DoorKeeping vs Buildium: plans, per-use fees and features
Every feature, $2 a unit
10 of our features are not included on Buildium Premium. One plan, no tenant fees, no minimum.
Your tenants save $288 a year in rent payment fees: $0 with DoorKeeping, $1 per bank payment at Buildium (you can choose to pay it instead). Paying by card adds 2.99% of the payment on every plan at Buildium.
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Example math from Buildium's own published prices, read Oct 30, 2026. Details below.
Buildium is an established all-in-one platform whose plans start at $65, $202 and $420 a month, with separate per-use charges for things like bank accounts, electronic payments, e-signatures and screening. DoorKeeping charges $2 per unit with no add-ons and $0 in other fees, with per-LLC books, e-signed leases and work orders included. The deciding question is usually whether you need Buildium's listings and screening in the same system, and how many bank accounts your LLCs use.
Who each one fits
Buildium describes itself as software for managers with anywhere from "five doors or five thousand", covering residential, association, commercial and student portfolios (Buildium features). Its feature list runs from accounting and 1099 e-filing to listing syndication, rental applications, lease templates, tenant background checks, a Resident Center, an owner portal and a free website.
DoorKeeping is for people who own their apartments and manage them themselves. It is run from Claude or ChatGPT, keeps separate books for each property LLC, and asks for your approval before any money or legal step.
If you lease up units often and want listings, applications, screening and signatures in one place this month, Buildium fits better. If your units are mostly occupied and your pain is bookkeeping across several LLCs, DoorKeeping is worth a look.
Buildium's plans and per-use charges
Buildium's pricing page lists "starting at" prices and a set of per-use charges. It does not say how many units the starting price covers, so the plan price for your portfolio comes from Buildium's own calculator or a quote.
| Item | Essential | Growth | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $65 a month | $202 a month | $420 a month |
| Business bank accounts | $99 per account | 10 free, then $99 each | 100 free, then $99 each |
| Incoming EFT (tenant payment) | $2.35 | $1.35 | Free for 12 months, then $0.60 |
| Outgoing EFT | $0.99 | $0.99 | $0.99 |
| Card payments | 2.99% | 2.99% | 2.99% |
| eSignature | $5 per document | $1 per document | Included |
| Tenant screening | $17 | $20 (enhanced) | $20 (enhanced) |
| Onboarding | Not stated | Required, fee not stated | Required, fee not stated |
| Phone support | Not included (tickets) | Included | Included, plus priority |
Buildium also offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card. DoorKeeping has one line: $2 per unit per month, every feature included, no setup cost.
Worked costs for a 24-unit and a 120-unit owner
Because Buildium's starting prices are not tied to a unit count, the honest comparison is a floor: the plan costs at least its starting price, and your quote may be higher. The bank account charge is published, and it matters when each property has its own LLC and its own account.
Example a made-up owner has 24 units in three buildings, each held in its own LLC with its own bank account. On Buildium Essential the plan is at least $65 a month, and the three bank accounts are 3 x $99 = $297. If 20 tenants pay by incoming EFT each month, that is 20 x $2.35 = $47 a month in transfer fees. On DoorKeeping the owner pays 24 x $2 = $48 a month, and tenants pay the LLC's bank directly, free from DoorKeeping.
Example a made-up owner has 120 units in six LLCs. Buildium Growth starts at $202 a month and includes 10 bank accounts, so the six accounts cost nothing extra. DoorKeeping costs 120 x $2 = $240 a month. At this size the two land close together before Buildium's per-use fees, and the choice turns on features rather than price.
Who pays Buildium's EFT fee (owner or tenant) depends on how the account is set up; the pricing page lists the fee, not who bears it.
What each does today
| Feature | Buildium | DoorKeeping today |
|---|---|---|
| Property accounting | Yes | Yes, one set of books per property LLC |
| 1099 forms | Yes, with e-filing | The 1099-NEC report from the books |
| Online rent collection | Yes, EFT and card, with fees | Tenants pay your bank directly by transfer or Zelle |
| E-signed leases | Yes, per document on Essential and Growth | Yes, included at no extra cost |
| Maintenance requests and work orders | Yes | Yes, with jobs sent to vendors by link |
| Owner portal | Yes | Not offered |
| AI | Buildium's AI Assistant on Essential; AI-enhanced communications on Growth | Runs inside your Claude or ChatGPT |
| Approval before money or legal steps | Not stated | Yes |
| Open API | Premium | Through the Claude and ChatGPT connection |
Where Buildium is ahead
Buildium has a working leasing pipeline today: listings, applications, background checks, lease templates and signing from any device. It has an owner portal for managers who report to outside owners, a free website, a marketplace of third-party apps and phone support from Growth up. If you manage for other people, Buildium covers that and DoorKeeping does not. If you want listings, background checks and 1099 e-filing in the same system, Buildium has them.
DoorKeeping's angle
- No meter running. One per-unit price covers everything, so adding a property LLC, an account or a document does not add a line to your bill.
- Rent stays out of the middle. DoorKeeping never holds rent; each tenant pays the LLC's own bank with a memo like 4A LOPEZ and an amount with its own cents.
- Books that match how you own. Each LLC has its own ledger, deposits held and P&L, and expenses map to Schedule E lines for your tax preparer.
- Your AI, your approval. Ask in Claude or ChatGPT; approve money and legal steps with one tap in the web app. Connect your AI.
How to switch from Buildium
- Choose a cutover at a month-end and tell tenants the new payment details at least a few weeks ahead.
- From Buildium, save the rent roll, tenant ledgers, deposits held and each property's year-to-date income and expenses.
- Set up each property and LLC in DoorKeeping with units, leases and opening balances as of the cutover.
- Turn off Buildium online payments after the last rent cycle you collect there, so no tenant pays into a closed setup.
- Keep the Buildium files with your tax records for the months before the switch.
Why switch from Buildium
- Tenants pay $0 to pay rent by bank transfer. A credit card payment carries a 3% card fee. Credit cards only. At Buildium: Incoming EFT $2.35 per payment (Essential), $1.35 (Growth), free for 12 months then $0.60 (Premium); landlord can pass it to the tenant per payment; 2.99% of the payment on every plan; landlord can pass it to the tenant per payment.
- Every feature on one plan. On Buildium's Essential plan, 1099 forms for vendors, bills read and coded automatically, e-signed leases, move-in and move-out inspections and more need a higher plan or cost extra.
- Run your buildings from the Claude or ChatGPT you already use; money and legal steps wait for your one-tap approval.
- Rent goes straight to your own bank. DoorKeeping never holds your money.
What one year costs: Buildium and DoorKeeping
Example math, not a quote: Buildium's Essential plan and its Premium 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. Buildium publishes only a starting price: Essential from $65 a month, $65 x 12 = $780 a year, shown at 10 units as the lowest possible. Its own blog says per-unit prices change with unit count and Essential holds up to 40 units; prices for 40 units and for 100 units (Growth) are not published.
| Buildium (Essential) | DoorKeeping | |
|---|---|---|
| 10 unitsEssential | $1,062$780 software + $282 tenant bank fees4.4x DoorKeeping | $240No other fees |
| 40 unitsEssential | Not published | $960No other fees |
| 100 unitsEssential | Not published | $2,400No other fees |
| 10 unitsPremium, most features | Not published | $240No other fees |
| 40 unitsPremium, most features | Not published | $960No other fees |
| 100 unitsPremium, most features | Not published | $2,400No other fees |
Feature by feature: Buildium and DoorKeeping
20 of 32 features are included on the plan above at Buildium, and 32 at DoorKeeping. Read from Buildium's own pages on Oct 30, 2026; "Not stated" means we could not find it on Buildium's own site.
| Buildium (Essential) | DoorKeeping | |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | ||
| Full accounting (ledger, P&L, balance sheet) | IncludedAll basic accounting features on Essential | IncludedSeparate books for each property, rolled up |
| Bank feeds and reconciliation | IncludedAutomatic bank reconciliation from a linked bank feed | IncludedConnect your bank; deposits matched to rent |
| Owner statements | IncludedOwner statements scheduled monthly, shared in 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 vendorsIncluded with DoorKeeping | Add-onE-file via Nelco, $50 a batch plus $4.50 a form | Included1099-NEC report from the books |
| Budgets and budget vs actualIncluded with DoorKeeping | Not statedNot confirmed on the pages we could open | IncludedBudgets and budget vs actual |
| Bills read and coded automaticallyIncluded with DoorKeeping | Higher planAI Bill Scan; all Lumina AI features are on Premium | IncludedAI reads invoices and codes each line |
| Pay vendors from the software | IncludedOutgoing EFT to vendors, $0.99 a payment | IncludedPay vendors from your own bank after your tap |
| QuickBooks connectionIncluded with DoorKeeping | Not stated | IncludedSync with QuickBooks Online |
| Rent | ||
| Online rent collection | IncludedACH $2.35 a payment on Essential; cards 2.99% | IncludedFree, straight to your own bank |
| Tenant autopay | IncludedResidents schedule repeat payments in the Resident Center | IncludedTenants authorize it once; rent comes from their bank on the due date, free |
| Automatic late fees | IncludedAutomated late fee assessments | IncludedPosted automatically within state caps |
| Tenant portal | IncludedResident Center portal and 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 | IncludedZillow, Apartments.com, Zumper and other sites | IncludedList on Zillow and more |
| Online rental applications | IncludedOnline applications with fee payment | IncludedOnline applications by link |
| Tenant screening | IncludedTransUnion; $17 a report, or $35 paid by applicant | IncludedOur exact cost, no markup |
| E-signed leasesIncluded with DoorKeeping | Add-on$5 a document on Essential, $1 on Growth, unlimited on Premium | IncludedBuilt in, no per-document fee |
| Lease renewals | IncludedRenewal offers sent and tracked | IncludedRenewal offers drafted for your approval |
| Maintenance | ||
| Maintenance requests and work orders | IncludedTask and work order management | IncludedRequests become work orders |
| Vendor dispatch | IncludedAssign work orders to staff or vendors | IncludedSend jobs to your vendors by link, no account |
| Move-in and move-out inspectionsIncluded with DoorKeeping | Add-onHappyCo: $99 setup plus $40 to $95 a month on Essential | IncludedMove-in and move-out checklists by link |
| AI and communication | ||
| Messages to tenants (email or text) | IncludedBasic communications on Essential; two-way SMS listed, plan not shown | IncludedEmail to tenants and vendors |
| AI assistant | IncludedHelp assistant on Essential; full Lumina AI on Premium | IncludedAsk in plain words; money steps wait for your tap |
| Works inside Claude and ChatGPTIncluded with DoorKeeping | Not stated | IncludedConnects to the Claude or ChatGPT you already use |
| Ready-made automationsIncluded with DoorKeeping | Higher planReporting automation from Growth; full automations suite on Premium | IncludedOne-toggle automations |
| Team, security and support | ||
| Team members and rolesIncluded with DoorKeeping | Not statedCustom user roles listed; plan not shown | IncludedRoles for your team |
| Two-factor sign-inIncluded with DoorKeeping | Not statedNot confirmed on the pages we could open | IncludedAuthenticator app and recovery codes |
| Mobile app | IncludedBuildium mobile app for Android and iPhone | IncludediPhone and Android app |
| Document storage | IncludedUpload leases, receipts and statements to the owner portal | IncludedStore and share by expiring link |
| Support | IncludedEmail tickets on Essential; live phone (Mon to Fri, 9am to 8pm ET) on Growth and Premium | IncludedEmail support@doorkeeping.com |
| Onboarding and data import | IncludedData import and training; required on Growth and Premium, fee not published | IncludedFree and self-serve; import your rent roll |
Every fee: Buildium and DoorKeeping
Everything Buildium publishes that an owner, a tenant or an applicant pays, next to DoorKeeping, read from Buildium's own pages (www.buildium.com/pricing/, www.buildium.com/pricing-options/). "Not published" means it is not on Buildium's own site.
| Fee | Buildium | DoorKeeping |
|---|---|---|
| Software price | Essential from $65, Growth from $202, Premium from $420 a month (paid by the owner) | $2 per unit per month, every feature included (paid by the owner) |
| Minimum or contract | None stated | None. No minimum and no contract |
| Setup or onboarding | Onboarding service required on Growth and Premium (fee not published); $99 per business bank account on Essential, 10 free on Growth and 100 free on Premium, then $99 each (paid by the owner) | None |
| Rent paid by bank (ACH) | Incoming EFT $2.35 per payment (Essential), $1.35 (Growth), free for 12 months then $0.60 (Premium); landlord can pass it to the tenant per payment (owner or tenant pays) | Free. Tenants pay your own bank directly |
| Rent paid by card | 2.99% of the payment on every plan; landlord can pass it to the tenant per payment (owner or tenant pays) | 3% card fee, credit cards only; bank transfer stays free (paid by the tenant) |
| Tenant screening | $17 per screening ($20 enhanced on Growth and Premium); or $35 paid by the applicant | No markup: our exact cost. Paid by the applicant by default, or by you if you choose |
| E-signatures | $5 per document (Essential), $1 per document (Growth), unlimited included (Premium) (paid by the owner) | Included, no per-document fee |
| Payouts to owners or vendors | Outgoing EFT $0.99 per payment; check printing $30 setup plus $1.50 per check (paid by the owner) | None. DoorKeeping never holds your money and sends a payment only when you approve it |
| Other published fees | 1099 e-filing $50 per batch plus $4.50 per form; property inspections $99 setup then $40 to $95 a month (Essential); Showings Coordinator from $41 a month ($25 setup on Essential); renters insurance from $12 a month (tenant, optional); Priority Support paid on Growth; retail cash payments and other add-ons unpriced (owner or tenant pays) | None |
Sources
- Buildium, Pricing, read Oct 29, 2026
- Buildium, Pricing options, read Oct 29, 2026
- Buildium, Features, read Oct 29, 2026
Questions
- How much is Buildium a month?
- Its pricing page lists Essential from $65, Growth from $202 and Premium from $420 a month, plus per-use charges such as $99 per business bank account on Essential and fees for electronic payments, e-signatures and screening.
- Does Buildium charge for each bank account?
- On Essential it lists $99 per business bank account. Growth includes 10 accounts and Premium 100, then $99 for each extra. Owners with one LLC and one account per property should count accounts before choosing a plan.
- Does Buildium have a free trial?
- Yes. Buildium offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. DoorKeeping has no trial period; it has no setup cost and no minimum, so you pay $2 per unit only for the units you add.