AppFolio vs. QuickBooks Online

Written by

Lexi Wood

Last updated on

September 14th, 2023

QuickBooks Online

AppFolio Property Manager

QuickBooks Online is the most popular financial software on the market. This cloud-based accounting solution enables tracking of sales and expenses, generating estimates, customer management, and seamless collaboration with external accountants.

Best For:

QuickBooks Online is a good fit for a range of businesses, from small companies (10-50 employees) to larger organizations (500-5,000 employees). Popular sectors include accounting, information technology, and professional services industries.

AppFolio Property Manager is a cloud-based software built for managing residential properties, commercial properties, and community associations. Businesses can manage anywhere from 50 properties to thousands of properties.

Best For:

Appfolio is best used by property management companies that have over 50 units.

7.8

Our Rating

based on our expert editorial analysis

4.3

USER RATING

based on 80 user reviews

Our Verdict:

Many users are upset by Intuit’s forced move to subscription pricing. That said, we liked its custom invoicing and reporting capabilities. QuickBooks is the most widely used financial software, allowing unlimited invoicing even at basic subscription levels while offering bank reconciliation and scalability.

We dislike QuickBooks Online’s limit of 25 concurrent users, its absence of advanced inventory features, and the requirement for some accounting knowledge to use it effectively.

Pros:

Customizable invoicing
Extensive pre-built and custom reports
Automatic exchange rates
Over 750 eCommerce, PoS, payroll integrations
Affordable for NPOs

Cons:

Comparatively expensive
Few industry-specific features
Limited users per plan
Requires accounting expertise

9.4

Our Rating

based on our expert editorial analysis

6.8

USER RATING

based on 5 user reviews

Our Verdict:

If you’re a business with at least 50 units needing integrated property management and accounting, then AppFolio is a good pick. We liked its AI leasing tool, workflow management, and top-shelf integrations which amp up the automation and help manage properties.

However, if your team lacks accounting expertise, AppFolio might be a bit of a struggle. Additionally, there’s a 50-unit minimum, so it’s not the best fit for smaller property management companies.

Pros:

Modern and intuitive user interface
Strong universal search input
AI leasing and accounting features
iOS, Android mobile app

Cons:

50 unit minimum
Limited integrations
No API access
Accounting features can be difficult without accounting background
No QuickBooks integration

Price Range
$ $ $ $ $
$ $ $ $ $
Starting Price $35/month
Client OS Web

Price Range
$ $ $ $ $
$ $ $ $ $
Starting Price $58/month
Client OS Web

After real-world testing and review, our editorial team compared property management software Appfolio Property Manager with accounting solution QuickBooks Online. Both are cloud-hosted solutions but they serve very different market segments.

AppFolio Property Manager Overview

For dedicated property management, AppFolio Property Manager, offers a modern user interface and strong universal search input. It specifically caters to the needs of property management companies with at least 50 units, providing them robust functionalities including AI leasing tools and workflow management features.

However, it lacks a wide range of integrations and doesn’t offer API access. And a notable limitation: AppFolio demands a 50-unit minimum, excluding smaller property management businesses from its capabilities.

QuickBooks Online Overview

QuickBooks Online is a versatile option which is suited for a vast range of businesses, big and small. Accountants use it for its customizable invoicing, vast array of integrations, and reporting tools. Our team appreciated the intuitive user interface, scope for scalability, and automatic exchange rates for international business.

Some drawbacks include comparatively high subscription costs, limited industry-specific features, and the need for some accounting knowledge to operate effectively. QuickBooks Online also stands out due to its limit of only 25 concurrent users.

AppFolio vs QuickBooks Online: Which is Better for Most Businesses?

AppFolio and QuickBooks Online serve different market segments.

If your company handles properties with over 50 units, then AppFolio Property Manager could be a the property management software to do it. Despite the limited integrations, it’s perfectly tailored to tackle sector-specific management tasks.

For most businesses, QuickBooks Online is adaptable to various company sizes across different industriess. The extensive features, scalability, and integrative possibilities enhance its accounting appeal.

Be sure to also check our lists of the best ERP solutions on the market and top property managemnet solutions. There you can explore other options to make a confident decision about the right software for your business.

QuickBooks Online

★★★★★

(80)

Price Range

$ $ $ $ $

Starting Price

$35/month

Client OS

Web

Deployment

Cloud Hosted