PayHOA vs AppFolio Pricing (2026)

How do these two stack up on price? Here's what each one costs, what you get, and where the value sits.

PayHOA AppFolio
Starts at $54/mo Custom
Number of plans 1 3
Free plan
Free trial
Pricing model usage-based custom

Self-Managed

$54/mo
  • Online payments
  • Unit management
  • Requests & Violations
  • Financial reporting
  • Communication tools

Core

Custom
  • Property Accounting & Reports
  • End-to-End Marketing & Leasing
  • Work Order Management
  • Inspections & Unit Turns
  • Mobility & Convenience
  • Integrated Communication
  • AppFolio Stack™ Standard Integrations
  • Realm-X Assistant & Messages
  • Purchase Orders & Inventory Tracking
  • Standard Support

Plus

Custom
  • Affordable Housing Capabilities
  • Student Housing Capabilities
  • Advanced Budgeting & Accounting
  • Advanced Data Analysis
  • Custom Fields
  • Realm-X Flows
  • AppFolio Stack™ Premium Integrations
  • Scale & Control
  • AppFolio API (read only)
  • Enhanced Support
  • Maintenance Scheduling & Automated Billing

Max

Custom
  • Leasing CRM
  • Leasing Signals
  • AppFolio API (read/write)
  • Dedicated Customer Success Management

PayHOA vs AppFolio FAQ

Which one is cheaper?
One or both use custom pricing, so it depends on your specific needs.
Can I use either one for free?
Neither has a free plan. But PayHOA offers a free trial.
How do they charge?
Different approach here. PayHOA uses usage-based pricing, while AppFolio goes with custom. That changes the math depending on your team size and usage.
Which one is a better deal?
Depends on what you need. PayHOA: At $0.55/unit with a $275 floor for large communities, this lands in the mid-market lane — priced to feel accessible to small self-managed HOAs but scaling seriously once you're managing hundreds of units. They're clearly chasing self-managed boards who'd otherwise pay a management company, not enterprise property management firms (that's a separate, opaque pricing tab). AppFolio: With no published pricing, no free trial, and hard unit minimums, AppFolio is clearly playing to mid-market and enterprise property managers, not scrappy landlords or small shops. It's positioned as a premium, sales-assisted platform where the gatekeeping itself signals 'we're not for small operators.'

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