| PrivateLets | AppFolio | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | One landlord, their own properties | Property management companies managing portfolios for other owners |
| Pricing model | $89/month flat, one plan | Typically priced per unit, scales with portfolio size |
| Your account | Your own running copy of the app | A seat on a shared multi-tenant platform |
| Getting started | Sign up, get your instance running | Often an onboarding or sales process |
AppFolio is built for property management companies running large portfolios, often on behalf of other owners, with staff, permissions, and reporting meant for that structure. If that's your business, it's a reasonable tool for it.
If you're a landlord managing your own handful of properties, you're not that business. You don't need multi-client reporting or a permissions system for a team you don't have. You need a clear record of your own doors, tenants, and money.
PrivateLets is built for that instead: one owner, their own properties, no per-unit pricing model designed around a management company's scale. You get your own copy of the app, running for you, not a seat inside a platform built for someone else's business.