Buildium is a mature, well-built property management platform. We're a smaller, flat-rate alternative. Here's where each one wins, what they cost at your unit count, and how to choose.
Buildium's pricing scales with units. PF9 doesn't. Here's the actual monthly cost at common portfolio sizes.
| Portfolio | Buildium Essential | PF9 Property Suite | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 units | ~$62/mo | $119/mo | +$57 |
| 10 units | ~$62/mo | $119/mo | +$57 |
| 25 units | ~$62/mo | $119/mo | +$57 |
| 50 units | ~$92/mo | $119/mo | +$27 |
| 100 units | ~$167/mo | $119/mo | −$48 |
| 250 units | ~$392/mo | $119/mo | −$273 |
Buildium Essential is published as "starting at $62/mo" but per-unit fees above the base aren't publicly disclosed. Estimates use the commonly reported ~$1.50/unit/mo above the first 30 units. Real Buildium quotes can include add-ons for electronic payments, screening, and document storage that are bundled in PF9. Run the math at your exact unit count →
Honest sections aren't a sales tactic — they're how you make a real decision.
Buildium has had 20 years to build out accrual accounting, bank reconciliation, and trust accounting. If you have an accountant who runs your books inside the property management system, Buildium handles that natively. PF9 keeps the books in QuickBooks (or your existing system) and exports cleanly into them — different model, intentionally lighter.
Buildium has tenant screening through TransUnion built into the product. Click a button, charge the applicant a fee, get the report. PF9 doesn't have screening yet — you'd run it separately through your existing service.
If you manage on behalf of multiple owners and need to give each one a portal showing their properties' financials, Buildium does that out of the box. PF9 is built for direct-owner landlords; multi-owner portals aren't on the roadmap.
$119/mo for the Property Suite (LANDLORDR + TENANTLINK) covers any portfolio size. Five units or 500. The price doesn't change when you grow. Buildium's model rewards small portfolios and punishes growth — your software bill goes up every time you add a unit.
Property managers, leasing agents, accountants, contractors — anyone who needs an account gets one. No per-user fees on top of the per-unit fees. Buildium's pricing is per-unit but team size is also factored into tier selection.
Most landlords with 20–50 units have PF9 running with their real data in a few hours. No implementation consultant, no onboarding fee, no minimums. Subscribe, import a CSV of tenants and units, and you're working.
Subscribe, load your real data, run the business through PF9 for two weeks. If it's not the right fit, email support and we refund the month — no questions, no friction. Buildium has a 30-day refund policy; ours is shorter but our cancellation has no contract.
If you decide to switch, here's the practical version of the move.
Most 5–50 unit landlords complete this in a single afternoon. If you want a hand with the import, email [email protected] with your CSV exports.
Buildium's Essential starts at $62/mo, below PF9 at the smallest portfolios. Buildium's per-unit fees push it past PF9 around 30 units. Above that, PF9 stays at $119/mo flat while Buildium keeps scaling.
Deeper general-ledger accounting, integrated tenant screening, multi-owner portals across all tiers. PF9 exports to QuickBooks for accounting and is built for direct-owner landlords with 5–50 units.
Yes, via CSV export-import. Most landlords complete the move in an afternoon. Walkthrough above; support email available if you want a hand.
PF9: 5–50 units, direct-owner landlords. Buildium: 50+ units, especially if you manage on behalf of others or need integrated screening.
14-day money-back guarantee. Watch the 90-second demo first or subscribe directly.
Comparing other vendors? Browse all comparisons or use the per-door calculator to run the numbers at your portfolio size.