Comparing Property Management Software: Buildium vs LandlordMax vs Quicken
Comparing property management software is hard work but no worries we're here to do it for you. Read on as we test, rate and compare property management software to help you decide which program is going to suit your needs best and offer you the most value for your money.
To date we have reviewed and rated more than 15 property management
software, but we shall narrow it down and compare the best and most
popular ones - Buildium, LandlordMax and Quicken.
1. Features - Is It Powerful Enough for Your Needs?
Features and functions is the most important factor when comparing property management software. At the bare minimum, a rental property software should have accounting, database and calender features to meet basic property management needs.
When we comparing property management software, we also want to make sure that our reviews will cater to people with different needs. For example if you are just renting out a spare room in your house, you won't require or even want advanced features targeted at full-time professional property managers running hundreds of rental properties.
Buildium: 10 / 10
To be honest, we never imagined that we will award full marks to any software on features but Buildium really has it all. It far exceeds what we will expect from a property management software. In addition to the usual accounting and database features, it also has a personalized login portal for tenants, allows you to accept rent online and will even help you mail checks.
LandlordMax: 8.5 / 10
LandlordMax is a powerful property management software that is able to handle the needs of the most demanding landlords. More importantly, all the advanced features that come with it are highly practical ones so you won't find useless functions that complicate things unnecessarily.
Quicken: 5 / 10
While Quicken does fine in the accounting apartment, we found it to be badly lacking when it came to rental property features. Quicken's database for tenants, rental properties and lease details is too basic even for the most novice of landlords. The reporting is weak as well - It only churns out accounting and tax reports (and has next-to-zero rental property or lease reports).
2. Ease of Use - Is It Simple Enough for You to Use?
Even if a property management software has the most amazing features in the world, it will be pointless if noone can figure out how to use it. That's why when comparing rental property software, we test-drive its learning curve too - Is it simple enough for a first time landlord with zero experience or it is going to take months of struggle before someone can master it?
Buildium: 7.5 / 10
Compared to other property management software, Buildium does require a bit more time to set up. However, you have to consider the fact that it's much more than a rental property software - What we have here is a complete property management system that handles and automates almost everything. Its clean layout and well written guides makes learning much easier too.
LandlordMax: 9 / 10
For a software with powerful features, LandlordMax is surprisingly simple to use. We really love its intuitive layout that displays the basic and most common functions upfront while hiding the advanced ones in the 2nd tier. Any first time user will be able to use its basic features right away with little or no help.
Quicken: 7.5 / 10
Quicken is a mixed bag when it comes to user-friendliness. While its clean intuitive layout makes it easy to find what you need, some users have been confused by its excessive accounting features (that are of little use to a landlord or property manager). Having to enter and update a truck-load of unrelated personal finance details can be tedious too.
NEXT PAGE: Comparing Property Management Software Based on Value for Money and Our Recommendations
