PayHOA is the best self-managed hoa software for most volunteer boards, because one plan covers accounting, dues, violations, voting and communication, starting at $49 per month billed annually for 1 to 25 units. RunHOA is the budget pick for larger communities, at a flat $399 per year with no unit tiers, while HOA Grove is the lowest monthly subscription in this list at $19 per month for up to 50 homes. Two tools in this list start at $0: HOA Express offers a free website plan for up to 50 households, and Unitify offers a free core plan at $0 per apartment per month with no time limit.
A self-managed HOA needs software that a volunteer treasurer can run without a management company. The tools below cover dues, accounting, communication, violations, requests, documents and voting in different combinations. Price is only part of the choice, because unit tiers, payment fees and plan limits change the first year total.
On this page
Best self-managed hoa software: comparison table
Swipe the table sideways on a phone to see every column.
| # | Name | Best for | Starting price | Free plan / trial | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PayHOA | Small self-managed HOAs that want every feature in one plan | $49 per month | Free trial (30 days) | Visit |
| 2 | RunHOA | Larger self-managed HOAs that want one flat yearly fee | $399 per year | Free trial (30 days) | Visit |
| 3 | HOA Start | Small self-managed HOAs that need a general ledger and events | $39 per month | Free trial (14 days) | Visit |
| 4 | Communitrak | Self-managed HOAs that want a dedicated account manager | $49 per month | Free trial (30 days) | Visit |
| 5 | ManageCasa | Self-managed HOAs that need fund accounting and room to grow | $45 per month | No | Visit |
| 6 | HOA Express | Very small HOAs that mainly need a website and notices | $0 for free plan | Yes | Visit |
| 7 | Buildium | HOAs with rental units mixed in that need deeper accounting | $65 per month | Free trial (14 days) | Visit |
| 8 | HOA Grove | Small HOAs that want the lowest flat monthly subscription | $19 per month | Free trial (30 days) | Visit |
| 9 | Unitify | Owner-occupied HOAs and condos that want a free core plan | $0 per apartment per month | Yes | Visit |
The 9 best best self-managed hoa software tools, in detail
PayHOA
Best for: Small self-managed HOAs that want every feature in one plan
PayHOA prices by unit count, with one plan that includes the same features at every size. The entry tier is $49 per month billed annually, or $54 billed monthly, for 1 to 25 units. The price rises to $249 per month billed annually for 401 to 500 units, and communities above 500 units pay $0.55 per unit per month.
- The set covers invoices, online payments, a chart of accounts, bank reconciliation, vendor management, violation tracking, architectural requests, sur
Pros
- Every feature included at every unit tier
- Unlimited texts, emails and calls
- Bank sync and 40 or more reports
Cons
- Gable AI adds $24.50 per month after 3 free months unless switched off
- Card payments cost 3.5% plus $0.50 per payment and bank transfers cost $2.45 each
RunHOA
Best for: Larger self-managed HOAs that want one flat yearly fee
RunHOA is the simplest price in this list to explain at a board meeting. The subscription is $399 per year, flat, for unlimited units and users, with every listed feature included. For a 200 unit community, that works out to under $2 per unit per year before payment fees.
- The terms page states that the subscription is billed annually and does not renew automatically.
- The set covers HOA accounting and budgeting, dues collection, a member portal, e-voting, surveys, a website builder, document storage and vendor track
- It also includes a 1120-H tax form generator, a practical extra for a volunteer treasurer.
Pros
- One flat fee with no unit count tiers
- Includes accounting, dues, e-voting and a website builder
Cons
- No monthly billing option on the terms page
- Payment processing fees sit outside the flat fee
HOA Start
Best for: Small self-managed HOAs that need a general ledger and events
HOA Start starts at $39 per month billed annually, with no unit cap stated for that entry price, which sets it apart from the unit tier tools in this list. The vendor describes three plans, with features that vary by plan. The Professional plan at $39 per month covers the core work, while Premium at $49 per month adds event registration, violation tracking and a committee planner.
- The core strengths are a general ledger with bank reconciliation, dues billing, budgets, a community website and event management.
- That suits a small board that runs events and needs real books, not just a dues list.
Pros
- No unit cap on the entry price
- Event registration and violation tracking on the Premium plan
Cons
- Event registration and violation tracking need the $49 per month Premium plan
- Processing fee rates are not listed on the pricing page
Communitrak
Best for: Self-managed HOAs that want a dedicated account manager
Communitrak charges $49 per month billed annually for 1 to 50 properties, or $54 billed monthly, with one plan and every feature included. The price is set by units or lots, not by residents, logins or board members, and the vendor states that the rate is locked for the first 12 months. After that, it gives at least 90 days notice before a price change.
- The set covers online dues by card or bank transfer, a resident directory, violation tracking, architectural requests, a document library, email and t
Pros
- One plan with every feature included
- Dedicated account manager on every account
- Price locked for the first 12 months
Cons
- Document storage is limited to 5 GB
- Access control hardware costs extra, from $69 per month for the first door
ManageCasa
Best for: Self-managed HOAs that need fund accounting and room to grow
ManageCasa starts at $45 per month billed yearly on Base for 1 to 25 units. Growth is $80 per month and Premium is $130 per month at the same unit band, with prices rising by unit tier after that. Portfolios above 500 units pay $0.50 per additional unit.
- The vendor offers 35% off the first 3 months and no onboarding fees, so a board should ask what the bill becomes in month 4.
- The accounting core is the reason to shortlist ManageCasa.
- It provides fund accounting with a full general ledger, separate operating, reserve and special accounts, budgets, 1099s and an audit trail.
Pros
- Fund accounting keeps operating and reserve funds on separate ledgers
- Minii AI is included on every plan
- Growth adds bank sync and budgeting at $80 per month
Cons
- Bank connect and sync needs the Growth plan
- Premium at $130 per month is needed for open API access and custom branding
HOA Express
Best for: Very small HOAs that mainly need a website and notices
HOA Express is the cheapest way for a very small HOA to get online. The free plan covers a community website, document storage with access controls, a calendar with RSVPs, custom forms and a resident directory for up to 50 households. Inform is $15 per month billed yearly for up to 25 households, and Engage is $21 per month billed yearly for up to 25 households, adding email and text blasts and online payments.
- HOA Express is not an accounting system, and a board should buy it with that limit in mind.
Pros
- Free plan covers a website, documents and calendar for up to 50 households
- Engage adds online payments and email blasts
Cons
- Free plan shows ads and has no online payments or email blasts
- No accounting, violation tracking or amenity booking is listed
Buildium
Best for: HOAs with rental units mixed in that need deeper accounting
Buildium is the tool in this list for an HOA with rental units mixed among owner occupied homes, because it handles association work and landlord work in one system. The official pricing page opened on 2026-11-12 lists Essential starting at $65 per month, Growth starting at $202 per month and Premium starting at $420 per month. That is higher than the $62, $192 and $400 figures still shown in many older guides, so a board should budget from the current page.
- Essential covers basic accounting, maintenance and leasing, basic communications, an AI assistant and standard reporting.
Pros
- Essential covers accounting, maintenance and leasing
- Growth adds reporting automation and live phone support
Cons
- Essential charges $5 per eSignature document and $2.35 per incoming EFT payment
- Onboarding is required on Growth and Premium
HOA Grove
Best for: Small HOAs that want the lowest flat monthly subscription
HOA Grove starts at $19 per month for Standard for up to 50 homes, rising to $39 per month for 51 to 150 homes and $69 per month for 151 homes and up. Pro starts at $39 per month for up to 50 homes, then $69 and $99 per month at the larger sizes. Both plans include the same core features, and only email broadcasts and the AI assistant separate Pro from Standard.
- The price is per community, not per home, per admin or per feature.
Pros
- Flat price by community size with no per-home charge
- Dues arrive in full in the association Stripe account
Cons
- No full double-entry accounting, by the vendor own statement
- No text message or voice broadcast, email only for notices
Unitify
Best for: Owner-occupied HOAs and condos that want a free core plan
Unitify prices per apartment per month, with unlimited users and properties on every plan. Free is $0 per apartment per month, Base is $1 and Pro is $3. The free plan is a plan, not a trial, with no card and no expiry, and it covers core features with one news post for residents per month and no AI features.
- Base adds full features, unlimited news posts, an AI request classifier, digital passes and booking for shared spaces.
Pros
- Free plan has no time limit and no card needed
- Base at $1 per apartment per month adds full features and digital passes
Cons
- Billing and invoicing costs $0.50 per invoice on Free and Base, and is included only on Pro
- AI features cost extra in credits on top of the plan price, at $0.01 per credit
How we chose
We kept only tools that publish a self-managed HOA or community association offering on their own website, with a price we could read on an official pricing page opened on 2026-11-12. Prices and plan limits in this article come from those official vendor pricing pages and docs opened on 2026-11-12, and the Sources list gives one official URL for each tool. We did not test any tool hands-on. We did not install, use or trial any system for this article, and no hands-on claim is made anywhere in it.
We ranked by fit for a volunteer board, not by feature count alone. Where a vendor raised its price, we used the price on the page opened today, which is why Buildium is listed at $65 per month for Essential, not at the $62 figure still shown in older guides.
Which system fits your community size and budget
| Community size | Lowest cost start | Best fit from this list |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 25 units | $0 on HOA Express or Unitify, or $19 on HOA Grove | PayHOA at $49, HOA Start at $39, or HOA Grove at $19 |
| 26 to 50 units | $0 on HOA Express or Unitify, or $19 on HOA Grove | Communitrak at $49 for 1 to 50 properties, or ManageCasa Base at $45 |
| 51 to 100 units | $0 on Unitify, or $39 on HOA Grove | PayHOA at $99 to $109 by billing choice, or RunHOA at $399 per year |
| 101 to 500 units | $0 on Unitify, or $69 on HOA Grove | RunHOA at a flat $399 per year, or PayHOA by unit tier up to $249 per month |
| Over 500 units | $0 on Unitify, or $0.55 per unit on PayHOA | PayHOA at $0.55 per unit per month, or Buildium by quote above 5,000 units |
Frequently asked questions
Which self-managed HOA software is best for most boards?
PayHOA is the best fit for most volunteer boards, because one plan covers accounting, dues, violations, voting and communication, starting at $49 per month billed annually for 1 to 25 units. It also includes a 30 day free trial with no card required, so a board can test it on real dues before it commits.
What is the cheapest self-managed HOA software?
HOA Express and Unitify both start at $0, with a free plan that has no time limit on Unitify and a free website plan for up to 50 households on HOA Express. The lowest subscription with full dues features is HOA Grove Standard at $19 per month for up to 50 homes.
How much does PayHOA cost per month?
PayHOA starts at $49 per month billed annually, or $54 billed monthly, for 1 to 25 units. The price rises by unit tier to $249 per month billed annually for 401 to 500 units, and communities above 500 units pay $0.55 per unit per month. Gable AI is free for 3 months, then $24.50 per month on the smallest plan unless switched off, and payment fees sit outside the subscription.
Which HOA software has a free plan?
HOA Express has a free plan for up to 50 households, covering a website, documents and calendar, with ads and no online payments. Unitify has a free plan at $0 per apartment per month, with core features, one news post per month and no AI features.
Which tool is best for a large self-managed HOA?
RunHOA is the best fit for a large self-managed HOA that wants a predictable yearly bill, because it charges a flat $399 per year for unlimited units and users. PayHOA is the best fit for a large HOA that wants full accounting at every size, at $249 per month billed annually for 401 to 500 units.
Does HOA software include accounting?
Some tools do, and some do not, so a board should check this before it buys. PayHOA, RunHOA, HOA Start, ManageCasa and Buildium include accounting, with ManageCasa offering fund accounting on separate ledgers. HOA Express does not list accounting, and HOA Grove states that it is not a general ledger.
Sources
- https://www.payhoa.com/
- https://www.payhoa.com/pricing/
- https://www.runhoa.com/
- https://www.runhoa.com/termsandconditions/
- https://hoastart.com/
- https://communitrak.com/
- https://communitrak.com/pricing
- https://managecasa.com/
- https://managecasa.com/hoa-management-software
- https://www.hoa-express.com/
- https://www.buildium.com/
- https://www.buildium.com/pricing/
- https://hoagrove.com/
- https://hoagrove.com/pricing
- https://unitify.com/
- https://unitify.com/pricing
Prices and features were read on each company’s own website in November 2026. They change often, so confirm the current offer on the official site before you sign up or buy.