Landlord Studio: The best alternative to Buildium
Award winning property management software. Trusted by 80,000+ landlords and letting agents.
Overview: Buildium vs Landlord Studio
Landlord Studio is built accounting-first for self-managing landlords running their own portfolios. Buildium is property management software for management companies and licensed managers running rentals on behalf of multiple owners, with trust accounting, owner portals, and team workflows at its core.
Both keep property books, but only one is built for the owner rather than the agency.
Landlord Studio is a full rental property accounting all-in-one.
Its core strengths cover the everyday and the financial: online rent collection, tenant screening, listings, and maintenance, plus automated bank feeds, AI receipt scanning, Xero integration, and Schedule E reports.
All of it is standard on PRO at $12 a month, with a free GO plan for up to three units. There's no setup fee and no per-transaction ePay or eSignature charge, with a two-way Xero sync and reporting built for your own tax return rather than for owner statements.
Buildium was built for property management companies.
Its strengths are end-to-end leasing, work order management, owner and resident portals, trust accounting, and Lumina AI — an agentic AI workforce with agents for maintenance, leasing, accounting, and resident experience.
The trade-off for a self-managing landlord: pricing starts at $62 a month on Essential with a $99 setup fee, per-transaction ePay and eSignature fees stack on top, and QuickBooks Online is the only native accounting sync, with no Xero option available.
Feature Comparison
| Landlord Studio | Buildium | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & setup | ||
| Starting price | Free for up to 3 units, paid plans from $12/mo | From $62/mo (Essential) |
| Built for | Self-managing landlords | Property management companies |
| Per-transaction fees | None | ePay, eSignature & screening fees apply |
| Setup | Self-serve, minutes | $99 setup fee on Essential |
| Accounting & tax | ||
| Property-by-property tracking | Unlimited, built-in | Built-in (trust accounting) |
| Automated bank feeds | Included | Included |
| AI receipt scanning | Included | Not a core feature |
| Schedule E export | One-click | Not built for personal Schedule E |
| Xero integration | Native two-way sync | QuickBooks Online only |
| Day-to-day landlord tools | ||
| Online rent collection | Built-in, no per-transaction fee | Built-in (ePay fees) |
| Tenant screening | Built-in (TransUnion) | Built-in (per report) |
| Listings & leasing | Built-in | Built-in |
| GPS mileage tracking | Built-in | Not supported |
| Best for | Landlords managing their own rentals | Companies managing units for owners |
Who's Landlord Studio Best For?
Tailored for landlords and property managers, Landlord Studio is a user-friendly software which offers a seamless approach to real estate accounting and property management. From automated rent collection to advanced tax reporting.
- Pricing: GO (Free for up to 3 units), Pro ($12/mo), Pro Plus ($28/mo)
- Features: Collect rent online, financial reports, real estate accounting, listings
- Best Suited For: Self managing landlords with small-medium portfolios.
- Key Advantage: Full-featured, user-friendly interface, and affordable pricing.
Who's Buildium Best For?
Built for residential management companies running rentals for multiple owners, Buildium covers leasing, trust accounting, work orders, and owner reporting, plus its Lumina AI workforce.
- Pricing: Essential ($62/mo), Growth ($192/mo), Premium ($400/mo), $99 setup
- Features: Trust accounting, leasing, work orders, owner and resident portals, AI
- Best Suited For: Management companies running rentals for multiple owners.
- Key Advantage: Deep management tooling, though $62/mo entry and no Xero sync.
Join 80,000+ landlords and stay one step ahead
"Managing 20 rentals alone was overwhelming, but Landlord Studio became my one-stop shop. It simplified bookkeeping, rent, leases, and taxes — even my CPA loves it."
"I found Landlord Studio so much easier to understand after I looked at AppFolio, RentRedi, and Buildium. All three of them were so hard to understand."
"It has been an excellent way of tracking expenses all in one app. I had considered using AppFolio, but that was too complicated for me."
“I looked at Doorloop, RentRedi, and Appfolio and they all offer the same features, but the customer support was the absolute best on Landlord Studio.”
"I can't highly recommend it more if you have a rental property. It exceeded my expectations."
"I've been a user for about three years now. I recommend Landlord Studio for anyone looking to optimize their business."
"I chose Landlord Studio because it created a complete package for management of rental properties for the landlord"
"I realized that QuickBooks wasn't quite sufficient and I started to look around for an affordable tool to replace my spreadsheets and chose Landlord Studio."
"We looked at all the different software that's out there for managing our properties. We chose Landlord Studio over RentRedi and it's been a great investment."
"One of the things that I like about the software is that the customer service is fantastic and I felt the price was reasonable considering I only have one property."
"I have a mix of properties, so I like how you can manage Airbnb and short-term rentals. Another great feature is reconciling from your bank account, which includes checking accounts and credit cards."
"Landlord Studio helps me manage my rentals effectively and efficiently. It's a great app and definitely worth the low cost."
"I tested out several other programs before purchasing Landlord Studio and I'm very happy with it so far. One of my favorite features is the ability to just snap a picture of a receipt and put it in the correct rental unit expense."
“My dad’s 75 and has over 20 units – Airbnbs, apartments and commercial. We needed a software to help us and Landlord Studio’s been the one. It’s made it so easy for him.”
“It’s a no-brainer. It’ll make your life so much easier. You can find out everything you need to know about your portfolio in a few quick taps.”
“With Landlord Studio I can track income and expenses and manage my properties if I’m at home, on my lunch break at work, in the car. There are so many things you can do with it.”
“It’s so much easier. Put it all in there, take a picture of your receipt and you’re done!”
“It’s excellent for any landlord with one property up to multiple. I highly recommend testing it out and seeing if it’s the right solution for you and your business – it has been for me.”
“I love having all the units accessible at my fingertips. And would highly recommend it to anybody who’s looking to get onboard with bank to bank transfers for rent payments and wanting to create customizable reports. I love it.”
“If you want an all in one solution this app is what you need. With this app you can get rid of paper and spreadsheets.”
“Give it a shot! That’s what I did. This app really organized how I manage my business made everything more efficient.”
“I was looking for a software that I was able to screen tenants on, collect rent through, track all of my income and expenses for each unit. And Landlord Studio fit the bill there. I’ve been using it for a few months and love it. The customer support is just unrivaled.”
“The mobile app is incredible, and when it comes to tax time, clicking a few buttons and sharing with our tax advisor has been a dream. Thanks Landlord Studio!”
"Managing 20 rentals alone was overwhelming, but Landlord Studio became my one-stop shop. It simplified bookkeeping, rent, leases, and taxes — even my CPA loves it."
"I found Landlord Studio so much easier to understand after I looked at AppFolio, RentRedi, and Buildium. All three of them were so hard to understand."
"It has been an excellent way of tracking expenses all in one app. I had considered using AppFolio, but that was too complicated for me."
“I looked at Doorloop, RentRedi, and Appfolio and they all offer the same features, but the customer support was the absolute best on Landlord Studio.”
"I can't highly recommend it more if you have a rental property. It exceeded my expectations."
"I've been a user for about three years now. I recommend Landlord Studio for anyone looking to optimize their business."
"I chose Landlord Studio because it created a complete package for management of rental properties for the landlord"
"I realized that QuickBooks wasn't quite sufficient and I started to look around for an affordable tool to replace my spreadsheets and chose Landlord Studio."
"We looked at all the different software that's out there for managing our properties. We chose Landlord Studio over RentRedi and it's been a great investment."
"One of the things that I like about the software is that the customer service is fantastic and I felt the price was reasonable considering I only have one property."
"I have a mix of properties, so I like how you can manage Airbnb and short-term rentals. Another great feature is reconciling from your bank account, which includes checking accounts and credit cards."
"Landlord Studio helps me manage my rentals effectively and efficiently. It's a great app and definitely worth the low cost."
"I tested out several other programs before purchasing Landlord Studio and I'm very happy with it so far. One of my favorite features is the ability to just snap a picture of a receipt and put it in the correct rental unit expense."
“My dad’s 75 and has over 20 units – Airbnbs, apartments and commercial. We needed a software to help us and Landlord Studio’s been the one. It’s made it so easy for him.”
“It’s a no-brainer. It’ll make your life so much easier. You can find out everything you need to know about your portfolio in a few quick taps.”
“With Landlord Studio I can track income and expenses and manage my properties if I’m at home, on my lunch break at work, in the car. There are so many things you can do with it.”
“It’s so much easier. Put it all in there, take a picture of your receipt and you’re done!”
“It’s excellent for any landlord with one property up to multiple. I highly recommend testing it out and seeing if it’s the right solution for you and your business – it has been for me.”
“I love having all the units accessible at my fingertips. And would highly recommend it to anybody who’s looking to get onboard with bank to bank transfers for rent payments and wanting to create customizable reports. I love it.”
“If you want an all in one solution this app is what you need. With this app you can get rid of paper and spreadsheets.”
“Give it a shot! That’s what I did. This app really organized how I manage my business made everything more efficient.”
“I was looking for a software that I was able to screen tenants on, collect rent through, track all of my income and expenses for each unit. And Landlord Studio fit the bill there. I’ve been using it for a few months and love it. The customer support is just unrivaled.”
“The mobile app is incredible, and when it comes to tax time, clicking a few buttons and sharing with our tax advisor has been a dream. Thanks Landlord Studio!”
"Managing 20 rentals alone was overwhelming, but Landlord Studio became my one-stop shop. It simplified bookkeeping, rent, leases, and taxes — even my CPA loves it."
"I found Landlord Studio so much easier to understand after I looked at AppFolio, RentRedi, and Buildium. All three of them were so hard to understand."
"It has been an excellent way of tracking expenses all in one app. I had considered using AppFolio, but that was too complicated for me."
“I looked at Doorloop, RentRedi, and Appfolio and they all offer the same features, but the customer support was the absolute best on Landlord Studio.”
"I can't highly recommend it more if you have a rental property. It exceeded my expectations."
"I've been a user for about three years now. I recommend Landlord Studio for anyone looking to optimize their business."
"I chose Landlord Studio because it created a complete package for management of rental properties for the landlord"
"I realized that QuickBooks wasn't quite sufficient and I started to look around for an affordable tool to replace my spreadsheets and chose Landlord Studio."
"We looked at all the different software that's out there for managing our properties. We chose Landlord Studio over RentRedi and it's been a great investment."
"One of the things that I like about the software is that the customer service is fantastic and I felt the price was reasonable considering I only have one property."
"I have a mix of properties, so I like how you can manage Airbnb and short-term rentals. Another great feature is reconciling from your bank account, which includes checking accounts and credit cards."
"Landlord Studio helps me manage my rentals effectively and efficiently. It's a great app and definitely worth the low cost."
"I tested out several other programs before purchasing Landlord Studio and I'm very happy with it so far. One of my favorite features is the ability to just snap a picture of a receipt and put it in the correct rental unit expense."
“My dad’s 75 and has over 20 units – Airbnbs, apartments and commercial. We needed a software to help us and Landlord Studio’s been the one. It’s made it so easy for him.”
“It’s a no-brainer. It’ll make your life so much easier. You can find out everything you need to know about your portfolio in a few quick taps.”
“With Landlord Studio I can track income and expenses and manage my properties if I’m at home, on my lunch break at work, in the car. There are so many things you can do with it.”
“It’s so much easier. Put it all in there, take a picture of your receipt and you’re done!”
“It’s excellent for any landlord with one property up to multiple. I highly recommend testing it out and seeing if it’s the right solution for you and your business – it has been for me.”
“I love having all the units accessible at my fingertips. And would highly recommend it to anybody who’s looking to get onboard with bank to bank transfers for rent payments and wanting to create customizable reports. I love it.”
“If you want an all in one solution this app is what you need. With this app you can get rid of paper and spreadsheets.”
“Give it a shot! That’s what I did. This app really organized how I manage my business made everything more efficient.”
“I was looking for a software that I was able to screen tenants on, collect rent through, track all of my income and expenses for each unit. And Landlord Studio fit the bill there. I’ve been using it for a few months and love it. The customer support is just unrivaled.”
“The mobile app is incredible, and when it comes to tax time, clicking a few buttons and sharing with our tax advisor has been a dream. Thanks Landlord Studio!”
Landlord Studio, Simplified Accounting Software
- Manage your properties on the go via desktop or mobile app.
- Save time and money with advanced accounting tools. Connect your bank accounts, digitize receipts and more.
- File your accurate end-of-year tax return without the headache with our Schedule E report.
- Powerful property management features designed specifically for landlords.
Why landlords are choosing Landlord Studio over Buildium
Say goodbye to late rent forever.
Landlord Studio ensures you give tenants multiple ways to pay along with the tools to ensure you get paid on time, every time.
- Online rent collection with Landlord Studio is ungated without any up-sells
- Connect your bank accounts to import transactions and reconcile with the tap of a button.
- Collect rent via Credit Card and ACH easily without having to upgrade with Landlord Studio
- Automate your rent reminders to tenants so you never have to chase rent again.
Schedule E reports in 1 Click
Instantly generate and share professional reports. All our reports can be customized by date range, property, owner, expense categories, and payment categories.
At tax time, run our built in Schedule E report and share with your accountant with a few taps.
E-Sign, Tenant Screening and Syndicated Property Listings all in one platform
List, screen and sign documents all from the same platform without the hidden charges.
Manage your portfolio in one place and complete your end to end landlord lifecycle easily.
End to end property management software
From finding tenants and collecting rent to managing maintenance requests, our suite of features will help you save time and run a professional and scalable property portfolio.
Simple rental accounting
Keep track of your rental income and expenses and maximise the return on your investments
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Reporting & tax accounting
Stay on top of your finances with industry-specific reports and make filing your Schedule E easy.
Property maintenance
Close maintenance requests faster with easy task management and prioritization.
Online rent collection
Never worry about late rent again with automatic rent payments made directly into your bank account.
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Tenant screening
Protect your real estate investment by ensuring you secure the very best tenants fast.
FAQs
Is Landlord Studio a good Buildium alternative?
Yes. Landlord Studio is a Buildium alternative built for self-managing landlords rather than property management companies. It pairs full rental accounting with online rent collection, tenant screening, listings, and a one-click Schedule E export, from $12 a month with no per-transaction ePay or eSignature fees.
How much does Buildium cost?
Buildium starts at around $62 a month on Essential (up to 150 units), with Growth from $192 and Premium from $400, scaling by door count. ePay, tenant screening, and eSignature transactions carry separate per-transaction fees, plus a setup fee on Essential. Landlord Studio PRO is $12 a month with no per-transaction fees.
Is Buildium good for self-managing landlords?
Buildium is built for property management companies managing units on behalf of owners, so much of its toolkit (trust accounting, owner portals, team workflows) goes unused for a landlord running their own portfolio, while the pricing stays high. Landlord Studio is sized and priced for the self-managing landlord.
Does Buildium integrate with Xero?
No. Buildium's only native accounting integration is QuickBooks Online. Landlord Studio offers a native two-way Xero sync.
Does Buildium charge per-transaction fees?
Yes. On top of the monthly subscription, Buildium applies per-transaction ePay, eSignature, and tenant screening fees, plus setup and bank account fees on Essential. Landlord Studio includes online rent collection without per-transaction fees.
Which is better for landlord tax time?
Landlord Studio is built accounting-first, with a one-click Schedule E export and 15+ landlord-specific reports. Buildium's reporting is geared to company books and owner statements rather than a personal Schedule E return.