Updated October 25, 2026. Independent editorial; how we research.
Who this is for
A third-party residential manager with roughly 500 to 2,000 doors across single-family and small multifamily, a team of about 8 to 15, and plans to keep adding owners. Totals assume 1,000 doors.
Jobs the stack must cover
System of record
Trust accounting, owner and tenant portals, leasing and maintenance in one place.
Growth and processes
Owner leads, onboarding, renewals and turns run as tracked processes.
Inspections
Consistent move-in, move-out and routine inspections with photo evidence.
Showings
Self-guided and agent showings scheduled without phone tag.
Maintenance coordination
Triage, vendor dispatch and resident updates for work orders.
The stack at a glance
| Tier | Job | Tool | Monthly cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start with | System of record | 
AppFolio Core | From $1,490/mo |
| Add when | Growth and processes | 
LeadSimple One, annual commitment | $1,684.50/mo |
| Add when | Inspections | 
RentCheck Launch | $1,000/mo |
| Add when | Showings | 
ShowMojo Pro, unit-based | Not totaled |
| Add when | Maintenance coordination | 
Property Meld | Pricing on request |
| Skip until | System of record | 
Yardi | Pricing on request |
| Skip until | System of record | 
Entrata | Pricing on request |
| Skip until | System of record | 
Realpage | Pricing on request |
| Lean total (Start with) | from $1,490/mo | ||
| Fuller total (Start with + Add when) | from $4,174.50/mo | ||
Start with
The essentials for day one. These make up the lean total.
AppFolio Core
The most common choice in this band: trust accounting, owner and tenant portals, leasing, maintenance and a large integration marketplace. Plus (from $3.20 per unit) and Max (from $5.00) add automation and AI features.
Alternatives: DoorLoop (One is $2.50 per unit for the first 100 and $1.50 above that on yearly billing, $1,600/mo at 1,000 doors); Rentvine (as low as $1.50 per unit, with a one-time setup fee)
Add when
Worth buying once the trigger applies. These, minus anything they replace, make up the fuller total.
LeadSimple One, annual commitment
Add when you grow by winning new owners and want onboarding, renewals and turns tracked as processes.
CRM, process automation, calling and texting for unlimited teammates, priced by door in bands. It complements the system of record; accounting stays in your PM software.
RentCheck Launch
Add when inspections vary by staff member, or deposit disputes start costing you.
Unlimited inspections and users, resident-led inspections and integrations with major PM systems (AppFolio Realm-X integration is $0.30 per door extra on Launch).
Alternatives: zInspector (inspection app; plan prices are behind sign-up); Property Inspect (from $49/mo for a solo inspector)
ShowMojo Pro, unit-based
Add when vacancies pile up because showings depend on someone being free to drive over.
Scheduling, self-showings with lockboxes, syndication and owner reports. The pricing page lists annual plans from $1.30 per unit but does not say per month, so we leave it out of the total; lockbox devices cost extra.
Alternatives: Tenant Turner (similar unit-based showing plans)
Property Meld
Add when work orders outgrow one coordinator and residents complain about updates.
Maintenance coordination built for single-family and small multifamily managers, with vendor scheduling and resident updates.
Alternatives: Latchel (outsourced maintenance coordination, pricing on request)
Skip until
Tools newcomers are often sold too early, and what has to be true before they pay off. Not included in either total.
Yardi
Yardi Voyager is built for institutional owners and large operators, sold by quote, with a real implementation project. Yardi Breeze, Yardi's small-portfolio product at $1 per unit per month (residential, $100 minimum), is a fair alternative to the systems above.
Entrata
An enterprise multifamily platform sold by quote, aimed at owner-operators with on-site staff rather than fee managers of scattered single-family and small multifamily.
Realpage
Built for large conventional and affordable multifamily portfolios; quote-only and more platform than a growing fee manager needs.
Monthly cost
Assumptions: 1,000 residential doors managed for third-party owners; Annual commitment where it is offered and cheaper; Onboarding fees and payment processing excluded; US prices before tax.
Not in the totals (no published monthly price): ShowMojo, Property Meld. Expect the real cost to be higher if you buy them.
"From" means at least one line uses a vendor's starting price, so the total is a floor; quotes usually rise with seats or units.
Totals are rebuilt from each line's published price whenever the site is published, and exclude tax, payment processing, onboarding fees and hardware. How we built these stacks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does property management software cost at 1,000 doors?
At published starting prices, AppFolio Core is from $1.49 per unit, or from $1,490 a month at 1,000 doors, before its minimum spend and onboarding. DoorLoop One works out to $1,600 a month at 1,000 doors on yearly billing, and Rentvine is advertised from $1.50 per unit. Get written quotes from at least two.
What should a growing manager add after the PM system?
Process automation for owner growth and onboarding (LeadSimple, $1,684.50 a month at 1,000 doors on an annual commitment) and consistent inspections (RentCheck, $1.00 per door). With both, the stack is from $4,174.50 a month, plus showing and maintenance tools that are priced by quote or unclear units and not totaled.
Should a 1,000-door manager move to Yardi Voyager or Entrata?
Usually not yet. Those platforms are built for institutional owners and on-site multifamily teams and are sold by quote with long implementations. Revisit when you manage large conventional or affordable communities, not scattered doors.