How much does AppFolio cost for a community association?

AppFolio does not say. Their pricing page lists three plans, Core, Plus, and Max, with no dollar amounts, a 50-unit minimum on Core, a minimum spend on every plan, and a Get a Quote button where the price should be. Third-party pricing trackers report Core near $1.40 to $1.50 per unit monthly with a minimum around $280 to $300, and higher rates on Plus and Max. SoShiny posts its price: $25 a month plus 33 cents a unit, so a 100-unit homeowners association pays about $58 a month.

Is SoShiny as powerful as AppFolio?

At different jobs. AppFolio is deeper at portfolio accounting, leasing, and AI-assisted operations for paid staff. SoShiny is deeper at what volunteer boards do: elections, meetings, minutes, violations, documents, and community communication.

Does SoShiny do accounting like AppFolio?

No, and that is deliberate. SoShiny handles dues collection with itemized fees and settles money to the association's own bank account, then pairs with QuickBooks for the ledger work most treasurers already do there.

Why does AppFolio hide its pricing when SoShiny posts it?

Quote-only pricing is a sales strategy: it lets the vendor price each deal by what the buyer can bear, and it filters for buyers big enough to sit through a demo cycle. That works on management companies. It does not respect a volunteer board comparing options on a weekend. SoShiny's price is on the pricing page with a calculator, and the trial needs no card.

Can I move a community off AppFolio to SoShiny?

Yes. Export owners and units to CSV, import them into SoShiny, upload your documents, and the community side is live. Financial history stays in your accounting system of record.

Honest comparison · SoShiny vs. AppFolio

SoShiny vs. AppFolio — AppFolio's price is a secret. Ours is $25 a month.

Serious scale. AI leasing tools, deep accounting, utility management, and a polished mobile experience trusted by big management firms. Where they win, we'll say so. If you are one community, the minimums alone decide it. A 100-unit community pays SoShiny $58 a month, every feature included, no sales call.

	AppFolio	SoShiny
Best for	Large property management firms and association management companies with big portfolios and paid staff.	Volunteer boards across condo, HOA, marina, campground, co-op, mobile home park
Pricing	Quote-only. appfolio.com publishes no prices: every plan says Get a Quote, Core carries a 50-unit minimum, and all plans carry a minimum spend. Third-party trackers report Core near $1.40 to $1.50 per unit monthly with a minimum around $280 to $300 (checked 2026-07-25)	$25/mo base + $0.33/unit, every feature on every plan
Free trial	30 days	30 days, no credit card

Disclaimer. The comparisons on this page are for general informational purposes only. They reflect SoShiny’s good-faith understanding of publicly available information at the time of writing and our own product as we build it. We do not guarantee that every statement is complete, current, or free of error. Competitor products, pricing, plans, and marketing claims change without notice. Please verify current pricing, features, and terms directly with AppFolio and with SoShiny before making a purchasing decision.

These pages are not legal, accounting, tax, or professional advice, and they are not a substitute for reading a vendor’s contract, privacy policy, or documentation, or for independent due diligence by your board. Nothing here creates a warranty, representation, or guarantee by So Shiny Software, LLC (doing business as SoShiny) regarding any third-party product or regarding fitness for a particular community. To the fullest extent permitted by law, So Shiny Software, LLC disclaims liability for decisions made solely in reliance on these comparisons.

All product names, logos, and brands are property of their respective owners. Use of competitor names is for identification and comparison only and does not imply endorsement, sponsorship, or affiliation. SoShiny is not affiliated with the third-party platforms compared here unless we say so explicitly.

Corrections or updates: success@soshiny.com. We welcome factual feedback from vendors and boards.

If the price were low, it would be on the page.

No sales call. No minimums. No demo gauntlet.

$58 a month for 100 units. Public price, posted.

When AppFolio is the right choice

If you are a management company running dozens of associations with in-house accounting staff, AppFolio's scale is real and the minimums stop mattering.

When SoShiny is the right choice

If you are one community, the minimums alone decide it. A 100-unit community pays SoShiny $58 a month, every feature included, no sales call.

Capability	AppFolio	SoShiny	Winner
Price	Quote-only. 50-unit minimum, minimum spend on every plan	$25/mo base + $0.33/unit, posted publicly, no minimums	✓ Us
Public pricing	None. Three plans, zero dollar amounts, Get a Quote buttons	On the pricing page, with a savings calculator	✓ Us
Built for	Management companies at scale	One community, run by volunteers	✓ Us
Accounting depth	Full GL, AP, AR, bank feeds	Light by design, pairs with QuickBooks	✗ Them
Online dues collection	Yes	Yes, itemized fees, autopay, association's own bank	— Tie
Online voting and elections	Limited	Ballots, proxies, weighted votes, audit trail	✓ Us
Board meetings and minutes	Not board-first	Agendas, resolutions, printable statute-shaped minutes	✓ Us
Violations workflow	Yes, manager-oriented	Board-first with signatures, email, and printed letters	— Tie
Public association website	Portal add-ons	Full association website included	✓ Us
State statute library	No	FL, NY, TX, AZ in plain English	✓ Us
AI leasing / call center	Yes, flagship	Not our market	✗ Them
Lobby announcement TV	No	Included	✓ Us

What it looks like to switch from AppFolio

A self-managed 128-unit oceanfront condo asked AppFolio for a quote and got a discovery call, a demo, and a minimum that started near what the community spends on landscaping. The board signed up for SoShiny on a Saturday with a credit card it did not need for 30 days.

Frequently asked

How much does AppFolio cost for a community association?: AppFolio does not say. Their pricing page lists three plans, Core, Plus, and Max, with no dollar amounts, a 50-unit minimum on Core, a minimum spend on every plan, and a Get a Quote button where the price should be. Third-party pricing trackers report Core near $1.40 to $1.50 per unit monthly with a minimum around $280 to $300, and higher rates on Plus and Max. SoShiny posts its price: $25 a month plus 33 cents a unit, so a 100-unit homeowners association pays about $58 a month.
Is SoShiny as powerful as AppFolio?: At different jobs. AppFolio is deeper at portfolio accounting, leasing, and AI-assisted operations for paid staff. SoShiny is deeper at what volunteer boards do: elections, meetings, minutes, violations, documents, and community communication.
Does SoShiny do accounting like AppFolio?: No, and that is deliberate. SoShiny handles dues collection with itemized fees and settles money to the association's own bank account, then pairs with QuickBooks for the ledger work most treasurers already do there.
Why does AppFolio hide its pricing when SoShiny posts it?: Quote-only pricing is a sales strategy: it lets the vendor price each deal by what the buyer can bear, and it filters for buyers big enough to sit through a demo cycle. That works on management companies. It does not respect a volunteer board comparing options on a weekend. SoShiny's price is on the pricing page with a calculator, and the trial needs no card.
Can I move a community off AppFolio to SoShiny?: Yes. Export owners and units to CSV, import them into SoShiny, upload your documents, and the community side is live. Financial history stays in your accounting system of record.