5 Best AppFolio Alternatives for Small Landlords (2026)

AppFolio is industry-leading PM software. It's also priced for the industry, not for individual landlords. With a minimum monthly spend of $298 on the Core plan and $960 on Plus, it's built for companies managing hundreds of units with staff.

If you're a small landlord who stumbled onto AppFolio and realized the pricing doesn't make sense for your 10-unit portfolio, here are 5 alternatives worth considering.

1. RentGuard (Simplest, $15/mo)

Price: $15/month flat. No per-unit pricing.

What it does: Connects to your existing Google Sheet and monitors it daily. Sends email and text alerts when rent is overdue past your grace period or when maintenance requests are aging. That's it.

Why it's here: If you're coming from AppFolio (or considering it), you might be overthinking this. Most small landlords don't need a platform that handles accounting, leasing, inspections, and vendor management. They need to know when rent is late. RentGuard does that one thing for 90% less than AppFolio's minimum.

Limitations: No accounting, no tenant portal, no screening, no lease management. If you need a full platform, this isn't it. But if all you need is monitoring and alerts on top of your spreadsheet, it's the simplest solution available.

Best for: Self-managing landlords with under 20 units who use spreadsheets. Full comparison with AppFolio.

2. Buildium (Mid-Tier Full Platform, $55/mo+)

Price: Starts at $55/month for up to 20 units. Scales with portfolio size.

What it does: Full PM platform. Accounting, tenant portals, online payments, maintenance tracking, lease management, screening, and reporting. It's the most common "step down" from AppFolio.

Why it's here: If you genuinely need a full PM platform but AppFolio's pricing is too much, Buildium is the natural alternative. It has most of the same features at a lower price point with no minimum unit requirement.

Limitations: Still $55/month minimum. Still complex. Still requires full data migration and learning a new system. For landlords under 20 units, many features go unused. My experience with Buildium.

Best for: Landlords with 15-50 units who need accounting, tenant portals, and a full workflow platform.

3. Rentec Direct (Small PM Focused, $45/mo+)

Price: $45/month (Pro, up to 10 units). $55/month (PM, with owner portals).

What it does: Full PM software with particularly strong accounting and trust account management. Free ACH rent collection. Tenant and owner portals. Screening. Work order tracking.

Why it's here: Better value than Buildium for smaller portfolios, especially if you need trust accounting. The $45/month starting price for up to 10 units is competitive. US-based support is a plus.

Limitations: Less polished UI than AppFolio or Buildium. The mobile experience is functional but not as refined. Feature set is comprehensive but the interface feels more utilitarian. Full Rentec Direct comparison.

Best for: Small PMs who need trust accounting and owner portals. Landlords with 5-25 units who want proper accounting without AppFolio pricing.

4. TenantCloud (Budget Full-Suite, $32/mo+)

Price: Starter (limited free). Growth $32/month. Pro $55/month.

What it does: Full PM platform at a lower price point. Listings, screening, leases, rent collection, maintenance tracking, and basic accounting. Growth plan supports up to 30 leases.

Why it's here: If you need a full platform but want to spend less than Buildium's $55/month, TenantCloud's Growth plan at $32/month covers most small landlord needs.

Limitations: Starter plan is very limited (10 leases, 1GB storage). The platform can feel dated compared to AppFolio's polish. Feature depth varies by tier. TenantCloud vs Buildium comparison.

Best for: Budget-conscious landlords with 10-30 units who want an all-in-one platform without premium pricing.

5. Stessa (Free Financial Focus)

Price: Free (Essentials). $15/month (Manage). $35/month (Pro).

What it does: Financial tracking for real estate investors. Automatic bank feeds, expense categorization, portfolio dashboard, NOI tracking, and tax prep reports. Free tier includes unlimited properties.

Why it's here: If your main reason for considering AppFolio was financial reporting and tax prep, Stessa does that part for free. The portfolio dashboard and Schedule E reports are excellent.

Limitations: Not an operational PM tool. Won't help with day-to-day rent monitoring, maintenance management, or tenant-facing features. It's a financial tracking tool, not a property management platform. Full Stessa comparison.

Best for: Investors focused on portfolio performance and tax preparation. Works well paired with RentGuard (Stessa for financials, RentGuard for operations).

Quick Decision Guide

Just need to catch late payments? RentGuard ($15/month). Skip the platform entirely.

Need a full platform under $60/month? Buildium ($55/month) or Rentec Direct ($45/month).

Need a full platform under $35/month? TenantCloud Growth ($32/month).

Just need financial tracking? Stessa (free).

Need financial tracking AND operational alerts? Stessa (free) + RentGuard ($15/month) = $15/month total.

The common thread: none of these tools require a $298/month minimum. AppFolio is excellent at scale. At 10-20 units, there are better options for the money.