Avail vs Buildium: which fits your rentals in 2026?
Pricing and features verified from vendor pricing pages on 2026-07-04.
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On pure cost, Avail wins: it has a genuinely usable free plan while Buildium starts at $62/mo. For a landlord with one or two units, that difference compounds to $744+ a year. Who each fits: First-time or small landlords (1-5 units) who want a polished free end-to-end tool and may selectively upgrade single units to Plus. Professional property managers and growing portfolios that need trust accounting, owner reporting, and multi-staff workflows.
Pricing, side by side
| Starting price | Free tier | $62/mo |
| Pricing model | per unit | flat, scales with unit count |
| Plans | Unlimited — $0/mo Free, unlimited units: listings on 19 sites, applications/screening, state-specific leases with e-sign, rent collection (tenant pays $2.50/ACH), maintenance tracking, income/expense tracking Unlimited Plus — $9/mo $9/unit/month; waived tenant ACH fees, next-day FastPay payouts, custom applications and lease clauses, lease cloning, property marketing website, 2x faster support | Essential — $62/mo Starting at $62/mo; incoming EFT $2.35/txn, $99 per bank account setup, inspections cost extra Growth — $192/mo Starting at $192/mo; incoming EFT $1.35/txn, 10 free bank accounts, enhanced screening $20 Premium — $400/mo Starting at $400/mo; incoming EFT free 12 months then $0.60, 100 free bank accounts, inspections included; Enterprise pricing above 5,000 units |
| Annual discount | — | Not stated on the live pricing page (fetched 2026-07-04) |
| Tenant screening | Varies by state law; paid by the applicant most commonly, though the landlord can choose to cover it | $17-$20 per report paid by landlord, or $35 applicant-paid option |
Feature checklist
| Feature | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tenant screening | ✓ | ✓ |
| Online rent collection | ✓ | ✓ |
| Accounting & reporting | ✓ | ✓ |
| Maintenance tracking | ✓ | ✓ |
| Listing syndication | ✓ | ✓ |
| Leases & e-sign | ✓ | ✓ |
| Integrated banking | — | — |
| Landlord mobile app | ✓ | ✓ |
Strengths and trade-offs
Avail
For- Free tier covers the entire rental cycle for unlimited units, including state-specific lawyer-reviewed leases
- Backed by Realtor.com — listings syndicate to 19 sites including the Realtor.com network
- Simple, transparent upgrade: one $9/unit/mo Plus tier, no contracts
- Screening costs are applicant-paid by default
- Free plan pushes a $2.50 ACH fee per rent payment onto tenants (3.5% for cards on any plan)
- Next-day payouts, custom leases, and waived ACH fees are all locked behind Plus
- $9/unit/mo scales badly past a handful of units versus flat-fee competitors
- Accounting is basic income/expense tracking, not real bookkeeping
Buildium
For- Full professional PM suite: trust accounting, owner portals, inspections, staff roles
- Scales from dozens to 5,000+ units with Enterprise tier beyond
- Listing syndication plus complete leasing workflow
- Large marketplace ecosystem and open API; 14-day free trial, no credit card
- Expensive for small landlords: $62/mo minimum before transaction fees
- Per-transaction EFT fees ($2.35 incoming on Essential) plus $99 per bank account setup
- Standard screening ($17-$20/report) is billed to the landlord unless the $35 applicant-paid option is used
- Property inspections cost extra on Essential ($99 setup + $40-$95/mo)
Frequently asked questions
Is Avail cheaper than Buildium?
Avail has a free plan; paid tiers start at $9/mo (per unit). Buildium starts at $62/mo (flat, scales with unit count); not stated on the live pricing page (fetched 2026-07-04). Subscription price isn't the whole story — compare tenant-side ACH and screening fees too. Screening: Avail Varies by state law; paid by the applicant most commonly, though the landlord can choose to cover it; Buildium $17-$20 per report paid by landlord, or $35 applicant-paid option.
What does Avail have that Buildium doesn't?
At the feature-checklist level they match; the differences are in depth, fees, and support quality — see the full comparison above.
Which is better for a small landlord with 1–5 units?
First-time or small landlords (1-5 units) who want a polished free end-to-end tool and may selectively upgrade single units to Plus. Professional property managers and growing portfolios that need trust accounting, owner reporting, and multi-staff workflows. If you're still unsure, start with whichever has the free tier — you can export your data and switch later.