Quick Summary
Not all property software is built the same. This guide compares Buildium, AppFolio, and Revela across pricing, features, and workflows to help you choose a tool that matches how your team operates. Whether you're growing fast or managing complexity, see how Revela stacks up, and why it’s the smarter, modern alternative.
Choosing Property Software That Matches How You Operate
The property management software market is booming and is valued at $23.03 billion in 2025 and projected to reach $38.48 billion by 2034. As portfolios expand and operations grow more complex, the tools you choose now can either streamline your business or slow it down.
This Revela guide compares Buildium, AppFolio, and Revela across pricing, features, and day-to-day usability. You’ll learn how each platform supports core tasks like accounting, leasing, and maintenance, and which one aligns best with how your team actually works.
For operators managing mixed assets or scaling fast, Revela emerges as a modern, flexible alternative built to eliminate workflow bottlenecks and connect finance with operations in one unified system.
Why Listen to Us?
We work directly with fast-growing property managers who’ve outgrown legacy tools and need systems that scale. From multifamily to single-family portfolios, we’ve seen what works and what frustrates teams daily. This comparison is built on real operator feedback, not guesswork, to help you choose smarter, faster.
What Is Buildium?
Buildium is a property management platform designed for residential portfolios, especially small to mid-sized operators. It handles tasks like leasing, accounting, and tenant communication from a single dashboard.
Key Features
- Automated Rent Collection: Enable secure online payments via ACH or card, with auto-posting and reminders to reduce late rent.
- Maintenance Tracking: Log, assign, and monitor work orders with built-in vendor coordination from one central dashboard.
- General Ledger Accounting: Track income, expenses, and balances with full double-entry accounting and customisable financial reports.
- Tenant & Owner Portals: Offer self-serve portals for rent payments, documents, and updates to reduce back-and-forth communication.
Pricing
Buildium offers tiered plans based on portfolio size. Each tier includes core features, with added functionality at higher levels:
- Essential Plan: Starting at $58 per month, includes core features such as accounting, maintenance, etc.
- Growth Plan: Starting at $183 per month, includes unlimited eSignatures, analytics & insights, etc., plus everything in Essential.
- Premium Plan: Starting at $375 per month, includes all Growth features, plus Open API access.
Pros
- User-friendly interface for smaller teams
- Extensive accounting functionality
- Responsive mobile app
- Integrates with popular listing platforms
Cons
- Limited customization for complex portfolios
- Add-on costs increase total spend
- Customer support varies by plan level
What Is AppFolio?
AppFolio Property Manager is a cloud-based, all-in-one platform ideal for residential, commercial, and student housing portfolios. It integrates tools for accounting, leasing, maintenance, and communication, providing teams with centralised workflows both in-office and in the field.
Key Features
- Property Accounting & Reporting: Full AP/AR, bank reconciliation, and financial statements
- Marketing & Leasing Tools: Includes vacancy syndication, tenant screening, applications, and e-sign leases
- Maintenance & Inspections: Supports work-order tracking and recurring unit inspections with mobile apps
- Tenant & Owner Portals: Helps stakeholders pay rent, submit requests, sign documents, and view reports
Pricing
- Core Tier: Per-unit pricing with a minimum unit threshold
- Plus Tier: Higher per-unit pricing with advanced features
- Max Tier: Premium enterprise pricing for large-scale portfolios
Pricing is quote-based. Minimum unit thresholds apply, and additional fees may apply for onboarding and add-ons.
Pros
- High satisfaction rating from hundreds of user reviews
- Intuitive UI and strong mobile capabilities
- Excellent leasing automation and tenant screening
- Robust third-party integrations and open API
Cons
- Minimum unit requirement and monthly fees may limit small portfolios
- Reporting can feel rigid without deeper customisation.
- Support is ticket-based, with slower response times reported by some users
Revela: A Great Alternative to Buildium and AppFolio
Revela is a cloud-native property management platform that combines next-gen technology with hands-on service to simplify operations and unlock new revenue streams.
We replace fragmented systems with a unified approach that includes trust accounting, leasing, maintenance, and owner disbursements built for real estate teams scaling in single-family, multifamily, student housing, and beyond.
Designed by operators for operators, we focus on eliminating friction in real-world workflows. Tenant portals tie in with finance tools, embedded lending puts capital in users’ hands, and a dedicated Client Services team helps tailor the platform and onboard users efficiently.
If you’re looking for a better alternative to Buildium and AppFolio, we are your best choice.
Key Features
- Automated Trust Accounting: Manages receivables/payables, bank reconciliations, and audit trails automatically
- Real-Time Financial Reporting: Live dashboard offering P&L, cash flow, rent rolls, and owner statements
- Embedded Owner Disbursements: Handles payouts from within the platform, no external tools required
- Tailored Portals: Dedicated tenant, owner, and vendor portals with transparent collaboration and data access
Pricing
Custom quotes available post-demo to fit your exact workflow. We tailor pricing to your workflow, not just unit count so you pay for value, not bloat.
Pros
- Consolidates operations and finance in a single platform
- Embedded fintech tools reduce reliance on third-party systems
- Built-in trust accounting with compliance at its core
- Scalable across sectors like single-family, multifamily, student housing
- Exceptional support via a responsive Client Services team
Con
- May take time to fully configure advanced customization features
Side-by-Side Comparison: Revela, Buildium, and AppFolio
Revela isn’t just designed for modern operators, it delivers measurable impact. Brown University’s Auxiliary Housing Office used Revela to eliminate spreadsheets and paper-based processes, cutting their application and leasing process time by 50%. The result? A smoother experience for visiting scholars and a far more efficient team.
To help you evaluate the right platform for your needs, here’s a side-by-side comparison of Revela, Buildium, and AppFolio across the core features that matter most to property managers.
Why Choose Revela over Buildium and AppFolio?
- Built for Mixed Portfolios: Revela is designed specifically for operators managing diverse asset types, multifamily, single-family, and commercial, all within a single platform. Unlike rigid systems built for basic residential workflows, Revela offers customizable views and processes that align with how real property teams work across regions, asset classes, and ownership structures, without added complexity.
- Human Support That Knows You: While other platforms rely on ticket queues or generic help centers, Revela assigns you a dedicated success manager who understands your unique workflows. Whether you're reworking a chart of accounts or solving an urgent payout issue, you get fast, contextual support from someone familiar with your operations, not a stranger.
- Finance and Ops, Fully Connected: Revela connects accounting directly to your operational workflows. Instead of toggling between disconnected modules, you manage rent collection, ledger views, and owner payouts all in one place. This real-time sync reduces errors, speeds up reconciliations, and ensures clean, audit-ready financials with far less time spent wrangling spreadsheets or duplicating work.
- Intuitive Interface Without Bloat: Legacy tools are either outdated or overloaded with features your team rarely uses. Revela strips out the clutter and focuses on what matters. Its clean, modern interface is built for speed and usability, empowering leasing agents, property managers, and asset teams to navigate tasks easily, without the steep learning curves of legacy systems.
- Real-Time Insights That Drive Action: Dashboards in Revela aren’t just for show. They deliver live, actionable data on leasing velocity, financial performance, and operational bottlenecks. Instead of digging through exports or waiting on reports, your team sees exactly what’s happening portfolio-wide, so you can act faster, reduce risk, and keep stakeholders aligned with transparent performance data.
Choose Revela for Property Management That Works Like You Want
As your portfolio grows, so do your expectations. Buildium and AppFolio offer helpful features, but they can fall short when you need deeper control, faster workflows, or more responsive support. You deserve software that doesn't just check boxes, but clears roadblocks.
Revela is purpose-built for multifamily operators who want to move faster, stay nimble, and make smarter decisions without juggling disconnected tools. From finance and leasing to reporting and automation, everything lives in one clean, powerful platform that flexes with your business. And when questions arise, real people, not ticket systems, are there to help.
Book a demo to see how Revela streamlines property management and supports your growth.
