Comparison

Zillow Rentals vs Elev

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Zillow Rentals

Discover apartments and single-family homes for rent with detailed filters and map-based searching. Connect directly with landlords and receive alerts for new listings that match your criteria. Find your next rental property with ease.

Highlights
  • Search rental listings by location
  • Custom map search boundaries
  • New rental listing alerts
  • Filter by amenities and budget
  • Contact landlords directly
  • Create Renter Profile
  • View saved listings on map
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Zillow Rentals makes it easy to find single-family homes and apartments for rent, whether you’re moving across town or across the U.S. Quickly view rental listings that fit your search criteria and connect directly with landlords. Key features: • Search up-to-the-minute rental listings by location or draw custom search boundaries on a map. • Get notified when new rentals matching your search criteria become available. • Filter your search results by size, amenities and more. Additional features: • Filter for listings that fit your budget and needs such as in-unit laundry, on-site parking and pet-friendly apartments. • Contact landlords and property managers right away by phone or email. Those contacts are automatically added to your Favorites list so you can keep track of who’s who. • View your Favorites on a map and get directions to visit in person. • Use Rent Zestimates® as a starting point for understanding fair market value. • Create a Renter Profile to grab the attention of potential landlords and property managers, and increase your chance of securing the perfect rental. • Find every type of property for rent: apartments, condos, townhouses, single-family homes and more. • Access your saved homes and saved searches across Zillow.com and the Zillow Rentals App to stay up to date on rental listings. • Sort listings by price to find affordable apartments in your dream neighborhood. • Apply amenity overlays to find grocery stores, parks, restaurants and coffee shops within walking distance of your new home. • Easily access all the information you need to make a decision: deposits and fees, lease terms, parking and more. • Search by proximity to your college, university or work to keep your commute to a minimum. • Compare homes to similar nearby rentals to understand neighborhood pricing.

About

Elev

Find and secure off-campus student housing with ease. This app simplifies the rental process from viewing to lease signing and rent payment, helping you focus on your studies and personal growth.

Highlights
  • Student rental matching
  • Easy viewing scheduling
  • One-time profile application
  • Direct host chat
  • Digital lease signing
  • Flexible rent payments
  • Autopay for rent
  • Maintenance request tracking
Features
Read full description

Elev simplifies renting, so you can focus on learning, exploring, and growing. Matched to Your Needs - Elev connects you with the ideal off-campus rentals that suit your needs. Whether it's commute time or personal preferences, we've got you covered. Viewing Made Easy - Set up a viewing without the back-and-forth. We've made it simple, so you can focus on what matters: finding your place. Quick Applications - Create a profile once, then apply with ease. No repetitive forms, just seamless applications to multiple homes. Chat with Hosts - Questions? Just ask. Send personalized messages to hosts for availability and details. We're all about connections. Digital Lease Signing - Sign a simple, straightforward lease within the app, with full confidence. It's your journey to independence, and we're here to guide you. Flexible Rent Payment - Rent, bills, and more – pay directly from your bank account or credit card. Build your credit score and take charge of your finances. Autopay - automatic rent payment. We handle it, so you don't have to. Try it by enabling it in your settings. Effortless Maintenance Requests - Something needs fixing? Send a request and track its status. With Elev, your home is taken care of.

Screenshots

Zillow Rentals3 screens
Elev4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Elev at 75% against Zillow Rentals's 27%. Elev also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). Zillow Rentals's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (389K vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Zillow Rentals holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Zillow Rentals has 389K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 27% of Zillow Rentals's written reviews are positive against 75% of Elev's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Zillow Rentals ships an update every 5 days, Elev every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Zillow Rentals versus Elev: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterZillow RentalsElev
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (389K ratings) — better3.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews26.7% of reviews75.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings389K — better2
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#110 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size373 MB29 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperZillow.comElev Homes Inc.

Customer experience

Zillow Rentals

All ratings388,559 ratings
Positive96.0%
Neutral3.1%
Negative0.9%
Written reviews262 reviews
Positive26.7%
Neutral15.6%
Negative57.6%

Elev

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

Bugs and requests

Zillow Rentals

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Listings for properties no longer available
  • Inconsistent pricing and availability information

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add option to filter by pet type (cats, small dogs, large dogs)
  • Implement a 'hide' feature to remove properties already reviewed
  • Improve search parameter saving and filtering
  • Integrate public transit information (metro stations) on map

Elev

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Zillow Rentals

No in-app purchases

None

Elev

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Zillow Rentals free?
Zillow Rentals is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Elev free?
Elev is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Zillow Rentals or Elev?
Zillow Rentals is rated higher. Zillow Rentals averages 4.8 out of 5 from 389K ratings, while Elev averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Zillow Rentals or Elev have ads?
Neither Zillow Rentals nor Elev shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Zillow Rentals or Elev?
Zillow Rentals ships an update every 5 days, and Elev every 4 weeks. Most recently, Zillow Rentals was updated on September 25, 2026 and Elev on June 1, 2026.

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