AppFolio vs ExactEstate: A Guide to Choosing the Best PMS

Property managers on every scale are increasingly looking to ditch their stand-alone systems and invest in property management software (PMS) that can do it all. AppFolio and ExactEstate are two of the best all-in-one solutions on the market, and both make it easier to handle everyday tasks. 

But a PMS has to do more than just crunch the numbers and process checks to help your business grow.

• Do both systems support real-time data for customized reports to optimize investments and cash flow?
• Which one can streamline how we fill vacancies and deliver deeper visibility across every level of my business? 

These are the questions that separate a truly game-changing PMS from a functional upgrade—and give property management firms an edge over the rest.

You can’t leave anything to chance with your investment, so neither will we. Here’s our deep dive into how AppFolio and ExactEstate stack up side to side, and a snapshot of what they’ll deliver for your business. 

Why Does Property Management Software Matter?

The competitive edge property management software offers has already made it a $24 billion industry, and it’s projected to grow to $52 billion by 2032. That means businesses relying on legacy systems and manual work will have to work harder over time to keep up. 

On the other hand, early adopters won’t just reap the operational and analytical benefits these tools offer today—they’ll stay out in front of competitors with future-proofed systems and workflows.

The right choice will equip your business with:

• Highly efficient workflows. Whether you need to take care of unit repairs or your day-to-day duties, a great PMS can help you get everything done while staying on schedule.
• An all-in-one software solution. Instead of hopping between multiple systems, all your data flows seamlessly into a single source of truth for every user with customizable interfaces and pre-built reports. 
• A data-driven strategy. Today’s property management software offers at-a-glance readouts of vital statistics on easily accessible dashboard screens. With this information, you’ll have no trouble making the right decisions about the future of your properties.
• Improved resident experience. Besides keeping things running smoothly, a top-notch PMS includes intuitive portals for rent and communication and helps you pinpoint lifestyle investments they’re craving.
  
  

The Features Your Software Needs

The right property management software can be life-changing for property managers, but only if it solves problems without adding others. A top-performing PMS is a total package—you’ll need to focus on the features these programs deliver for property managers and residents alike.

Consider whether a PMS includes:

1. Easy-to-understand pricing. Though you’ll want to look for the best possible value from your PMS, make sure you account for hidden fees for functional features and services. 
2. A best-in-class dashboard. Your PMS dashboard needs to be easy to read, fully customizable, and accessible from anywhere.
3. Support for affordable housing. When you need to manage affordable housing, your software solution should be there for you, regardless of how much you’re paying for it.
4. Tenant screening assistance. The best property management programs will help you during the tenant screening process, making it easy to find trustworthy renters.
5. A resident portal. With a resident portal, your tenants can request repairs, pay rent, and learn about events happening in their community.

What property management software offers all of this functionality?

Keep reading to find out: in the following sections, we’ll give you a point-by-point breakdown of how AppFolio and ExactEstate stack up in all these categories.

1. Simple Pricing for Property Managers

Your PMS shouldn’t just offer affordable pricing—it should also help you understand how much you’ll need to pay and what features you’ll be able to use. Here’s what you can expect from AppFolio vs. ExactEstate.

AppFolio

Like many other property management software products, AppFolio offers multiple pricing tiers for its customers. AppFolio’s Core plan comes with a selection of basic features for residential property managers, including:

• Accounting and reports
• Work order management
• Marketing and leasing
• Inspections
• Mobility and convenience
• Core integrations
• Communication

The Plus plan includes everything in Core and even more functionality. This tier adds features like:

• Affordable housing and student housing support
• Advanced data analysis
• Premium integrations
• Read-only AppFolio API access
• Advanced budgeting/accounting

Finally, the Max plan covers every feature in the two plans below it and introduces:

• Leasing signals
• Leasing CRM
• Read/write AppFolio API access
• Customer success management

So, what is the actual cost of AppFolio? To find that, you’ll need to request a quote. While your ultimate rate will vary based on the tier you choose, the type of properties you work with, and the number of units you manage, minimum spend and units will apply.

ExactEstate

When you use ExactEstate, you won’t have to spend time looking for a pricing tier that comes with the functionality you need. Instead, you’ll get access to our full selection of features* for a low flat monthly fee per unit.  

Choosing ExactEstate can also help you save on processing fees.

While these fees can easily cut into your bottom line, our processing rates are comfortably below the industry average for both credit card and ACH payments.

2. A Powerful, Customizable Dashboard

As a property manager, your software’s dashboard is the key to running a data-driven business. This screen will show you round-the-clock updates on the statistics that matter to you. Because of that, your PMS needs to offer a truly robust dashboard solution.

AppFolio

With the help of AppFolio’s dashboards, you’ll know exactly how your business is doing and extract insights for making smart decisions about its future. Since these dashboards are customizable, you’ll be able to see the data you’re looking for without spending time compiling it.

AppFolio’s dashboards are designed to give property managers a quick look at their properties’ performance. But if you need more detailed information, you can also drill down into the charts on your dashboard to get the whole picture.

ExactEstate

ExactEstate delivers a high level of customization for dashboards, giving you real-time access to your most valuable data. That flexibility extends to how you access your dashboard, since this screen is available on desktop and mobile devices. You’ll never be far away from the numbers that drive your business.

It also lets you leverage those data streams by giving property managers access to more than 40 pre-defined, detailed reports. That means you’ll be able to get daily reports, real-time updates on work orders and late fees, and much more. You’ll also be able to send daily reports to a preselected list of emails and export your data to Excel, CSV, or PDF.

3. Full Support for Affordable Housing

Affordable housing programs can strengthen communities, promote diversity, and even create job opportunities. But to unlock these benefits, you’ll need PMS that offers full affordable housing support and compliance.

AppFolio

If you use AppFolio for your property management needs, you’ll gain access to several affordable housing-related features. These include consolidated accounting for both conventional and affordable housing units, as well as help with program compliance through integrated reporting.

But there’s a catch: affordable housing capabilities aren’t included in AppFolio’s Core tier by default. Instead, you’ll need to upgrade to the Plus or Max tiers (or purchase an add-on) to access this functionality.

ExactEstate

Meanwhile, ExactEstate offers a broad lineup of features related to affordable housing.

While using our software, you’ll be able to take advantage of:

• Automated subsidy tracking. Balancing tenant rent and voucher payments can be a source of stress every month, especially if you’re relying on manual tracking. Fortunately, ExactEstate’s resident portal automatically categorizes subsidy transactions and tenant payments for you.
• One-click income certification. Along with giving property managers easy access to the tenant income certification form, ExactEstate can prefill this document with data from tenant applications.
• Powerful reporting tools. ExactEstate’s reporting capabilities make affordable housing management a breeze. It also comes with unlimited, secure cloud storage so you won’t have to invest in additional systems.
• Seamless software integrations. ExactEstate is built to work alongside TRACS (Tenant Rental Assistance Certification System). That means property managers will have no issues complying with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development regulations while giving their tenants the best possible experience.

Crucially, you’ll have zero trouble accessing these powerful, affordable housing tools.

Like almost every feature ExactEstate offers, these capabilities are available to all our customers at no extra cost.

4. Powerful Tenant Screening Features

No property manager wants to deal with vacant units, but that doesn’t mean you should accept applications from just anyone. Instead, you’ll need to find tenants who won’t put you at risk of property damage or fraud, and your PMS can help. 

AppFolio

AppFolio’s tenant screening features focus on protecting property managers from fraud. With FolioScreen Trusted Reader, you can look into prospective renters’ credit scores, income, criminal history, and more.

FolioScreen Trusted Reader also provides easy-to-read overviews of this data, making it simple to interpret and act on this data. That will speed up your approval process while protecting your business.

ExactEstate

ExactEstate’s platform also offers full support for tenant screening. With this solution, you can verify a prospective tenant's income and securely store documents with no hassle.

Features include: 

• Credit with Score- Helps property managers assess financial responsibility and reduce the risk of late payments or defaults.
• Previous Address Tenant History (PATH)- Insights into a potential tenant’s rental history is critical for identifying potential red flags like frequent moves or evictions.
• National Eviction- Allowing managers to screen out tenants with a history of lease violations or problematic behavior.
• National Criminal with Sex Offender Search- Searches national criminal databases and sex offender registries to ensure the safety of your property and its residents.
• U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Screening- Identify individuals involved in terrorism, drug trafficking, or other sanctioned activities, ensuring legal compliance.

Go Paperless

Property managers using ExactEstate for tenant screenings can also benefit from its paperless application workflow. When potential tenants submit an application through this system, you won’t have to keep track of physical documents. Instead, you’ll get easy access to applications in the cloud (and the peace of mind that comes with knowing these documents will be protected by powerful security measures).

5. Resident Portals That Connect Communities

While property management software can certainly make life easier for property managers, it also improves life for tenants. One of the most important features these systems can deliver for people living in multifamily buildings is a resident portal.

AppFolio

AppFolio’s resident portals give tenants convenient access to valuable information and tools. Residents can make payments, submit requests, and more while keeping phone calls to a minimum.

ExactEstate

ExactEstate’s portals excel at keeping communities and property managers connected. These portals are highly intuitive, and tenants can easily make payments and submit work orders online. These requests flow directly into ExactEstate’s custom dashboards in real time, and the system tracks every step of the process for work orders and payment processing. You’ll get an instant snapshot of the business's state.

In addition to these features, ExactEstate’s resident portal provides tenants with updates on events happening in their building. Thanks to that, your residents will always know what’s going on—and they’ll feel more connected with their neighbors as a result.

Getting Started with ExactEstate

As you can see, AppFolio and Exact Estate are both excellent options for property managers looking to modernize their workflows. While each of these products has certain pros and cons, they can go a long way toward bringing your property management strategy into the modern era.

To learn more about how a best-in-class PMS can transform your business, take the first step by watching a product demo or scheduling a walkthrough of ExactEstate today.

*Integrations and websites may incur additional costs.