create a state-specific lease and send for e-signature ($10 per lease) Available only to users who had access to Lease Agreements prior to July 31, 2026. [...] Select Customize & E-Sign. You'll then be redirected to Rocket Lawyer to complete your lease. [...] State-specific disclosures”
    4. [4] Baselane Help Center: upload a signed lease for storage · accessed 2026-10-27
      “New and existing users can upload previously signed lease agreements for record keeping. Navigate to Rent Collection > Lease Agreements. Select New Lease Agreement > Upload (E-sign optional).”
    5. [5] Baselane Help Center: upload and e-sign steps · accessed 2026-10-27
      “Select Start Signing. Add your payment method. Choose the signing order.”
    6. [6] Baselane lease agreement landing page · accessed 2026-10-27
      “Get up to 3 Free Leases and securely sign online.”
    7. [7] Baselane pricing page: plans · accessed 2026-10-27
      “Smart $20/mo. on an annual plan AI automated real estate finances Start 30-day trial [...] Core $0/mo. Banking and bookkeeping essentials”
    8. [8] Baselane pricing page FAQ: Is Baselane free? · accessed 2026-10-27
      “Yes — Baselane is free to sign up and use Core features for banking, bookkeeping, and rent collection.”
    9. [9] Baselane pricing page: Core key features · accessed 2026-10-27
      “Property-level income and expense tracking Accountant tax package and Schedule E reports Automated rent, reminders, and late fees Baselane Mobile App”
    10. [10] Baselane pricing page: banking disclosure · accessed 2026-10-27
      “Baselane is a financial technology company and is not an FDIC-insured bank. Banking services provided by Thread Bank, Member FDIC. [...] The Baselane Visa debit card is issued by Thread Bank, Member FDIC”
    11. [11] Baselane pricing page: feature comparison (rows checked for both Core and Smart) · accessed 2026-10-27
      “Automated rental payments Tenant portal and auto-pay”
    12. [12] Baselane pricing page FAQ: who pays ACH or card fees · accessed 2026-10-27
      “Rent paid via ACH incurs a $2 fee. Landlords can cover this fee or pass it on to the tenant. Tenants paying rent using a debit card or credit card are responsible for paying the 3.49% convenience charge.”
    13. [13] Baselane pricing page: tenant fees table · accessed 2026-10-27
      “Tenant fees ACH transfer waived for Baselane deposits $2 - $5 Debit card 3.49% Credit card 3.49%”
    14. [14] Baselane pricing page: customer claim · accessed 2026-10-27
      “Trusted by 50,000+ real estate investors”
    15. [15] Baselane free rental forms and templates page · accessed 2026-10-27
      “Download free printable forms for every stage of the rental process. [...] Rent receipt [...] Pet Agreement [...] Security deposit receipt [...] Late rent notice”
    16. [16] Baselane Help Center: Can I Screen Tenants with Baselane? (updated 2026-09-15) · accessed 2026-10-27
      “A) Basic reporting $24.99 (paid by the applicant) [...] Criminal report ($5.00) Eviction report ($10.00) Income verification ($10.00)”
    17. [17] Baselane Help Center: set up Rent Collection · accessed 2026-10-27
      “With Baselane's Rent Collection tool, landlords can create lease terms, generate automated invoices, and invite tenants to pay rent online.”
    18. [18] Baselane Help Center: open a Baselane Banking account (updated 2026-10-15) · accessed 2026-10-27
      “Opening a Baselane Banking account is quick and typically takes just a few minutes. The application process does not impact your credit score.”
    19. [19] MakeLease lease agreement generator · accessed 2026-10-26
      “Creating a lease, downloading the PDF and sending it for e-signature cost nothing today, and no card is asked for. You need a free account to generate, save or send a lease.”
    20. [20] MakeLease generator: honest limits · accessed 2026-10-26
      “MakeLease does not add state-specific clauses. It does not collect rent, run credit or background checks, syndicate listings, or have a mobile app.”
    21. [21] MakeLease e-sign guide · accessed 2026-10-26
      “Tenants sign from an emailed link without creating an account. MakeLease records the signer's name, a timestamp, IP address and browser user agent, and stores a SHA-256 hash of the generated PDF.”
    22. [22] Avail pricing: free plan · accessed 2026-10-27
      “Unlimited $0/unit Unlimited Units Access basic rental property management tools. ... Use state-specific leases with digital signing”
    23. [23] Avail lease agreement page: cost FAQ · accessed 2026-10-27
      “All Avail lease agreement templates and e-sign options are free to use.”
    24. [24] Avail lease agreement page: printable PDF · accessed 2026-10-27
      “Prefer a physical lease you can print? Download our free lease PDF and other helpful templates now.”
    25. [25] Avail lease agreement page: upload your own lease · accessed 2026-10-27
      “Simply upload your lease, add unlimited digital signatures for free, and send it directly to your tenants — all within our platform.”
    26. [26] Avail pricing FAQ: free tier vs trial · accessed 2026-10-27
      “Our base Avail pricing tier is entirely free for landlords, with no time limits or hidden trial expirations.”
    27. [27] Innago pricing page · accessed 2026-10-27
      “Every Feature listed below is included in your Innago account at absolutely no cost to you.”
    28. [28] Innago pricing page: leasing row · accessed 2026-10-27
      “No Setup Fee No Monthly Fee No Contract ... Online Leasing & Document Storage FREE”
    29. [29] Innago sitemap: state lease pages · accessed 2026-10-27
      “https://innago.com/residential-lease-agreement/alabama/ … https://innago.com/residential-lease-agreement/wyoming/ … https://innago.com/residential-lease-agreement/district-of-columbia/”
    30. [30] Innago California residential lease agreement page · accessed 2026-10-27
      “To make your journey easier, REI Grove is offering a California lease agreement template for download.”
    31. [31] Innago online lease signing page · accessed 2026-10-27
      “Sign and store as many leases and other documents as you like, as always – for free.”
    32. [32] Innago online lease signing page: e-signature partner · accessed 2026-10-27
      “Our eSignature partner, Dropbox Sign (formerly Hellosign), helps us ensure that both your convenience and security are making a serious improvement.”
    33. [33] Innago online lease signing page: custom templates · accessed 2026-10-27
      “Create as many custom lease templates as you need. Automated fields make the process a breeze.”
    34. [34] Innago free landlord forms page · accessed 2026-10-27
      “Lease Agreements, Addendums, Notices, & Many More Available. Easily Download, Edit, or Print Documents. Sign Online With Our Free Software.”

    Baselane, Avail and Innago are trademarks of their respective owners. MakeLease is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any of them. Names are used only to identify the products being compared. This page is general information, not legal advice.