HOA Software

Ranking HOA Software: Out Evaluation Methodology

Choosing the best software for HOAs requires extensive analysis of the key components of the platforms, along with a classification of the providers. Before jumping to the in-depth reviews, check out our custom evaluation methodology to understand our ranking better.

Classification

Before we evaluate the software platforms against our custom methodology, we make a general classification of HOA management solutions that involves considering the business size they cater to. Some of them are better suited for small and midsize organizations while others cater exclusively to large HOAs.

The other classification criteria refer to the software’s deployment type. Premise-based platforms use a local computer with a database usually located in the office of the community association management firm. This type of software stores the data locally and access isn’t dependent on an Internet connection. With self-managed HOA software, however, you will need more work in terms of database administration and maintenance. On the other hand, cloud-based platforms can be used anywhere and you don’t need any software or hardware maintenance on your end. Product updates, support, and training are all provided by the vendor.

Key Features

Next, we consider the key features of the homeowners association management solutions. The functionalities may vary depending on the business size in focus but generally, all of them should provide the features described below.

Communication

This is one of the most basic features of every condo association software. We assess the platforms to ensure they provide easy 24/7 communication for everyone in the community. Beyond email messages that will keep all community members up to date, the software should allow communication via phone, texts, and even voice recordings. We also appreciate if the platforms offer a discussion forum designed for owners and residents to express their opinions and concerns.

Facilities and Maintenance

The platform should allow amenity booking features that enable tracking, monitoring, and approving of booking online. This is an important feature of any top HOA software because the residents won’t have to wait long to get their requests approved which makes the process quicker and smoother. Also, a maintenance tracking feature will enable easy scheduling. This usually goes hand in hand with automated reminders.

Invoicing & Payment Collection

The best software for HOAs offers tools to improve the efficiency of the homeowners association accounting and bookkeeping processes. The top platforms also offer AR tools that will help generate invoices, collect fines, dues, and apply late fees, and create accurate reports. The software should streamline online payments through a secure and encrypted connection. We also double-check whether the HOA and condominium management system is PCI compliant to ensure the possibility of credit card fraud will be minimized.

Document Management

With HOA managers taking care of hundreds of documents, we look for software solutions that offer robust document management. This includes keeping documents like CC&Rs, bids, contracts, and bylaws secure, organized, and easy to find.

Event Management

HOA managers need to organize events which is why we make sure the software provides tools to handle event logistics, manage programs, support an event calendar, and generate tiered pricing for programs and rentals. We also appreciate platforms that centralize all these tasks in one location.

Website Builder

The top HOA software solutions offer a website builder that helps you build a sleek website that will incorporate all the essential features like amenity booking, service request, and rent collection.

Ease of Use

All solutions listed here are proven to be easy to set up and use. We also consider how easy it is for new members that might come to your organization to adapt to it. We also take into account whether it requires a major training investment from your side of the software that offers training. Finally, we assess whether they offer helpful resources, guides, and support.

Security

We make sure that the HOA property management software is compliant with the CASL anti-spam regulations, offers solid data encryption, and has strong security policies to protect you from online security threats and data breaches. Additionally, a good HOA system enables you to determine access permissions based on the role of each community member.

Pricing

Pricing is also an important step in our evaluation methodology. First, we assess the pricing model for the solution. Pay-per-user models usually understand sharing the licenses and limiting the number of people using the HOA accounting software at a given time. On the other hand, the pay-per-unit model scales with your business and encourages software adoption. It can be used by an unlimited number of people at a given time.

Obviously, we appreciate the solutions that offer the latter. Additionally, we make sure to identify any expenses for training, support, upgrade fees, and add-on modules. We look for solutions whose price falls within the industry standard. However, we have also included pricier platforms but only if we have ensured they provide excellent value for money. Solutions that give clients a free trial and/or a money-back guarantee get better rankings too.

Reviews of HOA Management Software

HOA Express

At a Glance

HOA Express is industry-leading software that helps you create community websites. User-friendly, fast, and packed with useful features, this platform is trusted by thousands of communities worldwide and guarantees satisfaction. The software is mobile-friendly and features modern design and clean layouts.

Pros

• Easy to use
• Excellent customer support
• Password protect content

Cons

• Limitations in page templates
• The importing of the user database is a bit rigid

Features

The interface offers excellent communication including the creation of professional and branded email accounts. The blast emailing option allows you to share important information with every resident or a specific group. Also, this HOA and condominium management software lets you keep residents in the know through automatic ‘What’s Happening’ emails that summarize upcoming events and new content on a regular basis. The platform supports forum discussions, text messaging, resident alerts, automated letter mailing, and creation of custom contact forms.

Publishing important content is easier than ever. You can provide your residents with important documents, financial reports, and meeting minutes. Additionally, you can share upcoming events using calendars and make use of the resident directory to let residents share their contact data with neighbors.

The security features of this HOA property management software are second to none. You get industry-leading protection with complete HTTPS, password-protected pages, detailed restrictions, and advanced privacy preferences. The platform offers robust spam protection and frequent data backups. HOA Express takes care of payments and offers built-on visitor tracking so you can keep up with the preferences and behavior of your residents.

Pricing

HOA Express offers two pricing plans. The first one is completely free forever, and covers the basics. The Deluxe plan costs $25 a month if billed annually and lets you use the software to its full potential. Both plans include fast customer support, SEO, free updates, spam protection, and regular backups.

Condo Manager

At a Glance

Condo Manager among the leading HOA management solutions. It offers accounting, communication and management tools to simplify property management. This software has been fine-tuned to offer powerful features and revolutionize the way you work. It offers customizable modules, document templates, and features, as well as an easy-to-edit web portal for co-owners.

Pros

• Fully integrated accrual accounting
• Customizable financial statements
• Over 300 high-quality reports

Cons

• Data conversions can be a little tricky
• Slow customer service
• No free trial

Features

Condo Manager is designed to make your life easier. The routine tasks are automated so you let the software generate reports and statements. It also supports digital signature on checks and collection of common charges and payment of supplier invoices electronically. HOA management software offers fully integrated accounting and enables you to manage your recurring transactions, accounts receivable/payable, closing periods, and bank reconciliation.

The profitability module will let you know which customers are profitable while the commercial module will enable you to integrate sales tax management. There are also a short-term rental module and an apartment rental module. The former simplifies the rental management of units daily, weekly, or monthly while the latter allows you to manage the long-term rental.

Condo Manager also excels in terms of HOA communication tools. You can automatically send statements to co-owners, forward communications, or import emails. Condo Manager doesn’t limit the number of additional contacts for sending statements, emails, or letters. The management capabilities of this condo association software are beyond excellent. The dynamic links allow data navigation as on the web, the global search facilitates finding specific unions, and the system also enables calculation of votes and quorum.

Pricing

Condo Manager does not publicly disclose its pricing policy though some online resources say that the starting price is $150/user/month. One downside is that the platform doesn’t offer a free trial nor a free plan.

AppFolio HOA & Condo Associations Management

At a Glance

AppFolio is a powerful cloud-based condo management software designed to support all the needs of modern association managers. It’s one of the most intuitive solutions on the market and it also offers competitive and transparent pricing. The modern tools help you stay competitive and resolve issues more efficiently.

Pros

• Great value for money
• Easy to use
• Great report customization reports
• Excellent accounting features

Cons

• Reporting could be more flexible
• Onboarding can be challenging

Features

AppFolio offers a wide range of professional-looking website designs integrated with all essential features so you can reinforce your efficiency. Through the online portal, you and other homeowners help you streamline the communication with your team. Text with ease, share documents, send bulk emails, track violations, and architectural reviews. You can also take care of online maintenance requests and work orders.

Additionally, with AppFolio, you can streamline the payments process. This condo property management software supports bank integrations so you can automate repetitive tasks like check images, bank statements, and lockbox. The platform further simplifies the collection of dues, while the robust accounting features enable you to reserve fund accounting and board invoice approvals and check to sign. AppFolio allows you to review your community’s condition and submit potential violations.

Though long-term users say AppFolio’s reporting features could be more flexible, the standard reports work well. They provide accounting and property details, as well as resident and vendor information. Reports can be generated in different formats including .xls, PDF, and .csv.

Pricing

AppFolio is an affordable condominium management system whose price starts at $0.80/unit/month. The minimum monthly fee is $250. The package includes board member, owner, and resident communication and management, built-in marketing tools, leasing management, online maintenance, customizable reporting, online payments, and customer support and training. Features like strategic account management, configurable workflows, and revenue management require extra payment.

Wild Apricot

At a Glance

Wild Apricot is a simple HOA management software that helps you automate the majority of your admin tasks and encourage collaboration from residents and management. You can also make use of features for payment processing, event registering and customizing the management system.

Pros

• User-friendly
• Affordable
• Responsive customer support
• Robust membership maintenance tools

Cons

• Occasional issues with the search fields
• Limited functionality of the "store" feature
• Average customer service

Features

Wild Apricot’s website builder offers professionally-designed and mobile-friendly templates that you can customize and brand. Also, it allows you to use your own domain name. The widgets help you add membership applications, member directories, event calendars with a simple copy/paste of a few lines of code.

The management features bought by this condo association management software automate the application process and you can also customize the processing rules to fit your needs. You can even automate renewal reminders and invoices, set up recurring payments and different access rules. All your member data is stored safely in the cloud so anyone from your team can access it. Databases are updated in real-time and members can update their data via the member login area.

Wild Apricot supports mobile payments, recurring payments, and multiple sales taxes or VAT. The HOA software also covers a variety of payment options including PayPal, Stripe, and Authorize.net, and automates the generation of invoices and receipts. You have a comprehensive picture of the organization’s finances. Thanks to the self-service pages, members and visitors can apply and pay for a membership, view their financial history, and pay fees. The details of your organization’s finances along with reports are available in a few clicks.

Pricing

Wild Apricot is one of the best-priced HOA business solutions. The Free plan includes up to 50 contacts while the Personal plan supports up to 100 contacts and its monthly price is $40. The Group pricing supports 250 contacts for $50 a month, the Community plan is good for up to 500 contacts and comes in at a cost of $90 a month.

The monthly price for the Professional plan (2,000 contacts) is $160, the Network plan (5,000 contacts) costs $290, the Enterprise (15,000 contacts) is $350, while the Global package (50,000 contacts) comes in at $600 a month. If you opt to pre-pay for one or two years, you will save 10% and 15%, respectively, on any plan.

Bazinga

At a Glance

Bazinga came to life in 2012 and has since become one of the best condominium management software platforms on the market. The complete suite of tools allows you to manage communities, collaborate, and connect with residents.

Pros

• Affordable
• Great asset management
• Paperless work orders
• 60-day trial

Cons

• Occasional glitches when opening notifications

Features

Bazinga is the best choice for managing a multi-unit community. It offers a great range of tools for streamlining record keeping and document management, enabling role-based access. Residents can submit requests and reports. The software simplifies amenities booking including maintenance plan.

Bazinga also covers communication — you can easily share data and collaborate by creating community polls and leveraging private messaging. As an administrator, you’ll get an accurate summary of the community's activity. This house and condominium association software also provides paperless work with proactive system notifications. The events calendar allows for accurate scheduling. Other important features include message boards, owner management, owner statement emails, property database, and more.

Pricing

Bazinga is among the most affordable HOA solutions on the market. There are two options you can choose from. The Basic plan starts from $15 a month and includes council and resident posts, unit and owner lists, community notices, community and unit document management, as well as private and group messaging. The Pro option starts at $50 a month and includes community polling, custom form, ticket system, amenity bookings, and management in addition to the features provided in the Basic plan. For any of the plans, you can get a free 60-day trial.

Vinteum Neighbors

At a Glance

Vinteum is a premium HOA software designed to provide the essential tools for building an active community. This award-winning platform eases the communication and collaboration between manages, HOAs, and member residents. You get the opportunity to create a customized website and a mobile app to put everyone on the same page.

Pros

• Sleek user interface
• Helpful customer service
• Robust notice tracking

Cons

• Lack of community instructions
• The user registration process could be more intuitive
• Only three templates available for the HOA website

Features

Vinteum Neighbors’ condo association management software is packed with efficiency-improving tools, including voice and text messages to residents and community notices based on building, profile, and more. It also keeps all documents in one, secure place, and supports formats including PDF, Word, JPG, Excel, and PNG. The calendar feature enables board members and managers to post upcoming events. Service requests are routed to the right administrator based on the subject and the dialogues and images can be monitored in a centralized location.

This HOA software simplifies community management thanks to the mobile apps available for iOS and Android. Residents can also post community events, post classified ads, search for carpool companions, and view attachments via secure social network. Additionally, residents can book amenities and you as a property manager will get real-time updates without the need for any paperwork or long approving forms. Vinteum’s one-hour promise is a form of commitment to offering great customer support via email, phone, or in-app. Our analysis has confirmed that they live up to their promise.

Pricing

Vinteum is an open source HOA management software that has options for big and small, single-family or high-rise home communities. The Standard plan includes 100 units, basic HOA tools, and 5GB document storage. Its price starts at $30 per month. If your goal is to empower communication, you can opt for the Premium plan which costs $60 a month. It includes unlimited document storage, text messaging, and smart calls, as well as community surveys, and guest access control. The Management plan is perfect if you want to maximize productivity and value. This package has custom pricing and you need to contact the vendor for a quote.

Monthli

At a Glance

Monthli rethinks the way HOA and condominium association software platforms get things done. Communication and information sharing for HOAs and property managers feature reporting, event calendar, ticketing workflows, onboarding members, and more. This cloud-based platform allows communities to stay informed and improve their bottom line. Most importantly — it’s completely free.

Pros

• Free for use
• Great interface & user friendly
• Fast member onboarding
• Great communication tools

Cons

• Lack of documentation options
• Budgeting features are not included

Features

The Monthli homeowners association management software supports fast and easy member onboarding. Also, members can regularly update their profile from any device. The platform offers convenient tools for efficient communication. You can engage with specific residents or owners based on their communication preferences. The Board moderation tools help you keep the dialogue productive. Beyond storing and enabling document sharing online, Monthi offers physical delivery service.

Residents can file maintenance requests and get notified as they are updated. The event calendar feature helps you keep the community informed of important events. Beyond maintenance requests notifications, with this homeowners association software, you can notify the members about events and new posts. The notifications can be automated with adjusted frequency.

Monthli uses bank-level encryption which keeps the community data safe and secure. You get to control who sees what thanks to powerful group access controls. The reporting functions are among the most appreciated features of this platform. They provide the most important information aiming to help you understand the state of your community.

Pricing

Monthli is one of the few HOA and condo management software platforms that offer its services for free.

PayHOA

At a Glance

PayHOA is a modern software for property managers and self-managed HOAs. The system is intuitive and easy to use. Their product pricing is transparent without hidden fees and you also get high-quality support from US-based staff. You also get a 30-day free trial.

Pros

• User friendly
• Great technical support
• Useful unified message center
• 30-day free trial

Cons

• The financial feature could be simpler
• Accounting reports available only in .CSV files
• No app available

Features

PayHOA is Level 1 PCI compliant so you can easily collect dues. The platform supports the major credit cards and ACH. Payments are free for the HOAs and fees can be paid by residents. The system offers an auto-pay option too. PayHOA also simplifies unit management — you can use one login to manage all of them. The platform further offers custom fields, notes, and tags for a robust filter and search. The documents, communications, maintenance, and payment history are stored securely in one place.

The communication tools offered by this HOA software allow you to send on-demand texts, past-due notices, email messages, as well as paper statements via mail. You will be able to boost resident engagement thanks to the survey option and shared calendars. Property accounting is easy to use and doesn’t require special skills. Each chart of accounts can be customized according to the communities. PayHOA also lets you build budgets for the properties and make use of the bank ledger syncing for more than 15,000 financial institutions.

As one of the most intuitive homeowners association software, PayHOA allows you to manage maintenance requests and violations. Whenever their work is completed or an issue is resolved, the residents will get automated updates. Additionally, all your documents are kept and organized in folders. You can set them as private or share them with everyone or just with specific units.

Pricing

PayHOA offers diverse pricing plans that can readily suit your needs. At $40 a month, you get software for up to 50 units and access to basic features like accounting dashboard, invoicing, online payments, and unlimited texts, emails, surveys, shared docs, and events. The Business plan costs $80 a month for up to 100 units. Professional is the most popular plan mainly because it provides the best value for money. It costs $150 a month and is designed for up to 500 units. For more than 500 units, you can contact the vendor and get a customized price. PayHOA offers a 30-day trial for any of the three plans.

Aplos

At a Glance

Aplos offers a customizable HOA and condominium association management software with enhanced bookkeeping capabilities. This cloud-based platform takes care of accounting, automation activities, and member management.

Pros

• Clean & simple UI
• Responsive customer service
• Excellent contact management
• Easy-to-generate reports

Cons

• Newsletter email templates could use more flexibility
• Pricey

Features

Accounting tools such as expenses management, donation records, and reports provide useful insight into your financial status. All transactions can be imported directly from your bank. Optionally, Aplos offers integrated communications to email HOA members.

Aplos provides robust HOA management features. It lets you create invoices and send them to members or clients, receive payments online, and monitor your status. Aplos also streamlines communication through emails, letters, and mailing labels. The vendor offers setup assistance, help with data migration, and training resources, as well as ongoing free support.

Pricing

Aplos isn’t one of the HOA business solutions but it certainly offers great value for money. It provides a full-feature 15-day free trial and two plans. Aplos Suite costs $59 a month and includes features like fund accounting, budgeting reports, donor management, people database, marketing and communication, website builder, and reporting and analytics.

The Advanced Accounting Upgrades is actually a package of customized solutions that starts at $159. It includes project, campaign, or department reporting, custom role permissions, automatic recurring transactions, custom role permissions, income and expense allocations, and option to manage multiple entities. You get a 10% discount with both plans if you opt to pay annually.

SenEarthCo

At a Glance

SenEarthCo, one of the most powerful HOA management software, was created to make the managers’ jobs easier and the business more profitable. While lacking built-in accounting, it has strong partnerships with the best accounting software platforms.

Pros

• Easy to use
• Great mapping tools
• Option to set homepages for communities

Cons

• Lack of built-in accounting

Features

HOA Management software improves efficiency by streamlining the sharing of information with staff, Boards, and homeowners. Completely web-based, it allows you to access all data and documents posted on SenEarthCo. Updates appear in real-time so everyone in the community, keeping everyone in the loop.

Security-wise, SenEarthCo features 128-bit encryption, spam-filtering capabilities, and an up-to-date firewall. The software provides you with default user roles that you can customize to suit your community. The trained staff is around the clock for any technical help you might need.

This homeowners association management software is sleek and user-friendly and upon entering you can view a calendar of all upcoming events, access your account status and manage your accounts. You can reserve amenities, request maintenance services, and view meeting minutes and newsletters. SenEarthCo is a smart system which means it would automatically create hard copies of any correspondence for any team member that hasn’t set up an email account, ensuring no one is left behind.

Pricing

Though SenEarthCo doesn’t publicly disclose its pricing, some online resources suggest a starting fee of $250 which is a bit pricier compared to other options. Still, our research has shown that this platform offers excellent value for money.

A Three-Step Buying Guide for HOA Management Software

We’ve provided you with the best 10 solutions but our work here isn’t done. We put together a short three-step guide to help you find the software that best suits your organization and business needs.

Step 1: Filter Based on Business Size

You can start by weeding out any software that doesn’t fit the size of your organization. If you run a small HOA, make sure you don’t choose a platform that will overwhelm you with features that you don’t actually need. This will weigh on productivity while increasing money waste. On the other hand, if you run a large HOA, you’ll make use of more elaborated functionalities that will help you get your management on a whole new level.

Step 2: Define the Features You Need

The next step is to define the must-have features you need the HOA software to provide you. Determine whether you need only the basic tools or you want more advanced functionality. Also, consider whether it’s important for you to have a system with integrated billing and accounting. Consider the scalability of the software — if your future plans involve growth, you will need a platform that will support it and offer more modules that will help improve your management capabilities.

Step 3: Define a Budget

After the first two steps, you should be left with a shortlist of potential HOA software platforms. To narrow down the choice to the one that is most suitable for your business, determine how much you are willing to spend. Go for the option that falls best within your budget frame. A bonus tip is to try the product before you buy it. Take advantage of the free trial to make sure the platform meets your needs in practice as well as in theory.