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AppFolio vs Rent Manager

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Our analysts compared AppFolio vs Rent Manager based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Property Management Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Overview Pricing Benefits & Features Analyst Ratings Comparison Charts User Ratings Analyst Summary Screenshots
AppFolio Software Tool
SelectHub Award Winner
Rent Manager Software Tool
SelectHub Award Winner
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Product Basics

Analyst Rating

93 Detailed Analysis

User Sentiment

Excellent User Sentiment (1847 Reviews)

Analyst Rating

85 Detailed Analysis

User Sentiment

Excellent User Sentiment (489 Reviews)

AppFolio is a comprehensive software solution designed to streamline property management tasks. It caters primarily to property managers and real estate professionals, offering a suite of tools that facilitate the management of residential and commercial properties. One of the key benefits of AppFolio is its ability to enhance operational efficiency through features such as online rent payments, maintenance request tracking, and automated property listing. Users appreciate its user-friendly interface and the way it simplifies daily management tasks, making it a popular choice among property management professionals. When compared to similar products, AppFolio stands out for its robust functionality and scalability, making it suitable for managing portfolios of various sizes. Pricing for AppFolio typically involves a monthly subscription fee, which may vary based on the number of units managed, emphasizing its flexibility and adaptability to different business needs.

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Rent Manager is a web-based platform for landlords and property managers to handle marketing, leasing, maintenance, accounting and reporting tasks. It helps collect rent, communicate with tenants and staff, manage workflows, create maintenance checklists, assign tasks, track inventory, and integrate work orders with bills.

Its Make Ready board helps record service tasks, standardize inspection processes and monitor utility consumption history. Tenants get online portals to submit applications, manage leases, pay rent and request maintenance.

It offers a rmAppSuite Pro mobile app for iOS and Android. It also provides open API access and built-in integrations with AmRent, AvidXchange, Safeguard, Zego, Opinion and more.

Pros
  • Cloud-based, accessible
  • Strong accounting tools
  • Tenant screening options
  • Marketing & advertising
  • Maintenance request tools
 Cons
  • Learning curve
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$1.49/Unit, Monthly
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$1/Unit, Monthly
Free Trial is unavailable →
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Tailored to your specific needs
Small 
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Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
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Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile

Product Assistance

Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support

Product Insights

  • Increase Visibility: Integrate and manage every property, resident and accounting data from a single platform. Track leads, leases and profitability from the dashboard. 
  • Streamline Communication: Maintain clear lines of communication throughout the organization and record interactions for easy year-end audits. Send and receive emails and text messages through a unified inbox. 
  • Spend Less Time on Admin Work: Automate recurring administrative tasks like rent collection, invoice generation, vacancy posting, utility tracking, report generation, bookkeeping and more. Streamline maintenance activities with smart workflows and AI. 
  • Embedded Intelligence: Leverage AI for tasks like analyzing rent structure, gathering performance insights, assisting prospects through the leasing process and streamlining screening and maintenance activities. 
  • Expedite Turnover Cycles: Always keep properties ready-to-rent and shorten the move-out and move-in cycles through regular updates on every maintenance and vacancy task. 
  • Promote Efficiency and Accountability: Minimize human errors and improve efficiency by automating operations. Promote accountability for activities with role-based user access and itemized history of tracked changes. 
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  • Fill Vacancies Faster: Reach more audience and reduce vacancy periods by designing property websites and publishing information directly on popular internet listing services (ILS). 
  • Simplify Day-to-Day Operations: Onboard team members, control each member’s access level and role, design personalized workflows, track work progress and maintain inventory from a unified platform. Simplify team interaction using a mobile app that supports VoIP calls, texting, web chat and broadcast messages. 
  • Streamline Maintenance: Access work order management, invoicing, mobile property inspections, metered utility tracking and billing capabilities. 
  • Easy Bookkeeping: Automatically record transactions and maintain property-specific ledgers using the doubly-entry accounting module. Automate bank reconciliations and bills receivables and payables based on user-defined rules. 
  • Identify Opportunities: Generate in-depth reports with a few clicks using a rich templates library. Design custom reports through a report writing module. Provides automation for periodic reporting. 
  • Customize To Fit Needs: Tailor the software according to business requirements using an open-source API. Connect with partnered third-party solutions and add unique features like delinquency management, leasing, tenant insurance, business analytics and more by accessing the marketplace. 
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  • Communication: Maintain a flat organization with clear communication between team members, managers, landlords and tenants. 
    • Individual Portals: Provide unique communication portals to associated parties based on their role. Tenants can pay rent, submit maintenance requests, interact with managers and view lease documents. Enables managers to communicate with multiple owners, issue work orders and send notifications and updates in bulk. Owners can track property-specific performance reports, assign tasks and transfer funds. 
    • Document Library: Maintain a centralized library of documents, leases and tenant information. Set role-based access permissions for each document. 
    • Board Member Management: Commercial property businesses can schedule board meetings, conduct polls on invoices and architectural requests, track votes and share documents and reports. 
    • Tenant Insurance: Tenants can submit proof of renter insurance or buy insurance provided by the vendor. Manage each policy and its maturity from the dashboard. 
    • Emails and Surveys: Email surveys, updates and notifications in bulk or send individually based on requirements. Offers unique surveys and text templates. 
    • Mobile App: Access the platform via any device and promote remote workflows. 
  • Accounting and Reporting: Gain visibility and make informed decisions faster. 
    •  Automate transaction recording and property-specific bookkeeping. 
    •  Offers CAM tracking and reconciling modules for commercial properties. 
    •  Use AI and machine learning to read PDF invoices from vendors, identify key information and automate accounts payable. 
    •  Leverage over 80 report templates and automate recurring report generation. Every template is customizable and updated frequently. 
    •  Customize the dashboard with real-time data visualizations and receive AI-driven performance insights. 
    •  Supports integration with personal banks and digital wallets to unify renting, accounting and reporting workflows. 
    •  Customize late fee processes. Set personalized rules in bulk or case-by-case waivers. 
    •  Manage multiple tenant accounts, track lease lifecycle and refund deposits directly from escrow. 
  • Marketing and Leasing: Generate leads, schedule showings, design leases and screen prospects from the dashboard. 
    • AI Leasing Assistant: Use an AI chatbot to automate property showing appointments, qualify leads according to set parameters, cross-sell units and answer FAQs. Respond to customer queries 24/7 through texts or emails. 
    • Omnichannel Marketing: Syndicate portfolio on multiple internet listing services (ILS) and manage every listing from the dashboard. Get real-time notifications upon each engagement and generate custom guest cards to track prospects. 
    • Personal Website: Design a personalized website with brand color and logo for portfolio marketing. Available at an extra cost. 
    • Rent Analysis: Retain a competitive edge by comparing rental prices of neighboring units to determine the best price for marketed properties. 
    • Virtual Showings: Accommodate prospects’ needs by scheduling and running live virtual tours of listed properties. Supports integrations with PropTech like smart locks and HVACs to facilitate self-guided property tours by prospects. 
    • Vacancy Management: Consolidate vacancy postings and tasks, view current status, and market units on multiple ILS from the unified dashboard. 
    • Tenant Screening: Screen every applicant’s credit score, eviction history, income verification and criminal record via TransUnion. Property managers can either pay for the reports or charge applicants. 
    • Leasing Hub: Design custom leases with personalized clauses and allow applicants to eSign them from anywhere. Track every lease lifecycle and set defaults for automatically updating lease dates, rent structures and statuses upon expiration. 
    • Student Housing: Supports lease and tenant management based on beds occupied. 
  • Maintenance: Streamline maintenance processes with AI and intelligent workflows. 
    • Smart Maintenance: Use the mobile app to receive maintenance requests, issue work orders and track progress. Set default rules to automatically dispatch pre-approved vendors. Accurately calculate the shared fee for common area maintenance and send invoices to renters. 
    • Vendor Onboarding: Vendors can access the platform, receive work orders, share status and send invoices. Automate bills payable and maintain records of work done for a clear audit trail. 
    • Utility Management: Track and charge each renter based on actual consumption and automate utility invoice processing. Use analytics to identify and fix leaks. 
    • Mobile Inspections: Perform mobile inspections, log issues and expedite turnovers. 
    • Auditing Center: View an itemized history of every activity and track changes made by team members and vendors. Use unique filters to identify and correct mistakes quickly. 
    • 24/7 Maintenance Contact Center: Deal with tenant calls, dispatch pre-approved vendors and input data directly to the user database. 
  • Team Management: Onboard unlimited team members, define role-based access levels and manage each person’s workflow. 
    • Training: Embed training manuals into the software to onboard new hires more easily. Centralize policies and procedures to ensure associates follow protocols while performing tasks. 
    • Task Management: Set tasks, assign staff and monitor progress with an interactive calendar. Team members can share tasks and customize workflows. 
    • Universal Search: Use the search bar to quickly navigate and find documents, records or data. 
  • Integrations: Supports integrations with personal marketing websites and third-party applications, including BlueMoon, CodeBox, Engrain, MatterPort and CIT. 
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  • Marketing: Fill vacancies faster with the following strategic and automated marketing tools: 
    • Prospect Manager: Create branded application portals and allow prospects to apply for tenancy. The system helps you compare prospects and send personalized direct messages and unit letters. 
    • Website Development: Connect the system to an existing website or design a new one from scratch using customizable templates. Alternatively, get assistance from the rmWebPro team for advanced website building. 
    • Guest Cards: Prospects can answer personalized questions while browsing the site and fill out tailored cards. Automatically generate potential client profiles and store them in the database. 
    • Automatic Listing Syndication: Increase inventory visibility by pushing units and property information onto various popular ILS. The system automatically updates ILS postings for every database update. 
  • Tenant Screening: Choose the most suitable tenant by screening the income history, accumulated debt, and criminal and eviction history of each applicant. 
  • Leasing: Digitize the leasing and renewal processes, eliminating the hassle of handling paperwork. Create custom leases with personalized clauses and have clients sign them electronically. 
  • Communication: Interact with employees, owners and renters via VOIP phone calls, custom text messages, voicemail broadcasts and web chat. Offer 24/7 comprehensive maintenance support via its call center, powered by Anequim. 
  • Mobile App: Communicate with renters, owners and managers, receive rental payments, submit inspection reports to maintenance techs and issue work orders. Address rule violations and bill residents for utilities from any Android or iOS device. 
  • Payments: Accept payments in cash, credit and debit cards, check scans, and ACH transfers. The system automatically updates concerned ledgers after every transaction. 
  • Project Management: Customize workflows and automate recurring tasks and data entry. Track and manage inventory to update status and quantities in real-time. Reduce turnover periods for units by creating task lists via Make Ready boards. Delegate duties to associates and receive notifications upon completion. 
  • Property Management: Perform inspections and issue service orders. Track task progress and automate work orders for recurring maintenance activities. Simplify payables by integrating billable expenses into work orders and delegating chargeback costs to owners or tenants at a markup. 
  • Prospect and Tenant Portals: Create branded portals to accept applications and guide prospects through the screening and leasing process. Tenants get unique portals to manage important documents, pay rent, track utility consumption and request maintenance. 
  • Reporting: Gain actionable insights to make informed decisions with over 450 built-in state-specific reports. Alternatively, use drag-and-drop tools to craft personalized reports tracking custom metrics. Define rules to automate timely report generation and sharing with owners or team members. 
  • Accounting: Record company financials, maintain a general ledger, automate receivable and payable entries, manage and track bills, and create budgets using intuitive accounting tools. The system automatically imports bank statements along with reconciliation statements to avoid cross-checking and eliminate errors. 
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Product Ranking

#1

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Property Management Software

#17

among all
Property Management Software

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Analyst Rating Summary

93
85
92
84
100
57
100
98
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Business Operations
Dashboards and Reporting
Leasing
Marketing
Platform Capabilities
Maintenance
Dashboards and Reporting
Platform Capabilities
Marketing

Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

AppFolio
Rent Manager
+ Add Product + Add Product
Accounting & Financial Management Business Operations Dashboards And Reporting Leasing Maintenance Marketing Platform Capabilities 92 100 100 97 86 93 93 84 57 98 79 100 89 93 0 25 50 75 100
88%
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75%
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93%
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Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

75%
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25%
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User Sentiment Summary

Excellent User Sentiment 1847 reviews
Excellent User Sentiment 489 reviews
92%
of users recommend this product

AppFolio has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 92% when considering 1847 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

91%
of users recommend this product

Rent Manager has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 91% when considering 489 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

4.7 (14)
4.6 (14)
4.6 (187)
4.6 (167)
n/a
4.5 (304)
4.6 (1640)
n/a
n/a
4.0 (4)
4.2 (6)
n/a

Awards

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated AppFolio and concluded it deserves the award for the Best Overall Property Management Software available today and earns best-in-class honors for Business Operations, Dashboards and Reporting and Integrations and Extensibility. AppFolio stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

Analysts' Pick Award
User Favorite Award
Business Operations Award
Dashboards and Reporting Award
Integrations and Extensibility Award

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Rent Manager and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Maintenance. Rent Manager stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award
Maintenance Award

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Maintenance Management: 89% of users discussing this aspect said that they saved time with smart maintenance workflows.
Workflow Localization: According to 96% of users who reviewed this benefit, the software is feature-rich and localizes accounting, marketing and management workflows.
Ease of Use: It’s an intuitive platform that doesn’t require technical knowledge for beginners, as mentioned by 95% of users reviewing the user interface.
Collaboration: It provides an efficient centralized communication hub, according to 100% of reviews on native interactions.
Universal Search Bar: All the reviews on the search bar noted that it’s easy to locate documents and data throughout the organization.
Mobile App: Users can perform every major function remotely via the app, according to 88% of users reviewing the mobile app.
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Robust reporting & analytics: Users appreciate the detailed reports on income, expenses, vacancies and tenant data, enabling data-driven decision-making for improved property management.
Streamlined operations & automation: Automating tasks like rent collection, maintenance requests and accounting saves time and effort, freeing managers to focus on strategic tasks.
Improved tenant communication: The online tenant portal facilitates easy rent payments, maintenance requests and communication, enhancing resident satisfaction and reducing the communication burden.
Marketing & advertising tools: Simplifying advertising vacant units and attracting new tenants through online listings and marketing automation saves time and effort, potentially increasing occupancy rates.
Scalability & adaptability: Rent Manager caters to various property sizes and types, offering flexible plans and features that adapt to growing needs.
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Integrations: It doesn’t support unique integrations with third-party software, according to 89% of reviews on backend connectivity.
Reporting: Reports generated through the platform lack customizations, as observed by 73% of reviews on the analytics module.
Accounting: Lack of automatic bank feeds and weekly recurring transactions and recording expenses without creating bills hinder smooth accounting, according to 57% of users reviewing the accounting module.
Customer Support: 67% of users mentioning customer support said that they were not satisfied with the support response time.
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Learning curve & complexity: The interface can be challenging for beginners, requiring significant time and effort to learn and navigate effectively, especially for those unfamiliar with property management software.
Pricing concerns: Additional fees beyond the monthly subscription can add up, making it potentially more expensive than competitors for certain users, especially those with smaller property portfolios or limited budgets.
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AppFolio is an all-encompassing platform covering every aspect of property management. According to reviews, it’s an intuitive platform that localizes business processes and offers unique collaboration tools and a mobile app. Along with AI-embedded maintenance workflows, the universal search bar is one of its standout features. However, reviews noted that it’s difficult to understand a variety of nuanced features without proper training. Also, due to no open API, businesses should be wary of their existing software stack requiring integration with the platform. In conclusion, AppFolio is a robust management platform with various advanced features to support every kind of property. But the high cost, hit-or-miss support suite and scarce training resources can make it inconvenient for single landlords and managers with smaller portfolios.

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Rent Manager garners mixed reviews from property managers. Users praise its ability to streamline operations, automate tasks, and provide robust reporting and analytics for informed decision-making. The online tenant portal enhances communication and resident satisfaction by facilitating rent payments, maintenance requests and communication.However, the platform faces criticism for its steep learning curve and complexity, particularly for users new to property management software.Ultimately, the decision to choose Rent Manager depends on individual needs and priorities. It’s a top solution for rent collection, automation, marketing and accounting. However, if user-friendliness and a robust mobile app are high on your requirements list, you’d be better off considering alternative options.

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Screenshots

Top Alternatives in Property Management Software

Buildium
DoorLoop
Hemlane
Innago
MRI Software
Propertyware
Re-Leased
RealPage
Rent Manager
Rentec Direct
ResMan
SimplifyEm
Tenant Cloud
Yardi Voyager

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Head-to-Head Comparison

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