AppFolio vs Rentec Direct

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Our analysts compared AppFolio vs Rentec Direct 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.

Product Basics

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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Designed for landlords and property managers, Rentec Direct is a web-based software for property marketing, maintenance and accounting. It helps create customized websites, manage online payments, publish vacancies online and store or share lease agreements, photos and more.

It offers nuanced features for property accounting like trust accounting and 1099-MISC eFiling. The vendor provides a two-week free trial and customizes packages based on the number of units to be managed.
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$1.49/Unit, Monthly
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$45 Monthly
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Product Assistance

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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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  • Improve Portfolio Visibility: Market properties on multiple listing channels and design websites without coding expertise. Create postings and maintain a consistent brand experience across channels using templates. 
  • Minimize Costs: Take more bookings and applications directly from the business website and avoid the costs of third-party listing channels. Club tenant screening cost with the application fee to remove another business expenditure. 
  • Promote Remote Workflows: Offers three different mobile apps for residents, owners and managers to access the platform. Managers can perform remote property inspections via a partnership with zInspector. 
  • Flexible Rent Collection: Tenants can pay rent via debit cards, ACH, bank transfers and credit cards. Charges a 2.75% fee for credit card transactions and delegates it to tenants. Supports cash payments through a partnership with PayNearMe. 
  • Transparent Communications: Improve accountability and perform quick audits by creating a central repository of every document and interaction with tenants, owners and vendors. Track work orders, assign vendors and attach bids and invoices. 
  • Easy Bookkeeping: Leverage unique automations through a trust accounting-certified platform to eliminate triple or more entries for basic transactions. 
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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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  • Property Marketing: Fill up vacancies faster, increase inventory visibility and boost occupancy rate with marketing tools: 
    • Customizable Listings: Create personalized listings mentioning amenities and rules and regulations, and automatically syndicate them on industry-leading listing websites like Trulia, Zillow, HotPads and more. 
    • Personal Website: Build a custom website to showcase listings and accept online applications and fees. Customize the website with HTML or CSS coding to promote the brand and company. Free web hosting on vendor servers is included with the Pro and PM plans.
    • Lead Tracking: Track leads and automatically match prospective tenants with vacant units based on their interests and rental preferences. Tenants can save their preferences and get email notifications about suitable vacant properties. 
  • Rental Applications: Choose the best applicants based on personalized parameters with a customizable online rental application form. Accept applications and screening fees online. Store applicants’ data online and notify them upon selection. 
  • Tenant Screening: Identify the best applicants through screening for various parameters like background check, minimum credit score, national eviction searches, SSN validation and more. 
  • E-leasing: Create and store unlimited custom leases with specific clauses and obligations; invite renters to sign them virtually. 
  • Property Maintenance: Receive maintenance requests and assign work orders. Residents automatically receive email notifications upon work completion. Conduct virtual property inspections with the mobile application, powered by ZInspector. 
  • Online Portals: Save time and reduce confusion with a single platform for communication between property managers, owners and residents. The individual portals offer a few extra benefits: 
    • Tenant Portal: Residents can pay rent and ancillary charges, view statements, purchase insurance and submit maintenance requests. They can also receive announcements and notifications via this portal. 
    • Owner Portal: Owners can track property performance, occupancy rates, cash flows and notices. Download statements and reports. 
  • Payment: Receive and pay rent via online bank transfers, credit or debit cards or eChecks. Residents can also directly pay rent via cash by depositing the money at any of the 20,000 cash payment locations provided. They can also set up monthly recurring payment schedules. 
  • Accounting: Review, edit and print ledgers for every property, owner and bank account managed. Electronically file 1099-MISC tax forms with assistance from Nelco Solutions. Save time and reduce human error by automating double or triple entries through the QuickBooks integration. 
  • Reporting: Quickly view, analyze and drill down on specific items with a robust reporting system. Email, print or export reports as PDF or Excel files. 
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Product Ranking

#1

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#15

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Analyst Rating Summary

93
73
92
71
100
39
100
84
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Business Operations
Dashboards and Reporting
Leasing
Marketing
Platform Capabilities
Leasing

Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

AppFolio
Rentec Direct
+ Add Product + Add Product
Accounting & Financial Management Business Operations Dashboards And Reporting Leasing Maintenance Marketing Platform Capabilities 92 100 100 97 86 93 93 71 39 84 87 48 81 80 0 25 50 75 100
88%
8%
4%
73%
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27%
100%
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43%
0%
57%
100%
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86%
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14%
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88%
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12%
86%
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14%
43%
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57%
83%
17%
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93%
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7%
73%
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27%

Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

75%
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25%
75%
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25%

User Sentiment Summary

Excellent User Sentiment 1847 reviews
Excellent User Sentiment 360 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.

92%
of users recommend this product

Rentec Direct has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 92% when considering 360 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

4.7 (14)
4.4 (2)
4.6 (187)
4.5 (4)
n/a
4.62 (179)
4.6 (1640)
4.6 (175)
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

Rentec Direct stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite 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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Tenant Portal: Tenants can pay rent and submit maintenance requests online, which can save property managers time and hassle.
QuickBooks Integration: Rentec Direct can be integrated with QuickBooks, which can make accounting easier for property managers.
Good Customer Support: Many users report that Rentec Direct has good customer support, which can be helpful if property managers have any questions or problems.
Customizable: Rentec Direct is customizable, so property managers can tailor it to their specific needs.
Mobile App: Rentec Direct has a mobile app, which can be convenient for property managers who are on the go.
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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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Limited Accounting Features: The platform lacks robust accounting functionalities, such as generating a balance sheet or tracking depreciation, which are essential for comprehensive financial management.
Customer Support Challenges: Obtaining timely and effective assistance from Rentec Direct's customer support can be difficult, leading to frustration and delays in resolving issues.
Mobile App Limitations: The mobile app's functionality is restricted compared to the web version, hindering on-the-go property management tasks.
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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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Stepping into the realm of property management software, Rentec Direct emerges as a prominent contender, capturing the attention of landlords and property managers seeking efficient solutions. User feedback from the past year sheds light on the platform's strengths, weaknesses, and unique attributes, painting a comprehensive picture of its capabilities and suitability for various needs. Rentec Direct receives consistent praise for its user-friendly interface and comprehensive suite of features. The platform simplifies tasks such as rent collection, tenant screening, maintenance requests, and lease management, streamlining operations for property management professionals. Users appreciate the affordability of Rentec Direct, especially when compared to competitors like AppFolio and Buildium, which often come with higher price tags. However, some users have expressed concerns regarding the responsiveness of customer support, highlighting the need for improvement in this area. The ability to access the software from any device with an internet connection is a significant advantage, providing flexibility and convenience for users on the go. Rentec Direct caters to a diverse range of property management needs, making it suitable for both individual landlords and larger property management companies. Its scalability and affordability make it an attractive option for those starting or expanding their portfolios. The platform's comprehensive feature set ensures that users have the tools necessary to manage their properties effectively, from tenant communication to financial tracking. While Rentec Direct may not be the perfect fit for every user, its combination of affordability, user-friendliness, and comprehensive features positions it as a valuable tool for those seeking to optimize their property management processes.

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