The short answer
Under 50 units the choice is made for you: AppFolio's cheapest plan requires 50 units, and Buildium Essential costs $55.92 a month for up to 20 units on annual billing ($72.25 for 21 to 40).
Above 50 units, AppFolio's published starting rate looks lower at first. At 100 units, AppFolio Core starts at $149 a month and Buildium Growth costs $226.83. But AppFolio adds a minimum monthly spend it does not publish, so that $149 is a floor, not a price. Once you pass a few hundred units, Buildium Growth costs less than AppFolio Core's starting rate on its own.
How each one prices
AppFolio charges per unit per month. Its pricing page lists three plans with starting rates: Core from $1.49, Plus from $3.20 and Max from $5.00. Under each price it says "minimum spend and 50 unit minimum apply" for Core, and "minimum spend and units apply" for the other two. The minimum spend is not stated anywhere public, and neither are billing terms. You get the real number on a sales call.
Buildium has a calculator on its pricing page. Enter a unit count and it returns a price for each plan, up to 5,000 units. Prices move in bands: Growth costs the same from 1 to 50 units, steps up at 51, 101, 151 and 201, then rises every 10 to 20 units. Paying a year upfront saves about 10%. Essential stops at 40 units. Growth and Premium require paid onboarding, and Buildium does not list that fee.
Monthly cost at common portfolio sizes
| Plan | 20 units | 40 units | 50 units | 100 units | 200 units | 300 units | 500 units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AppFolio Core | 50+ only | 50+ only | from $74.50 | from $149 | from $298 | from $447 | from $745 |
| AppFolio Plus | 50+ only | 50+ only | from $160 | from $320 | from $640 | from $960 | from $1,600 |
| Buildium EssentialUp to 40 units | $55.92 | $72.25 | Over limit | Over limit | Over limit | Over limit | Over limit |
| Buildium GrowthUp to 5,000 units | $173 | $173 | $173 | $226.83 | $271.25 | $433.83 | $650.25 |
| Buildium PremiumUp to 5,000 units | $361.17 | $361.17 | $361.17 | $361.17 | $477.67 | $713.58 | $1,179.67 |
Software subscription per month. Buildium figures use annual prepaid billing from its own calculator. AppFolio figures are its published starting rates multiplied by unit count; its minimum spend comes on top and is not public. Payment fees and add-ons are extra on both.
At 200 units, AppFolio Core starts at $298 and Buildium Growth costs $271.25. From roughly 300 units up, Buildium Growth is cheaper than AppFolio Core's starting rate at every size we checked. Buildium Premium against AppFolio Plus follows the same pattern, with Buildium cheaper from 113 units.
Fees outside the subscription
On Buildium, online rent payments are an add-on on every plan. Bank payments cost the property manager $2.35 each on Essential and $1.35 on Growth. Premium includes incoming bank payments free for the first 12 months, then $0.60 each. Card payments are 2.99%. eSignature costs $5 per document on Essential, $1 on Growth and nothing on Premium. Screening runs $17 to $20 per report.
AppFolio lists online payments, screening, websites and premium listings as add-on services. It does not publish their prices.
Features side by side
| Feature | AppFolio | Buildium |
|---|---|---|
| Online rent collection | Extra costOnline payments are a value-added service | Extra costePay add-on on every plan |
| Tenant screening | Extra costScreening is a value-added service | Extra costAdd-on, $17 to $20 per report |
| Listing syndication | IncludedPay-to-list sites are an add-on | Included |
| Lease e-signatures | Not stated | Extra costAdd-on on Essential and Growth, included on Premium |
| Maintenance requests | Included | Included |
| Income and expense tracking | Included | Included |
| Bank feeds or reconciliation | Not stated | IncludedBank reconciliation |
| Tax reports (Schedule E or 1099) | Not stated | Extra cost1099 e-filing add-on |
| Owner portal or owner statements | IncludedOwner mobile app | IncludedOwners portal |
| Trust accounting | Included | Not stated |
| Multiple users | IncludedRole-based permissions | IncludedCustom roles and permissions |
| Open API | Higher plans onlyRead-only on Plus, read/write on Max | Higher plans onlyPremium only |
| Commercial properties | Included | Included |
| Community associations | Included | Included |
| Free plan or free trial | Not offeredDemo only | Included14-day trial, no card |
✓ included · ↑ higher plans only · + extra cost · ✕ not offered · – not stated on the vendor's pages we read. All platforms compared.
Which one fits
Buildium makes more sense if you manage fewer than 50 units, if you want to see a price before you talk to a salesperson, or if you want to try the software first: Buildium offers a 14-day trial with sample data and no card. It also covers commercial properties and community associations, though associations are quoted by phone.
AppFolio makes more sense for an established company above 50 units that wants one vendor for accounting, leasing, maintenance and AI tools, and is prepared to go through a sales process. The Plus plan adds affordable and student housing features that Buildium's pricing page does not list.
What we could not verify
- AppFolio's minimum monthly spend, billing terms and add-on prices.
- Buildium's onboarding fee for Growth and Premium, and the price of its ePay add-on.
Run your own numbers. The calculator prices every plan we track at your unit count, and the finder picks one for you in five questions.
Sources, the vendors' own pages: appfolio.com/pricing, buildium.com/pricing. How we work out costs: methodology. Some links on this site may become affiliate links; see our disclosure.