The short answer
Buildium vs TenantCloud is a price gap more than a close call: TenantCloud costs less at every size it publishes, from 1 to 60 active leases. With an owner portal on both, TenantCloud Pro costs $50 a month at 50 units on annual billing, and Buildium Growth costs $181.83, more than 3 times as much.
Buildium earns its price in two places. It publishes unit prices up to 5,000 units, while TenantCloud moves to a custom-priced Business plan above 60 leases. And it handles commercial properties and community associations, which TenantCloud's pricing page does not list; associations are priced by phone.
How each one prices
TenantCloud sells three plans at a flat price. The limit is active leases, not units: Starter allows 10 active leases, Growth 30 and Pro 60, with unlimited properties and units on each. TenantCloud Starter costs $25 a month, or $15 a month paid yearly. Growth costs $35, or $29.17 paid yearly. Pro costs $60, or $50 paid yearly. Yearly billing saves 40% on Starter and 17% on Pro.
Buildium prices by bands of units, read from the calculator on its pricing page. Buildium Essential costs $58.50 a month up to 20 units and $75.58 up to 40, where the plan stops. Buildium Growth costs $181.83 a month for anything up to 50 units, then climbs in steps. Premium starts at $378. These are annual-billing figures shown per month; paying a year upfront saves about 10% against month-to-month billing. Growth and Premium also require onboarding, and Buildium does not list its fee.
Monthly cost from 1 to 60 units
| Plan | 5 units | 10 units | 20 units | 30 units | 40 units | 50 units | 60 units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TenantCloud StarterUp to 10 active leases | $15 | $15 | Over limit | Over limit | Over limit | Over limit | Over limit |
| TenantCloud GrowthUp to 30 active leases | $29.17 | $29.17 | $29.17 | $29.17 | Over limit | Over limit | Over limit |
| TenantCloud ProUp to 60 active leases | $50 | $50 | $50 | $50 | $50 | $50 | $50 |
| Buildium EssentialUp to 40 units | $58.50 | $58.50 | $58.50 | $75.58 | $75.58 | Over limit | Over limit |
| Buildium GrowthUp to 5,000 units | $181.83 | $181.83 | $181.83 | $181.83 | $181.83 | $181.83 | $238.50 |
| Buildium PremiumUp to 5,000 units | $378 | $378 | $378 | $378 | $378 | $378 | $378 |
Software subscription per month, on the cheapest billing option each vendor offers (usually a year paid upfront). Taxes, onboarding, add-ons and payment fees are not included.
Month to month, the order does not change. At every size from 1 to 60, TenantCloud's cheapest plan costs less than Buildium's cheapest plan on either billing cycle. At 50 units with yearly billing, the difference between TenantCloud Pro and Buildium Growth is $131.83 a month.
The cheapest owner portal on each
If you manage properties for other owners, the plan you need is the one with owner access. TenantCloud puts its separate owner portal on Pro only. Buildium includes an owners portal on every plan, Essential included.
So the owner-portal comparison is TenantCloud Pro against Buildium Essential up to 40 units, and against Buildium Growth from 41 units. TenantCloud Pro is cheaper in both cases: $50 against $58.50 at 20 units, and $50 against $181.83 at 50. TenantCloud Pro also adds bank reconciliation, which its lower plans do not have.
Neither pricing page lists trust accounting. If you hold owners' money and your state requires a trust account, ask both vendors before you buy. Our guide for property managers who manage for owners compares the platforms that do list it.
Who pays the payment fees
The subscription is only part of the bill. TenantCloud states that the tenant pays the bank transfer fee. Buildium sells online payments as its ePay add-on, priced per transaction, and lists the bank transfer fee among your plan's add-on fees without saying a tenant pays it.
| Buildium | TenantCloud | |
|---|---|---|
| Who pays bank transfer (ACH) fees | Not stated: listed as an add-on fee on your plan | The tenant |
| Bank transfer fee per payment | $2.35 on Essential, $1.35 on Growth, free for the first year on Premium, then $0.60 | $1.95 on Starter, $1.75 on Growth, $1.50 on Pro |
| Online rent collection | ePay add-on, priced per transaction; no monthly fee shown | Included on every plan |
| Card payments | 2.99% per payment | Not stated on the pricing page |
| Tenant screening | $17 a report on Essential, $20 on Growth and Premium; an applicant-paid option is also listed | Paid by the applicant |
| Lease e-signatures | $5 per document on Essential, $1 on Growth, included on Premium | Included |
Take 20 units on Buildium Essential, with every tenant paying rent by bank transfer each month and the fee charged to you. The subscription is $58.50, and the bank fees add $47, for $105.50 a month. On TenantCloud Pro the same 20 payments cost the manager nothing; each tenant pays $1.50 per transfer.
Features side by side
| Feature | TenantCloud | Buildium |
|---|---|---|
| Online rent collection | Included | Extra costePay add-on on every plan |
| Tenant screening | IncludedPaid by the applicant | Extra costAdd-on, $17 to $20 per report |
| Listing syndication | Included | Included |
| Lease e-signatures | Included | Extra costAdd-on on Essential and Growth, included on Premium |
| Maintenance requests | Included | Included |
| Income and expense tracking | Included | Included |
| Bank feeds or reconciliation | Higher plans onlyPro: bank reconciliation | IncludedBank reconciliation |
| Tax reports (Schedule E or 1099) | Higher plans only1099 from Growth, tax preparation on Pro | Extra cost1099 e-filing add-on |
| Owner portal or owner statements | Higher plans onlyPro: separate owner portal | IncludedOwners portal |
| Trust accounting | Not stated | Not stated |
| Multiple users | Higher plans only1 team member on Growth and Pro | IncludedCustom roles and permissions |
| Open API | Not stated | Higher plans onlyPremium only |
| Commercial properties | Not stated | Included |
| Community associations | Not stated | Included |
| Free plan or free trial | Included14-day trial | 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.
Three differences matter most. TenantCloud includes online rent collection and lease e-signatures on every plan, where Buildium sells them as extras. Buildium lists commercial properties, community associations and custom user roles. TenantCloud allows one team member on Growth and Pro, and its Zapier connection sits on the Business plan.
Which one fits
TenantCloud fits a landlord or small management firm with up to 60 active leases who wants a low, predictable bill and is happy for tenants to pay their own transfer fees. If you need owner access, budget for Pro.
Buildium fits a firm that is past 60 leases or expects to be soon, manages commercial space or associations, or wants several staff with their own permissions. Ask Buildium for the onboarding fee before you compare totals. For more options at your size, see Buildium alternatives by portfolio size.
What we could not verify
- Buildium's onboarding fee for Growth and Premium, and who pays its bank transfer fee: its pricing page lists the fee on your plan without naming the payer.
- TenantCloud's Business plan price above 60 active leases: it publishes a starting rate, and the final price depends on your units, features and roles.
- TenantCloud's card payment fee, which its pricing page does not state.
Questions people ask
Is TenantCloud cheaper than Buildium?
Yes, at every size TenantCloud publishes, from 1 to 60 active leases, on yearly or monthly billing. At 50 units with yearly billing, TenantCloud Pro costs $50 a month and Buildium Growth costs $181.83.
Does TenantCloud have an owner portal?
Yes, on the Pro plan only, which costs $50 a month paid yearly or $60 month to month for up to 60 active leases. Buildium includes an owners portal on every plan, starting with Essential at $58.50 a month.
Who pays ACH fees on TenantCloud and Buildium?
On TenantCloud the tenant pays: $1.95 per transfer on Starter down to $1.50 on Pro. Buildium lists $2.35 per payment on Essential and $1.35 on Growth as add-on fees on your plan, without saying a tenant pays them.
What happens above 60 units on TenantCloud?
TenantCloud's fixed-price plans stop at 60 active leases. Above that it offers a custom-priced Business plan. Buildium publishes prices up to 5,000 units: Growth costs $238.50 a month at 100 units on yearly billing.
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: tenantcloud.com/pricing, buildium.com/pricing. How we work out costs: methodology. Some links on this site may become affiliate links; see our disclosure.