Top 7 AppFolio Competitors
AppFolio is one of the most popular property management software options available, designed to streamline the day-to-day business processes of property managers, landlords, and real estate owners. This software covers accounting, maintenance requests, inspections, tenant communication, and reporting processes.
Yet how does this solution compare with the competition? There are several viable property management software alternatives available, including:
- Buildium
- Condo Control
- Hemlane
- MRI Commercial
- Propertyware
- TenantCloud
- Yardi Breeze
Each competitor has a different benefit when compared to AppFolio. Each of these solutions helps property and real estate managers stay up-to-date with the latest industry trends. Learn more about which alternative may be best for your property management system:
Why is AppFolio so Popular?
AppFolio is property management software for both residential and commercial real estate. Unsurprisingly, this versatility has made it one of the best overall options for managing a mixed portfolio. This software is popular for dealing with:
- Multi- or single-family homes
- Commercial facilities and business centers
- Congregate living spaces (student housing, assisted living centers)
- Residential, community, homeowners, and/or condo associations (HOA)
The residential and commercial capabilities were built to deal with more complicated leases, tenant screening, specialized reporting, CAM reconciliations, and more. AppFolio’s advanced real estate marketing tools can post vacancies to your website and sync those openings with third-party multiple listing services (MLS) hosting sites. You can also easily establish rent increases based on the terms of the lease, quickly resolve maintenance issues, and more.
AppFolio is fully cloud-hosted, meaning it is available through mobile devices and web browsers. SaaS pricing starts as low as $0.80 per unit per month. It’s worth noting there is a $250 minimum charge each month, meaning you’ll get the most value when managing more than 200 units.
It’s clear to see why this software is so popular with property management firms, landlords, and real estate agents alike. Yet for various reasons, AppFolio may not be the best solution for your business. For instance, if you manage only a few units, this software may be too expensive for your needs. Or, if you only manage with commercial property, the residential features may be unnecessary.
Explore the top alternatives for AppFolio now:
Buildium is designed by property managers for handling property accounting, company financials, reporting, as well as online payments through tenant and owner portals. While AppFolio is popular for managing residential, commercial, and mixed portfolios, Buildium is recommended for rental management companies, especially given it’s scalability in how many units can be managed at any given time.
Buildium starts at $47 per month with a unique a la carte fee structure if you manage at least 50 properties. For example, managing 50 units is $78 per month, only $31 more for those additional units. There is also a “Pro” version which includes EFT payments, bank account setup, and electronic leases all for free.
Unlike AppFolio, Condo Control is property management software designed specifically for condos and homeowner associations. This solution coordinates between managers, landlords, boards, and residents to build a more functional community with better communication, record keeping, and security/concierge services.
Communication tools streamline the approval process for requests submitted by residents. And an events calendar can create and track community events in a centralized location. Any major changes to the community can be conducted via virtual e-voting. Next, record keeping includes tracking violations by residents and handling the appropriate follow up notices and issuing of fees. Online payments feature lets individuals pay condo and HOA fees, maintenance fees, or fines completely online. Finally, security and concierge capabilities include methods of enforcing community policies.
Hemlane is an all-in-one rental property management solution for owners, real estate agents, and property managers. Just like AppFolio, this software lets you manage properties easier than ever through leasing tools, local support, maintenance coordination, and management tools.
While AppFolio is fully scalable, suitable for large or small enterprises, Hemlane’s Basic package can be used for as little as 1 unit or as many as 100 units–making it a great choice for small business property management companies while still having the option to upgrade to a more premium package if they ever grow. In addition, Hemlane comes in at a very affordable price–only $2 per unit per month after a $28 per month base fee.
MRI Commercial Suite centralizes building, suite, and lease information exclusively for commercial properties. The software, unlike AppFolio, has been implemented primarily into commercial operations in order to reduce operating costs, improve strategic planning, and bring automation into additional business processes.
As a commercial real estate management software, MRI Commercial Suite includes a lease calculation tool which incorporates clauses, breakpoints, offsets, estimated payments, and recoveries into the final estimate. Reporting and data visualization capabilities help your business gain insight vital to improving your decision making.
Propertyware is a completely web-based property management system with fully-integra growing companies looking to expand to more properties and units. By offering everything online, this solution also has functions like automatic email notifications for owners and tenants, owner ACH contributions via an owner portal, and an overall more robust feel.
Propertyware provides one of the most flexible reporting options among property management tools, like AppFolio, by offering the ability to create custom fields. And pricing starts as low as $1 per unit per month, only $0.20 more than AppFolio.
TenantCloud is a free cloud property management software that can be used by both landlords and tenants. Landlords have the ability to receive online payments, screen applicants, manage finances, and get a free listing website. Meanwhile, tenants can submit rental applications, pay rent online and keep a detailed record of payments, and submit maintenance requests.
Since TenantCloud is free, it is limited to only 75 units while AppFolio has no limitations. This version allows for 1 user with up to 10 custom templates for rental agreements and notices. The paid version of Tenant Cloud starts at $9 per month for up to 150 units, making it more affordable than AppFolio for the same amount of units.
Yardi Breeze offers a wide range of property management services all from easily accessible mobile devices. In addition to a back office property management and accounting system like AppFolio, this solution includes various portals for applicants, residents, and property owners, to perform everything from online payments to applicant screening free without the need of a desktop setup.
As a cloud-hosted system, Yardi Breeze is aimed at mankind property management as simple as possible. As a result, the features may not be as robust as those offered by AppFolio, though they are more easily accessible.
Which of AppFolio’s Top Competitors is Best?
A real estate company managing hundreds of commercial properties will have vastly different operational needs than a single landlord renting out a duplex. When shopping for property management solutions, it’s easy to be overwhelmed trying to find the most suitable option for your business.
As described above, AppFolio is one of the best property management software solutions available. And there are plenty of viable alternatives based on whether your business deals with residential or commercial properties, needs online access, or has other custom requirements.
Further, the property management software best suited for your business will depend on your type of business and budget. Selecting the right option may also depend on if your portfolio is mostly commercial or residential, or fully mixed.
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