AppFolio lists Core from $1.49 per unit per month, with a 50 unit minimum and a minimum spend, so small portfolios often find a lower flat monthly price elsewhere. Buildium and DoorLoop are the closest full replacements for a professional management firm, with accounting, leasing, maintenance, owner portals, and tenant portals in one system. Innago, TurboTenant, and Avail start at $0, which suits a self managing landlord with a small number of units who wants rent collection and leasing without a monthly subscription.
We compared 8 options for appfolio alternatives. Each profile below lists the price, free plan, pros and cons as published by the company.
On this page
Appfolio alternatives: comparison table
Swipe the table sideways on a phone to see every column.
| # | Name | Best for | Starting price | Free plan / trial | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buildium | Professional property management firms | $65 per month | Free trial (14 days) | Visit |
| 2 | DoorLoop | Firms that want AI agents to handle tenant work | $2.50 per unit per month | No | Visit |
| 3 | Rentec Direct | Small firms that need trust accounting | $25 per month | Free trial (14 days) | Visit |
| 4 | TenantCloud | Landlords who want low flat monthly pricing | $15 per month | Free trial (14 days) | Visit |
| 5 | RentRedi | Landlords who want one flat price for unlimited units | $12 per month | No | Visit |
| 6 | Innago | Landlords who want a free core system | $0 per month | Yes | Visit |
| 7 | TurboTenant | Self managing landlords who want free listings and rent collection | $0 per month | Yes | Visit |
| 8 | Avail | Landlords who want free listings, leases, and rent collection | $0 per unit | Yes | Visit |
The 8 best appfolio alternatives, in detail
Buildium
Best for: Professional property management firms
Buildium is the most direct AppFolio alternative for a management firm that runs residential rentals for other owners. Its Essential plan starts at $65 per month, Growth starts at $202 per month, and Premium starts at $420 per month, as shown on the Buildium pricing page opened on 12 November 2026. Those plans cover accounting, maintenance, leasing, tenant screening, online payments, and owner and resident portals.
- The main trade off is cost as transaction fees add up.
- Essential charges $2.35 per incoming bank transfer, while Growth lowers that fee to $1.35 and Premium offers the first 12 months free, then $0.60.
- Growth and Premium also require onboarding, which adds time at the start.
- Even so, Buildium suits a firm that wants published plan prices, a 14 day trial with no card required, and a system built for managers.
Pros
- Full accounting, leasing, maintenance, and owner reporting in one place
- plan prices are published on the pricing page
Cons
- Essential charges $2.35 per incoming bank transfer
- Growth and Premium require onboarding
DoorLoop
Best for: Firms that want AI agents to handle tenant work
DoorLoop now prices by unit, with DoorLoop One starting at $2.50 per unit per month, Connect at $4.00 per unit per month, and Multiply at $5.00 per unit per month, as shown on the DoorLoop pricing page opened on 12 November 2026. Units above 100 drop to $1.50 per unit on One. Every plan includes accounting, leasing, maintenance, payments, owner and tenant portals, showings, a company website, the AI Assistant, unlimited users, unlimited storage, and full API access.
- Connect adds a receptionist agent that answers tenant calls, texts, and portal messages around the clock, plus free incoming bank transfers and priori
- Multiply adds maintenance and lease renewal agents that run those workflows with approval from your team.
- The main limit is the unpublished minimum spend, so a small portfolio should ask for a written quote before judging the per unit price.
Pros
- Every plan includes the full platform, unlimited users, and API access
- Connect adds a receptionist agent that answers tenants around the clock
Cons
- A minimum spend and unit minimum apply, and the dollar minimum is not published on the pricing page
Rentec Direct
Best for: Small firms that need trust accounting
Rentec Direct offers three editions, with Starter at a flat $25 per month for up to 10 properties, and Pro and PM starting at $50 per month and rising with unit count, as shown on the Rentec Direct pricing page opened on 12 November 2026. The company states that it charges no setup fees, no term commitments, and no training costs, and that every edition includes unlimited United States based support and free one on one onboarding. Pro adds API access, Zapier integrations, and bank sync.
- PM adds trust accounting, owner accounting, and an owner portal for managers who handle money for other owners.
- Starter users should note the $2 charge per bank transfer, while Pro and PM users get free bank transfers for tenants.
- Rentec Direct suits a small firm that wants trust accounting at a low starting price.
Pros
- Flat starting price with no setup fees and no long term contract
- PM edition adds trust accounting and an owner portal
Cons
- Starter is capped at 10 properties and charges $2 per bank transfer
- Pro and PM prices rise with unit count
TenantCloud
Best for: Landlords who want low flat monthly pricing
TenantCloud prices by lease count rather than by unit count, which can keep the bill low for a landlord with many properties but few active leases. Starter is $15 per month when billed annually, Growth is $29.17 per month when billed annually, Pro is $50 per month when billed annually, and Business starts at $100 per month, as shown on the TenantCloud pricing page opened on 12 November 2026. Monthly billing costs more, at $25 for Starter, $35 for Growth, and $60 for Pro.
- Every plan allows unlimited properties and units.
- The lease cap is the limit to watch.
- Starter allows 10 leases, Growth allows 30, and Pro allows 60, so a landlord who signs many leases may need a higher plan sooner than the unit count s
- Growth adds move in and move out inspections, while Pro adds tax reporting, bank reconciliation, and an owner portal.
Pros
- Low starting price with unlimited properties and units on every plan
- plans are priced by lease count, not by unit count
Cons
- Starter caps active leases at 10, Growth at 30, and Pro at 60
- bank reconciliation and the owner portal start on Pro
RentRedi
Best for: Landlords who want one flat price for unlimited units
RentRedi keeps pricing simple, with one plan and three billing terms. The monthly plan is $29.95 per month, the 6 month plan is $20 per month, and the annual plan is $12 per month, as shown on the RentRedi pricing page opened on 12 November 2026. Every term includes the same full feature set, with unlimited properties, tenants, and teammates, plus a 30 day money back guarantee and no contract.
- The plan covers rent collection, listings, applications, screening, maintenance, lease signing, messaging, and accounting.
- Screening is covered by the applicant, at $39.99 for credit, criminal, and eviction reports, or $49.99 with income verification.
- The main limit is that there is no free plan and no free trial, so the first charge arrives at sign up, with the money back guarantee as the safety ne
Pros
- One plan with every feature and unlimited properties, tenants, and teammates
- annual billing is $12 per month
Cons
- No free plan and no free trial, only a 30 day money back guarantee
- accounting is included but the interface is simpler than a full firm system
Innago
Best for: Landlords who want a free core system
Innago is free for landlords, with no monthly fee, no setup fee, and no contract, as stated on the Innago pricing page and on Innago product pages opened on 12 November 2026. There are no packages, tiers, or paywalls, so every user gets the same set of features, including listings, applications, screening, leases, rent collection, maintenance, and financial tracking, with unlimited units. Innago earns from transaction fees rather than from a landlord subscription.
- Screening is $30 to $35 per applicant by default, covered by the applicant, and card payments carry a small processing fee, while bank transfers carry
- A landlord who wants a higher support tier or a more complex accounting system may need another tool as the portfolio grows.
Pros
- Free for landlords with no monthly fee, no setup fee, and no contract
- all features are included for every user
Cons
- No subscription tiers means no premium support tier to buy
- screening and card payment fees are covered by applicants and tenants by default
TurboTenant
Best for: Self managing landlords who want free listings and rent collection
TurboTenant offers a Free plan at $0 per month, Essentials at $12.42 per month, and Pro at $16.58 per month on its pricing page opened on 12 November 2026. Those monthly figures are the annual price divided by 12, because the subscription plans are billed once a year. For 1 to 10 units, Essentials is $149 a year and Pro is $199 a year, rising to $349 and $999 a year for 61 or more units.
- The Free plan covers listings, applications, screening, online rent collection, maintenance requests, and a rent roll.
- Essentials adds unlimited lease agreements and e signatures, showing scheduling, faster rent payouts, card payments, and phone support.
- Pro adds income verification, fraud checks, custom application questions, waived bank transfer fees for renters, and full accounting.
- Applicants cover screening, at $55 on Free and $45 on Pro, and bank transfers cost renters $2 on Free unless the landlord is on Pro.
Pros
- Free plan covers listings, screening, rent collection, and maintenance
- Essentials and Pro are billed once a year with no monthly option to track
Cons
- Essentials and Pro prices rise with unit count, from $149 to $349 a year for Essentials and $199 to $999 a year for Pro
- full service Autopilot is quoted by call
Avail
Best for: Landlords who want free listings, leases, and rent collection
Avail offers an Unlimited plan at $0 per unit with unlimited units, and an Unlimited Plus plan at $9 per unit per month, as shown on the Avail pricing page opened on 12 November 2026. The free plan includes listings on leading rental sites, rental applications and screening reports, state specific leases with digital signing, online rent collection, maintenance tracking, a tenant portal, and income and expense tracking. Unlimited Plus adds FastPay next day deposits, waived bank transfer charges, custom application questions, lease template edits, a branded property website, and priority support.
- The main limit is the per unit price of Plus, because $9 per unit per month is $90 a month for 10 units, which is more than the flat prices of RentRed
Pros
- Unlimited plan is $0 per unit with unlimited units
- state specific leases, screening, and rent collection are included
Cons
- Tenants cover $2.50 per bank transfer on the free plan
- Unlimited Plus is $9 per unit per month, which rises fast as units are added
How we chose
We opened each vendor pricing page on 12 November 2026 and used the starting price shown on that page, with the billing term stated in the block. Where a page showed both monthly and annual prices, we used the annual figure and named it. We checked the free plan, the trial length, the lease or unit cap, and the transaction fees, because those items change the real cost. We did not claim hands on testing, and we did not use review scores, awards, or customer counts to rank the tools.
| Portfolio size | Best starting point | Why it fits | Monthly cost at that size | | 1 to 5 units | Innago, TurboTenant, or Avail | Free core plans cover listings, rent, and leases | $0 | | 6 to 20 units | RentRedi or TenantCloud | Flat monthly prices stay low as units are added | $12 to $15, billed annually | | 21 to 50 units | Rentec Direct or Buildium Essential | Trust accounting or firm reporting becomes useful | $25 to $65 | | 51 to 200 units | Buildium Growth or DoorLoop One | Per unit math and firm features matter at this size | $192 to $202 for Buildium Growth, or $2.50 per unit for DoorLoop One | | Over 200 units | DoorLoop, Buildium Premium, or AppFolio Core | Scale, API access, and owner reporting matter most | $420 for Buildium Premium, or $1.49 per unit for AppFolio Core |
What to check before you buy
Check the monthly minimum first, because a low per unit price can still mean a high monthly bill. AppFolio Core starts at $1.49 per unit per month with a 50 unit minimum and a minimum spend, DoorLoop One starts at $2.50 per unit per month with a minimum spend, and Buildium Essential starts at $65 per month. Multiply the per unit price by your unit count, then compare that figure with the minimum, and use the higher figure as your real monthly cost. Ask for the minimum in writing if the pricing page does not publish it.
Check the lease cap, the unit cap, and the transaction fees next. TenantCloud caps leases at 10, 30, or 60 by plan, Rentec Direct Starter caps properties at 10, and Buildium charges $2.35 per incoming bank transfer on Essential. Check who covers screening and card fees, and whether owner accounting, trust accounting, bank reconciliation, and API access are included on the plan you would buy. Finally, check the export options and the contract term, so you can leave with your leases, transactions, and reports if the tool does not fit.
Frequently asked questions
Is AppFolio worth it for a small landlord?
AppFolio is built for professional managers, not for a small landlord with a few units. Core starts at $1.49 per unit per month, with a 50 unit minimum and a minimum spend that AppFolio does not publish. A landlord with 10 units would still pay for units that do not exist, so a free tool such as Innago, TurboTenant, or Avail, or a flat price tool such as RentRedi, is usually a better fit.
Which AppFolio alternative is best for a property management firm?
Buildium and DoorLoop are the best fits for a firm that manages rentals for other owners. Buildium Essential starts at $65 per month and covers accounting, leasing, maintenance, and owner reporting, while DoorLoop One starts at $2.50 per unit per month and includes the full platform on every plan. Choose Buildium for published flat plan prices, and DoorLoop if you want AI agents to answer tenants and run maintenance and renewal work.
What is the cheapest AppFolio alternative?
Innago, TurboTenant, and Avail all start at $0, with free listings, rent collection, and leasing tools. Innago is free for landlords with no tiers, TurboTenant offers a free plan plus annual Essentials and Pro plans, and Avail offers a free Unlimited plan plus a $9 per unit Unlimited Plus plan. The cheapest choice depends on who covers the transaction fees, because tenants cover bank transfer fees on some free plans.
Does Buildium offer a free trial?
Yes, Buildium offers a free 14 day trial with no credit card required, as stated on its pricing page. The trial uses sample data so you can see how Buildium handles real tasks, and you can convert to Essential, Growth, or Premium from the same trial. Growth and Premium require onboarding after you buy, so allow time for data import and training.
Can I move from AppFolio to DoorLoop or Buildium without losing data?
Both vendors offer onboarding help, and Buildium states that its onboarding team imports existing data and builds a training plan. Before you move, export leases, tenant records, transactions, and owner statements from AppFolio, and ask the new vendor in writing which records it imports, which records need manual entry, and how long the move takes.
Which alternative is best for trust accounting?
Rentec Direct PM is the clearest low cost choice for trust accounting in this list, starting at $50 per month with an owner portal and owner accounting. Buildium also covers owner accounting and reporting, starting at $65 per month for Essential. If you handle money for other owners, confirm that trust accounting, owner statements, and bank reconciliation are included on the exact plan you buy.
Sources
- https://www.buildium.com/
- https://www.buildium.com/pricing/
- https://www.doorloop.com/
- https://www.doorloop.com/pricing
- https://www.rentecdirect.com/
- https://www.rentecdirect.com/pricing
- https://www.tenantcloud.com/
- https://www.tenantcloud.com/pricing
- https://rentredi.com/
- https://rentredi.com/pricing
- https://innago.com/
- https://www.innago.com/pricing/
- https://www.turbotenant.com/
- https://www.turbotenant.com/pricing
- https://avail.co/
- https://avail.co/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.