TLDR
Buildium has three tiers: Essential at $62/mo, Growth at $192/mo, and Premium at $400/mo. The base prices are misleading. Transaction fees ($2.35/incoming EFT on Essential), bank setup fees ($99/account), and eSignature fees ($5/doc on Essential) add 30-50% to the actual cost. The reserve fund accounting is genuinely strong, but the pricing is designed for professional management companies, not single self-managed HOAs.
Buildium
$62–$400/mo tieredper month
BoardStack
$20–$99/moper month, no setup fee
Buildium Pricing Tiers
| Tier | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Essential | $62/mo | Online rent/dues collection, Maintenance tracking, Tenant and owner portals, Full fund accounting with trust accounting, GAAP-recognized financial reporting |
| Growth | $192/mo | Everything in Essential, eSignature (included), Open API access, Scheduled payments, Reduced EFT fees vs. Essential |
| Premium | $400/mo | Everything in Growth, Priority support, Customizable reports, Onboarding assistance, Lumina AI Suite |
Hidden Costs You Won't See on the Pricing Page
- ⚠ EFT transaction fees: $2.35 per incoming EFT on Essential (reduced on Growth/Premium)
- ⚠ Bank account setup fees: $99 per bank account
- ⚠ eSignature fees: $5 per document on Essential tier
- ⚠ Credit card processing: 2.99% per transaction
- ⚠ Training and onboarding not included in Essential tier
Ready to try BoardStack?
Pick a plan to see pricing details and next steps. Start a 1-month free trial with a card, and we will email you 3 days before it ends.
See plans & pricingThe tiered pricing
Buildium moved from per-unit pricing to flat monthly tiers. Three plans: Essential at $62/mo, Growth at $192/mo, and Premium at $400/mo. The shift to flat tiers looks simpler on the pricing page, but the fees layered on top make the actual cost harder to predict.
The fees the pricing page buries
Buildium’s base prices understate the real cost by 30-50% for a typical HOA:
| Fee type | Essential | Growth | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incoming EFT | $2.35/transaction | Reduced | Reduced |
| Credit card processing | 2.99% | 2.99% | 2.99% |
| Bank account setup | $99/account | $99/account | $99/account |
| eSignature | $5/document | Included | Included |
For a 100-unit community collecting monthly dues via EFT on the Essential tier:
- Base subscription: $62/mo
- EFT fees: 100 x $2.35 = $235/mo
- Effective monthly cost: $297/mo
That is nearly five times the base price. Growth tier at $192/mo includes reduced EFT fees, making it the more realistic starting point for any community collecting online payments.
Reserve accounting is a genuine strength
Buildium has full fund accounting with trust accounting and GAAP-recognized reporting. Operating and reserve funds can be properly separated with distinct ledgers and audit trails. This is not partial accounting-level tracking — it is proper fund accounting designed for property management.
The Lumina AI Suite adds AI-powered bill scanning, writing assistance, and conversational AI for support. These features are on the Premium tier and are designed for management companies handling volume.
Buildium was acquired by RealPage in 2019 for $580M. RealPage was subsequently taken private by Thoma Bravo for $10.2B in 2021. The platform manages both rental and HOA properties in one system, with G2 4.4/5 across roughly 220 reviews and Capterra 4.5/5 across roughly 1,969 reviews.
The self-managed board tradeoff
Buildium’s reserve accounting is strong, but the pricing, complexity, and target audience create a mismatch for self-managed volunteer boards. A treasurer on a 100-unit community is looking at $297+/mo on Essential or $192+/mo on Growth. BoardStack covers reserve fund compliance at $49/mo flat for communities up to 200 units, with fund separation built in structurally.
| Buildium | BoardStack | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $62–$400/mo tiered | $20–$99/mo |
| Setup fee | Varies | $0 |
| Contract | Varies | Month-to-month |
| Plan | Base Price | EFT Fee | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | $62/mo | $2.35/incoming EFT | Small portfolios, basic needs |
| Growth | $192/mo | Reduced (included in price) | Growing management companies |
| Premium | $400/mo | Reduced (included in price) | Large professional management portfolios |
Source: Buildium pricing page
Source: Crunchbase / G2 / Capterra
Q&A
How much does Buildium cost for a small HOA?
Buildium's Essential tier is $62/mo, but actual cost for a 100-unit HOA collecting dues via EFT is approximately $297/mo ($62 base + 100 x $2.35 EFT fees). Growth tier at $192/mo includes reduced transaction fees. Premium at $400/mo adds priority support and the Lumina AI Suite.
Q&A
Are there hidden fees with Buildium?
Yes. Buildium charges $2.35 per incoming EFT on the Essential tier, $99 per bank account setup, $5 per eSignature document on Essential, and 2.99% per credit card transaction. These fees add 30-50% to the base subscription cost for a typical HOA.
Q&A
Does Buildium have strong reserve fund accounting?
Yes. Buildium has full fund accounting with trust accounting and GAAP-recognized financial reporting. Reserve fund separation is robust once properly configured. This is a genuine strength -- Buildium's reserve accounting is among the best in the HOA software market. The tradeoff is that the configuration requires accounting expertise.
Frequently asked