Arthur Online Alternative: Which Property Management Software Is Better?

Why Landlords Look for Arthur Online Alternatives

Arthur Online is genuinely impressive software. It handles tenant onboarding, maintenance workflows, contractor management, inspection scheduling, rent collection, and document storage — all in one platform. For a letting agent or a landlord with a large portfolio, it earns its keep.

The problem is the price. At £15/month per property (annual billing), a 3-property landlord pays £540/year. A 5-property landlord pays £900/year. That is before any add-on modules or per-transaction fees.

For many self-managing landlords, that cost doesn’t make sense. You’re paying for a letting agent-grade operations platform to manage two properties you visit four times a year.

The other issue: Arthur Online was originally built for agents, not self-managing landlords. The interface assumes staff, workflows, and a contractor network. If it’s just you managing a handful of properties, much of what you’re paying for is overhead you’ll never use.

Arthur Online Pricing Breakdown

Plan	Cost	Properties
Standard	£15/month per property	Any number
Volume discount	Negotiable	10+ properties
Free trial	Available	Limited features

Arthur charges per property, which means costs scale linearly. There is no flat monthly fee. There is no affordable entry tier for small portfolios.

Compare that to competitors who charge a flat monthly fee regardless of how many properties you manage.

Who Actually Needs Arthur Online

Arthur Online makes sense when:

• You manage 5+ properties — the workflows and automation start paying for themselves at scale
• You have tenants contacting you constantly — the tenant portal and maintenance ticketing system reduce the noise
• You use contractors regularly — the contractor portal lets tradespeople update job statuses, upload photos, and invoice you through the platform
• You want professional-grade inspection management — scheduling, templates, and photo reporting built in
• You’re running a small agency or portfolio company — the multi-user access and role permissions make sense for a team

Arthur Online makes poor value when:

• You manage 1-4 properties
• You are a solo self-managing landlord
• You mainly need accounting and tax rather than operations management
• You need MTD-compatible HMRC submissions
• You want something you can set up in an hour

The Best Arthur Online Alternatives in 2026

Landlord Vision — Best for Tax and Accounting

Pricing: From £12/month (up to 5 properties), £18/month (6-25 properties)

Landlord Vision is the strongest UK landlord accounting platform. It was built specifically for HMRC’s property income rules, not adapted from generic accounting software. It handles Self Assessment, MTD quarterly submissions, Section 24 mortgage interest calculations, and capital gains tax — all in one place.

Where Arthur Online handles operations, Landlord Vision handles money. They are solving different problems.

Strengths over Arthur Online:

• Full MTD for Income Tax compliance — submit quarterly updates directly to HMRC without exporting to third-party software
• Proper double-entry accounting designed for property income. Arthur’s financial reporting is a secondary feature
• SA105 export for your Self Assessment tax return. Critical for landlords filing their own returns
• Bank feed integration auto-imports transactions from most UK banks
• Flat monthly pricing regardless of property count (within tier limits). Far cheaper than Arthur for 1-5 properties
• Section 24 mortgage interest restriction calculations built in

Weaknesses compared to Arthur Online:

• Maintenance tracking is basic — no contractor portal, no job tracking workflows
• No tenant portal
• Interface is functional rather than slick
• Steeper learning curve for accountancy features

Who should pick Landlord Vision: Any landlord whose main priority is staying compliant with HMRC, filing accurate Self Assessment returns, and preparing for Making Tax Digital. For 1-5 properties, it costs £144/year — less than a single month of Arthur Online per property.

Read our Making Tax Digital landlord guide to understand why accounting compliance matters more than ever in 2026.

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Hammock — Best for Simplicity

Pricing: Free (1 property), £8/month flat (unlimited properties)

Hammock does the basics well and nothing else. Income tracking. Expense logging. Tax estimates. Receipt scanning from your phone. If you want property management software that you can set up in 10 minutes and check in on once a month, this is it.

Strengths over Arthur Online:

• £8/month flat with no per-property pricing. For 3+ properties, it undercuts Arthur by an enormous margin
• Free tier for a single property — genuinely useful, not just a teaser
• Real-time tax estimates as you log transactions. You always know your rough tax liability
• Clean, modern interface built for landlords who aren’t accountants
• Receipt scanning via mobile app reduces admin

Weaknesses compared to Arthur Online:

• No maintenance workflow, contractor portal, or tenant portal
• No MTD direct submission yet — they have indicated this is in development
• Basic document storage with no compliance workflow
• Limited reporting depth compared to either Arthur Online or Landlord Vision

Who should pick Hammock: Landlords with 1-3 properties who mainly want to track income and expenses, estimate their tax liability, and keep receipts organised. Not suitable for portfolio landlords wanting operations management or for those with complex MTD requirements.

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Goodlord — Best for Agent-Style Workflows (Tenancy Setup)

Pricing: Per tenancy (typically £50-100 per let, varies by plan)

Goodlord focuses on the tenancy creation process — referencing, guarantor checks, tenancy agreements, and digital signing. It is less of a landlord management tool and more of a tenant onboarding and compliance platform.

Strengths over Arthur Online:

• Better tenant referencing and credit check workflow
• Rent guarantee insurance built into the platform
• Digital tenancy agreements with e-signing
• OpenBanking-powered rent collection and income verification

Weaknesses compared to Arthur Online:

• Per-tenancy pricing makes ongoing management expensive
• Not designed for daily property management
• Limited financial reporting

Who should pick Goodlord: Landlords who want a professional tenancy setup process with built-in referencing and insurance, but don’t need ongoing portfolio management software.

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Free Tools and Spreadsheets — Best for 1-2 Properties

For landlords with one or two properties, the total feature set you actually use from any paid platform is small. Most months you need to:

1. Confirm rent arrived
2. Log an expense if something broke
3. Note a compliance date coming up

A standing order handles rent collection. A Google Sheets or Excel template handles income and expense tracking. Calendar reminders on your phone handle compliance dates.

What you’re replacing with a spreadsheet:

• Rent tracking: standing order + bank statement check (free)
• Expense logging: spreadsheet row entry (free)
• Compliance reminders: calendar reminders (free)
• Document storage: Google Drive folder (free)
• Tax return: manual SA105 entries or accountant (£150-300/year)

The SelfLandlord self-managing landlord guide covers every system you need to run a rental property without paying for software.

Feature Comparison: Arthur Online vs. Alternatives

Feature	Arthur Online	Landlord Vision	Hammock	Free Tools
Monthly cost (3 properties)	£45/month	£12/month	£8/month	£0
Rent tracking	Full arrears management	Yes	Basic	Standing order
Tax reporting	Basic export	Full HMRC-ready	Estimates only	Spreadsheet
MTD submissions	No (needs export)	Yes, direct	Not yet	No
Tenant portal	Yes	No	No	N/A
Maintenance workflow	Full contractor portal	Basic	None	Direct contact
Document storage	Full with compliance	Yes	Basic	Cloud folder
Inspections	Scheduling + templates	No	No	No
Bank feed integration	Limited	Yes	Yes	No
SA105 export	No	Yes	No	Manual
Mobile app	Yes	Web + basic mobile	Yes	N/A

Making Tax Digital: Why Platform Choice Matters in 2026

From April 2026, landlords earning over £50,000/year from property must submit quarterly updates to HMRC under Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. The threshold drops to £30,000+ from April 2027.

Arthur Online does not support direct MTD submission. You must export financial data to a compatible accounting package (Xero, QuickBooks, or similar) to fulfil your MTD obligations. That adds cost and complexity.

Landlord Vision does support direct MTD submission, with no additional software required.

If you are likely to be caught by MTD — either now or within the next few years — factor this into your platform choice now rather than having to switch under pressure.

Read our full guide to Making Tax Digital for landlords to check whether and when you’ll be affected.

How to Migrate Away from Arthur Online

If you’re already on Arthur Online and considering a switch, the process is manageable.

Step 1: Export Your Data

Arthur Online allows you to export:

• Property and tenancy records
• Financial transaction history
• Maintenance logs
• Documents (downloadable)

Export everything before cancelling your subscription. CSV exports for financial data are compatible with Landlord Vision’s import tool.

Step 2: Choose a Replacement

Based on your priorities:

• Tax compliance + MTD → Landlord Vision
• Simple income/expense tracking → Hammock
• 1-2 properties + minimal spend → Spreadsheet + free tools

Step 3: Set Up the New Platform

Most alternatives have onboarding walkthroughs. Landlord Vision’s setup takes 1-2 hours to import properties, configure bank feeds, and enter opening balances. Hammock’s setup is 15-30 minutes.

Step 4: Cancel Arthur

Arthur’s cancellation is handled through your account settings. Give notice per your contract terms to avoid being billed for an additional period.

The Bottom Line

Arthur Online is genuinely good software — if you have the portfolio size to justify it. At £15/month per property, it is significantly more expensive than every alternative, and for most self-managing landlords the features you actually use every month don’t justify the premium.

If tax compliance and MTD are your priority, Landlord Vision is better, cheaper, and purpose-built for UK landlords. See our landlord tax deductions guide to make sure you’re extracting maximum value from whatever platform you use.

If simplicity is your priority, Hammock at £8/month does what you need.

If you manage 1-2 properties and want to minimise costs, free tools and a standing order handle almost everything. Our letting agent fees guide explains how much you can save by keeping your management costs lean.

Arthur Online has its place. For most self-managing landlords with a small portfolio, that place isn’t your billing cycle.