A research comparison, not a performance verdict. The records below retain original plan conditions, metric dates, and source limitations. Choose the platform that demonstrates your required workflow under a documented quote.
Apartments.com
CoStar Group · Est. 1992
Independent landlords using self-service tools; professional managers buying rental advertising
Landlord toolsWeb + mobile ecosystem
Entry pricing$0 baseBasic tools only · other fees can apply
OwnershipPublic parentPublic-parent subsidiary
Zillow Rental Manager
Zillow Group · Est. 2004
Independent residential landlords; multifamily advertisers under separate programs
Landlord toolsWeb + mobile ecosystem
Entry pricing$0 baseBasic tools only · other fees can apply
OwnershipPublic parentPublic-parent product
How to read this comparison
Both records describe marketplace-led landlord tools with free basic plans, but that does not establish identical features, resident costs, or app roles. Apartments.com’s native-app availability refers to renter-search tools; the landlord workflow uses the mobile website. Zillow’s landlord application is distinct from its consumer home-search apps.
The recorded company values belong to CoStar and Zillow Group, not standalone Rental Manager products. Advertising properties and active listings are separate measures of marketplace activity, not equivalent tenant populations.
Side-by-side source data
| Research field | Apartments.com | Zillow Rental Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Platform overview | ||
| Corporate group | CoStar Group | Zillow Group |
| Product category | Rental discovery marketplace and landlord tools | Rental discovery marketplace and landlord tools |
| Founded / approximate age | 1992 · approximately 34 yearsOriginal Visual Properties business; Apartments.com branded site launched in 1998 Sources S004 | 2004 · approximately 22 yearsOriginal Zillow operating company incorporated December 2004; consumer website launched 2006; not Rental Manager product age Sources S022 |
| Typical customer | Independent landlords using self-service tools; professional managers buying rental advertising | Independent residential landlords; multifamily advertisers under separate programs |
| Pricing & fees | ||
| Starting subscription | $0 baseBasic tools only · other fees can apply · Free basic landlord tools; optional paid advertising and transaction services Sources S008, S011, S012 | $0 baseBasic tools only · other fees can apply · Free basic landlord tools with optional premium listings and applicant-paid screening Sources S028, S029 |
| Plans & billing basis | Basic landlord tools $0; paid multifamily advertising quoted separately | Basic $0; optional $39.99 premium upgrade per listing for up to 90 days |
| Minimums & commitments | Basic self-service landlord tools, not all advertising products Sources S008, S011, S012 | Basic direct self-service listings and landlord tools Sources S028, S029 |
| Screening charges | Applicant pays $32 plus tax; up to ten participating landlords within 30 days Sources S008, S011, S012 | Applicant pays $35; reusable across participating rentals for 30 days Sources S028, S029 |
| Payment fees | ACH free; renter card/Google Pay fee 2.75% | Payment-method and expedited-service fees should be checked in the current payment flow; not fully quantified in this dataset |
| Setup & contracts | Advertising contracts and optional paid products have separate terms | Premium listing is an optional per-listing purchase; larger multifamily advertising has different terms |
| Apps & access | ||
| Website / web application | Website: Yes · Web app: Yes | Website: Yes · Web app: Yes |
| iOS app names | Apartments.com Rental Finder (renter search) | Zillow Rental Manager |
| Android app names | Apartments.com rental-search app (renter-facing) | Zillow Rental Manager |
| Manager mobile access | Responsive mobile web; official native apps are renter-facing, not a native landlord-management app | Zillow Rental Manager native iOS and Android apps plus web dashboard |
| Resident web access | Online applications and rent payments at participating properties | Zillow applications and payments at participating rentals |
| Important app caveat | iOS/Android Yes describes the renter-search ecosystem; native landlord app is not available per official help. | Landlord app is distinct from Zillow consumer home-search apps; availability of lease tools varies by market. |
| Operating scale | ||
| Customers | Not disclosedUnique Rental Manager landlord accounts not separately disclosed Sources S007 | Not disclosedRental Manager unique landlord customer count not separately verified Sources S025, S026 |
| Operational properties | Not disclosedNot publicly disclosed / not verified Sources S007 | Not disclosedNot publicly disclosed / not verified Sources S025, S026 |
| Advertising properties | 89,275Paying advertising properties; not operationally managed buildings · 2025-12-31 Sources S007 | 79,000Multifamily properties on the rentals platform; not operational management clients · 2026-Q2 Sources S025, S026 |
| Active rental listings | Not disclosedNot verified as a separate numeric population Sources S007 | 2.8MAverage monthly active rental listings, not unique leased units or people · 2026-Q2 Sources S025, S026 |
| Units | Not disclosedRental Manager operational units not separately disclosed Sources S007 | Not disclosedOperationally managed units not separately disclosed Sources S025, S026 |
| Leases | Not disclosedNot verified as a separate numeric population Sources S007 | Not disclosedNot verified as a separate numeric population Sources S025, S026 |
| Residents / tenants | Not disclosedNot publicly disclosed / not verified; units are not converted to people Sources S007 | Not disclosedNot publicly disclosed / not verified; units are not converted to people Sources S025, S026 |
| Comparability & overlap | Advertised properties can contain many units. Paid advertising customers are not the same population as free landlord-tool users. | Active listings, multifamily properties and landlord accounts are different populations. Broad Zillow audience metrics are not tenant counts. |
| Value & funding | ||
| Public company / parent cap | $12.34BWhole CoStar Group; no standalone Apartments.com market cap · snapshot 2026-09-12 · not live Sources S001, S005, S006 | $7.3BWhole Zillow Group; do not add Z and ZG separately · snapshot 2026-09-13 · not live Sources S003 |
| Historical value reference | $584.2MAdjusted acquisition purchase price · 2014-04-01 · Completed historical deal; headline announced price approximately $585M Sources S001, S005, S006 | Not establishedNo completed numeric historical valuation recorded Sources S003 |
| Disclosed financing | Not disclosedStandalone cumulative VC financing not verified; corporate-owned since 2014 Undisclosed does not mean zero. Acquisition and IPO proceeds are not automatically venture funding. Sources S006 | $87MHistorical cumulative Zillow-company venture financing, not Rental Manager-specific funding Undisclosed does not mean zero. Acquisition and IPO proceeds are not automatically venture funding. Sources S023, S024 |
| Investors | Not disclosed / not verified | Legg Mason led the cited $30M round |
| Reported exit target | Not recordedAn exit target is not a completed valuation | Not recordedAn exit target is not a completed valuation |