A RUBS software alternative for a few units
Billing platforms bill tenants for you and charge for it. If you only need the numbers each month, start here free — no account, no per-unit fee.
| Ratiotally | RUBS billing services | |
|---|---|---|
| What it gives you | Each unit's charge by square feet, occupants, bedrooms or a blend; vacancies and common areas; what-if; printable worksheet and exports | Tenant billing, collection and portals as well as the calculation (varies by service) |
| Price | Free: every bill split to the cent, the owner's share and every flag. Pro: $7 for 7 days, $9/month or $49/year, any number of units. | Read on 2026-11-04: MeterEase lists plans at $14, $34 and $69 a month; Vitality advertises RUBS billing at $0.50 per unit; RUBSiq lists tenant-paid pricing from $2 per unit |
| Where data goes | Stays in your browser; no account | Hosted service with an account |
| Billing and collection | No — you send the charges yourself (or post the charge-line export in your rent software) | Usually yes |
Honest take: if you want someone else to bill and collect from tenants, a billing service fits. Ratiotally is for owners who already collect rent and just need the split right every month.
Competitor details checked on 2026-11-04 from their public pages: MeterEase — best RUBS software for landlords, Vitality — RUBS utility billing, RUBSiq pricing. Prices change — check their site for the current offer. Product names are trademarks of their owners; we are not affiliated with them.
FAQ
Is my data uploaded?
No. Your files are read by JavaScript in your browser tab and never sent to us or anyone else. Unit rows aren't stored, so closing the tab clears them. Settings can be saved in this browser if you ask.
What is RUBS?
RUBS (ratio utility billing system) splits a master-metered utility bill among units by a formula instead of a meter in each unit — usually square footage, occupants, bedrooms or a blend. The lease has to allow it and name the method.
How does Ratiotally split a bill?
It takes off the common-area deduction (the owner's), splits the rest across your method mix, and splits each method's slice by each unit's square feet, occupants, bedrooms or an equal share, scaled by the days the unit was let. Every amount is in whole cents and the leftover cents go to the largest remainders, so nothing is lost or invented.
Who pays for vacant units?
By default the owner: a vacant or part-month unit's square-foot, bedroom and per-unit share for its empty days stays with the owner. Occupant shares always go to the people who lived there. You can switch to spreading the vacant share over occupied units if your lease says so.
Does it follow the Texas rules?
Optionally. Turn on Texas checks to use the ratio occupancy and bedroom scales in 16 TAC §24.281 and get flags if the square-foot share is over 50%, the common-area deduction is under 5%, or the building has fewer than five units. It doesn't register you with the PUC or write your lease disclosures.
What's free?
Importing any number of units, every bill split exactly, the owner's share, every flag, 3 common-area what-ifs and 12 units on screen and in print (with a footer). Pro shows everything and adds the Excel workbook and CSV exports.
Is this legal advice?
No. Ratiotally applies the arithmetic it describes to the figures you provide. Billing tenants for utilities needs a lease that allows it, and states and cities set their own disclosure, method and fee rules. It is not affiliated with any utility or agency.