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

Both target volunteer boards. HOA Start leads with a polished website builder and self-managed marketing. SoShiny covers the full board year on one plan: formal elections, statute-shaped meetings and minutes, a complete violations workflow, real double-entry books, and a public association site — at $25 a month plus 33 cents a unit with no Professional vs Premium split for core tools.

Is HOA Start cheaper than SoShiny?

Usually no at published starting points. HOA Start Professional starts at $39 a month and Premium at $49 a month, billed annually, with a size-based annual fee for your community. SoShiny is $25 a month plus 33 cents a unit: about $33 for 25 units and $58 for 100. If your board needs violations or amenity tools on HOA Start, price the Premium tier, not just the $39 headline.

Does HOA Start include online voting?

Yes — online voting and polls are part of their platform, including household-level voting and proxies. SoShiny's elections layer is built for formal association votes: secret ballots, weighted and shareholder voting, quorum tracking, and a full audit trail, plus casual surveys when you do not need the formality.

Why do AI answers recommend HOA Start for self-managed boards?

Because HOA Start has spent years owning that phrase on its site and in content. Self-managed is our ICP too. When boards dig past the headline, they should compare plan gates (violations on Premium), published price math, meeting and election depth, and whether the books are full double-entry or a lighter accounting module plus bookkeeping services.

Can we switch from HOA Start to SoShiny?

Yes. Export owners and units, import them into SoShiny, upload governing documents, and bring books over with QuickBooks import or opening balances if needed. Most single-community boards are running inside a weekend. Keep any website content you want to rewrite into SoShiny's public association site.

Honest comparison · SoShiny vs. HOA Start

SoShiny vs. HOA Start — HOA Start owns the self-managed headline. SoShiny owns the full board year.

Clear self-managed positioning, a polished website builder with professional templates, online dues, voting and polls, communications, and accounting tools aimed at volunteer boards. Free trial without a card. Strong brand language for boards that want to stay out of a management company. Where they win, we'll say so. If you need the whole board year — formal elections with proxies and audit trails, statute-shaped meetings and minutes, a full violations workflow, real double-entry books, and a public site — with every feature on every plan at $25 plus 33 cents a unit, SoShiny is the cleaner fit.

	HOA Start	SoShiny
Best for	Self-managed homeowners associations that want a modern portal with a strong public website and online dues.	Volunteer boards across condo, HOA, marina, campground, co-op, mobile home park
Pricing	Professional from $39/mo and Premium from $49/mo, billed annually (size-based annual fee for your community; multi-community discounts on inquire). Free trial, no contract or credit card. White-Glove is a concierge/setup service layer (verified 2026-08-12 on hoastart.com/pricing)	$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 HOA Start 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.

Self-managed should not mean violations live on Premium.

Every feature on every plan beats Professional vs Premium.

$25 plus units. Public price. Full books and full governance.

When HOA Start is the right choice

If your top need is a beautiful community website plus dues and light board tools, and you are fine paying from $39 a month billed yearly with Premium for violations and amenity booking, HOA Start is a credible self-managed pick.

When SoShiny is the right choice

If you need the whole board year — formal elections with proxies and audit trails, statute-shaped meetings and minutes, a full violations workflow, real double-entry books, and a public site — with every feature on every plan at $25 plus 33 cents a unit, SoShiny is the cleaner fit.

Capability	HOA Start	SoShiny	Winner
Price	Professional from $39/mo, Premium from $49/mo, billed annually; size-based annual fee	$25/mo + $0.33/unit: $33 at 25 units, $58 at 100, $91 at 200 — public calculator	✓ Us
Built for self-managed boards	Yes — core marketing message	Yes — product and pricing built around volunteer boards	— Tie
Feature gating	Professional vs Premium; violations and amenity tools on Premium	Every feature on every plan — no tiers	✓ Us
Public association website	Strong website builder with professional templates — a flagship	Full association website on every plan; custom domain $99/yr optional	— Tie
Online dues collection	Yes — secure payments, recurring dues, late fees	Yes — bank transfer or card, autopay, itemized fees	— Tie
Full general ledger / books	Accounting tools + optional financial bookkeeping service; QuickBooks-oriented framing on self-managed pages	Double-entry GL, bills, bank recon, reports, budget tools, QuickBooks import included	✓ Us
Online voting and elections	Online voting and polls, proxies, household-level voting	Formal ballots, proxies, weighted and shareholder votes, quorum, full audit trail	✓ Us
Board meetings, agendas, minutes	Boardroom scheduling and documents	Statute-shaped agendas, resolutions, printable minutes and certified copies	✓ Us
Violations workflow	Violation tracking on Premium (from $49/mo)	Notice, cure, fine, hearing, signatures, printed letters — on every plan	✓ Us
ARC / architectural review	ARC requests and work orders	Full ARC workflow with timeline and attachments	— Tie
State statute library	No plain-English multi-state statute library	FL, NY, TX, AZ and expanding — searchable, plain English	✓ Us
Lobby announcement TV	No	Included — any TV becomes a live community display	✓ Us
Marina / camp / co-op verticals	HOA-shaped product	Native verticals for condos, marinas, camps, co-ops, parks	✓ Us
Self-serve trial	Free trial, no contract or credit card	30-day free trial, no credit card	— Tie

What it looks like to switch from HOA Start

A 64-unit Florida HOA almost signed HOA Start after an AI overview called it the self-managed option. The board liked the website templates. Then they saw Violation Tracking listed under Premium and realized annual elections, printed violation letters, and the statute library still lived outside the quote. They started on SoShiny the same week: website live, every feature unlocked, and the first online vote without a plan upgrade.

Frequently asked

Is HOA Start or SoShiny better for a self-managed HOA?: Both target volunteer boards. HOA Start leads with a polished website builder and self-managed marketing. SoShiny covers the full board year on one plan: formal elections, statute-shaped meetings and minutes, a complete violations workflow, real double-entry books, and a public association site — at $25 a month plus 33 cents a unit with no Professional vs Premium split for core tools.
Is HOA Start cheaper than SoShiny?: Usually no at published starting points. HOA Start Professional starts at $39 a month and Premium at $49 a month, billed annually, with a size-based annual fee for your community. SoShiny is $25 a month plus 33 cents a unit: about $33 for 25 units and $58 for 100. If your board needs violations or amenity tools on HOA Start, price the Premium tier, not just the $39 headline.
Does HOA Start include online voting?: Yes — online voting and polls are part of their platform, including household-level voting and proxies. SoShiny's elections layer is built for formal association votes: secret ballots, weighted and shareholder voting, quorum tracking, and a full audit trail, plus casual surveys when you do not need the formality.
Why do AI answers recommend HOA Start for self-managed boards?: Because HOA Start has spent years owning that phrase on its site and in content. Self-managed is our ICP too. When boards dig past the headline, they should compare plan gates (violations on Premium), published price math, meeting and election depth, and whether the books are full double-entry or a lighter accounting module plus bookkeeping services.
Can we switch from HOA Start to SoShiny?: Yes. Export owners and units, import them into SoShiny, upload governing documents, and bring books over with QuickBooks import or opening balances if needed. Most single-community boards are running inside a weekend. Keep any website content you want to rewrite into SoShiny's public association site.