Karrin Sehmbi is an editor and content strategist on the small-business team. She has more than fifteen years of editorial experience in the fields of educational publishing, content marketing and medical news. She has also held roles as a teacher and a tutor.
Sally Lauckner has over a decade of experience in print and online journalism. Before joining NerdWallet, Sally was the editorial director at Fundera, where she built and led a team focused on small-business content. Her prior experience includes two years as a senior editor at SmartAsset, where she edited a wide range of personal finance content, and five years at the AOL Huffington Post Media Group, where she held a variety of editorial roles. She has a master's in journalism from New York University and a bachelor's in English and history from Columbia University. Email: slauckner@nerdwallet.com.
Sally Lauckner has over a decade of experience in print and online journalism. Before joining NerdWallet, Sally was the editorial director at Fundera, where she built and led a team focused on small-business content. Her prior experience includes two years as a senior editor at SmartAsset, where she edited a wide range of personal finance content, and five years at the AOL Huffington Post Media Group, where she held a variety of editorial roles. She has a master's in journalism from New York University and a bachelor's in English and history from Columbia University. Email: slauckner@nerdwallet.com.
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Karrin Sehmbi is an editor and content strategist on the small-business team. She has more than fifteen years of editorial experience in the fields of educational publishing, content marketing and medical news. She has also held roles as a teacher and a tutor.
Sally Lauckner has over a decade of experience in print and online journalism. Before joining NerdWallet, Sally was the editorial director at Fundera, where she built and led a team focused on small-business content. Her prior experience includes two years as a senior editor at SmartAsset, where she edited a wide range of personal finance content, and five years at the AOL Huffington Post Media Group, where she held a variety of editorial roles. She has a master's in journalism from New York University and a bachelor's in English and history from Columbia University. Email: slauckner@nerdwallet.com.
Sally Lauckner has over a decade of experience in print and online journalism. Before joining NerdWallet, Sally was the editorial director at Fundera, where she built and led a team focused on small-business content. Her prior experience includes two years as a senior editor at SmartAsset, where she edited a wide range of personal finance content, and five years at the AOL Huffington Post Media Group, where she held a variety of editorial roles. She has a master's in journalism from New York University and a bachelor's in English and history from Columbia University. Email: slauckner@nerdwallet.com.
NerdWallet's content is
fact-checked for accuracy, timeliness, and relevance by humans.
It undergoes a thorough review process involving writers and editors to ensure
the information is as clear and complete as possible. Learn more by checking
our
Editorial Guidelines.
Content was accurate at the time of publication.
Why trust NerdWallet
250+ small-business products reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
95+ years of combined
experience covering small-business and personal finance.
50+ categories of best
business loan selections.
Objective and comprehensive business loans ratings rubric
– learn more about our star ratings.
NerdWallet's small-business loans content, including ratings,
recommendations and reviews, is overseen by a team of writers and
editors who specialize in business lending. Their work has appeared in
The Associated Press, The Washington Post, MarketWatch, Nasdaq,
Entrepreneur, ABC News, MSN and other national and local media outlets.
Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity to ensure accuracy and fairness in our coverage.
Advertiser disclosure
You’re our first priority.
Every time.
We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with
confidence. And while our site doesn’t feature every company or
financial product available on the market, we’re proud that the guidance
we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are
objective, independent, straightforward — and free.
So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence
which products we review and write about (and where those products
appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or
advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our
partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products
or services. Here is a list of our partners .
Even the smallest property management companies have a lot to manage — collecting rent, managing lease agreements, fielding maintenance requests and more. Therefore, busy property managers need software that goes beyond accounting.
The best property management accounting software solutions are cloud-based, easy to use and can grow with your business. If you don’t want — or don’t yet need — an all-in-one solution, then your property management accounting software should also integrate with an off-the-shelf accounting package.
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250+ small-business products reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
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75+ categories of best business software selections.
NerdWallet's small-business software content, including ratings, recommendations and reviews, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in business software, including accounting, payment processing and payroll. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, The Washington Post, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur, ABC News, Yahoo Finance and other national and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity to ensure accuracy and fairness in our coverage.
Here are recommendations based on the size and needs of your property management company.
Best Property Management Accounting Software Solutions
Easy to share information with your accountant and to find QuickBooks experts and online resources if needed.
More than 750 app integrations.
Robust feature set includes record-keeping, reporting, invoicing and inventory management, plus a capable mobile app.
Chat and phone support available Monday through Saturday in all plans.
Cons
Expensive compared with the competition.
Frequent price increases and a tendency toward upselling.
Limited account users with each plan.
QuickBooks Online is an industry leader in the accounting field, thanks to its strong feature set, scalability and ability to accommodate small businesses with more complex financial needs. With millions of users worldwide, your accountant will likely be familiar with it.
Easy to share information with your accountant and to find QuickBooks experts and online resources if needed.
More than 750 app integrations.
Robust feature set includes record-keeping, reporting, invoicing and inventory management, plus a capable mobile app.
Chat and phone support available Monday through Saturday in all plans.
Cons
Expensive compared with the competition.
Frequent price increases and a tendency toward upselling.
Limited account users with each plan.
QuickBooks Online is an industry leader in the accounting field, thanks to its strong feature set, scalability and ability to accommodate small businesses with more complex financial needs. With millions of users worldwide, your accountant will likely be familiar with it.
Feature set includes an excellent mobile app and suite of reports, capable invoicing features, plus automated bill and receipt capture through Hubdoc.
Simple layout and easy to use.
Cons
No inbound phone customer support (callbacks are available, though).
Entry-level plan limits bills and invoices to five and 20 per month, respectively.
Must subscribe to the highest-tier Established plan to claim expenses.
Xero allows unlimited users at every subscription tier, a valuable feature for businesses where several users may need at least limited access to the system to run reports or analyze performance. Xero also has a customizable analytics dashboard that lets each user rearrange or hide panels.
Feature set includes an excellent mobile app and suite of reports, capable invoicing features, plus automated bill and receipt capture through Hubdoc.
Simple layout and easy to use.
Cons
No inbound phone customer support (callbacks are available, though).
Entry-level plan limits bills and invoices to five and 20 per month, respectively.
Must subscribe to the highest-tier Established plan to claim expenses.
Xero allows unlimited users at every subscription tier, a valuable feature for businesses where several users may need at least limited access to the system to run reports or analyze performance. Xero also has a customizable analytics dashboard that lets each user rearrange or hide panels.
Best for Overall property management accounting software
Starting at
$58/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $183, $375.
Promotion
14-day free trial
Pros
Accounting features are included in the software, in every plan, so no need for additional software integrations.
Comes with industry-specific features.
Can handle management of residential, commercial and community housing.
Includes online payment platform to collect rent and fees (transaction fees apply).
Free website included in every plan tier.
You can try the software for free before committing.
Cons
Set-up fees charged for each bank account used to collect online payment. (Higher plans waive the set-up fee for a certain number of accounts.)
Phone support is only included in higher-tier plans.
Buildium is an all-in-one property management software solution that includes built-in accounting functions along with tools to manage marketing and gather business insights.
Buildium
Best for Overall property management accounting software
Starting at
$58/month
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $183, $375.
Promotion
14-day free trial
Pros
Accounting features are included in the software, in every plan, so no need for additional software integrations.
Comes with industry-specific features.
Can handle management of residential, commercial and community housing.
Includes online payment platform to collect rent and fees (transaction fees apply).
Free website included in every plan tier.
You can try the software for free before committing.
Cons
Set-up fees charged for each bank account used to collect online payment. (Higher plans waive the set-up fee for a certain number of accounts.)
Phone support is only included in higher-tier plans.
Buildium is an all-in-one property management software solution that includes built-in accounting functions along with tools to manage marketing and gather business insights.
LandlordStudio
Best for Affordable property management software
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $15.
Promotion
14-day free trial
of Pro plan.
Pros
Free plan available.
Comes with industry-specific features.
Enables online payments (transaction fees apply).
Automates reminders and late fees.
Integrates with Xero accounting software (Pro plan only).
You can try the software for free before committing.
Cons
The number of software users is limited in both plans.
Many of the automated features are only included with the paid plan.
LandlordStudio offers integrated accounting and property management software at one of the lowest prices among its competitors. It even has a free plan, which includes a surprising number of features at no monthly cost.
LandlordStudio
Best for Affordable property management software
Starting at
$0
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $15.
Promotion
14-day free trial
of Pro plan.
Pros
Free plan available.
Comes with industry-specific features.
Enables online payments (transaction fees apply).
Automates reminders and late fees.
Integrates with Xero accounting software (Pro plan only).
You can try the software for free before committing.
Cons
The number of software users is limited in both plans.
Many of the automated features are only included with the paid plan.
LandlordStudio offers integrated accounting and property management software at one of the lowest prices among its competitors. It even has a free plan, which includes a surprising number of features at no monthly cost.
Rich set of accounting and property management features.
Enables online payments.
Offers optional add-on tools.
Includes accounts payable features.
Cons
Monthly minimum requirements for pricing.
Free phone support is limited to setup and onboarding.
Annual contract is required.
Yardi Breeze is complete property management and accounting software that can handle the management of multiple property types, including commercial properties.
Rich set of accounting and property management features.
Enables online payments.
Offers optional add-on tools.
Includes accounts payable features.
Cons
Monthly minimum requirements for pricing.
Free phone support is limited to setup and onboarding.
Annual contract is required.
Yardi Breeze is complete property management and accounting software that can handle the management of multiple property types, including commercial properties.
Serves a wide variety of property types, including student housing and investment management.
Offers add-on features for additional customization.
Cons
Features often included within competitors’ plans are only offered as add-ons at additional cost, including online payments, marketing websites and tenant screening.
With its powerful set of property management and accounting features and higher price point, AppFolio is well positioned to handle the needs of enterprise-level property management companies.
Serves a wide variety of property types, including student housing and investment management.
Offers add-on features for additional customization.
Cons
Features often included within competitors’ plans are only offered as add-ons at additional cost, including online payments, marketing websites and tenant screening.
With its powerful set of property management and accounting features and higher price point, AppFolio is well positioned to handle the needs of enterprise-level property management companies.
Why we picked it: If you’re asking, "Can I use QuickBooks for property management?", the answer is yes. Because QuickBooks is a general accounting tool, it may not have all the features you need to run your property management company. QuickBooks does, however, have an extensive library of third-party app integrations, including a handful of apps for property management. It offers a number of helpful features, including automatic recurring invoicing, which makes rent collection simple; integrated merchant services options, which let you put payment links right on your invoices; and class tracking, so you can easily manage finances for each property in your portfolio. Read our complete QuickBooks Online review.
Xero
Best general accounting software with property management software integrations
Price
$20 per month for the Early plan.
$47 per month for the Growing plan.
$80 per month for the Established plan.
Why we picked it: At its core, Xero is affordable and feature-rich accounting software. While it’s built to cover general accounting needs and therefore lacks some of the more industry-specific features you may be looking for as a property manager, Xero offers an entire marketplace of third-party apps that integrate with its software. Xero’s app store lists at least a dozen property management-related apps that can fill the gaps to create a complete and bespoke software solution. Still, many of Xero’s own accounting features will prove useful for property management, including document storage, online payment acceptance, contact management, cash flow tools and a mobile app to keep your business finance data at your fingertips. Read our full Xero Accounting review.
Buildium
Best overall property management accounting software
Price
Starting at $58 per month for the Essential plan.
Starting at $183 per month for the Growth plan.
Starting at $375 per month for the Premium plan.
Additional fees may be charged for property inspections, e-signatures and bank account setup.
Why we picked it: Buildium’s end-to-end property management solution includes a full suite of accounting features within the software at every plan level, so you won’t need to worry about syncing (and paying for) separate accounting software. Because the software is purpose-built for property managers, it includes a resident portal for payments and maintenance requests, 1099 e-filing, listing syndication to Zillow and others, tenant screening and additional industry-specific features. Buildium also includes with every plan tier a free website to market your property management business, list available units, accept applications and stay in touch with residents.
LandlordStudio
Best affordable property management software
Price
$0 per month for the Go plan.
$15 per month for up to three units for the Pro plan. Additional $1 per month per unit after three.
Why we picked it: LandlordStudio’s all-in-one property management and accounting software comes in at the lowest price point of all the products on our list. The company even offers a free plan, which includes a surprising number of features at no monthly cost. LandlordStudio’s property management accounting features include tenant screening, listing syndication to popular listing sites, automated rent reminders, maintenance management tools and more.
Yardi Breeze
Best commercial property management software
Price
$1 per unit per month, $100 per month minimum, for Breeze Residential plan.
$1 per unit per month, $400 per month minimum, for Breeze Premier Residential plan.
$2 per unit per month, $200 per month minimum, for Breeze Commercial plan.
Quote-based for Breeze Premier Commercial plan.
Additional property types and pricing tiers available.
Why we picked it: Yardi Breeze may be a great property management accounting software solution for mid-size and well-established businesses, particularly those managing commercial properties. The software comes with a wealth of features across accounting, accounts payable, maintenance, rent collection and more. Tenants can view and pay bills and submit maintenance requests all online; managers can automate rent billing, track progress on maintenance work orders and manage workflows for vendor payments, among other capabilities. The per-unit and monthly minimum prices could be prohibitive for smaller property management companies.
AppFolio
Best enterprise property management software
Price
$1.49 per unit per month, $298 per month minimum, for Core Residential plan.
$1.50 per unit per month, $298 per month minimum, for Core Commercial plan.
$3.20 per unit per month, $960 per month minimum, for Plus Residential and Commercial plans.
$5.00 per unit per month, $7,500 per month minimum, for Max Residential and Commercial plans.
Why we picked it: AppFolio, like Yardi Breeze, is heavy on features and high on price and therefore better suited to larger property management businesses. AppFolio stands out, however, for its student housing property management features, which include the ability to manage rents and vacancies by the bed without changing the lease for all the residents in a unit. AppFolio’s software also includes a number of automated and AI-driven capabilities.
DoorLoop
Best lease accounting software
Price
$69 per month for Starter plan.
$139 per month for Pro plan.
$199 per month for Premium plan.
Prices increase after the first 20 units.
Why we picked it: DoorLoop’s software includes all the primary accounting functions you need, such as income and expense management across multiple properties, reporting and automated bank reconciliation (although reconciliation is not included in the Starter plan). The software is also packed with lease management features like tenant screening, maintenance management, online listing marketing, a tenant portal and more.
Billie Anne Grigg contributed to an earlier version of this article, which was first published on Fundera, a subsidiary of NerdWallet.