AppFolio Property Manager and Rent Manager are two great options for property management software. To help you choose between the two, we put together an overview of each platform, comparing AppFolio vs. Rent Manager pricing, features, plus their pros and cons.
AppFolio Property Manager Overview
AppFolio offers an advanced cloud-based property management tool for agencies and residential or commercial property owners with 50 units or more. The platform focuses on increasing productivity using AI and features like rent collection, accounting, maintenance request management and more.
The power of this platform shines through when you scale your business, so smaller property managers may not get the full value for the hefty price tag on AppFolio plans. Moreover, the platform only offers basic integrations, so you may need help connecting it to the rest of your tech stack.
AppFolio Key Features
- Handles various property administration tasks, such as rent collection, maintenance requests and lease agreements.
- Online maintenance requests and work order tracking with built-in resident communication.
- AI leasing assistant features for scheduling showings and conducting basic tenant screenings for vacant units.
Pricing and Plans Available for AppFolio
AppFolio Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Leasing metrics dashboard
- Tenant screening
- Mobile application available
- Rent comparison tool
- Ability to show your units virtually
- Manage maintenance requests
Cons:
- Expensive plans
- Basic integrations are limited
- No custom reporting available
- Not suitable for landlords with less than 50 units
- Steep learning curve for new users
- Variable onboarding fee
Rent Manager Overview
Another solution for owners and managers of multiple real estate properties, Rent Manager, is known for its comprehensive features and integrations for running a rental business. Depending on your plan, you can enjoy advantages like a customizable API, video home inspections, and the ability to leverage a rent manager call center to handle contacts. You can pay as little as $1 per month per unit, but you’ll need to spend at least $200 per month plus twice that amount for an implementation fee.
Rent Manager Key Deatures
- Accounting functionality, including tax tools, utility billing, expense tracking, and financial reporting.
- Tenant and lease management tools for lease generation, tracking lease terms and managing tenant communication.
- Marketing and vacancy management includes ILS advertising, renter’s insurance and automated communication to streamline the renting process.
Rent Manager Pros and Cons
Pros:
- 450+ built-in reports available
- Maintenance management (premium plan only)
- Good customer support (hold time is a bit long)
- User-based pricing
- Integrations available for different property management technologies
- Customizable reports
Cons:
- Too simplistic for complex property management
- More geared toward residential rentals (many features do not apply to commercial rental management)
- Onboarding is difficult
- Hidden fees for every additional feature
- Not suitable for landlords with less than 200 properties
- No rent collection
Rent Manager Pricing
AppFolio vs. Rent Manager: Price Comparison
* For AppFolio, the price per unit per month may vary depending on the number of units managed.
Baselane vs. Rent Manager and AppFolio
While AppFolio and Rent Manager are loaded with features, they’re designed for large-scale property management businesses. If you’re just starting out or ready to scale, you likely won’t need (or be able to access) everything these plans offer. So for smaller landlords and real estate investors, what’s a good fit?
Baselane provides all of the necessary financial management and property management features for landlords and real estate investors of every size without any monthly fees. Its user-friendly platform includes premium features like landlord banking, online rent collection and automated bookkeeping, all integrated and built specifically for real estate businesses. Plus, you can access rental property loans and landlord insurance right in the app.
Banking Built for Landlords
- No monthly fees or minimum balance requirements.
- Unlimited checking accounts and savings accounts per property to organize income, operating expenses, security deposits, projects, and more.
- Earn up to 3.77% APY² and unlimited 1% cash back³ on debit card purchases.
- Physical and virtual debit cards with spend controls and Schedule E auto-tagging.
- One-time and recurring payments and transfers.
- No-fee cash deposits and withdrawals at over 55,000 Allpoint ATMs.
- Mobile check deposits and on-demand checkbooks.
Online Rent Collection & Tenant Management
- Free online rent collection for landlords via ACH and card.
- Automated rent payments, reminders, and late fees.
- Real-time payment notifications and payment tracking.
- Dedicated Baselane tenant portal with auto-pay option.
- Tenant screening reports.
- Digital lease documents and e-sign.
- Maintenance and repair request management.
Automated Accounting & Reports
- Automated income and expense tracking.
- Consolidated ledger for Baselane banking and external account transactions.
- Capture receipts and add notes.
- 1-click categorization with 120+ real estate-specific categories based on Schedule E.
- On-demand financial reports and downloadable tax package.
- Real-time cash flow analytics by property.
Final Thoughts
While AppFolio and Rent Manager are solid platforms for larger property managers, they may not be the best option for landlords and real estate investors who only own a handful of properties. Ideally, your property management platform supports smaller landlords, offers features like how to record cash paid for rent, and grows with your portfolio.
Want to see how Baselane helps investors save 150 hours and $5,000 per year? Watch our demo or sign up for a free Baselane account today.
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