US SkipTracing vs PropStream: Which One Should Real Estate Investors Use?
US SkipTracing and PropStream solve different problems: US SkipTracing is a pay-per-record skip tracing service that turns a list of addresses or owner names into verified phone numbers and contact details, while PropStream is a subscription property data platform that helps you find and analyze deals first, then offers skip tracing as one feature bundled into its plans. If you already have a list and just need accurate contact data at a low, predictable cost, US SkipTracing is built for exactly that. If you need property search, comps, and list-building tools in addition to contact data, PropStream’s all-in-one platform is the better fit.
What Is US SkipTracing?
US SkipTracing is a dedicated skip tracing service built for real estate wholesalers, investors, and debt collection professionals who already have a list of names or properties and need current, verified contact information for the owners. There is no software to learn and no monthly subscription. You upload a list, pay per record processed, and receive phone numbers, and other contact points back, with a credit replacement guarantee on records that come back unmatched or inaccurate.
The service is built around two use cases: Skip Tracing, aimed at difficult ownership situations like LLC-owned properties and hard-to-find contacts, and Lead Generation, aimed at investors who want ready-to-call seller leads rather than just contact data for a list they already compiled.
What Is PropStream?
PropStream is a long-established property data and lead-generation platform, founded in 2006 and acquired by title insurance company Stewart Title in 2021. It gives investors access to a nationwide property database (the company advertises 160 million-plus properties) with more than 165 search filters, list-stacking to cross-reference multiple lead criteria at once, comparable sales and valuation tools, and a mobile app for driving-for-dollars style prospecting. Skip tracing is included as a feature inside PropStream rather than being the core product.
PropStream is sold on a monthly or annual subscription across three tiers. Publicly listed pricing is roughly $99 per month for the entry-level Essentials plan, $199 per month for Pro, and $699 per month for Elite, with lower effective rates if you pay annually. Skip tracing is billed separately on the Essentials tier (reported at roughly 12 cents per contact) but is bundled at no extra charge on the Pro and Elite tiers, up to a stated monthly value. PropStream also advertises a short free trial with a limited number of free leads for new users.
Pricing Compared: Pay-Per-Record vs Monthly Subscription
This is the biggest practical difference between the two. US SkipTracing charges per record processed, currently $0.019 per record for skip tracing and $0.025 per record for lead generation, with no subscription and no minimum order size. You only pay for what you actually run, which makes costs easy to predict for a single batch of a few hundred or a few thousand records.
PropStream charges a recurring monthly fee whether or not you use it that month, ranging from roughly $99 to $699 depending on the tier. That fee buys you the broader property search and analysis platform, not just skip tracing, so the comparison isn’t purely apples-to-apples: PropStream’s subscription is really paying for deal-finding software with skip tracing folded in, while US SkipTracing’s per-record fee is paying only for the contact data itself.
In practice, an investor who only needs to skip trace a list they already have will usually spend less with a pay-per-record service, especially for smaller or irregular batches. An investor who also wants to build that list from raw property records in the first place may get more overall value from a subscription platform that includes both.
Data Focus: Skip Tracing Specialist vs All-in-One Property Platform
- US SkipTracing focuses entirely on turning a name or address into verified contact information, including manual research for difficult ownership situations such as LLCs and corporate owners, and states an emphasis on in-house data science and carrier-level insights to verify phone numbers before they’re delivered.
- PropStream focuses on property discovery first: pulling property records, running comps, stacking multiple lead lists together, and mapping deals for driving-for-dollars. Skip tracing sits downstream of that search process as a built-in add-on rather than the platform’s specialty.
If your bottleneck is finding deals, PropStream’s search and filtering tools address that directly. If your bottleneck is that you already have addresses or owner names but no way to reach them, that’s the specific problem US SkipTracing is built to solve.
Accuracy and Data Sourcing
US SkipTracing states a 95% accuracy rate on its pricing page and backs records with a credit replacement guarantee, meaning inaccurate or unmatched records can be replaced rather than simply refunded or written off. PropStream draws its property and ownership data from public records, MLS data, and private data sources, which is standard for the industry, but the company does not publish a specific skip tracing match-rate or accuracy percentage on its marketing pages the way US SkipTracing does. That makes a like-for-like accuracy comparison difficult to make from public information alone; investors evaluating either service for a large batch should request or run a small test batch before committing a full list.
Who Each Platform Is Built For
US SkipTracing is built for wholesalers, real estate investors, and collections professionals who need contact data now, for a specific list, without committing to ongoing software costs. It also serves debt collection agencies and BPOs skip tracing debtors, a use case outside PropStream’s real estate focus entirely.
PropStream is built for investors and small teams who want a single platform to source deals, analyze them, and manage lead lists, and who are comfortable with a recurring subscription in exchange for a broader toolset. Independent reviews commonly note that PropStream’s CRM and marketing automation features are comparatively basic next to dedicated CRM tools, so larger teams sometimes pair it with separate calling or CRM software.
Which Should You Choose?
Choose US SkipTracing if you already have a list of properties or owner names and simply need accurate phone numbers and contact details at the lowest possible cost per record, with no subscription commitment. Choose PropStream if you need to build your lead list from scratch using property search, comps, and filtering tools, and you’re willing to pay a monthly fee for a platform where skip tracing is one feature among several. Many investors ultimately use both: a property data platform like PropStream to build and filter lists, and a specialist pay-per-record service like US SkipTracing to skip trace records outside that platform or when they want a second data source to cross-check match rates.
Frequently asked questions
Is PropStream’s skip tracing the same quality as a dedicated skip tracing service?
PropStream’s skip tracing is a bundled feature rather than its core product, and the company does not publish a specific accuracy or match-rate figure for it. A dedicated service like US SkipTracing, which states a 95% accuracy rate and backs records with a credit replacement guarantee, is built specifically around contact-data accuracy. If contact accuracy is your main priority, it’s worth comparing a sample batch from each before committing to a full list.
Can I use US SkipTracing without a PropStream or other property data subscription?
Yes. US SkipTracing works with any list of names, addresses, or property records you already have, regardless of where that list came from. There’s no requirement to use a specific property data platform, and no subscription of any kind is required on the US SkipTracing side.
Is PropStream or US SkipTracing cheaper?
It depends on what you need. For skip tracing alone, US SkipTracing’s pay-per-record pricing (currently $0.019 per record) is typically cheaper for smaller or irregular batches since there’s no monthly commitment. PropStream’s subscription, which starts near $99 per month, includes property search and list-building tools beyond skip tracing, so its cost reflects a broader platform rather than skip tracing alone.
Does US SkipTracing offer property search and list-stacking tools like PropStream?
No. US SkipTracing is focused specifically on skip tracing and lead generation from lists you provide, not on property search, comps, or list-stacking. Investors who need those discovery tools alongside skip tracing typically use a platform like PropStream for the search side and a specialist service for contact data.
What happens if a skip traced record comes back wrong?
US SkipTracing backs its records with a credit replacement guarantee, so records that come back unmatched or inaccurate can be replaced. Policies on bundled skip tracing inside broader platforms like PropStream vary by provider, so it’s worth checking the specific terms for whichever tier or add-on you’re using.
Try US SkipTracing on Your Own List
US SkipTracing runs on simple pay-as-you-go pricing: $0.019 per record for skip tracing and $0.025 per record for lead generation, with no subscription, no monthly fees, and no minimum order size. If you want to see how it performs against a list you’re already working, you can start a batch at usskiptracing.com and pay only for the records you process.