AppFolio vs Buildium
Property Management Software · Verified 2026-10-05 · No paid placement
Both are cloud property-management systems for residential portfolios. The practical difference is size and pricing: Buildium publishes self-serve plan prices, while AppFolio quotes every plan and sets a 50-unit minimum on its entry plan.
Cloud property management software for residential and mixed portfolios
Property management software for residential and community associations
Pricing
AppFolio
Not published. Three plans (Core, Plus, Max) are quote-only; Core carries a minimum spend and a 50-unit minimum.
Source: appfolio.comBuildium
Essential from $62/month, Growth from $192/month, Premium from $400/month. Screening, eSignature and payments carry separate per-use fees.
Source: buildium.comFeatures, from each vendor's site
| AppFolio | Buildium | |
|---|---|---|
| Plans | Core, Plus, Max [source] | Essential, Growth, Premium [source] |
| Minimum size | 50-unit minimum and minimum spend on Core [source] | No unit minimum stated [source] |
| Free trial | Demo only [source] | Free trial on each plan [source] |
| API | Read-only API on Plus; read/write on Max [source] | Open API on Premium [source] |
| Portfolio types named | Multifamily, single-family, affordable and student housing (affordable and student on Plus) [source] | Residential rentals and community associations [source] |
Every price and feature on this page was read from the vendor's own website on the checked date. Each cell links the page it came from. Where a vendor publishes no price, the page says so instead of estimating one. Checked 2026-10-05.
Who should pick which
AppFolio
Pick AppFolio if you manage 50+ units and want affordable or student-housing capabilities, a leasing CRM, or a read/write API on one platform, and you are fine negotiating a quote.
Buildium
Pick Buildium if you run a smaller residential or HOA portfolio and want to start on a published monthly price with a free trial.
Directory profile data
| AppFolio | Buildium | |
|---|---|---|
| Asset classes | Multifamily | Multifamily |
| Built for | Property Managers | Property Managers, Smaller Portfolios/Hoas |
| Integrations | Zillow/Realtor.com listing syndication, payments/screening add-ons | RentCafe-style listing syndication, payments |
| Status notes | founded_year: 2006; funding: Public company (NASDAQ: APPF) since 2015; shutdown_risk: none | founded_year: 2004; funding: Acquired by RealPage in 2019; acquisitions: Owned by RealPage (itself owned by Thoma Bravo); shutdown_risk: low - actively maintained under RealPage |
| Last verified | 2026-08-22 | 2026-08-22 |
What the data says
- Factor in AppFolio's status: founded_year: 2006; funding: Public company (NASDAQ: APPF) since 2015; shutdown_risk: none
- Factor in Buildium's status: founded_year: 2004; funding: Acquired by RealPage in 2019; acquisitions: Owned by RealPage (itself owned by Thoma Bravo); shutdown_risk: low - actively maintained under RealPage
Frequently asked questions
- AppFolio vs Buildium: which should I pick?
- Pick AppFolio if you manage 50+ units and want affordable or student-housing capabilities, a leasing CRM, or a read/write API on one platform, and you are fine negotiating a quote. Pick Buildium if you run a smaller residential or HOA portfolio and want to start on a published monthly price with a free trial.
- How much do AppFolio and Buildium cost?
- AppFolio: Not published. Three plans (Core, Plus, Max) are quote-only; Core carries a minimum spend and a 50-unit minimum. Buildium: Essential from $62/month, Growth from $192/month, Premium from $400/month. Screening, eSignature and payments carry separate per-use fees. Checked on each vendor's website on 2026-10-05.