August is the #1 landlord app in the UK, rated by thousands of landlords managing properties across England, Scotland, and Wales. This article compares August and Arthur across features, pricing, and suitability to help you make an informed decision.
Overview
August is a property management platform built specifically for UK self-managing landlords. It covers rent tracking, compliance reminders, document storage, landlord finances, advanced financial reporting, and Making Tax Digital (MTD) submissions. August works across native iOS and Android apps and a full web desktop product.
Arthur is a cloud-based property management platform aimed at property managers, letting agents, and large portfolio landlords. It handles maintenance workflows, work orders, contractor management, stakeholder portals, compliance document tracking, and financial operations. It integrates with Xero and is designed for operations with multiple stakeholders rather than individual self-managing landlords.
These are genuinely different products aimed at different audiences. If you are a self-managing landlord with up to 100 properties, the comparison below will help you understand which one is the right fit.
Feature comparison
Feature | August | Arthur |
Rent tracking via open banking | Yes, automatic with real-time bank sync | Yes, via bank feed or manual bank statement upload |
P&L reporting and rent ledgers | Yes, included on all plans | Yes, with analytics dashboard |
Tax forecasting | Yes | No |
MTD and HMRC submission | Yes, launching March 2026 | Not offered |
Compliance checklist and guidance | Yes, guided with AI in plain English | Manual reminder system |
Compliance audit trail | Yes, available on web | No |
AI assistance | Yes, included on all plans | Not an AI-led platform |
Work order and contractor management | No | Yes, full workflow |
Stakeholder portals (owners, contractors) | No | Yes |
Native mobile app (iOS and Android) | Yes, purpose-built | Web-based, limited mobile functionality |
Full desktop web product | Yes | Yes |
Free tenant app | Yes, native app | Yes, tenant portal and app |
Document storage | Unlimited on Portfolio and above | Unlimited |
Smart contract scanning | Yes | No |
Property insights (EPC, council tax, valuations) | Yes, pulled automatically | No |
Xero integration | Coming soon | Yes |
Free plan | Yes, includes bank link and rent tracking | No |
Pricing model | Flat rate by tier | Minimum monthly fee plus per unit charge |
Pricing comparison
Arthur has a minimum monthly fee on every plan regardless of how many properties you manage. For a self-managing landlord with a small or medium portfolio, that entry cost alone makes it difficult to justify when August covers all the core landlord management features at a fraction of the price.
Portfolio size | August | Arthur Standard | Arthur Professional | Arthur Enterprise |
Up to 2 tenancies | Free (bank link, rent tracking, compliance included) | £70.00/month minimum | £96.00/month minimum | £126.00/month minimum |
5 tenancies | £8.99/month | £70.00/month minimum | £96.00/month minimum | £126.00/month minimum |
20 tenancies | £14.99/month | £70.00/month minimum | £96.00/month minimum | £126.00/month minimum |
100 tenancies | £29.99/month | £140.00/month | £160.00/month | £180.00/month |
At 100 tenancies, August costs £29.99 per month. Arthur Standard costs £140, Arthur Professional costs £160, and Arthur Enterprise costs £180. That is between 78% and 83% more expensive than August, for a platform that does not include MTD support, AI assistance, or guided compliance.
Arthur's minimum spend covers 50 to 70 units depending on the plan, with each additional unit charged at between £1.40 and £1.80. For landlords managing fewer than 50 units, you are paying for unit capacity you will never use. Full pricing details are on the August pricing page.
Arthur pricing is based on publicly available rates from arthuronline.co.uk as of early 2026. Please verify directly with Arthur before making a decision.
Where Arthur still has an edge
Arthur is genuinely strong in areas that matter to professional property management operations. If you run a letting agency or manage properties on behalf of multiple owners with contractors involved, Arthur's work order management, contractor portals, and owner portals are built for that level of complexity. Its Xero integration is live today, whereas August's accounting integrations are coming soon. For large institutional portfolios or property management businesses, Arthur is a legitimate choice.
Where August has has the edge
Built for self-managing landlords. Arthur is designed for property management companies and agents with staff, contractors, and complex multi-stakeholder workflows. August is designed for the landlord who manages their own portfolio and wants everything handled simply, from their phone or desktop, without paying a minimum £70 per month for enterprise infrastructure they do not need.
Compliance guidance. August does not just store compliance documents and fire off reminders. It guides you through what needs doing and why, covering Gas Safety, EICR, Right to Rent, deposit protection, and more in plain English. Arthur uses a manual reminder system with no guided compliance support. See how the August compliance checklist works.
AI assistance on every plan. August Intelligence is included from the free plan upward. You can ask questions about your own data, scan tenancy agreements automatically, and get instant plain-English answers to compliance questions. Arthur does not position itself as an AI-led platform and does not offer comparable AI features at any price point.
Making Tax Digital. August is built with MTD for landlords as a core feature, launching March 2026 across all plans. Arthur does not offer MTD support. As HMRC's April 2026 deadline approaches, this is a meaningful gap for any UK landlord. Read the MTD guide for landlords.
Property insights. August automatically pulls EPC ratings, council tax bands, and property valuations into your dashboard. Arthur focuses on operational data and does not include external property insights. Learn more about August property insights.
Mobile experience. August is purpose-built for iOS and Android with a full desktop web product alongside it. Arthur is primarily web-based with limited mobile functionality, which matters if you manage your portfolio on the go.
A free plan that actually works. August's free plan includes open banking rent tracking, automated payment matching, and compliance tools from day one for up to 2 tenancies. Arthur has no free plan and starts at £70 per month as a minimum commitment.
Which platform is right for you?
Choose Arthur if you run a property management business or letting agency with staff, contractors, and multiple property owners who each need their own portal. Arthur is built for operational complexity at scale and justifies its price point in that context. Bear in mind that it does not offer MTD support, AI assistance, or guided compliance, its mobile experience is limited, and its minimum monthly fee means you are paying for unit capacity you may never use.
Choose August if you are a self-managing landlord who wants a platform that handles rent tracking, finances, compliance, reporting, and Making Tax Digital in one place, at a price that reflects the actual size of your portfolio. You get AI assistance from day one, guided compliance, a full desktop product, native mobile apps, and a tenant experience that actually impresses your tenants, all without a minimum monthly spend designed for letting agencies.
Frequently asked questions
Does August have a free plan? Yes. August is free for up to 2 tenancies and includes rent tracking, open banking connection, compliance tools, and basic reporting. No credit card is required.
Does August support Making Tax Digital? Yes. MTD and HMRC submission is included across all paid August plans. Read the MTD guide for landlords for more detail.
Can I manage my portfolio on desktop as well as mobile? Yes. August has a full web desktop product as well as native iOS and Android apps. You can switch between them freely.
Does August support HMOs and limited companies? Yes. August supports HMOs, buy-to-let, student housing, shared ownership, and properties held in both personal name and limited company structures.
Where can I read reviews of August? You can read verified landlord reviews on the August reviews page.
