AppFolio Pricing in 2026: Why $400/Month Doesn't Pencil Out for Most Small Portfolios | RentAdminly

AppFolio publishes a $400/month residential minimum on top of $1.40/unit/month and a one-time onboarding fee. Here's what that actually costs — and the honest case for and against.

By Alex Morgan | April 23, 2026

AppFolio publishes a $400/month residential minimum on top of $1.40/unit/month and a one-time onboarding fee. Here's what that actually costs — and the honest case for and against.

What AppFolio Actually Costs

AppFolio's published residential pricing as of early 2026:

  • **$1.40/unit/month** for the standard residential plan
  • **$400/month minimum** — even if your unit math comes in lower
  • **One-time onboarding fee** quoted on the sales call (often four figures)
  • **Per-transaction fees** for online tenant payments and screening on top of the subscription

    • The $400/month minimum is the part that surprises people. It means a 50-unit residential PM company pays the same $400/month as a 285-unit company. Below ~285 units, you're paying extra to subsidize the floor.

    Run the Math at Common Portfolio Sizes

    | Units | Per-unit cost | Effective AppFolio cost |

    |-------|---------------|-------------------------|

    | 10 | $14/mo | $400/mo + onboarding |

    | 25 | $35/mo | $400/mo + onboarding |

    | 50 | $70/mo | $400/mo + onboarding |

    | 100 | $140/mo | $400/mo + onboarding |

    | 200 | $280/mo | $400/mo + onboarding |

    | 285 | $399/mo | $400/mo + onboarding |

    | 500 | $700/mo | $700/mo + onboarding |

    Below ~285 units, the floor is doing all the talking.

    Why the Floor Exists

    AppFolio is built for established PM companies. Their support model, implementation team, and feature roadmap are sized for that customer. The $400 minimum is a soft signal: "if this is too much, you're not who we built this for."

    That's not a knock on AppFolio. They are very good at what they do for the la

    https://rentadminly.com/blog/appfolio-pricing-reality