AppFolio vs Buildium: pricing, features, and which to choose (2026)

AppFolio vs Buildium at a glance

AppFolio and Buildium are both full property management systems for residential managers. The main difference is how they price. AppFolio bills per unit with a 50-unit minimum on its entry plan. Buildium bills a flat monthly plan price and adds per-transaction fees.

The differences that matter

Price structure, not only price level

AppFolio's bill grows with every unit you add. Buildium publishes a starting price for each plan, but its pricing page does not show the price for a given unit count. So the two vendors are hard to compare above the entry level without a quote from each.

At the low end the gap is clear. A 30-unit landlord cannot buy AppFolio Core, because Core needs at least 50 units. That same landlord can start on Buildium Essential at $62 per month. Buildium sends portfolios over 5,000 units to its sales team.

Transaction fees

Buildium publishes its fees in detail. Incoming EFT payments cost $2.35 each on Essential, $1.35 on Growth, and $0.60 on Premium after 12 free months. Outgoing EFT costs $0.99. Card payments cost 2.99%. Essential also charges $99 per business bank account.

AppFolio does not publish payment fees on its pricing page. Ask for the full fee schedule before you compare totals.

AI on each plan

AppFolio includes Realm-X on Core, Plus, and Max. Realm-X runs multi-step tasks from plain-language requests. In September 2026 AppFolio added a Receptionist Performer that answers and routes calls, on all plans. Realm-X Flows and the Accounting Performer need Plus.

Buildium sells AI under the Lumina name. Essential includes an AI Assistant for in-app guidance. The full Lumina suite, including the five Lumina AI Workforce agents, is included on Premium. On Essential and Growth the AI Workforce is a paid add-on with no published price.

Segments

Both systems serve residential managers. AppFolio supports affordable and student housing, but only from the Plus plan up. Buildium lists residential, association, multifamily, commercial, and student segments. Its pricing page sends community associations to sales.

Contract and data

AppFolio's Core Terms set the term on the order form. The term renews for the same period unless either party gives 30 days' notice. If you cancel for convenience during the term, the early termination fee is 50% of the remaining service fees. You must retrieve your data before the term ends.

Buildium's pricing page does not publish contract terms. Its Open API, listed on Premium, gives access to property, resident, and accounting data.

What each costs at three portfolio sizes

The table multiplies AppFolio's starting prices by unit count. It leaves out AppFolio's minimum spend, because AppFolio does not publish it. For Buildium, only the starting price per plan is published, so the table shows that floor.

Two costs sit outside the table:

• AppFolio onboarding. AppFolio sets non-refundable onboarding and data migration fees on the order form. The amount is not published.

• Buildium onboarding. Growth and Premium require Buildium's onboarding service. The pricing page lists no fee for it.

For a 200-unit portfolio that collects rent by EFT, Buildium's incoming EFT fees alone are 200 x $2.35 = $470 per month on Essential, or 200 x $1.35 = $270 on Growth. That is why the plan price is only part of a Buildium bill. See our Buildium pricing guide and AppFolio pricing guide for every fee.

What reviewers say

Capterra reviewers praise Buildium's ease of use and all-in-one scope. G2 reviewers praise its tenant management and support. Common complaints include accounting problems, trouble with QuickBooks connectivity, limited customization, and cost for small portfolios.

As of October 2026, Buildium holds a 4.5 rating on Capterra and a 4.4 rating on G2. For AppFolio, the clearest published friction point is the contract, not the product. The term renews automatically, and an early exit costs 50% of the remaining fees. Weigh that against the AI that AppFolio includes on every plan.

Who should choose each

Choose AppFolio if you manage 50 or more units and want AI included at every plan level. It also fits if you manage affordable or student housing and can pay for Plus. Teams that want an API should note that Core has none.

Choose Buildium if you manage fewer than 50 units or want to test the system with a free trial first. Its published fee schedule makes the total easier to model before you sign. Read our Buildium review for more detail.

A third option: Darcy

Darcy is AI-native property management software that runs leasing, maintenance, and accounting in one system. It charges $2 per unit per month for the whole system and its AI agents. Payment processing is billed per transaction: $2.50 per ACH payment, or 2.85% plus $0.30 per card payment. Darcy's agents prepare routine work for your team to review, such as resident replies, collections messages, renewal offers, and month-end close tasks. Darcy imports exports from both AppFolio and Buildium and reconciles each batch to your files' totals before anything is imported. Compare the details in Darcy vs AppFolio and Darcy vs Buildium, or book a demo.