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Real Estate · head to head

Buildium vs DoorLoop

Buildium logo

Buildium

Real Estate

Property management software designed with you in mind

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
DoorLoop logo

DoorLoop

Real Estate

Cloud property management with double entry accounting, priced per unit above a monthly minimum

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Buildium has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Buildium prices are all quoted as starting figures, from $62 a month on Essential to $400 on Premium, so the real cost depends on unit count; DoorLoop pricing is per unit against a monthly minimum, so a 20 unit portfolio pays the same as one two or three times the size and the real cost per unit lands far above the advertised figure.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Buildium and DoorLoop actually diverge.

Attributes where Buildium and DoorLoop differ
AttributeBuildiumDoorLoop
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer unit per month with a monthly minimum
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Real Estate).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Buildium

Nothing recorded that DoorLoop does not also cover.

Only in DoorLoop

  • Double entry accounting
  • Tenant and owner portals
  • Rent collection
  • Listing syndication
  • Maintenance and work orders
  • Tenant screening
  • E-signature
  • Reporting

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Buildium

  • Property management accounting and rent collectionnot DoorLoop
  • Maintenance requests and work order trackingnot DoorLoop
  • Tenant screening and lease signingnot DoorLoop
  • Owner and tenant portalsnot DoorLoop
  • Community association management on the Enterprise tiernot DoorLoop

DoorLoop

  • A third-party manager with 100 to 500 residential units moving off spreadsheets and a desktop accounting packagenot Buildium
  • A landlord who self-manages several small multifamily buildings and wants owners, tenants and the ledger in one placenot Buildium
  • A manager who needs trust accounting that survives a state audit without maintaining a separate bookkeeping systemnot Buildium
  • An operator consolidating rent collection onto one rail so that arrears reporting is accurate on the day rather than a week laternot Buildium

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Buildium

  • Prices are all quoted as starting figures, from $62 a month on Essential to $400 on Premium, so the real cost depends on unit count
  • Onboarding is mandatory on the Growth and Premium plans, adding a cost the monthly figure does not show
  • Live phone support is withheld from the Essential tier
  • The Open API is Premium only
  • Portfolios above 5,000 units are pushed to a quote-only Enterprise arrangement

DoorLoop

  • Pricing is per unit against a monthly minimum, so a 20 unit portfolio pays the same as one two or three times the size and the real cost per unit lands far above the advertised figure.
  • Payment processing margin is part of how the vendor earns, so the subscription understates total cost: card fees are usually passed to residents, ACH terms differ by plan, and the spread is not negotiable at small volumes.
  • First term pricing is discounted aggressively, which means the renewal quote is materially higher than the number that won the deal, and the deeper discounts are attached to multi-year commitments.
  • Commercial lease administration is shallow: CAM reconciliation, percentage rent and complex escalation schedules are not handled at the level a mixed commercial and residential portfolio requires.
  • The vendor is younger than Buildium, AppFolio or Yardi, so the third-party integration catalogue and the pool of consultants who can migrate legacy data are both much smaller.

Pricing, plan by plan

Buildium

Free
  • Essential$62/month
    • Basic accounting, maintenance, leasing
    • Standard reporting
    • Basic AI assistant
  • Growth$192/month
    • Everything in Essential
    • Customization and reporting automation
    • Enhanced tenant screening
  • Premium$400/month
    • Everything in Growth
    • Open API access
    • Free inspections

DoorLoop

On request
  • Starter$undefined/month
    • Charged per unit against a monthly minimum
    • Accounting, rent collection and tenant portal
    • Standard reporting
  • Pro$undefined/month
    • Charged per unit against a higher monthly minimum
    • Owner portal and owner statements
    • QuickBooks sync
  • Premium$undefined/month
    • Charged per unit against the highest monthly minimum
    • Dedicated onboarding and priority support
    • API access

Which should you pick?

Choose Buildium if

  • You want to start without paying.
Buildium review

Choose DoorLoop if

  • You need double entry accounting.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want tenant and owner portals.
DoorLoop review

Questions people ask

Is Buildium or DoorLoop better?
Neither clearly leads. Buildium starts at Free and DoorLoop at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Buildium or DoorLoop?
Buildium has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Buildium and On request for DoorLoop.
Does Buildium or DoorLoop run on more platforms?
Buildium runs on Web. DoorLoop runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Buildium for free?
Yes. Buildium has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. DoorLoop starts at On request.
What is Buildium best used for?
Buildium is most often used for property management accounting and rent collection, maintenance requests and work order tracking, tenant screening and lease signing, owner and tenant portals. Of those, property management accounting and rent collection and maintenance requests and work order tracking are not what DoorLoop is typically brought in for.
What can Buildium do that DoorLoop cannot?
DoorLoop covers Double entry accounting, Tenant and owner portals, Rent collection, Listing syndication.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Buildium: How much does Buildium cost for a small landlord?

Buildium starts at $62/month (Essential plan) and includes basic accounting, maintenance, and leasing. A 14-day free trial is available without credit card required.

Source
DoorLoop: What does it actually cost for a 20 unit portfolio?

You pay the monthly minimum, not 20 times the per unit rate, so the effective cost per unit is several times the headline. Ask for the minimum in writing before you discuss the per unit figure.

Buildium: Are tenant screening and eSignatures included in Buildium plans?

No. Tenant screening costs $17–$35 per screening. eSignatures cost $1–$5 per document on Essential and Growth plans. Premium plan ($400/month) includes unlimited eSignatures and removes per-document charges.

Source
DoorLoop: Does DoorLoop handle trust accounting?

Yes. The ledger is double entry with separate trust and operating accounts, owner draws and statements, which is what state licensing audits look for.

Buildium: What do I get by upgrading from Essential to Premium?

Premium ($400/month) adds Open API access, free property inspections, unlimited free eSignatures, 12 months of free incoming EFT processing, and a full AI suite. Growth ($192/month) is the mid-tier with customization and reporting automation.

Source
DoorLoop: Who pays the card fee on rent?

Normally the resident. ACH pricing varies by plan and by negotiated volume, and processing is where a meaningful share of the vendor revenue comes from.

Buildium: Does Buildium offer custom pricing for large portfolios?

Yes, Buildium offers Enterprise pricing for portfolios exceeding 5,000 units or community associations. Contact sales at 877-396-7876 for a quote.

Source
DoorLoop: Is it suitable for commercial property?

For simple commercial leases yes. For CAM reconciliation, percentage rent or institutional reporting you want Yardi or MRI instead.

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