How we compare property management software
What we include, where the numbers come from, and how the finder picks a match.
What we compare
We cover 10 platforms used by US landlords and property managers for long-term residential rentals: TurboTenant, RentRedi, DoorLoop, Buildium, AppFolio Property Manager, Avail, TenantCloud, Rentec Direct, Innago, Landlord Studio. Some also support commercial properties and community associations; we note which ones say so.
We include vendors whether or not they have an affiliate program. AppFolio, for example, has no public affiliate program and is listed like every other platform.
Where prices come from
Every price and fee is read from the vendor's own website: its pricing page first, then its help center or FAQ. Each figure carries a status:
- Read on the vendor's pricing page. The figure appears on the official pricing page on the date shown.
- Vendor help or FAQ page. The vendor states it, but outside the pricing page.
- No public price. The vendor quotes prices only on request. We show "Quote only" and never estimate.
When a vendor's own pages contradict each other, we check the live pricing page and record what it shows. Third-party sites are used only to find where to look, never as the final source.
How the cost calculator works
- Per-unit plans: units × rate, with any lower rate above a threshold applied, never below the plan's monthly minimum.
- Tiered plans: the yearly price for your unit band, divided by twelve.
- Flat plans: the fixed price, plus any charge for units above those included.
- Annual billing is shown as a monthly equivalent. Plans sold on only one billing cycle are marked.
- Plans with a unit or lease cap below your count are listed separately as "not priced at this size".
Figures cover the software subscription only. Payment processing, screening, eSignature, onboarding and add-ons are listed per plan but not added in, because tenants often pay them and they depend on use.
Buildium prices come from the unit-count calculator on its pricing page, which returns a price for each plan in bands of units. AppFolio publishes only starting rates per unit and says a minimum spend applies without stating it, so we show its figures as "from" and rank them after exact prices.
How the software finder picks a match
- Short-term and vacation rentals are out of scope. We say so instead of recommending a tool built for long leases.
- Platforms that do not list your property type (commercial, community associations) are removed.
- Plans that cannot hold your unit count, or whose vendor sets a higher minimum, are removed.
- If you manage for other owners, only plans with owner tools (owner portal, owner statements or trust accounting) stay.
- Plans above your monthly budget are removed. If nothing is left, we show the closest plan and how far it is over.
- Each vendor keeps one plan: the one that matches your priority, otherwise the cheapest.
- Ranking: plans that match your priority first, then plans priced exactly at your size before "starting at" prices, then monthly cost, then the lower bank-payment fee for tenants.
Priorities map to what vendors name on their own plan pages: accounting and tax reporting, listing syndication with tenant screening, or workflow automation. We do not score features we have not seen documented.
How we record features
The feature comparison covers 15 features. Each cell is read from the vendor's pricing page or help center and marked as included, available on higher plans only, sold as an extra, not offered, or not stated. "Not stated" means we did not find the feature on the vendor's own pages; it does not prove the product lacks it.
What we do not do
- We have not tested these products hands-on. We compare published prices, limits and documented features.
- We do not sell placements, rankings or "featured" spots.
- We do not publish star ratings or user reviews.
Updates and corrections
We recheck vendor pricing pages at least once a month and whenever a vendor announces a change. The date on each page shows the last check. If you see a figure that is out of date, write to hello@rentaltechmatch.com and we will correct it.