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.

Buildium is a cloud-based property management software that helps businesses manage rental properties located in over 50 countries. The software can manage 5000 (or more) rental properties including residential, commercial, student housing, affordable housing, and community associations.

Best For:

Buildium is the most cost-effective for businesses with over 20 units. The software can handle all of residential properties, community associations, commercial properties, affordable housing, and student housing.

7.8

Our Rating

based on our expert editorial analysis

4.6

USER RATING

based on 56 user reviews

Our Verdict:

Many users are upset by Intuit’s forced move to subscription pricing. That said, we liked its intuitive user interface and custom invoicing. 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:

Widely used by most accountants
Tons of integrations available
Customizable invoicing
Extensive pre-built and custom reports
Automatic exchange rates

Cons:

Comparatively expensive
Few industry-specific features
Limited users per plan

7.7

Our Rating

based on our expert editorial analysis

10.0

USER RATING

based on 1 user reviews

Our Verdict:

Buildium impressed us with their robust accounting tools–easily handling everything from automated bookkeeping and collections to full-scale accounting, including 1099s. This makes it a fantastic option for larger rental management companies. However, the lack of user-friendliness with tenant onboarding and rent collection left us wanting more.

While Buildium is incredibly scalable with a killer free marketing website, the extra charges and lack of live support in the basic plan may leave smaller businesses and sole property managers feeling like they aren’t a priority.

Pros:

Scalable (can be used for 1 unit or 5,000 units)
Core package includes all property accounting features
No minimum unit count
Annual pricing discounts available
Automated bookkeeping, collections, and payments

Cons:

A la carte pricing for certain features
Electronic leases only free with Plus version
Charges a fee to set up bank accounts
No live support with basic plan

Price Range
$ $ $ $ $
$ $ $ $ $
Starting Price $30/month
Client OS Web

Price Range
$ $ $ $ $
$ $ $ $ $
Starting Price $55/month
Client OS iOS, Android, Web

QuickBooks Online and Buildium both offer a range of valuable features, but there’s a marked difference in their target markets and functionality. In this comparison, we’ll delve into what sets these two products apart.

QuickBooks Online Overview

Developed by Intuit, QuickBooks Online is a cloud-based accounting solution that’s perfect for delicate financial balancing acts. With an intuitive user interface, QuickBooks allows you to manage sales and expenses, create estimates, and track customer interactions with relative ease. QuickBooks’ power extends to unlimited invoicing, strong integrations, and bank reconciliation functionality. QuickBooks is best for small to mid-level companies based in the accounting, information technology, and professional services industries.

What holds it back, according to some users, are the subscription fees. That said, it’s worth noting that Intuit offers a 50% discount for your first three months of service, which makes it somewhat more affordable.

Buildium Overview

Buildium, on the other hand, is designed specifically for rental property managers. Its strength lies in the ability to handle extensive accounting tasks, from automated bookkeeping to full-scale accounting, including form 1099s.

This solution is usually best for businesses with over 20 units in residential properties, community associations, commercial properties, affordable housing, or student housing. On the downside, Buildium may not be as user-friendly, particularly for tenant onboarding and rent collection. Its extra charges and a lack of live support in the basic plan might turn off some smaller businesses.

QuickBooks vs. Buildium

In terms of overall functionality, both QuickBooks Online and Buildium have unique strengths that cater to their respective user base. When it comes to selecting between these two software solutions, it really does come down to your business’s specific needs.

If you are running a smaller or mid-size business outside of property management, or need an easy-to-use solution with robust financial tracking features, QuickBooks Online is likely the better choice.

However, if your business focuses on property management and needs a solution beyond mere accounting, with capabilities specifically designed for managing rental properties, Buildium would be a better fit, especially if you manage over 20 units. Both are great solutions built to help streamline processes in their respective markets.

QuickBooks Online

★★★★★

(56)

Price Range

$ $ $ $ $

Starting Price

$30/month

Client OS

Web

Deployment

Cloud Hosted

Buildium