Choosing between Propertyware vs Buildium for managing rental property depends on the number of units property managers or investors manage. Propertyware is better for property management companies with at least 250 units. Buildium is good for investors and property managers handling any size portfolio. Both offer a free 2-week trial and a free demo.
When to Use Propertyware
Propertyware was established in 2001 and built by property managers for property managers. Propertyware focuses on growing portfolios starting with a minimum of 250 units. It offers three package options designed to scale with your business. Pricing starts at $1 per unit plus an implementation fee. It offers additional paid services and a free demo.
When to Use Buildium
Buildium was established in 2004 by two investors-turned- property-managers who wanted to simplify property management. It’s cloud-based, requiring no software installation. Buildium is right for investors and property managers of any number of units. It offers three packages plus multiple add-ons. Pricing starts at $47 a month, and there is a free 2-week trial.
When to Use Avail as an Alternative
If you’re a do-it-yourself (DIY) landlord specializing in residential properties, consider Avail. Avail is a residential property management software that allows you to advertise vacancies, screen tenants, collect rents, track maintenance, communicate with tenants, and find state-specific digital leases. Pricing for Avail begins at $10 a month, and your first unit is always free.
Propertyware vs Buildium at a Glance
Pricing | Starting at $1/unit; Free demo | Starting at $47 a month; 15-day free trial |
Accounting & Online Payments | QuickBooks integration | Full general ledger accounting |
Maintenance Management | Maintenance expense tracking | Videos, photos & documents, status updates on any device |
Marketing | Professional website add-on $99/month | Listing syndication, professional website included |
Tenant Screening | Customizable screening criteria | Premium screening doesn’t require applicant participation |
Applications & Leasing | Online applications, screening,& leasing | Applications online or via email; Simplified lease renewals |
Customer Support & Training | Good | Great |
Client Reviews | Rating of 93% | Rating of 96% |
Ease of Use | Good | Great |
More Information |
When evaluating Propertyware vs Buildium, we reviewed the company offerings, tried the demos, watched videos on the site, and scoured the internet for customer reviews. Overall, both companies provide similar property management software services at different price points. We considered their ability to manage income and expenses, rental maintenance, marketing, and how easy the software is to use.
We compared Propertyware vs Buildium based on criteria including:
- Pricing: We looked for transparent pricing and affordability as well as value received from the product features
- Accounting & online payments: The simplicity in managing rental property expenses and income combined with an integrated accounting system
- Maintenance management: The ability to manage large-scale rental property maintenance for hundreds of units and the features included with maintenance tracking
- Marketing: The quality of marketing resources available through the platform for marketing both property management companies and marketing rentals
- Tenant screening: How many different types of tenant background checks are performed and the cost
- Applications & leasing: Customizable online applications and leasing that are easy to set up and use
- Customer support: The tools and resources available to customers, including self-help tutorials, videos, and live support
- Client reviews: What users are saying about the services, including the pros and cons
- Ease of use: How quickly users learn the software, how many bugs they encounter, and how easy the platforms are to navigate
After reviewing the above criteria, we recommend Buildium as a property management solution. Buildium is more affordable, and there is no minimum number of rental units. Buildium also offers more add-ons in addition to numerous features in its Core, Pro and Premium packages designed for landlords, property managers, and owners who want to scale.
Propertyware vs Buildium: Pricing & Features
When comparing Propertyware vs Buildium, the overall features are similar. However, the pricing structure is very different. The two software also differ in the required minimum number of rental units, integration with accounting software, professional website, and the available add-ons. Propertyware is designed for property management firms, whereas Buildium is designed for both property management companies and landlords.
Propertyware Pricing
Basic | Plus | Premium | |
|---|---|---|---|
Monthly Fees | $1 per unit, per month | $1.50 per unit, per month | $2 per unit, per month |
Minimum Fees | $250 monthly | $350 monthly | $450 monthly |
Set-up Fee | 2x the monthly package fee | 2x the monthly package fee | 2x the monthly package fee |
Propertyware Add-Ons
Maintenance Contact Center | Leasing Contact Center | Professional Websites | |
|---|---|---|---|
Monthly Fees | $1.10 per unit, per month | $2.85 per unit, per month | $99 per month |
Set-up Fee | $300 | $300 | Starting at $500 |
What’s Included | 24/7 maintenance answering service | Agents manage calls and emails | Integrated, professional site |
Comparison pricing of Propertyware vs Buildium, shows Buildium to be the more affordable option. Propertyware Basic requires a minimum of 250 rental units at $1 per unit, per month, plus an implementation fee of two times your monthly subscription price based on your number of units. This means if you purchase Propertyware Basic and have 500 rental units, you’re going to pay $1,000 for account setup.
If you opt for Propertyware Plus or Premium, the monthly per-unit fees and setup fees are higher. They do not include access to the maintenance and leasing contact centers or a professional business website to market your company and rentals. These are additional features with hefty setup fees plus per-unit monthly pricing for the use of the contact centers. The website has a monthly fee of $99 plus a $500 implementation fee.
Propertyware Features
Propertyware Basic has 12 features, Pro has 15 features, and Premium includes 18 features in addition to the features we used to evaluate Propertyware vs Buildium. If you’re looking for e-signing capabilities, you’ll need to purchase the Pro package. If you want vendor portals and maintenance project features, these are only included in the Premium package.
Source: Propertyware Pricing
Source: Propertyware Add-Ons
Accounting & Online Payments
All of the Propertyware packages include online accounting software. Propertyware’s accounting tools organize accounts receivable and payable, automate payroll, collect property management fees, and fully integrates with QuickBooks. It also helps manage cash flow and generate financial reports. Although Buildium also has a fully integrated accounting system, we rank Propertyware higher for accounting and online payments because of its easy integration with QuickBooks. Buildium currently doesn’t integrate with outside accounting software.
Propertyware Income & Expense Tracking
Source: Propertyware Accounting
Maintenance Management
Both Propertyware and Buildium have similar rental property maintenance features. However, we chose Propertyware over Buildium for maintenance management because Propertyware has a 24/7 maintenance call center for handling emergency and after-hours calls. It’s an add-on service with a monthly fee of $1.10 per unit plus a $300 setup fee but seems like an important feature to have when managing hundreds of rental units. Buildium doesn’t offer this service.
Marketing
Buildium includes property marketing at no additional charge in all their packages. Propertyware packages include listing syndication across multiple popular rental sites. It also allows property management companies to maintain consistent branding with the ability to customize fonts, themes, colors, and other elements.
Tenant Screening
Propertyware and Buildium both offer similar customizable tenant background screening. Propertyware’s screening tool provides an instant criminal records search, easy-to-read reports, and the ability to add and screen guarantors and cosigners. It also offers a 24/7 online portal for applicant disputes to resolve problems related to incorrect reporting. We ranked Buildium higher since there are many online complaints about applicant misinformation with Propertyware’s background screening. Buildium reviews for tenant screening are more favorable.
Propertyware Tenant Screening
Source: Propertyware Tenant Screening
Applications & Leasing
Propertyware provides online rental application templates and leases that property managers can set up on their websites. The software allows property managers to collect application fees from applicants. It uses an all-in-one rental application, background screening, and leasing platform to simplify the process. For an additional monthly fee of $2.85 per unit plus a $300 setup fee, Propertyware users can access the Leasing Center to manage the application, screening, and leasing process.
Buildium Pricing
Buildium Core | Buildium Pro | |
|---|---|---|
Monthly Fees | $47 and a 15-day free trial | Starting at $156/15-day free trial |
Minimum Units | No minimum | 15 units recommended for optimal pricing |
Online Payments | $1 incoming transactions; 50 cents outgoing transactions | Free incoming transactions; 50 cents outgoing transactions |
Banking Setup Fees | $99 per bank account | First five bank accounts are free |
Credit Card Rent Payments | 2.95% per transaction | 2.95% per transaction |
Electronic Leases | $5 per document | 30 free leases per month |
Tenant Screening | Basic - $15 per screening | Premium - $18 per screening |
Mobile Inspections | $99 setup fee; $65 per month | Free |
Buildium Add-ons
Fees | Setup fee | What’s included | |
|---|---|---|---|
Showings Coordinator | Starts at $30/month | Free | Automated scheduling, follow-ups, and applicant management |
Remote Check Printing | 80 cents per check | $30 | Buildium prints and mails checks |
1099 E-filing | $25 per batch, plus $3 per form | Free | Generate 1099s online |
EZ Mail | 80 cents single page; 15 cents each additional page | Free | Buildium prints and mails documents |
Renter’s Insurance | Starting at $14.50 monthly per tenant | Free | Owner and tenant protection |
Buildium pricing starts at $47 per month with no setup fee. Buildium will support any number of units, whereas Propertyware requires a minimum of 250 units. The only setup fees Buildium charges in its Core package are for online banking and mobile inspections. These fees are waived in the Pro package. The banking setup fee in Pro is waived for the first five bank accounts, and then it’s $99 per account.
Buildium Pro doesn’t have a required number of units, but the company recommends a 15-unit minimum since the software is designed to accommodate many rentals. If you want to stay with Buildium Core, you can use this version for up to 150 units. After 150 units, you’d need the tools in Pro.
Buildium Features
Buildium and Propertyware have similar features like accounting, leasing management, and maintenance management. Buildium provides accounting, budgeting and reporting, common expense allocation, tenant screening, maintenance management, and event tracking in both its Core and Pro packages. Buildium exceeds Propertyware since it includes the same features at a better price.
Source: Buildium Pricing
Source: Buildium Add-ons
Accounting & Online Payments
Buildium’s accounting tools allow users to track rental income, create budgets, monitor expenses, and make and accept online payments. Connect your bank accounts, and it will reconcile them automatically, saving time and ensuring accuracy. Where Buildium differs from Propertyware is that it doesn’t integrate with QuickBooks. Because many property managers and owners already use QuickBooks, we ranked Propertyware higher for its accounting capabilities.
Source: Buildium Accounting
Maintenance Management
Like Propertyware, Buildium offers maintenance tracking, reporting, and vendor management. Buildium includes mobile inspections in both its packages. In Core, mobile inspections have a $99 setup fee plus $65 per month. Inspections come at no extra charge in the Pro package. Buildium also lets landlords and property managers schedule recurring maintenance.
Source: Buildium Maintenance
Marketing
When comparing Buildium vs Propertyware for marketing rentals, Buildium stands out. It offers one-touch listing syndication to dozens of sites like Lovely.com, Apartment List, Zillow.com, Trulia, HotPads, and MyNewPlace, plus the entire Zillow rental network. Buildium also makes it easy to post vacancies on Craigslist.
We ranked Buildium higher than Propertyware for marketing because it includes a professional website to market both your company and rentals. Propertyware charges a setup fee plus monthly fees for this service.
Source: Buildium Professional Website
Tenant Screening
Buildium lets landlords set custom credit score requirements for each property and receive recommendations based on the applicant’s information. When users request a background check, Buildium starts a comprehensive search of the applicant’s full credit report, criminal, and eviction histories. When users accept or deny applicants, the software sends the notifications immediately. Both Buildium and Propertyware comply with the federal Fair Housing Act.
Applications & Leasing
We prefer Buildium over Propertyware for rental application and leasing. Buildium provides leasing templates and collects and stores the information within its cloud-based platform. We chose Buildium over Propertyware because Buildium includes legally binding e-signing of documents and Propertyware doesn’t. E-signing saves landlords time from chasing signatures. Users can track the application and leasing process through the software and collect fees.
Propertyware vs Buildium: Ease of Use
Weighing Propertyware vs Buildium for ease of use, Buildium comes out on top receiving customer ratings of great reviews in comparison to Propertyware receiving good reviews. Although there were glitches reported for both online property management software, Buildium resolved most of the glitches quickly.
Propertyware Ease of Use
Propertyware users reported the software has stability issues and glitches, is sometimes sluggish, and doesn’t have a user-friendly interface. Others said it is often unreliable when adding tenant information or generating reports. However, users also said the software simplifies property management tasks with the accounting tools and tenant screening. Some reported the customizable work orders allowed them to manage a large number of rentals efficiently.
Buildium Ease of Use
Buildium users reported the software is easy to use, but with a learning curve. Users who manage large portfolios of rentals reported a few glitches, such as the inability to send email statements to all owners at the same time. Some key features that users reported as easy to set up and use are the automated monthly charges for each unit and that customizable reports are easy to generate.
Propertyware vs Buildium: Customer Service
Buildium customer service surpasses Propertyware, receiving our top rating. We chose Buildium because in addition to the phone and email support, Buildium’s self-help resources outshine Propertyware. Buildium’s live support is available 24 hours a day, whereas Propertyware live support is from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Central time zone, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.
Propertyware Customer Service
Propertyware customer support received a fair to good consumer ranking. Users reported that customer service did not respond to issues in a timely manner, including taking 3 months to resolve an issue with the maintenance tools and glitches with e-payment processing.
Customer support includes phone during normal operating hours, email, or you can submit a support ticket through the website. Propertyware also provides support through its Propertyware University, training webinars, and on-site consulting services. It is not clear on the site if additional fees apply.
Buildium Customer Service
Buildium customer support received great ratings based on Buildium reviews, making it our top pick when comparing Propertyware vs Buildium. Users reported that they always get a live support person when calling and that the support staff is professional and knowledgeable.
In addition to phone and email support, Buildium includes its award-winning Buildium Academy with tutorials, webinars, videos, quizzes, practice sessions, and resources. Buildium also has an extensive library of articles and the searchable Buildium Help Center.
Propertyware vs Buildium: Customer Reviews
Although both software companies have above-average ratings, Buildium reviews are more favorable than Propertyware reviews. Buildium has a 96% positive rating from customers vs Propertyware’s 93% customer rating. Both companies receive high marks for how the software simplifies managing multiple rental units and allows users to store everything in one place in the cloud.
Propertyware Customer Reviews
Propertyware reviews are mostly favorable, with users reporting that it makes tax preparation easier, and they like they can access the system from anywhere. Users also reported they liked the online bill pay and rent collection features. The No. 1 complaint from users is how long it takes for issues to be resolved, although they reported that tech support does work to get to the bottom of the technical glitches. Another sticking point for users is the high price tag.
Buildium Customer Reviews
Buildium reviews show that users love that it streamlines their property management into one place and that their staff, vendors, clients, and tenants can access what they need through the platform. They also love the online payments and the ability to pay property owners and vendors online. Some users reported they liked how the software keeps up with the growth and changing needs of their businesses. Buildium users said they feel like they get great value at an affordable price.
Bottom Line
When comparing Propertyware vs Buildium for rental property management, we chose Buildium as the winner since it is more affordable than Propertyware and is easier to use. Buildium Academy is a great additional feature included at no extra charge, and customer service is available all day, every day.
Visit Buildium to request a demo or sign up for a free 15-day trial. Input your name and contact information, and the trial is customized based on the number and types of rental properties you manage.
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