Published June 5, 2026 · Updated September 16, 2026 · 8 min read

HourProof vs REPSLog vs REPStracker: Best REPS Tracker for Real Estate Material Participation

If you are looking for a REPS tracker to document material participation hours for the STR tax strategy or real estate professional status, three purpose-built apps have emerged: HourProof, REPSLog, and REPStracker. This comparison covers what each one does, where they differ, and which fits different investor situations — based on publicly available information as of September 16, 2026.

All three apps target the same core problem: the IRS expects contemporaneous records showing when you worked, what you did, and how long it took. Spreadsheets reconstructed after the fact are a known audit vulnerability. These apps exist to fix that.

Side-by-side comparison

“—” means the feature is not mentioned on that product’s website, help center, or app store listing as of September 16, 2026. Prices are US list prices and can change. Spotted something out of date? Email support@hourproof.app and we will correct it.

HourProof

HourProof is designed specifically for STR investors and real estate professionals who need to build and defend a material participation position. It tracks hours per property, shows progress toward customizable goals (100 hours for STR, 750 hours for REPS, or anything in between), and keeps contemporaneous records tied to timestamps, categories, and evidence.

Where HourProof stands out:

• Receipt OCR: Photograph a repair receipt and HourProof extracts the activity details automatically, logging both the time spent and the supporting evidence in a single step.
• Booking calendar sync: Paste the iCal link from Airbnb, VRBO, Hospitable, or any booking platform or property manager that publishes one, and HourProof turns each stay into a suggested activity.
• Free plan: HourProof’s free plan covers 20 activities a month on one property and never expires. REPSLog’s free plan after its 14-day trial is capped at five entries; REPStracker offers a trial.
• Lower annual price: At $139.99/yr, HourProof costs less on annual billing than REPSLog ($149.99–$199.99/yr) and substantially less than REPStracker ($32.00/mo or $304.99/yr).
• Multi-participant tracking: Log spouse, cleaner, and co-host hours separately to document the “more than anyone else” prong of Material Participation Test 3.

REPSLog

REPSLog (CarmelTech LLC) runs on iOS, Android, and the web. It supports activity logging, AI-assisted entry with a built-in model, voice entry, Google and Microsoft calendar integration, booking-calendar sync from Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, Hospitable, and more than twenty other sites via iCal, evidence attachments with AI-generated descriptions, CSV and PDF export, and multi-participant tracking for spouses and co-hosts.

Where it differs from HourProof: after the 14-day trial the free plan is capped at five entries, the AI, voice, and calendar features sit on the Premium tier, and it costs more on annual billing ($149.99–$199.99/yr against HourProof's $139.99/yr). It provides step-by-step connection guides for more than twenty booking sites, and it offers a public API.

REPStracker

REPStracker (repstracker.com) has been available since 2021, making it the oldest option in this category. It supports both LTR (750hr) and STR (100hr) goal tracking, has evidence attachments, and includes multi-participant tracking.

The limitations are significant. At $32.00/month or $304.99/yr it is the most expensive option by a wide margin — more than twice the annual cost of HourProof. It runs on iOS and Android, and its store listings do not mention AI entry, receipt scanning, calendar sync, or a formatted PDF report. For most investors, the pricing alone makes it hard to justify over the alternatives.

Which one is right for you

• Most STR investors and real estate professionals: HourProof. Lowest annual price, a free plan that does not expire, receipt OCR that logs the activity for you, a material participation dashboard with pace coaching, property groups for the grouping election, and multi-participant tracking for spouses, cleaners, and co-hosts.
• REPSLog: A close alternative on iOS, Android, and web with connection guides for more than twenty booking sites and a public API. Costs more on annual billing, and the free plan after the trial is capped at five entries.
• REPStracker: Hard to recommend at current pricing given the feature gaps versus both alternatives.

What all three get right

All three apps solve the core problem better than a spreadsheet: they create timestamped, per-activity records that are difficult to reconstruct after the fact. The IRS treats contemporaneous records — created at the time of the activity — as more credible than year-end logs built from memory. Any of these tools is a better documentation practice than an annual spreadsheet.

Read more about how to document rental property hours for the IRS and which material participation test applies to your situation.

Related reading

• The material participation tests explained
• Real estate professional status requirements
• Why contemporaneous logs matter
• STR vs LTR tax treatment
• Track REPS hours with HourProof

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