Buildium vs PayHOA: Best HOA Management Software in 2026?
Buildium is a full-featured property management platform with HOA capabilities, while PayHOA is purpose-built for HOA boards. Here's which one fits your community.
Buildium wins for large or professionally managed communities; PayHOA wins for self-managed boards that need simplicity and lower cost.
Buildium and PayHOA both serve HOA communities, but they come from completely different worlds.
Buildium is a full-scale property management platform that added HOA features. It handles everything from accounting to maintenance to online payments — but it’s built for professional property managers running multiple communities (and often rental properties too).
PayHOA is built exclusively for homeowner associations. It’s designed for volunteer board members, not professional managers. Dues collection, violation tracking, community communication — all simplified for people who aren’t doing this full-time.
The right choice depends on who’s running your community and how complex your needs are.
Quick Verdict
| Buildium | PayHOA | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Managed communities, multi-site portfolios | Self-managed HOA boards |
| Starting price | ~$58/month (Essential) | Free for basic; ~$49/month for full features |
| Online payments | Yes (ACH + credit card) | Yes (ACH + credit card) |
| Accounting | Full double-entry | Simplified ledger |
| Violation tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Maintenance requests | Yes (full work order system) | Basic |
| Community portal | Yes | Yes |
| Document storage | Yes | Yes |
| Board member tools | Limited | Excellent (built for boards) |
| Rental management | Yes | No |
Choose Buildium if: You use a management company, handle multiple communities, or need enterprise accounting.
Choose PayHOA if: Your board self-manages and needs simple, affordable tools for dues and communication.
Where Buildium Wins
Professional-Grade Accounting
Buildium offers full double-entry accounting with a general ledger, customizable chart of accounts, and detailed financial reporting. It generates balance sheets, income statements, and budget-vs-actual reports that professional accountants expect.
PayHOA’s accounting is simplified — designed for board treasurers, not CPAs. It handles income/expense tracking and basic reporting, but it’s not a full accounting system.
Multi-Community & Mixed Portfolio
If your management company handles 5 HOAs, 50 rental units, and a few commercial properties, Buildium manages all of that in one platform. It’s the only tool in this comparison that handles both HOA and rental property management.
PayHOA is single-community focused. You can manage multiple communities on separate accounts, but there’s no unified multi-site dashboard.
Maintenance Management
Buildium includes a full work order system — residents submit requests through a portal, managers assign vendors, track costs, and close tickets. This matters for communities with common-area maintenance responsibilities.
PayHOA offers basic maintenance request tracking but lacks the vendor management and work order workflow that Buildium provides.
Vendor & 1099 Management
Buildium tracks vendor payments and generates 1099 forms at year-end. For communities paying landscapers, pool services, and maintenance crews, this eliminates a significant bookkeeping headache.
PayHOA doesn’t offer vendor management or 1099 tracking.
Where PayHOA Wins
Designed for Board Members
PayHOA is built for volunteer board members who have day jobs. The interface is clean and intuitive — you don’t need property management experience to navigate it. Setup takes minutes, not hours.
Buildium is powerful but complex. It’s designed for professional managers and has a learning curve that can frustrate volunteer boards.
Violation Tracking
PayHOA’s violation management is excellent — document violations with photos, send automated notices through customizable workflows, track resolution timelines, and maintain a complete compliance history. This is a common pain point for HOAs that PayHOA handles particularly well.
Buildium offers violation tracking too, but PayHOA’s workflow is more intuitive for boards.
Pricing for Small Communities
PayHOA offers a free tier for basic features and a full-featured plan starting around $49/month. For a 50-unit community, that’s under $1 per unit per month.
Buildium starts at $58/month (Essential plan) and scales up with unit count. For the same 50-unit community with the features you actually need, you’re likely paying $100+/month.
Community Communication
PayHOA includes built-in email blasts, announcements, and a community portal where residents access documents, pay dues, and submit requests. It’s simple and works.
Buildium has a resident portal too, but PayHOA’s communication tools feel more like a community platform and less like a property management back office.
The Cost Question
Buildium
- Essential: ~$58/month (up to 20 units)
- Growth: ~$183/month (up to 20 units, adds features)
- Premium: ~$375/month (unlimited units, open API)
- Per-unit pricing increases with community size
PayHOA
- Free: Basic features for small communities
- Standard: ~$49/month (most features)
- Premium: ~$79/month (full features including website builder)
- Flat pricing regardless of community size (some tiers)
For a self-managed 100-unit community, PayHOA typically costs 40-60% less than Buildium with comparable core features. The gap narrows for larger, professionally managed communities where Buildium’s advanced accounting and multi-site tools justify the price.
When to Choose Each
Choose Buildium if:
- A management company runs your community
- You manage multiple HOAs (or HOAs + rentals)
- You need full double-entry accounting and financial reporting
- You have complex maintenance operations with multiple vendors
- You’re processing 1099s for service providers
Choose PayHOA if:
- Your board self-manages (no property manager)
- You primarily need dues collection and communication
- You want something a volunteer treasurer can use immediately
- Budget is a concern and you need lower per-unit costs
- You want purpose-built HOA tools, not adapted property management software
The Bottom Line
Buildium is the better platform — in the sense that it does more. Full accounting, maintenance management, vendor tracking, multi-site support, and rental property management make it the complete solution for professionally managed communities.
PayHOA is the better fit for most self-managed HOAs. It does the things boards actually need — collect dues, communicate with residents, track violations — without the complexity and cost of enterprise property management software.
If your board runs the show, start with PayHOA. If you hire a management company (or plan to), ask them about Buildium.
📊 More HOA & Property Management Comparisons
- Buildium vs AppFolio — Two enterprise-grade platforms head-to-head
- Full HOA Management Software Roundup — All 8 top platforms reviewed
- Full Property Management Software Roundup — Best PM tools for landlords
🏢 Explore Other Niches
- Best Salon & Spa Management Software 2026 — For beauty professionals
- Vagaro vs Fresha — Top salon booking platforms compared
PickStack researches and tests tools independently. Some links may be affiliate links — we only recommend tools we’d use ourselves.