As a commercial real estate owner, you’re responsible for tracking finances, managing property and lease information, and even handling tenant interactions. With so much on your plate, it’s essential to have tools and technologies that help you keep everything running smoothly. Plenty of platforms advertise themselves as commercial property management software that will do just that, but how do you choose between them?
First, it’s important to decide what your biggest business needs and priorities are. Then, compare your list of priorities to the services offered by different programs to find the one that most closely matches what you’re looking for. Here, we’ll get you started by performing a side-by-side comparison of two major commercial real estate platforms: STRATAFOLIO vs. AppFolio.
Core Focus
STRATAFOLIO
STRATAFOLIO mainly serves commercial real estate portfolios, including retail, office, and medical spaces – really anything with multi-year leases is the focus. It is designed for businesses with complex portfolio setups, including LLCs and syndicated ownership. As a tool for commercial property managers, owners, and investors, it also handles complex commercial leases, such as triple-net (NNN) structures. STRATAFOLIO is a QuickBooks-approved app. You can find STRATAFOLIO on the App Store for both QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online.
AppFolio
While its customer base may vary, AppFolio’s strength is in serving third-party property managers of multifamily residential portfolios. They also accommodate commercial real estate, but their main focus is residential assets. The tools and accounting features are designed with multifamily properties in mind. These tools may not fully translate to commercial or mixed-use portfolios with a variety of property types. It is suited to handling residential leases for small- to mid-size real estate businesses, though it has a required minimum of fifty units to purchase.
Financial & Accounting Features
STRATAFOLIO
STRATAFOLIO offers a variety of accounting consolidation features, including cash flow, NOI tracking, and debt tracking, including debt metrics at both property and portfolio-level views. For owners, the ability to have a consolidated view on an entire portfolio is powerful. Additionally, automations for lease management, loan management, and 1-click common area maintenance (CAM) reconciliation offer streamlined and accurate workflows every time.
A complete two-way integration with both QuickBooks Desktop and Online allows real-time data syncing and supports a variety of accounting and tracking tools. STRATAFOLIO supports use of multiple QuickBooks accounts, allowing you to clearly separate your finances.
AppFolio
AppFolio hosts its own accounting system, keeping information in a single location. However, accounting features are limited and do not allow a full view of the portfolio. Additional features may require separate fees. AppFolio does not have a full integration with QuickBooks, although some third-party apps may connect the two programs. Since this connection was not designed by either program, duplicate information and upload issues are likely.
Accounting features focus on tenant interactions, including rent payment, late fees, and CAM charges, though some users report calculation issues with CAM.
Lease & Tenant Management
STRATAFOLIO
STRATAFOLIO automates complex, time-consuming processes related to leases and tenant management, including 1-click CAM reconciliation. These automations save time and build trust with tenants by being consistently accurate and efficient. STRATAFOLIO also calculates pro-rata shares for each tenant and assists with lease escalation management.
It also sends automatic notifications for key dates like lease expirations and tracks important tenant details such as certificates of insurance (COIs). A tenant portal allows for easy rent collection with low ACH fees and maintenance request tracking.
AppFolio
Offers a tenant portal for rent payments, maintenance requests, and communications. The tenant portal supports ACH payments, though these are subject to a high fee. AppFolio is not designed to support complex commercial leases, and does not track key commercial lease information.
Reporting Tools
STRATAFOLIO
STRATAFOLIO offers detailed tracking of metrics including property performance, occupancy, expenses, rent roll, and lease details. Shift between individual properties or view the entire portfolio to identify trends and potential issues. In addition, STRATAFOLIO provides for creation of unlimited personalized reports for internal use or investors.
AppFolio
Offers tracking and reporting for day-to-day property management activities. Metrics focus on residential needs. Additionally, AppFolio does not offer a portfolio-wide view of metrics like cash flow, and it can be difficult to adjust reports to your unique business needs.
Integration & Customization
STRATAFOLIO
Easily find accurate, updated information using STRATAFOLIO’s full, two-way integration with both QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online. Access a variety of reliable accounting tools, automations, and reports for a clear view of exactly what you need. STRATAFOLIO also includes A.I. tools for additional support.
AppFolio
AppFolio does not integrate with QuickBooks and is designed for accounting and management to happen in one centralized location. However, limited features may require users to purchase additional, unconnected tools to successfully grow their business. Reports and information views offer limited viewing and customization options. This means it may be difficult to get a complete understanding of financial data on a timely basis. Unlocking AppFolio’s full feature set requires paying extra fees for each tool or module beyond the basic package.
Customer Support
STRATAFOLIO
The platform offers full-service onboarding and training to prepare your team for success as efficiently as possible. This is a valuable service that often results in the identification of lost income opportunities. Support is readily available via phone, email, and AI from a team of accountants, bookkeepers, and QuickBooks Pro advisors for questions about onboarding or general use. The onboarding process is designed with commercial real estate in mind and includes data migration.
Additionally, online blogs and knowledge base articles provide key assistance for processes like CAM reconciliation, lease escalations, and portfolio management.
AppFolio
Offers support for owners, property managers, investors, and tenants via chat, email, or phone. Concerns submitted to online support tickets may require long wait times. Some users have noted that customer support does not have a deep-level understanding of the software.
Does not offer full-service onboarding. Users learn complex software at their own pace.
STRATAFOLIO vs. AppFolio: In Summary
| Category | STRATAFOLIO | AppFolio |
|---|---|---|
| Core Focus | – Commercial real estate portfolios, including retail, office, and medical spaces; multi-year leases. – Businesses with complex portfolio setups, including LLCs and syndicated ownership. – Serves commercial property managers, owners, and investors – Complex commercial leases, such as triple-net (NNN) structures. | – Mainly serves third-party property managers of multifamily residential portfolios. – Accommodates commercial real estate, but focuses on residential assets. – Suited to residential leases for small- to mid-size real estate businesses. – Required minimum of fifty units to purchase. |
| Financial & Accounting Features | – STRATAFOLIO offers a variety of accounting consolidation features. – Automations for lease management, loan management, and 1-click common area maintenance (CAM) reconciliation. – Complete two-way integration with both QuickBooks Desktop and Online allows real-time data syncing. – Supports use of multiple QuickBooks accounts. | – Hosts its own accounting system. – Accounting features are limited and additional features may require separate fees. – Integration with QuickBooks only through third-party apps. – Features include rent payment, late fees, and CAM charges. |
| Lease & Tenant Management | – Automates complex processes like 1-click CAM reconciliation. – Calculates pro-rata shares and assists with lease escalation management. – Sends automatic notifications for key dates like lease expirations – Tracks tenant details like certificates of insurance (COIs). – A tenant portal provides rent collection, low ACH fees, and maintenance request tracking. | – Tenant portal for rent payments, maintenance requests, and communications. – ACH payments supported with a high fee. – Focuses on residential leases, does not track all commercial lease information. |
| Reporting Tools | – Detailed tracking of metrics including property performance, occupancy, expenses, rent roll, and lease details. – View portfolio information broadly or in detail. – Unlimited personalized reports for internal use or investors. | – Tracking and reporting for day-to-day property management activities. – Metrics focus on residential needs. – No portfolio-wide view. – Limited customization options. |
| Integration & Customization | – Full, two-way integration with both QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online. – Variety of reliable accounting tools, automations, and reports. – A.I. tools for additional support. | Does not integrate with QuickBooks; designed for centralized management and accounting. – Reports and information views offer limited viewing and customization options. – Fees required for more advanced features and modules. |
| Customer Support | – Offers full-service onboarding and training. – Support is readily available via phone, email, and AI from a team of accountants, bookkeepers, and QuickBooks Pro advisors. – The onboarding process includes data migration. – Online blogs and knowledge base articles provide key assistance for processes like CAM reconciliation, lease escalations, and portfolio management. | – Support for owners, property managers, investors, and tenants via chat, email, or phone. – Some users have noted that customer support does not have a deep-level understanding of the software. – Does not offer full-service onboarding. |
Why STRATAFOLIO Could Be the Property Management Solution For You
When choosing a new property management software, having as much information as possible is necessary; comparing STRATAFOLIO vs. AppFolio is just the first step. When you know what each software provides, you can make a smart pick to serve your business needs. STRATAFOLIO is here to help guide you in that process. For more information on what STRATAFOLIO can do for your commercial real estate business, schedule a free 1:1 demo today.
