Appfolio vs. Yardi - Software Comparison of Price and Features

Last Updated: January 25th, 2023
Researched and Written by: Russ Davidson

Appfolio has been one of the leading integrated cloud business software suites in the world of property management and real estate since the company was established in 2006. The solution is routinely considered to be one of the best property management software options on the market, due to integrated communication, accounting with reporting, maintenance, marketing, and leasing tools.

Likewise, Yardi has been a leader in property management applications since the launch of its first real estate tool in 1984. They were even one of the only companies who made software for the Apple 2 computer. Today, Yardi develops apps for anyone involved with real estate and property management. Yardi now has over 6,000 workers employed with 40 offices throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia.

Looking for property management software for your organization? Check out our list of the best property management software. Or get free recommendations from one of our software advisors.

Appfolio and Yardi both provide some of the best property management software options on the market today. With solutions ideal for both small and large real estate portfolios and property managers, the cloud-based platforms can assist with everything from tracking rent payments, maintenance, communication with tenants, lease management, and marketing.

If you’d like, feel free to skip ahead to our individual comparisons of Appfolio vs Yardi software:

When comparing Appfolio vs Yardi products, you might notice a large amount of overlap when it comes to functionality. So how do you choose which is right for your organization?

Below you’ll find our side-by-side comparison of Appfolio Property Manager, Yardi Voyager Property Management, Yardi Breeze, and Yardi Genesis2. This includes a look at their deployment options, their pricing levels, and more.

AppFolio Property Manager
AppFolio Property Manager Screenshot
Price Range
   $     $     $     $     $   
   $     $     $     $     $   
Starting Price
$0.80/unit/month
Client OS
Web
Deployment
Cloud Hosted
What We Like
Strong CAM features
Customized commercial reporting
Online payments
What We Don’t Like
No outside CRM integrations
Hard to customize electronic leases
50 unit minimum
Yardi Voyager Property Management
Yardi Voyager Property Management Screenshot
Price Range
   $     $     $     $     $   
   $     $     $     $     $   
Starting Price
$250/user/month
Client OS
Web
Deployment
Cloud Hosted
What We Like
Can easily handle large portfolios
Large amount of features and add-ons
Unique versions for subindustries
What We Don’t Like
Not a large volume of written documentation to rely on
Lengthy front-end setup required
Custom reporting issues
Yardi Breeze
Yardi Breeze Screenshot
Price Range
   $     $     $     $     $   
   $     $     $     $     $   
Starting Price
$1/unit/month
Client OS
iOS, Android, Web
Deployment
Cloud Hosted
What We Like
Integrated property management and accounting
Easy to set up online payments with RentCafe
No setup charges
What We Don’t Like
Custom reporting only available in Premier version
Missing features from Genesis2
Minimum charges per month
Genesis²
Genesis² Screenshot
Client OS
Web
Deployment
Cloud Hosted
What We Like
Streamlined AP workflows
Solid reporting
Work orders for maintenance
What We Don’t Like
Less intuitive than other Yardi products
Overwhelming amount of source documents
Expensive to add on modules

Comparison Appfolio vs Yardi software can be stressful given the similarities between the product offerings from both companies. While the software offerings from both companies overlap in numerous ways, they have their own strengths and weaknesses. While both are considered a property management software, Appfolio tends to cater to every market with one solution. Yardi, on the other hand, attempts to offer various levels of product depending on size and requirements.

Choosing the wrong property management software for your business can lead to thousands of dollars on future customization needs and consultation fees. Because of this, your business will want to make sure you have all the facts before jumping into a commitment with a property management software vendor.

Before getting started, you’ll want to assess your business processes, develop selection criteria, choose which software you want to evaluate side-by-side and connect with a software vendor.

Appfolio Breakdown

AppFolio is a great fit for both residential and commercial property management, making it one of the best overall options no matter what type of properties you’re working with. The tool has one of the most modern-looking interfaces around and provides sleek marketing tools that help post vacancies to your website and sync with 3rd party hosting sites. You can also easily establish rent increases based on the terms of the lease, quickly resolve maintenance issues, and more.

For residential properties, the software gives you everything you need so you don’t have to rely on an outside application and screening tool or a third-party accounting system such as Quickbooks. The commercial capabilities were built to deal with more complicated leases, specialized reporting, CAM reconciliations, and more.


AppFolio Property Manager: HOA Dues Roll
AppFolio Property Manager: Move-In Lease Details
AppFolio Property Manager: Property Budgeting
AppFolio Property Manager: Flexible Reporting
AppFolio Property Manager: Built-In Screening
What We Like
Modern and intuitive user interface
Strong universal search input
What We Don’t Like
50 unit minimum
Limited integrations
No API access
Overview
Price Range: $$
Starting Price: $0.80/unit/month
Client OS: Web
Deployment: Cloud Hosted

Appfolio is completely web-based and starts as low as $.80/unit/month. There is a $250 minimum charge each month, so you’ll get the most value if you are managing over 200 units per month.

Appfolio Property Budgeting Appfolio vs Yardi
Manage property budgeting in Appfolio.

Appfolio vs Yardi Voyager

Yardi Voyager is a top choice for larger property management portfolios. The solution covers residential, commercial, and community properties–helping businesses manage operations, execute leasing, generate analytics, and provides services to tenants and investors.

Yardi Voyager comes in two primary forms: Yardi Residential, and Yardi Commercial, allowing Yardi to cater each product towards the type of properties a business specifically handles. If the business handles both residential and commercial, the versions can be integrated to ensure all the necessary features are included.


Yardi Voyager Property Management: Dashboard
Yardi Voyager Property Management: Condo Owner
Yardi Voyager Property Management: Unit Type
Yardi Voyager Property Management: Resident
Yardi Voyager Property Management: Home Screen
Yardi Voyager Property Management: Add Residents
What We Like
Can easily handle large portfolios
Large amount of features and add-ons
Unique versions for subindustries
What We Don’t Like
Custom reporting issues
Lengthy front-end setup required
Not a large volume of written documentation to rely on
Overview
Price Range: $$$
Starting Price: $250/user/month
Client OS: Web
Deployment: Cloud Hosted

Voyager can further be broken down into varying editions and subsets, depending on the type of residential or commercial properties the business handles:

Yardi Residential has editions exclusively for affordable housing, public housing authorities, senior housing, and more. Yardi Commercial has options unique to airports, government, and parks and recreation.

Given the specific needs of these types of properties, Yardi has built the tools necessary to help your business operate smoothly without having to heavily customize a generic commercial property management software.

Yardi Voyager Resident Details Appfolio vs Yardi
View resident details in Yardi Voyager.

Appfolio vs Yardi Breeze

Yardi Breeze is Yardi’s answer to property management and real estate professionals who desire affordable software that is easy to use. With Yardi Voyager having a reputation of being an advanced and higher-priced option, Yardi captures a different kind of market with their Breeze solution.

This integrated accounting and property management solution is completely web-based–providing easy access for teams in the office and out in the field. The solution can work on a large number of property types, including residential, commercial, affordable housing, self-storage, homeowner associations, manufactured housing, and public housing authorities.


Yardi Breeze: Dashboard
Yardi Breeze: Property
Yardi Breeze: Maintenance
Yardi Breeze: RENTCafe
Yardi Breeze: Map of Properties
Yardi Breeze: Mobile View
Yardi Breeze: Payment Processing
Yardi Breeze: Mobile Listing
What We Like
Available for mobile use anywhere
Cuts down on time-consuming tasks
Integrated property management and accounting
What We Don’t Like
Custom reporting only available in Premier version
May not be suitable for commercial
Minimum charges per month
Overview
Price Range: $$
Starting Price: $1/unit/month
Client OS: iOS, Android, Web
Deployment: Cloud Hosted

There are two main versions of Breeze: Yardi Breeze, and Yardi Breeze Premier. The Premier version is more advanced–including capabilities such as automated invoice processing, job costing, custom reporting, utility billing, and more. It also allows for a business to create property websites, create online lease documents, and customize financial statements.

Yardi Breeze starts at $1/unit/month for residential properties. It does include a $100/month minimum cost based on an annual agreement. This minimum cost starts at $200/month for commercial properties.

Yardi Breeze Property Details Appfolio vs Yardi
View property details in Yardi Breeze.

Appfolio vs Yardi Genesis2

Yardi Genesis2 is an online rental property management software for small to mid-size portfolios. The software offers a user-friendly platform that can be accessed anywhere via the web. Supporting multiple property types, Genesis2 aims to market, lease, and manage your properties efficiently.

Yardi Genesis2 is no longer sold to new customers. Yardi recommends Yardi Breeze as a replacement option.

Genesis2 from Yardi was their first attempt at a completely web-based system prior to the launch of Yardi Breeze. Because of this, many companies continue to use Genesis2 today. While Yardi Genesis is a relatable property management platform, Yardi does recommend Yardi Breeze as their latest cloud-based offering and encourages customers to make the switch to Breeze whenever possible.

Genesis²

What We Like
Solid reporting
Streamlined AP workflows
Work orders for maintenance
What We Don’t Like
Expensive to add on modules
Less intuitive than other Yardi products
Overwhelming amount of source documents
Overview
Client OS: Web
Deployment: Cloud Hosted

Yardi Genesis2 can best be compared to the current Premier version of Yardi Breeze, as it offers more of a complete property management option that is intended to be used by small to mid-sized portfolios.

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