DoorKeeping vs AppFolio: what each costs and what each does today
Every feature, $2 a unit
4 of our features are not included on AppFolio Max. One plan, no tenant fees, no minimum.
Tenants pay $0 to pay rent by bank transfer with DoorKeeping. A credit card payment carries a 3% card fee. Credit cards only. AppFolio does not publish its tenant fee.
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Example math from AppFolio's own published prices, read Oct 30, 2026. Details below.
AppFolio is a mature, full-featured platform built for professional property managers, with a 50-unit minimum on its Core plan. DoorKeeping is an AI first tool for owners who manage their own apartments, at $2 per unit with no minimum and $0 in other fees. If you need listings, applications and inspections in the same system, AppFolio has them; if you own fewer than 50 units and want simple per-property books, e-signed leases and work orders run from Claude or ChatGPT, DoorKeeping is built for you.
The short answer
AppFolio sells three plans, Core, Plus and Max, priced per unit with a unit minimum and a minimum spend (AppFolio pricing). Its pages describe a complete system: accounting, marketing and leasing, work orders, inspections and unit turns, resident communication and its Realm-X AI. It serves single-family, multifamily, student, affordable, association and commercial portfolios (AppFolio Property Manager).
DoorKeeping is narrower on purpose. You run your buildings by asking the AI app you already use, Claude or ChatGPT, and approve anything that moves money or has a legal effect with one tap in the web app. It costs $2 per unit per month with every feature included, and there is no setup cost and no minimum. See pricing.
- Pick AppFolio if you manage 50 or more units, have staff, and need leasing, screening, e-sign and maintenance working on day one.
- Pick DoorKeeping if you own a smaller portfolio, each building sits in its own LLC, and you want the AI you already pay for to do the bookkeeping and reporting with your approval.
What you would pay for 24 units and for 120 units
AppFolio publishes "starting at" prices: Core $1.49, Plus $3.20 and Max $5.00 per unit per month. The footnote on Core says a minimum spend and a 50-unit minimum apply; Plus and Max say minimum spend and units apply, without numbers. AppFolio does not publish the minimum spend, so the Core totals below are the lowest its published prices allow and your quote may be higher; Plus and Max are custom pricing.
| Plan | 24 units (made-up owner) | 120 units (made-up owner) |
|---|---|---|
| AppFolio Core | 50-unit minimum: 50 x $1.49 = at least $74.50 a month | 120 x $1.49 = at least $178.80 a month |
| AppFolio Plus | Custom pricing: from $3.20 per unit, minimum spend and units not published | Custom pricing: from $3.20 per unit, minimum spend and units not published |
| AppFolio Max | Custom pricing: from $5.00 per unit, minimum spend and units not published | Custom pricing: from $5.00 per unit, minimum spend and units not published |
| DoorKeeping | 24 x $2 = $48 a month | 120 x $2 = $240 a month |
Example a made-up owner with 24 units in two buildings pays DoorKeeping $48 a month, or $576 a year. On AppFolio Core the same owner is billed as if they had 50 units, so at least $74.50 a month, or $894 a year, before any minimum spend.
Example a made-up owner with 120 units pays DoorKeeping $240 a month, or $2,880 a year. AppFolio Core starts at $178.80 a month, or $2,145.60 a year, so Core costs less per unit at this size. The gap closes if the owner needs Flows, custom fields or the read-only API, which AppFolio lists under Plus at $384 a month or more.
AppFolio lists no onboarding fee on its pricing page. Payment processing and screening fees are not published there either, so they are not compared here.
Features, side by side
AppFolio's column uses the plan its pricing page names. DoorKeeping's column is what it does today.
| Feature | AppFolio | DoorKeeping today |
|---|---|---|
| Property accounting and reports | Yes (Core) | Yes, separate books for each property LLC |
| Rent roll, delinquency, P&L and NOI by property | Yes (Core) | Yes |
| Work orders and unit turns | Yes (Core) | Yes, with jobs sent to vendors by link |
| E-signed leases and renewal offers | Yes (Core, leasing) | Yes, included |
| Purchase orders and inventory | Yes (Core) | Not offered |
| AI assistant | Yes, Realm-X on all plans | Yes, through your own Claude or ChatGPT |
| Connector for Claude | Yes, Realm-X Connector | Yes |
| Approval before money or legal steps | Not stated | Yes, one tap for every one |
| Workflow builder (Flows) | Plus | Not offered |
| Affordable and student housing tools | Plus | Housing voucher rent splits only |
| Owner statements and 1099 reporting | Not stated on the pricing page | Yes, owner statements, Schedule E and the 1099-NEC report from the books |
Where AppFolio is stronger today
Be clear-eyed about this: AppFolio has years of product behind it and a broader feature set. On the features most owners touch every vacancy, AppFolio is ahead.
- Leasing end to end. Core includes marketing and leasing, so a vacancy can go from listing to signed lease inside one system. DoorKeeping covers the lease itself: e-signed leases, renewal offers and a tenant portal by invite link.
- Maintenance. Work order management, inspections and unit turns are in Core. DoorKeeping has work orders and sends each job to a vendor by link.
- Breadth of portfolio types. Affordable housing and student housing capabilities sit in Plus; associations and commercial are served too. DoorKeeping is for apartment owners only.
- AI that answers the phone. AppFolio announced a Receptionist Performer on 2026-09-29 that answers incoming calls and routes the rest, and said the new Realm-X, including its Claude connector, is available on all plans (AppFolio newsroom). DoorKeeping has no phone answering.
- Staff features. Purchase orders, inventory and a dedicated success manager on Max are built for teams.
Where DoorKeeping takes a different path
DoorKeeping is not trying to be a smaller AppFolio. It makes a few different choices:
- You work in Claude or ChatGPT. Ask "which tenants are late at Elm Street?" or "what was NOI on the Oak building last quarter?" and get the answer from your books. The web app is for approvals and dashboards. See how to connect your AI.
- Every money or legal step waits for you. Nothing is paid, posted or sent on those steps until you approve it.
- One price, no plan to outgrow. $2 per unit with every feature, no tiers, no add-ons, no setup cost and no minimum, so a 12-unit owner pays $24 a month.
- Rent never passes through DoorKeeping. Tenants pay your own bank by bank transfer, or Zelle where your bank supports it, and each tenant gets a memo like 12B SMITH and an exact amount with its own cents so payments are easy to tell apart.
- One LLC, one set of books. Each property keeps its own ledger, bank account, deposits held and P&L, with expense accounts mapped to Schedule E lines, and you still see every property together.
Moving from AppFolio to DoorKeeping
- Pick a month-end as your cutover date so the last full month stays in AppFolio.
- Before your access ends, export the rent roll, each tenant ledger, deposits held, open balances and the year-to-date P&L for every property, and save them as files you keep.
- In DoorKeeping, set up each property under its LLC with its units, leases, rents, deposits held and opening balances as of the cutover date.
- Give tenants your LLC bank details and their memo and exact amount, and check the first month of deposits against the rent roll.
- Keep your AppFolio exports with your tax files: your tax preparer may need the months before cutover for this year's return.
If you are on an AppFolio contract, read its term and notice rules before you set a date; AppFolio does not publish them on its pricing page.
Why switch from AppFolio
- Tenants pay $0 to pay rent by bank transfer. A credit card payment carries a 3% card fee. Credit cards only. At AppFolio: Amount not published; AppFolio charges a transaction fee on online payments, shown to the tenant before paying and listed separately as APPFOLIO_TXNFEE; Amount not published; AppFolio charges a transaction fee on card payments, shown to the tenant before paying, and it rises with the payment amount.
- No minimum and no contract. At AppFolio: Core: 50-unit minimum plus a minimum spend; Plus and Max: minimum spend and units apply (amounts not published).
- Every feature on one plan. On AppFolio's Core plan, budgets and budget vs actual, bills read and coded automatically, ready-made automations need a higher plan or cost extra.
- Rent goes straight to your own bank. DoorKeeping never holds your money.
What one year costs: AppFolio and DoorKeeping
Example math, not a quote: AppFolio's Core plan and its Max plan with the most features, billed the cheapest published way, plus the published fee for a tenant paying rent by bank 12 times a year per unit. Core at $1.49 per unit a month with a 50-unit minimum: 50 x $1.49 x 12 = $894 for 1 to 50 units, 100 x $1.49 x 12 = $1,788 for 100. An unpublished minimum spend also applies, so real cost can be higher. Setup fee not published.
| AppFolio (Core) | DoorKeeping | |
|---|---|---|
| 10 unitsCore | $894+$894 software, tenant bank fees not published3.7x DoorKeeping | $240No other fees |
| 40 unitsCore | $894+$894 software, tenant bank fees not published | $960No other fees |
| 100 unitsCore | $1,788+$1,788 software, tenant bank fees not published | $2,400No other fees |
| 10 unitsMax, most features | Not published | $240No other fees |
| 40 unitsMax, most features | Not published | $960No other fees |
| 100 unitsMax, most features | Not published | $2,400No other fees |
Feature by feature: AppFolio and DoorKeeping
25 of 32 features are included on the plan above at AppFolio, and 32 at DoorKeeping. Read from AppFolio's own pages on Oct 30, 2026; "Not stated" means we could not find it on AppFolio's own site.
| AppFolio (Core) | DoorKeeping | |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | ||
| Full accounting (ledger, P&L, balance sheet) | IncludedProperty accounting and reports on Core | IncludedSeparate books for each property, rolled up |
| Bank feeds and reconciliation | IncludedAuto bank reconciliation, bank linked through Plaid | IncludedConnect your bank; deposits matched to rent |
| Owner statements | IncludedStatements and reports published to the owner portal | IncludedBuilt from the books |
| Tax reports such as Schedule EIncluded with DoorKeeping | Not stated | IncludedSchedule E from the books |
| 1099 forms for vendors | IncludedPrepares owner and vendor 1099s (including 1099-NEC); e-filing not stated | Included1099-NEC report from the books |
| Budgets and budget vs actualIncluded with DoorKeeping | Higher planAdvanced budgeting on Plus; AI budgeting on Max | IncludedBudgets and budget vs actual |
| Bills read and coded automaticallyIncluded with DoorKeeping | Higher planAccounting Performer bill entry on Plus and Max only | IncludedAI reads invoices and codes each line |
| Pay vendors from the software | IncludedPay owners and vendors by eCheck | IncludedPay vendors from your own bank after your tap |
| QuickBooks connectionIncluded with DoorKeeping | Not stated | IncludedSync with QuickBooks Online |
| Rent | ||
| Online rent collection | IncludedeCheck, card and Apple Pay; tenant pays an unpublished fee | IncludedFree, straight to your own bank |
| Tenant autopay | IncludedResidents set up autopay in the portal | IncludedTenants authorize it once; rent comes from their bank on the due date, free |
| Automatic late fees | IncludedFees assessed on time per the lease | IncludedPosted automatically within state caps |
| Tenant portal | IncludedFolioSpace web portal and iOS and Android app | IncludedInvite link, nothing to install |
| Leasing | ||
| Listing page for every vacancyIncluded with DoorKeeping | Not stated | IncludedA public page per vacant unit, with Apply and Schedule a showing |
| Listings on Zillow and more | IncludedSyndicates to Zillow, Apartments.com and Zumper | IncludedList on Zillow and more |
| Online rental applications | IncludedOnline rental applications | IncludedOnline applications by link |
| Tenant screening | IncludedFolioScreen with fraud checks; price not published | IncludedOur exact cost, no markup |
| E-signed leases | IncludedOnline leases e-signed on any device | IncludedBuilt in, no per-document fee |
| Lease renewals | IncludedRenewal automation with a default offer | IncludedRenewal offers drafted for your approval |
| Maintenance | ||
| Maintenance requests and work orders | IncludedOnline requests and work orders | IncludedRequests become work orders |
| Vendor dispatch | IncludedVendor portal for jobs, invoices and payments | IncludedSend jobs to your vendors by link, no account |
| Move-in and move-out inspections | IncludedInspections and unit turns on Core | IncludedMove-in and move-out checklists by link |
| AI and communication | ||
| Messages to tenants (email or text) | IncludedIndividual or mass texts and email to residents | IncludedEmail to tenants and vendors |
| AI assistant | IncludedRealm-X Assistant and Messages on Core | IncludedAsk in plain words; money steps wait for your tap |
| Works inside Claude and ChatGPT | IncludedClaude connector: read only on Core, read and write on Plus and Max | IncludedConnects to the Claude or ChatGPT you already use |
| Ready-made automationsIncluded with DoorKeeping | Higher planRealm-X Flows on Plus and Max only | IncludedOne-toggle automations |
| Team, security and support | ||
| Team members and rolesIncluded with DoorKeeping | Not statedCustom user roles offered; plan not stated | IncludedRoles for your team |
| Two-factor sign-in | IncludedTwo-factor sign-in offered | IncludedAuthenticator app and recovery codes |
| Mobile app | IncludedMobile app for teams and technicians | IncludediPhone and Android app |
| Document storage | IncludedDocuments shared through owner and resident portals | IncludedStore and share by expiring link |
| Support | IncludedStandard support on Core: chat and knowledge base; hours not published | IncludedEmail support@doorkeeping.com |
| Onboarding and data import | IncludedOnboarding manager and data migration specialist; cost not published | IncludedFree and self-serve; import your rent roll |
Every fee: AppFolio and DoorKeeping
Everything AppFolio publishes that an owner, a tenant or an applicant pays, next to DoorKeeping, read from AppFolio's own pages (www.appfolio.com/pricing, www.appfolio.com/help/online-portal). "Not published" means it is not on AppFolio's own site.
| Fee | AppFolio | DoorKeeping |
|---|---|---|
| Software price | Core from $1.49, Plus from $3.20, Max from $5.00 per unit per month (paid by the owner) | $2 per unit per month, every feature included (paid by the owner) |
| Minimum or contract | Core: 50-unit minimum plus a minimum spend; Plus and Max: minimum spend and units apply (amounts not published) (paid by the owner) | None. No minimum and no contract |
| Setup or onboarding | Not published | None |
| Rent paid by bank (ACH) | Amount not published; AppFolio charges a transaction fee on online payments, shown to the tenant before paying and listed separately as APPFOLIO_TXNFEE (paid by the tenant) | Free. Tenants pay your own bank directly |
| Rent paid by card | Amount not published; AppFolio charges a transaction fee on card payments, shown to the tenant before paying, and it rises with the payment amount (paid by the tenant) | 3% card fee, credit cards only; bank transfer stays free (paid by the tenant) |
| Tenant screening | Not published | No markup: our exact cost. Paid by the applicant by default, or by you if you choose |
| E-signatures | Not published | Included, no per-document fee |
| Payouts to owners or vendors | Not published | None. DoorKeeping never holds your money and sends a payment only when you approve it |
| Other published fees | Cash payments at retail stores: $4.99 per payment (up to $2,000, $1,500 at 7-Eleven), paid by the tenant; owners paying contributions online also pay a transaction fee shown before paying; value-added services and add-ons such as Leasing Signals are unpriced | None |
Sources
- AppFolio, Pricing, read Oct 29, 2026
- AppFolio, Property Manager, read Oct 29, 2026
- AppFolio newsroom, AppFolio introduces the new Realm-X (2026-09-29), read Oct 29, 2026
Questions
- Does AppFolio have a minimum number of units?
- Yes. Its pricing page says a 50-unit minimum and a minimum spend apply to Core, and that minimum spend and units apply to Plus and Max. The minimum spend amount is not published.
- Is AppFolio cheaper than DoorKeeping?
- Per unit, AppFolio Core ($1.49) is lower than DoorKeeping ($2) once you have 50 or more units and pass the minimum spend. Below 50 units, Core bills at least 50 units, so DoorKeeping costs less for most owners with fewer than about 37 units.
- Does AppFolio work with Claude?
- Yes. AppFolio says the new Realm-X, including its Realm-X Connector for Claude, is available with all plans. DoorKeeping also works with Claude and ChatGPT and adds a one-tap approval for every money or legal step.
- Does DoorKeeping handle leases?
- Yes. DoorKeeping sends leases and renewal offers for e-signature and invites tenants to the portal by link. If you also want listings and applications in the same system, AppFolio has them in Core.