Buildium vs AppFolio Pricing (2026)

Buildium vs AppFolio

Property Management pricing comparison · 2026

Buildium pricing ranges from $0–$400/month, while AppFolio ranges from $1.4–$5/unit/month. AppFolio is typically 98% more affordable, though your actual cost depends on tier and team size.

Property Management

Buildium

$0–$400
/month
4 plans · Free tier
Full pricing breakdown →
VS
Property Management

AppFolio

$1.4–$5
/unit/month
3 plans
Full pricing breakdown →

Buildium and AppFolio both operate in the property management category. This page compares their list pricing.

Plan-by-Plan Pricing

Plan Buildium AppFolio
Free Trial Free /month $1.40 /unit/month
Essential $62 /month $3 /unit/month
Growth $192 /month $5 /unit/month
Premium $400 /month

Cost at Scale

Total cost of ownership — licenses, implementation, and hidden costs included.

Buildium

5 scenarios
$744/year ($62/month x 12 months)
Startup Landlord (10 units, Essential)
$2,304/year ($192/month x 12 months)
Growing Property Manager (50 units, Growth)
$4,800/year ($400/month x 12 months)
Established PM Firm (200 units, Premium)
See all 5 scenarios →

AppFolio

5 scenarios
$70/month (50 units × $1.40/unit, Core plan)
$300/month (100 units × $3/unit, Plus plan)
$280/month (200 units × $1.40/unit, Core plan)
See all 5 scenarios →

Market Intelligence

Buildium

Median annual cost
$480
Based on
46 deals

AppFolio

Median annual cost
$599
Based on
44 deals

Hidden Costs

Beyond the sticker price — what catches buyers off guard.

Buildium 7 hidden costs

medium
Electronic Payment Processing Fees $0.50-$1
medium
Premium Feature Add-On Costs 10-20% of license costs
medium
Tenant Screening Fees 5-10% of license costs
high
Implementation and Setup Fees $1000-$2000
medium
Per-Unit Pricing Increases as Portfolio Grows 15-30% of license costs
See all Buildium hidden costs →

AppFolio 3 hidden costs

high
Online Payment Processing Fees $1/unit/month or $2.49/resident transaction
medium
Onboarding and Setup Fees $400-$1,000
high
Minimum Monthly Fee Regardless of Unit Count $280/month minimum
See all AppFolio hidden costs →

Contract Terms

Term Buildium AppFolio
Auto-renewal
Cancellation
Minimum commitment
Price escalation Users report 2-3 price increases per year without transparent escalation schedule No published schedule, but pricing structure has changed over time with new fees added for previously included services like ACH payments