AppFolio vs Avail
AppFolio scores 8.5/10 vs 7.5/10. Best for: Mid-to-large property management companies with 50+ units wanting AI-powered tools.
AppFolio scores higher overall at 8.5/10 vs 7.5/10. AppFolio is a powerful enterprise-ready platform best for professional management companies with 50+ units. AI capabilities and deep feature set justify per-unit pricing at scale. The minimum unit requirement and no free trial mean it is not for small landlords.
AppFolio 
Avail Rank
#1 of 26
Rank
#9 of 26
Features
17/17
Features
10/17
Starting at
Custom
Starting at
$0/mo
User reviews
4.6/5 (2850)
User reviews
4.8/5 (350)
What they cost
| AppFolio | Avail | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting at | Contact for pricing | Free /mo |
| Free trial | No | Free tier available |
| Number of plans | 3 | 2 |
What the pricing really means
Avail publishes their pricing upfront, which is a good sign. AppFolio requires you to contact sales for a quote. When a company hides pricing, it usually means the cost is high enough that they want a salesperson to justify it before you see the number. Always ask for total year-one cost, not just the monthly subscription.
Where AppFolio wins
- AI-powered Realm-X assistant automates drafting and tenant communication
- Per-unit pricing competitive at scale at $1.40 for residential
- 450+ partner integrations through AppFolio Stack
- Robust marketing and syndicated listings
Where Avail wins
- Genuinely free tier with no unit limits covering core landlord needs
- State-specific lease templates and e-signatures included free
- Listings syndicate to Zillow, Realtor.com, and 20+ sites
- Simple clean interface for non-professional landlords
Where AppFolio falls short
- 50-unit minimum makes it inaccessible for small landlords
- No free trial, must commit through sales process
- Max plan pricing not disclosed
- Per-unit cost jumps from $1.40 to $3.00 on Plus
Where Avail falls short
- Recent 300%+ price increase on Plus plan has upset users
- No real accounting depth, just basic expense tracking
- No API access or integrations
- No owner portal, not for third-party management
Who is each product built for?
AppFolio
Target: 50-50000+ units
AppFolio is a powerful enterprise-ready platform best for professional management companies with 50+ units. AI capabilities and deep feature set justify per-unit pricing at scale. The minimum unit requirement and no free trial mean it is not for small landlords.
Avail
Target: 1-50 units
Avail is the best free option for independent landlords needing basic rent collection, screening, and leases. The free tier is genuinely useful. Strictly for DIY landlords with no owner portal or real accounting. Recent price increases on Plus have frustrated users.
Feature comparison
| Feature | AppFolio | Avail |
|---|---|---|
| Tenant Management | ||
| Tenant screening | ||
| Online rent collection | ||
| Lease management | ||
| Tenant portal | ||
| E-signatures | ||
| Property Operations | ||
| Maintenance requests | ||
| Owner portal | ||
| Property inspections | ||
| Vendor management | ||
| Vacancy advertising | ||
| Finance & Reporting | ||
| Accounting/bookkeeping | ||
| Bank account management | ||
| Insurance tracking | ||
| Reporting/analytics | ||
| Platform | ||
| Document storage | ||
| Mobile app | ||
| API access | ||
Common questions
Avail is designed for 1-50 units, making it a better fit for small shops. AppFolio targets 50-50000+ units.
AppFolio uses custom pricing (contact sales). Avail starts at $0/month. Pricing was last verified in 2026-03-01.
No, AppFolio does not offer a free trial. You will need to contact sales or sign up for a paid plan.
Yes, you can switch between Property Management tools. The main effort is migrating your data and setting up new workflows. Plan for 1-2 weeks of overlap where you run both systems.
The bottom line
Pick AppFolio if...
Mid-to-large property management companies with 50+ units wanting AI-powered tools
Pick Avail if...
Independent DIY landlords who want free or low-cost basic rent collection and tenant screening