Buildium and AppFolio are two popular property management software options that offer a wide range of features for real estate investors. Both platforms are designed to streamline the property management process, saving time and money for landlords and property managers.
However, choosing the right software can be a daunting task, as each platform has its own unique strengths and weaknesses.
Buildium is a cloud-based software that provides property managers with a comprehensive set of tools to manage their properties.
It offers features such as online rent payments, tenant screening, maintenance management, and accounting. Buildium also has a mobile app that allows users to manage their properties on-the-go.
On the other hand, AppFolio is another cloud-based platform that offers similar features to Buildium, including online rent payments, tenant screening, maintenance management, and accounting.
Additionally, AppFolio has a built-in marketing feature that allows users to advertise their properties on popular rental listing websites.
Overview of Buildium and Appfolio
Buildium and Appfolio are two popular property management software solutions that help landlords and property managers streamline their operations, reduce workload, and improve tenant satisfaction.
Both platforms offer a wide range of features that cater to the needs of property owners and administrators.
Appfolio is a cloud-based solution that provides a comprehensive suite of tools for managing both commercial and residential properties. It offers features such as listings, tenant screening, leasing, rent collection, financial reporting, and tax management.
Appfolio has been in business since 2006 and has built a reputation for being a reliable and user-friendly platform.
On the other hand, Buildium is an all-in-one property management solution that caters to the needs of property owners with one to 5,000 units or more.
It offers features such as listings, tenant screening, leasing, rent collection, financial reporting, and tax management. Buildium is known for its intuitive interface, robust accounting tools, and excellent customer support.
Both Buildium and Appfolio are designed to help property managers and landlords save time and money by automating routine tasks and providing valuable insights into their portfolio’s performance. They also offer mobile apps that enable users to manage their properties on the go.
Overall, both Buildium and Appfolio are excellent property management software solutions that offer a wide range of features and benefits. The choice between the two ultimately depends on the user’s specific needs, budget, and preferences.
Core Features Comparison
When comparing AppFolio and Buildium, it’s important to look at the core features that both platforms offer.
Here is a breakdown of how the two platforms compare in terms of their property management, tenant screening, accounting, maintenance management, leasing, inspection, and communication features.
Property Management
Both AppFolio and Buildium offer robust property management features that allow users to easily manage their properties. AppFolio’s platform offers features such as online rent payments, maintenance requests, and lease renewals.
Buildium’s platform offers similar features, including online rent payments, lease renewals, and tenant communication tools. However, AppFolio’s platform offers more advanced features, such as a mobile app for property managers and a customizable owner portal.
Tenant Screening
Both AppFolio and Buildium offer tenant screening tools to help property managers find the best tenants for their properties. AppFolio’s platform offers features such as credit checks, criminal background checks, and eviction history reports.
According to TransUnion, Buildium’s platform offers similar features, including credit checks, criminal background checks, and employment verification.
However, AppFolio’s platform offers more advanced features, such as a resident screening questionnaire that helps property managers identify potential red flags.
Accounting
Both AppFolio and Buildium offer accounting features that allow users to easily manage their finances. AppFolio’s platform offers features such as online rent payments, automated late fees, and customizable financial reports.
Buildium’s platform offers similar features, including online rent payments, automated late fees, and customizable financial reports. However, AppFolio’s platform offers more advanced features, such as automated owner payments and an accounts payable module.
Maintenance Management
Both AppFolio and Buildium offer maintenance management features that allow property managers to easily track and manage maintenance requests. AppFolio’s platform offers features such as a maintenance calendar, work order tracking, and vendor management tools.
Buildium’s platform offers similar features, including a maintenance calendar, work order tracking, and vendor management tools. However, AppFolio’s platform offers more advanced features, such as a mobile app for maintenance technicians and a tenant portal for submitting maintenance requests.
Leasing
Both AppFolio and Buildium offer leasing features that allow property managers to easily manage the leasing process. AppFolio’s platform offers features such as online lease signing, customizable lease templates, and lease renewals.
Buildium’s platform offers similar features, including online lease signing, customizable lease templates, and lease renewals. However, AppFolio’s platform offers more advanced features, such as a mobile app for leasing agents and a leasing pipeline dashboard.
Inspection
Both AppFolio and Buildium offer inspection features that allow property managers to easily track and manage property inspections. AppFolio’s platform offers features such as customizable inspection templates, photo attachments, and inspection scheduling tools.
Buildium’s platform offers similar features, including customizable inspection templates, photo attachments, and inspection scheduling tools.
However, AppFolio’s platform offers more advanced features, such as a mobile app for conducting inspections and a tenant portal for scheduling inspections.
Communication
Both AppFolio and Buildium offer communication features that allow property managers to easily communicate with tenants and owners.
AppFolio’s platform offers features such as automated email and text messaging, customizable email templates, and a tenant portal for communicating with tenants.
Buildium’s platform offers similar features, including automated email and text messaging, customizable email templates, and a tenant portal for communicating with tenants.
However, AppFolio’s platform offers more advanced features, such as a mobile app for communicating with tenants and an owner portal for communicating with owners.
Overall, both AppFolio and Buildium offer robust property management platforms with a wide range of features.
However, AppFolio’s platform offers more advanced features in several key areas, including property management, tenant screening, accounting, maintenance management, leasing, inspection, and communication.
Pricing Structure
When comparing Buildium and Appfolio, one of the most important factors to consider is pricing. Both platforms offer a range of pricing plans designed to meet the needs of different property managers. In this section, we will take a closer look at the pricing structures of both platforms.
Buildium Pricing
Buildium offers three pricing plans: Essential, Growth, and Premium. The Essential plan is the most basic and is designed for property managers with up to 50 units. It costs $52 per month and includes features such as online rent payments, maintenance tracking, and tenant screening.
The Growth plan is designed for property managers with up to 500 units and costs $166 per month. In addition to the features included in the Essential plan, the Growth plan includes features such as customizable reports, eLeases, and a resident center.
The Premium plan is designed for property managers with more than 500 units and costs $479 per month. In addition to the features included in the Growth plan, the Premium plan includes features such as custom branding, a mobile app, and a dedicated account manager.
Appfolio Pricing
Appfolio offers a range of pricing plans based on the number of units managed. The pricing starts at $280 per month for up to 50 units. Additional units are charged at a rate of $1.40 per unit per month.
Appfolio’s pricing plans include features such as online rent payments, maintenance tracking, and tenant screening. The platform also offers additional features such as custom branding, eLeases, and a mobile app for an additional fee.
Overall, both Buildium and Appfolio offer competitive pricing plans designed to meet the needs of different property managers. When comparing the two platforms, it is important to carefully consider the features included in each plan and choose the one that best fits your needs and budget.
Additional Features
AI Leasing Assistant
Both AppFolio and Buildium offer AI leasing assistant features to help property managers automate and streamline their leasing process.
AppFolio’s AI leasing assistant uses machine learning to help property managers identify the best prospects and automate communication with them. It can also help schedule property showings and send follow-up emails.
Buildium’s AI leasing assistant, called “Assist,” can help property managers automate their lead follow-up process and schedule showings. It can also help answer questions from prospects and provide them with more information about the property.
Owner and Tenant Portals
AppFolio and Buildium both offer online portals for owners and tenants. These portals provide a convenient way for owners and tenants to access important information and communicate with property managers.
In AppFolio, owners can view financial reports, access real-time data, and communicate with property managers. Tenants can use the portal to pay rent, submit maintenance requests, and communicate with property managers.
In Buildium, owners can view financial reports, access important documents, and communicate with property managers. Tenants can use the portal to pay rent, submit maintenance requests, and view lease agreements.
Mobile App
Both AppFolio and Buildium offer mobile apps that allow property managers to manage their properties on-the-go.
The AppFolio mobile app (iOs and Android) allows property managers to view and manage their properties, communicate with tenants and owners, and perform various tasks such as move-ins and move-outs.
The Buildium mobile app (iOs and Android) offers similar features, including the ability to view financial reports, communicate with tenants and owners, and perform various tasks such as move-ins and move-outs.
Open API
AppFolio and Buildium both offer open APIs, which allow property managers to integrate their property management software with other tools and services. This can help property managers automate their workflows and improve efficiency.
With AppFolio’s open API, property managers can integrate their software with various tools such as accounting software, payment gateways, and marketing automation tools.
Buildium’s open API allows property managers to integrate their software with various tools such as accounting software, CRM software, and payment gateways.
Customizable Workflow
Both AppFolio and Buildium offer customizable workflows, which allow property managers to tailor their software to their specific needs. With AppFolio, property managers can customize their workflows by creating custom fields, forms, and templates.
They can also set up automated workflows to streamline their processes. Buildium offers similar customization options, allowing property managers to create custom fields, forms, templates, and workflows.
Analytics and Insights
Both AppFolio and Buildium offer analytics and insights features, which allow property managers to track their performance and identify areas for improvement.
With AppFolio, property managers can view real-time data and generate reports on various aspects of their business, such as financial performance, leasing performance, and maintenance performance.
Buildium offers similar analytics and insights features, allowing property managers to view financial reports, track leasing performance, and monitor maintenance requests.
Customer Support
When it comes to property management software, customer support is a crucial factor to consider. Both Buildium and AppFolio offer multiple customer support channels, including phone, email, and chat.
Buildium provides customer support via phone and email during business hours, which are Monday through Friday, 9 am to 8 pm ET.
Additionally, they have a chat option available on their website, which is accessible 24/7. They also have a knowledge base and community forum for users to find answers to common questions.
AppFolio offers customer support via phone, email, and chat during business hours, which are Monday through Friday, 6 am to 5 pm PT. They also offer a knowledge base and community forum for users to find answers to common questions.
Both platforms have received positive reviews for their customer support. Users have reported that the support teams are knowledgeable, responsive, and able to resolve issues quickly.
In terms of customer support, both Buildium and AppFolio offer reliable options for users to get help when needed.
While Buildium has more limited business hours for phone and email support, they do offer 24/7 chat support on their website. AppFolio has longer business hours for support, but only offers chat support during those hours.
Integration and Security
Both Buildium and AppFolio are cloud-based property management solutions that offer integration with various third-party tools.
Buildium integrates with popular accounting software such as QuickBooks and Xero, as well as payment processors like Stripe and PayPal.
AppFolio, on the other hand, offers integration with accounting software like QuickBooks and Sage Intacct, as well as payment processors like RentPayment and PayNearMe.
When it comes to security, both platforms have robust measures in place to protect user data. Buildium uses bank-level encryption to secure user data and has a dedicated security team that monitors the platform 24/7.
AppFolio also employs bank-level encryption and has a team of security experts that conduct regular security audits and penetration tests to ensure the platform’s security.
In addition to these measures, both platforms offer two-factor authentication to further enhance security. Buildium also offers a feature called “Security Roles,” which allows users to control access to specific features and data within the platform.
Having experienced the convenience of reliable property management software, I can confidently vouch for both Buildium and AppFolio.
They offer secure and dependable cloud-based solutions, and their seamless integrations with popular third-party tools ensure the safety of user data. Rest assured, either platform has got you covered!
To Sum Up
Both Buildium and AppFolio are great property management software that offer a wide range of features to help property owners and managers streamline their operations.
Buildium is an affordable option for property owners with one to 5,000 units or more, with fees starting at $50 per month.
They offer features such as online rent collection, tenant screening, and accounting tools. However, some users have reported issues with the software’s user interface and customer support.
AppFolio, on the other hand, is a more robust option for landlords with 50 or more units under management, with fees starting at $280 per month.
They offer features such as online rent collection, maintenance requests, and tenant screening. AppFolio also has a mobile app that allows property managers to manage their properties on-the-go.
When it comes to customer support, both Buildium and AppFolio offer phone and email support, as well as online resources such as knowledge bases and video tutorials. However, some users have reported longer wait times for AppFolio’s customer support.
Ultimately, the choice between Buildium and AppFolio comes down to the size of your portfolio and your specific needs as a property owner or manager. It’s important to do your research and evaluate each software’s features, pricing, and customer support before making a decision.
I started this blog to help you buy and sell a home with ease – without getting caught up with all the confusing advice online. Contact me for any questions or feedback about the site! Disclaimer: The information and advice provided in this blog are for educational and informational purposes only. The Real Estate Rook authors and editors do not guarantee the reliability, accuracy, or completeness of the information provided. See full disclaimer here.
