Are your property management tools setting you up for success or causing more headaches?

In the world of property management software solutions, two names often rise to the top of the pile for landlords like you: Appfolio and Yardi. Both options are giants in the market, offering a full suite of tools and features. How can you decide which tool fits you and your properties best?

In this post, we’ll dive headfirst into the Appfolio vs. Yardi debate! We’ll compare the two solutions across various considerations, giving you all the information you need to pick the perfect rental property management solution for your business. 

Appfolio vs. Yardi: The Basics 

Appfolio and Yardi are two of the most widely used property management software platforms for landlords and property managers. Let’s start by examining their basic similarities and differences.

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Appfolio is a cloud-based system designed to help independent landlords and small property management companies optimize operations. Key features include tenant screening, online rent collection, maintenance requests, accounting, and customizable reporting. Yardi offers enterprise-level property management products tailored for large real estate investment firms and property management corporations. While both companies aim to increase efficiency through automation, Yardi provides robust options for companies managing thousands of units across multiple locations.

Landlords and property managers use solutions like Appfolio and Yardi to centralize and simplify essential tasks like collecting rent online, tracking maintenance requests, screening applicants, budgeting, and generating reports. With user-friendly interfaces and mobile accessibility, these systems provide convenient ways to manage properties on the go. As two of the longest-standing and most widely adopted platforms, Appfolio and Yardi have become giants in the property management and tenant screening software industry. But are they the only choices available for property managers?

Beyond Appfolio and Yardi, other software systems like Buildium, Entrata, and Propertyware offer competitive options. While Appfolio and Yardi dominate market share, alternatives cater to different real estate industry segments. You may also consider a solution like Intellirent, which offers robust tenant screening and property listing features. One advantage of using Intellirent? It’s one hundred percent free for landlords and property managers.

With all this in mind, let’s dive into the five critical things you must consider when choosing your property management and tenant screening software solution. 

1. Features and Functionality 

Yardi

Yardi has over twenty specialized property management modules to handle everything from procurement and asset management to investment monitoring and energy sustainability tracking. Additionally, Yardi provides advanced budgeting and forecasting tools, consolidated accounting across properties, and workflow automation for rent collection and work orders. Yardi's all-in-one platform is designed to scale from smaller clients to enterprise portfolios.

Yardi also offers online portals for listing posting. You can also use Yardi to create customized websites with SEO, lead generation metrics, and more. 

For analytics, Yardi has robust reporting and data visualization tools to monitor the performance of large commercial portfolios, including forecasting, budget vs. actuals, and consolidated reporting across properties.

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Appfolio

Appfolio is more targeted to the needs of independent landlords managing smaller residential portfolios under a few thousand units. This solution provides core property management tools like online rental applications, screening, online payments, maintenance tracking, accounting integrations, and standard reporting. While it lacks some of Yardi's advanced capabilities, Appfolio covers the essentials for independent landlords and small teams.

Like Yardi, Appfolio offers an online portal to post listings and market vacancies. You can also buy an add-on for listing management to modernize your leasing process. 

Appfolio’s analytic and reporting capabilities focus on standard financial reports, customizable filters for reporting, and downloadable reports for tax prep.

2. User-Friendliness 

Yardi

Yardi is a robust tool that offers many features. As a result, it can be more challenging to learn the ins and outs of this tool. You can use Yardi’s virtual classroom and on-site training options if you need more training for yourself or your team. They offer customized courses to help you with whatever features or tools your team uses. Given the complexity, Yardi's platform has a learning curve for new users compared to Appfolio's simpler interface.

If you have challenges with your solution, Yardi provides dedicated account management and support specialists for larger portfolio clients.

Appfolio

Appfolio markets its platform as easy to learn and use without extensive training. The interface uses simple, intuitive navigation designed for users without a property management background. If you need help getting started, Appfolio offers tutorials, webinars, blog-style help articles, and tooltips to guide new users.

Since many of Appfolio’s customers are independent property managers and owners, Appfolio offers 24/7 support via chat, email, and phone for challenges or technical issues. 

3. Pricing 

Yardi

Yardi requires custom quotes and has a more complex pricing model, given its wide array of product options. The baseline Voyager platform starts around $1500 per month but can be higher depending on implementation, training, number of users, and customization. 

If you need additional features, you can explore Yardi’s add-on modules, which cost additional fees and minimum user requirements. Please note that larger clients may need to sign multi-year contracts and that costs can increase as your portfolio grows.

Related: Intellirent Features and Pricing

Appfolio

Appfolio uses a transparent pricing model with subscription plans starting at $200 per month for up to 150 units. 

Appfolio offers discounts for annual contracts, but additional fees apply for optional services like screening, payment processing, and advanced marketing tools. Overall, Appfolio's pricing is simple and predictable regardless of portfolio size.

4. Integrations and Scalability 

Yardi

Scalability is one of the key advantages Yardi is known for. This tool is designed to meet the needs of real estate enterprises managing thousands of units across multiple locations and asset classes. It may be a bit too robust for smaller property managers but will scale easily for larger businesses. Yardi offers products tailored for commercial, residential, affordable housing, student/military housing, and more.

Regarding integrations, Yardi has pre-built interfaces with major accounting platforms like Oracle Netsuite and SAP, as well as CRMs like Salesforce. Yardi also offers an app marketplace with hundreds of integrations. 

Appfolio

Unlike Yardi, Appfolio is designed for smaller independent landlords. Instead of targeting larger enterprises, Appfolio is designed only for managing up to a few thousand units. While it can accommodate some portfolio growth, Yardi is better suited for complex large portfolios.

Appfolio offers integration with Quickbooks Online and bill pay platforms like Chase but has fewer pre-built integrations than Yardi.

Related: Intellirent Integrations

5. Security and Compliance 

Yardi

Yardi offers advanced security protocols, including 256-bit SSL encryption, data backups to secure servers, user access controls, and audit logs. The organization is stable, founded in 1984 and backed by major investors, making them a strong, long-term partner for property managers.

Regarding compliance, Yardi provides tailored compliance solutions to meet requirements related to fair housing, FRPA, GDPR, and privacy regulations across global markets.

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Appfolio

Appfolio offers similar security protocols to Yardi, with 256-big SSL encryption, secure servers with built-in backups, audit functions and logging, and fine-grain access controls for users. Though founded in 2005, making it a younger company than Yardi, Appfolio has maintained a steady growth trajectory over the years, making it a good candidate for long-term partnerships with independent property managers. 

Appfolio meets core compliance needs for independent landlords in the US but doesn't offer the advanced specialized compliance features that enterprise-level Yardi clients require.

Appfolio vs. Yardi: Get the Most From Your Property Management Software 

The information in this post should serve as a guide to help you make the right decision regarding your property management software. 

When considering Appfolio vs. Yardi, there are plenty of advantages for either option. The right choice for your property management business depends on your specific needs and goals.

Tenant screening is one of the most vital pieces of the property management puzzle. If you get your tenant screening processes in line, you can set up a positive landlord-tenant relationship, simplifying your property management journey.

Intellirent offers a comprehensive application and tenant screening tool. The best part? Our free tool integrates with Yardi and Appfolio, giving you the maintenance and rent-collection power of Yardi or Appfolio and the tenant screening power of Intellirent, all in one.

Create a free Intellirent account today to see how simple it is to list properties and accept applications with our solution!