Is Buildium or SoShiny better for a self-managed HOA?

SoShiny, in most cases. Buildium is built for property management companies that run many properties as a business and bill for it. A self-managed homeowners association pays SoShiny $25 a month plus 33 cents a unit and gets governance tools Buildium does not carry: statute-shaped meetings, online elections, a violations workflow, and a public association website.

Does SoShiny have Buildium's accounting?

No. Buildium carries full trust accounting and 1099 e-filing, and it wins that row outright. SoShiny stays light on accounting on purpose and pairs with QuickBooks, which most volunteer treasurers already use.

Can SoShiny collect dues like Buildium collects rent?

Yes. Owners pay monthly homeowners association fees by bank transfer or card, autopay included, and the money settles to the association's own bank account through Stripe. The fee math is itemized so owners see exactly where every cent goes.

We have a management company that uses Buildium. Can we still use SoShiny?

Yes. Plenty of boards keep the manager's accounting where it is and run the community side on SoShiny: meetings, votes, documents, announcements, violations, and the public website. Your manager gets a portfolio login and can work across every community they manage.

How hard is it to move from Buildium to SoShiny?

A weekend, typically. We import the member list from a CSV export, upload your documents, and your board is running its first online vote the same week. Your accounting history stays wherever your treasurer keeps it.

Honest comparison · SoShiny vs. Buildium

SoShiny vs. Buildium — Buildium runs portfolios. SoShiny runs communities.

Deep trust accounting, 1099 e-filing, leasing and maintenance tools, and a mature product trusted by thousands of property management companies. Higher tiers cut per-transaction costs: eSignatures drop from $5 each on Essential to unlimited on Premium. Where they win, we'll say so. If volunteers run your community, you need meetings, votes, violations, documents, and dues, not portfolio accounting. SoShiny is priced for one community, not a book of business.

	Buildium	SoShiny
Best for	Property management companies and landlords running many properties as a business.	Volunteer boards across condo, HOA, marina, campground, co-op, mobile home park
Pricing	$62/mo (Essential), $192/mo (Growth), $400/mo (Premium); community associations are quote-only (verified 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 Buildium 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.

You are a community, not a portfolio.

Software priced for managers should be paid by managers.

Governance first. Bookkeeping follows.

When Buildium is the right choice

If a paid management company runs your community and needs trust accounting across a portfolio, Buildium is a strong pick. Same if you are a landlord first and an association second.

When SoShiny is the right choice

If volunteers run your community, you need meetings, votes, violations, documents, and dues, not portfolio accounting. SoShiny is priced for one community, not a book of business.

Capability	Buildium	SoShiny	Winner
Price	$62 to $400/mo by tier; association pricing is quote-only	$25/mo base + $0.33/unit, every feature on every plan (100 units = $58/mo, nothing gated)	✓ Us
Public pricing for associations	Call for a custom quote	Posted on the pricing page	✓ Us
Built for	Property management companies	Volunteer and self-managed boards	✓ Us
Trust accounting / 1099	Full suite, e-filing	Light by design, pairs with QuickBooks	✗ Them
Online dues collection	Yes, resident payments	Yes, bank transfer or card with autopay	— Tie
Board meetings, agendas, minutes	Not a focus	Statute-shaped agendas, resolutions, printable minutes	✓ Us
Online voting and elections	No	Ballots, proxies, weighted votes, audit trail	✓ Us
Violations workflow	Basic	Notice, cure, fine, hearing with signatures and mail	✓ Us
Searchable rules and bylaws	Document storage	Full-text searchable with citations	✓ Us
Public association website	Add-on marketing sites	Full association website included	✓ Us
State statute library	No	FL, NY, TX, AZ in plain English	✓ Us
Marina / camp / co-op verticals	No	Native verticals	✓ Us
Leasing and tenant screening	Full leasing pipeline	Renter approvals for association boards, not leasing	✗ Them

What it looks like to switch from Buildium

A 96-unit Florida condo was quoted portfolio software when what the board wanted was a way to run the annual meeting, chase two dozen delinquent accounts, and stop forwarding PDFs. They kept their accountant on QuickBooks and moved the community itself to SoShiny in a weekend.

Frequently asked

Is Buildium or SoShiny better for a self-managed HOA?: SoShiny, in most cases. Buildium is built for property management companies that run many properties as a business and bill for it. A self-managed homeowners association pays SoShiny $25 a month plus 33 cents a unit and gets governance tools Buildium does not carry: statute-shaped meetings, online elections, a violations workflow, and a public association website.
Does SoShiny have Buildium's accounting?: No. Buildium carries full trust accounting and 1099 e-filing, and it wins that row outright. SoShiny stays light on accounting on purpose and pairs with QuickBooks, which most volunteer treasurers already use.
Can SoShiny collect dues like Buildium collects rent?: Yes. Owners pay monthly homeowners association fees by bank transfer or card, autopay included, and the money settles to the association's own bank account through Stripe. The fee math is itemized so owners see exactly where every cent goes.
We have a management company that uses Buildium. Can we still use SoShiny?: Yes. Plenty of boards keep the manager's accounting where it is and run the community side on SoShiny: meetings, votes, documents, announcements, violations, and the public website. Your manager gets a portfolio login and can work across every community they manage.
How hard is it to move from Buildium to SoShiny?: A weekend, typically. We import the member list from a CSV export, upload your documents, and your board is running its first online vote the same week. Your accounting history stays wherever your treasurer keeps it.