Comparison
Darcy vs Buildium: pricing, AI, and which to choose (2026)
Quick answer
Buildium publishes starting prices of $62 (Essential), $192 (Growth), and $400 (Premium) per month as of October 2026, but not the price at a given unit count. Its Lumina AI Workforce agents are included only on Premium. Darcy costs $2 per unit per month with every module and AI agent included. Buildium charges less per incoming ACH payment on its higher plans ($1.35 or $0.60) than Darcy ($2.50).
Choose Darcy
Choose Darcy if you want a price you can calculate from your unit count, with every AI agent included, and fewer add-on fees for bank accounts, eSignature, and 1099 filing.
Choose Buildium
Choose Buildium if you run a small or mid-size portfolio, value an easy system with a free trial, and want a large integration marketplace backed by RealPage.
Quick verdict
Buildium is a well-known system for small and mid-size property managers. Reviewers praise how easy it is to learn. Darcy is a full property management system with AI agents included at $2 per unit per month.
The two products price in different ways. Buildium sells three flat monthly plans with "starts at" prices, and then adds fees for many actions. Darcy charges per unit, and payment processing is its only other fee. Buildium's full AI suite, including the Lumina AI Workforce agents, is on Premium only. On Essential and Growth, the agents are a paid add-on with no published price.
Side-by-side comparison
Darcy | Buildium | |
|---|---|---|
Price model | $2 per unit per month | Flat monthly plans: Essential, Growth, Premium |
Starting price | $2 per unit per month | $62, $192, or $400 per month (starting prices) |
Price at your unit count | Units x $2 | Not published |
Incoming ACH | $2.50 per transaction | $2.35 Essential, $1.35 Growth, $0.60 Premium (free for the first 12 months) |
Card payments | 2.85% + $0.30 | 2.99% |
Other fees | None listed | Bank accounts, eSignature, 1099 e-filing, check printing, onboarding |
AI agents | All included | Lumina AI Workforce on Premium; paid add-on on other plans |
Segments | Residential, commercial, associations, affordable, investment entities | Residential, association, multifamily, commercial, student |
Prices are as of October 2026.
Where Buildium is stronger
Ease of use. Capterra reviewers often praise how easy Buildium is to use and its all-in-one scope. Buildium holds 4.5 on Capterra from 2,207 reviews and 4.4 on G2, as of October 2026.
Support and tenant tools. G2 reviewers praise tenant management and responsive support.
A free trial. Buildium publishes starting prices and offers a free trial with no credit card.
Lower ACH fees on higher plans. Buildium charges $1.35 per incoming EFT on Growth. On Premium, incoming EFT is free for 12 months and then $0.60. Both are below Darcy's $2.50 per ACH payment.
A large marketplace and owner. RealPage acquired Buildium in 2019, and Thoma Bravo owns RealPage. Buildium lists partners such as CACi, AvidXchange, Lula, ShowDigs, and ButterflyMX. Premium adds an Open API.
Breadth of AI on Premium. Lumina AI Workforce has five agents: Leasing, Accounting, Maintenance, Resident Experience, and Business Operations. AI Bill Scan turns emailed invoices into draft bills.
Where Darcy is stronger
A price you can calculate. Darcy is $2 per unit. Buildium's pricing page shows only "starts at" figures, so you need a quote to know your cost.
Agents on every account. Buildium includes Lumina AI Workforce only on Premium. Darcy includes its agents for resident messages, collections, renewals, maintenance triage, leasing follow-up, and the month-end close in the base price.
Fewer per-action fees. On Essential, Buildium charges $99 per business bank account and $5 per eSignature document. Buildium also charges $50 per batch plus $4.50 per form for 1099 e-filing. Remote check printing costs $1.50 per check. Darcy lists no such fees.
Accounting work done by agents. Some Capterra reviewers describe accounting problems with Buildium. Darcy's close agent matches bank lines, reads vendor invoices, and flags anything that does not add up. It also drafts the note for each owner statement.
Customization through policy. G2 reviewers cite limited customization in Buildium. In Darcy, collections, renewals, and fee waivers follow the rules you set, and you decide which work Darcy runs on its own.
What each costs at 100, 500, and 2,000 units
Buildium does not publish what a plan costs at a given unit count. Its pricing page lists only starting prices, and it sends portfolios over 5,000 units to sales. For that reason, we cannot calculate Buildium's cost at 100, 500, or 2,000 units, and we do not estimate it.
Units | Darcy | Buildium |
|---|---|---|
100 | 100 x $2 = $200 per month | Quote needed (plans start at $62, $192, $400) |
500 | 500 x $2 = $1,000 per month | Quote needed |
2,000 | 2,000 x $2 = $4,000 per month | Quote needed |
Payment fees are separate on both. Take 400 ACH rent payments in a month as an example. Darcy charges 400 x $2.50 = $1,000. Buildium charges 400 x $2.35 = $940 on Essential, 400 x $1.35 = $540 on Growth, or 400 x $0.60 = $240 on Premium after the first year. Card fees are 2.85% + $0.30 at Darcy and 2.99% at Buildium.
When you ask Buildium for a quote, also ask for the onboarding fee. Growth and Premium require Buildium's onboarding service, and the pricing page lists no amount. Third-party reviews report that Buildium list prices rose in 2026, from $58, $183, and $375 to the current figures. Buildium has not announced this change. See the full fee list in the Buildium pricing guide.
Switching from Buildium to Darcy
Darcy imports Buildium exports directly. Upload the exports and your lease PDFs. Darcy's Migration agent stages every record, flags errors and duplicates, and proposes the import in batches that reconcile to your files' totals to the cent. Nothing goes in until you approve it.
Darcy migrates properties, units, owners, tenants and leases, opening balances, security deposits, and vendors. Buildium's Open API, listed on Premium, gives programmatic access to property, resident, and accounting data. Buildium documents no bulk export format on the pages we checked, so confirm with Buildium which reports you can export on your plan. Darcy's team schedules the move around your Buildium renewal date. Read the full checklist in how to switch from Buildium.
Who should pick each
Pick Buildium if you manage a small or mid-size portfolio and you want an easy system with a free trial. It also fits if its lower ACH fees on Growth or Premium matter more to you than included AI agents. Pick Darcy if you want a per-unit price you can predict. It also fits teams that want agents to do routine collections, renewals, maintenance triage, and close work.
For more options, see Buildium alternatives and Buildium vs DoorLoop. To see Darcy on a portfolio like yours, book a demo.
Questions, answered
How much does Buildium cost compared with Darcy?
Buildium plans start at $62, $192, and $400 per month as of October 2026, but Buildium does not publish the price at a given unit count. Darcy costs $2 per unit per month, so 100 units cost $200 per month before payment fees.
Does Buildium include AI agents?
Buildium's Lumina AI Workforce has five agents. It is included on Premium and is a paid add-on on Essential and Growth. Buildium does not publish the add-on price.
Which has lower payment fees?
For ACH, Buildium is lower on its higher plans: $1.35 on Growth and $0.60 on Premium after 12 months, against $2.50 at Darcy. For cards, Darcy charges 2.85% + $0.30 and Buildium charges 2.99%.
Can Darcy import data from Buildium?
Yes. Darcy imports Buildium exports and lease PDFs, and it reconciles each batch to your files' totals before you approve the import.
Sources and method
We read each vendor’s own pricing and product pages, then review sites and news. Prices and features change, so confirm details with the vendor before you buy.
See Darcy run on a portfolio like yours
Tell us how many units you manage and which system you use today. We’ll show you which parts of your team’s week Darcy can take on.