Keel vs Keyhook:
published pricing, AI for the day-to-day
Both Keyhook and Keel are built for NZ landlords. Keyhook combines AI-powered workflows with an NZ-based support team and uses custom pricing based on portfolio size. Keel publishes its pricing - from $15/month for one property, graduated and capped at $99/month for 10 or more - and centres on an AI assistant called Skip that drafts replies, triages maintenance, and answers NZ tenancy-law questions, with you signing off before anything ships.
- No credit card required
- No lock-in
- Cancel anytime
Update - June 2026
Keyhook has announced it is retiring its self-management productand has partnered with Bayleys to move its landlords to full-service property management. If you'd rather keep self-managing - with software doing the admin instead of paying a percentage of rent - Keel was built for exactly that.
Migration guide: switch from Keyhook in about 15 minutes →
Or read: Keyhook is retiring - your options as a self-managing landlord
Keel vs Keyhook: feature-by-feature.
Both are built for NZ landlords. Below: what each provider publishes on their public site, side by side.
Keyhook
Custom pricing
keel
$15/mo, capped $99
Comparison points reflect each provider’s public website (keyhook.com / onkeel.co.nz) as of May 2026. Keyhook lists “custom pricing” on keyhook.com/pricing rather than a published per-property rate. For an exact Keyhook quote, contact them directly. keel’s pricing is published in full on our pricing page.
Where keel might suit you better.
Pricing is published
Keel publishes the full price ladder - $15/month for one property, graduated per-property, capped at $99/month for 10 or more. No quote process, no portfolio-size negotiation.
AI assistant for the day-to-day
Skip drafts tenant replies, triages maintenance requests, chases overdue rent, and answers NZ tenancy-law questions on demand. You approve before anything is sent.
Approval-led by default
Every outbound action - tenant message, maintenance dispatch, document edit - goes through your approval. The default is “you decide,” not “we decide for you.”
Maintenance recommendations, not coordination markup
Skip flags whether a request likely needs a tradie or is tenant-fixable, then you choose how to act. No coordination layer between you and the tradesperson.
Instant draft replies
AI drafts the reply the moment a tenant message lands, regardless of time of day. You review, tweak if needed, and send.
Tenant portal included
Tenants report maintenance with photos, view their tenancy agreement, see repair status, and message you through their own keel portal - at no extra cost.
Built for the way
New Zealand actually rents.
Healthy Homes, Tenancy Services bond rules and RTA-aligned agreements are the defaults - not bolt-ons.
Where Keyhook does well.
We believe in honest comparisons. Keyhook is a real product with real strengths.
NZ-based support team
Keyhook’s site describes a 100% NZ-based support team across Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. If having a real person to call about an unusual situation matters to you, that’s a different operating model.
AI across financial workflows
Keyhook publishes specific AI features for invoice processing, payment matching, and intelligent workflow automation around documents and inspections - useful if your bookkeeping is the bottleneck.
Mobile apps for iOS and Android
Keyhook ships native mobile apps. Keel today is a responsive web experience - fine on a phone, but a native app might matter to you depending on workflow.
Quote-based pricing for larger portfolios
If your portfolio is large enough that bespoke pricing makes sense, Keyhook’s quote-based model can negotiate around what you actually use. keel’s ladder is fixed.
Both products keep you in the approval seat. The differences are in pricing transparency, the AI surface area, and whether you prefer phone-call support or chat-with-AI support. Both work. They suit different landlords.
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Frequently asked questions.
What is the best alternative to Keyhook?
Keel is a strong alternative to Keyhook for NZ landlords who want transparent, published pricing and an AI-assistant-led workflow. Keel starts at $15/month per property with graduated pricing capped at $99/month for 10+ properties - all GST-inclusive and listed publicly. Keyhook uses custom pricing based on portfolio size, so direct cost comparison depends on what you’re quoted.
How does keel’s pricing compare to Keyhook’s?
Keel uses graduated per-property pricing - $15/month for 1 property, $25 for 2, $35 for 3, capped at $99/month for 10 or more (all + GST). Keyhook’s pricing page lists 'custom pricing based on portfolio size and the features you need' rather than a published per-property rate, so a like-for-like cost comparison requires getting a Keyhook quote.
What’s different about how each one uses AI?
Both products use AI. Keyhook describes AI for invoice processing, payment matching, and workflow automation around documents and inspections. keel’s Skip is an AI assistant that drafts tenant replies, triages maintenance requests, chases overdue rent, and answers NZ tenancy law questions - built around an approval-led workflow where you sign off on what gets sent.
Who handles tenant comms and maintenance?
Both platforms keep the landlord in the approval seat - Keyhook’s site describes 'owner approval workflows powered by AI', and keel surfaces every outbound action to you for approval before it’s sent. The difference is whether you want AI doing the drafting (keel) or a mix of AI and human-led support (Keyhook’s NZ-based support team).
Can I switch from Keyhook to keel easily?
Yes. Keel offers a 30-day free trial - sign up and run both side by side until you’re comfortable. Check Keyhook’s contract terms before cancelling, since their public pages reference 'flexible contract terms' but don’t publish a specific minimum term.
Is keel built for NZ landlords specifically?
Yes - every default in keel is NZ-specific. Healthy Homes Standards monitoring, Tenancy Services bond rules, RTA-aligned tenancy agreements, GST-inclusive pricing, and IRD-friendly expense exports. Skip answers questions against NZ tenancy law, not generic property-management advice.
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- From $15/month
- AI assistant included
- Built for NZ