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Comparison
Commonwell vs AppFolio
AppFolio is enterprise property-management software with quote-based plans and published minimums; Commonwell is association-first software at a flat rate. For a self-managed community or a small portfolio, the buying models differ substantially.
Pricing: quote-based minimums vs flat
AppFolio now publishes quote-based Core, Plus, and Max plans and states that a minimum spend and a 50-unit minimum apply to its residential offering; it does not publish a current starting dollar amount. Commonwell publishes a flat $39/month Block price with unlimited members, and property managers run up to five communities on Estate at $249/month total. Commonwell takes 0% of dues; only standard payment processing fees apply.
Where Commonwell goes further
- An association-focused public website: AppFolio advertises customizable property websites and resident portals; Commonwell gives each community a drag-and-drop public site on its own domain with managed SSL and community-specific content blocks.
- Voting & elections built in; AppFolio's public plan page does not advertise resident elections.
- Reserve-fund study built in; AppFolio's public plan page does not advertise one.
- Dues land in your community's own bank account, rather than running through a separate processor relationship.
- Custom CSS and a code editor (Neighborhood and up) for real branding control.
Where AppFolio holds its own
AppFolio is a deep, mature platform for large management companies: full accounting, Realm-X AI, a read-only API on Plus, and a read/write API on Max. Portfolios of hundreds of doors with dedicated staff and complex rental + association mixes are its home turf. Commonwell Estate currently covers up to five communities; confirm a custom Enterprise scope with sales before comparing a larger portfolio.
Switching from AppFolio
The built-in member-roster importer currently accepts PayHOA and HOA Express exports. Confirm the scope for balances, documents, history, or any other source with sales before planning a migration. Keep your domain at its current registrar; Commonwell handles routing and the SSL certificate.
Side by side: the full market
| Commonwell | PayHOA | Buildium | AppFolio | Vantaca | CINC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $39/mo | $54/mo | $62/mo | Quote | Quote | Quote |
| Pricing model | Flat | By units | Tier + per-txn | Plans + minimums | Enterprise | Enterprise |
| Flat regardless of unit count | ✓ | No | Tiered | Minimums | Quote | Quote |
| Public website capability | Custom site | Website builder | Marketing site | Property sites | Branded portal/app | Branded site/app |
| Visual page editing | Drag-and-drop | Website builder | Templates | Property sites | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| Dues settled to connected account | ✓ | ✓ | Own processor | Own processor | Vantaca Pay | Lockbox |
| Accounting & general ledger | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Reserve-fund study built in | ✓ | Not advertised | Not advertised | Not advertised | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| ARC + violations + maintenance | ✓ Neighborhood+ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Voting & elections | ✓ | ✓ | Not advertised | Not advertised | ARC voting | ✓ |
| AI assistant / agent | Concierge | Not advertised | Buildium AI | Realm-X | HOAi | Cephai |
| Custom CSS / code editor | ✓ Neighborhood+ | Not advertised | Not advertised | Not advertised | Not advertised | Not advertised |
| REST API + webhooks | ✓ Estate | Not advertised | Premium | Plus / Max | Open API | 125+ APIs |
Features and pricing as of July 2026, from public vendor pages. We refresh this comparison annually.
Frequently asked
How does Commonwell's pricing compare to AppFolio's?
AppFolio publishes quote-based plans and says a minimum spend and 50-unit minimum apply, without publishing a current starting price. Commonwell publishes a flat $39/month Block plan with unlimited members; Estate runs up to five communities for $249/month.
Does AppFolio give communities a public website?
AppFolio advertises customizable property websites and resident portals. Commonwell focuses its visual editor on association public sites, with a custom domain and managed SSL on every plan.
Can I migrate from AppFolio to Commonwell?
Commonwell does not currently have a dedicated AppFolio importer. Confirm the migration scope with sales before relying on balances, documents, or history transfer.
Which is better for a large management portfolio?
AppFolio is built for large portfolios with mixed rentals and associations. Commonwell's published Estate plan covers up to five communities; a larger Commonwell Enterprise scope must be confirmed with sales before you rely on it.
More comparisons: Commonwell vs PayHOA · Commonwell vs Buildium · Commonwell pricing
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