Why does AppFolio have a 50-unit minimum?

Their business model is built around property management companies. The economics don't work for them with self-managers, their sales, onboarding, and support costs require bigger enterprise accounts. Rentra is designed from the ground up for landlords who run their own doors, so we can serve you profitably at $5/unit.

Is AppFolio better if I plan to grow?

Maybe eventually. But 'I might scale someday' isn't a reason to pay enterprise prices today. Rentra scales with you, pricing is per unit with no cap. If you grow into a property management company running portfolios for other owners and need features like AI leasing assistants or commercial property management, then evaluate AppFolio. Don't pay for tomorrow's problems today.

What does AppFolio have that Rentra doesn't?

More bells and whistles: AI-powered leasing, built-in CRM, marketing websites, and commercial property features. Great if you're running a property management business. Overkill if you're a landlord who just wants rent to arrive on time and maintenance requests to stop coming via text message.

vs. AppFolio

Rentra vs AppFolio

Name: Rentra
Price: 5.00 USD

AppFolio won't even let you sign up with less than 50 units. Rentra was built for landlords like you.

Try Rentra free $5/unit · 14-day free trial · Cancel anytime

Rentra

Built for self-managing landlords

$5 / unit

$25/mo minimum · All features included

Start with 1 unit
14-day free trial
Cancel anytime, no contract
AI auto-import migration

AppFolio

Mid-size property managers

Custom pricing

Quote required · 50-unit minimum

AppFolio is a cloud-based property management platform designed for residential, commercial, and community association management companies.

Side by side

Feature-by-feature breakdown.

FeatureRentraAppFolio

Minimum unitsNo minimum50 units required

Starting price$25/mo min ($5/unit)Custom quote

Setup complexity15 minutesOnboarding required

Rent collection with autopay

Automatic late payment remindersSMS + EmailEmail only

SMS-powered maintenance requestsPortal only

Auto-dispatch to vendors via SMS

Automated vendor follow-ups

One-tap maintenance approvals

Tenant portal

Move-in/move-out inspectionsPhoto comparisonBasic

Deposit deduction suggestionsAutomatedManual

Financial reporting

Schedule E tax exportsOne-click

AI cashflow forecast

Tenant screeningOn the roadmap

Native mobile appMobile-first web (iOS app coming soon)

The bottom line

AppFolio literally won't take your money if you have less than 50 units.

That tells you everything about who they're building for, and it's not you. If you manage your own doors, you don't need software designed for 500-unit portfolios. You need something that just works, costs less than your Netflix subscription per property, and doesn't require a training course to figure out.

Get started with Rentra

Common questions

People ask us this a lot.

Start today

The 1st is coming.
Make it boring.

Free for 14 days, then $5 a unit, not 10% of the rent. AI auto-imports your properties, tenants, and balances from whatever you use today.

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