AppFolio Review: Pros, Cons, Features, and Pricing
AppFolio is an accounting software designed for property management, offering tools for financial tracking and reporting. It best serves property managers, real estate professionals, and small to mid-sized businesses needing organized property management software and accounting solutions. AppFolio provides a cloud-based, user-friendly platform designed to streamline accounting, tenant management, and reporting for property management companies of all sizes.
AppFolio addresses issues like manual data entry, bank reconciliation, and disorganized financial records for property management teams. In this article, I'll cover AppFolio's functionality, pros and cons, use cases, and pricing so you can decide if this software aligns with your accounting and management needs and goals.
AppFolio Evaluation Summary
- Price upon request
- Free demo available
Why Trust Our Software Reviews
We’ve been testing and reviewing financial software since 2023. As finance specialists ourselves, we know how critical and difficult it is to make the right decision when selecting software.
We invest in deep research to help our audience make better software purchasing decisions. We’ve tested more than 2,000 tools for different finance use cases and written over 1,000 comprehensive software reviews. Learn how we stay transparent & our software review methodology.
AppFolio Overview
In my opinion, AppFolio stands out as a solid choice for property management software, particularly for real estate professionals. It offers a user-friendly interface, advanced automation, and effective tools, though it might not have as many integrations as some competitors. The pricing is reasonable for the features provided, making it a good fit for small to mid-sized property management companies. However, larger organizations with extensive integration needs might find it less accommodating. If you value ease of use and a straightforward setup, AppFolio could be a wise choice for your team.
pros
-
It's easy for your team to navigate and use.
-
You can quickly access detailed property management reports.
-
The platform offers strong support for tenant management.
cons
-
Your team might find the customization options limited.
-
It lacks advanced features for large-scale operations.
-
You may encounter occasional glitches or bugs.
-
Creatio CRM
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.7 -
DealHub AI
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.7 -
LiveFlow
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.9
How We Test & Score Tools
We’ve spent years building, refining, and improving our software testing and scoring system. The rubric is designed to capture the nuances of software selection and what makes a tool effective, focusing on critical aspects of the decision-making process.
Below, you can see exactly how our testing and scoring works across seven criteria. It allows us to provide an unbiased evaluation of the software based on core functionality, standout features, ease of use, onboarding, customer support, integrations, customer reviews, and value for money.
Core Functionality (25% of final scoring)
The starting point of our evaluation is always the core functionality of the tool. Does it have the basic features and functions that a user would expect to see? Are any of those core features locked to higher-tiered pricing plans? At its core, we expect a tool to stand up against the baseline capabilities of its competitors.
Standout Features (25% of final scoring)
Next, we evaluate uncommon standout features that go above and beyond the core functionality typically found in tools of its kind. A high score reflects specialized or unique features that make the product faster, more efficient, or offer additional value to the user.
We also evaluate how easy it is to integrate with other tools typically found in the tech stack to expand the functionality and utility of the software. Tools offering plentiful native integrations, 3rd party connections, and API access to build custom integrations score best.
Ease of Use (10% of final scoring)
We consider how quick and easy it is to execute the tasks defined in the core functionality using the tool. High scoring software is well designed, intuitive to use, offers mobile apps, provides templates, and makes relatively complex tasks seem simple.
Onboarding (10% of final scoring)
We know how important rapid team adoption is for a new platform, so we evaluate how easy it is to learn and use a tool with minimal training. We evaluate how quickly a team member can get set up and start using the tool with no experience. High scoring solutions indicate little or no support is required.
Customer Support (10% of final scoring)
We review how quick and easy it is to get unstuck and find help by phone, live chat, or knowledge base. Tools and companies that provide real-time support score best, while chatbots score worst.
Customer Reviews (10% of final scoring)
Beyond our own testing and evaluation, we consider the net promoter score from current and past customers. We review their likelihood, given the option, to choose the tool again for the core functionality. A high scoring software reflects a high net promoter score from current or past customers.
Value for Money (10% of final scoring)
Lastly, in consideration of all the other criteria, we review the average price of entry level plans against the core features and consider the value of the other evaluation criteria. Software that delivers more, for less, will score higher.
Core Features
Tenant Management: You can efficiently track and manage tenant information, leases, and communications through a centralized tenant portal. This feature helps streamline your workflows and enhance tenant screening processes.
Financial Reporting: Generate detailed financial reports to keep your team informed. You'll find it easy to track income, expenses, bank accounts, and profitability with Appfolio’s accounting tools.
Online Payments: Tenants can make online payments and rent collection transactions directly through AppFolio, reducing manual processing and saving time for property owners.
Maintenance Tracking: You can log and track maintenance requests to ensure timely resolution. This helps maintain property value and tenant satisfaction.
Document Management: Store and organize essential documents digitally for easy access. Your team will appreciate the convenience of having everything in one place.
Expense Management: Track and categorize expenses to maintain accurate financial reports. This feature aids in budgeting and cost control for your properties.
Ease of Use
AppFolio is user-friendly, making it easy for your team to navigate and manage accounting tasks efficiently. Its clean interface and straightforward design allow you to quickly access essential features, such as tenant management and financial reporting. Users appreciate the intuitive layout and user experience that reduces the learning curve, allowing your team to focus more on their work and less on figuring out the software. Overall, it simplifies property management tasks, helping your team work more effectively.
Integrations
AppFolio integrates with HappyCo, SafeRent, RentCheck, AvidXchange, Plaid, Axela Technologies, Banyan, Latch, Leadsimple, and more.
AppFolio also offers an API, allowing you to connect with third-party integration tools for custom solutions.
AppFolio Specs
- API
- Budgeting
- Calendar Management
- Customer Management
- Dashboard
- Data Export
- Data Import
- Data Visualization
- External Integrations
- Forecasting
- Multi-User
- Notifications
- Scheduling
- Tax Management
