Rentec Direct vs Buildium (2026): Pricing and Fees for Landlords With 10–50 Units

For an independent landlord with 10–50 units, Rentec Direct costs less. Its subscription is easier to predict, and its per-transaction fees are lower. Rentec Pro costs $50 a month up to 25 units, then $2 per unit, with 10% off on annual billing.

Buildium starts at $65 a month on Essential, $202 on Growth and $420 on Premium. It doesn't publish how those prices rise with unit count. It's built more for property-management businesses, and its higher plans require a paid onboarding service.

Prices come from each vendor's pricing page, checked October 28, 2026. We haven't tested either product hands-on.

Prices at a glance

What a month costs

Buildium's page doesn't say how many units the $65 "starting at" price covers. It also doesn't say how the price changes as you add units, so we can't fill in its column. Get a quote at your unit count before comparing.

Transaction fees can matter as much as the subscription. Take 20 tenants paying by ACH:

• Rentec Pro: $0, because each active property gets one free incoming ACH a month.
• Buildium Essential: $47 a month (20 × $2.35).
• Buildium Growth: $27 a month (20 × $1.35).

The pricing pages don't say whether these EFT fees can be passed to tenants.

Rentec Direct in brief

• Every edition: property and tenant accounting with Schedule E reports, online rent payments, vacancy advertising and applications, maintenance tracking, mobile inspections and a mobile app
• Starter: 10 properties, 10 tenants, 1 ACH deposit account and 3 users
• Pro: unlimited properties, tenants and users, plus automatic bank sync, QuickBooks sync, 1099 e-filing, a property-management website and a cash payment network (PayNearMe)
• PM: Pro plus trust accounting, an owner portal and owner payouts by ACH

Once you upgrade to Pro or PM, you can't downgrade to Starter. Full details are in our Rentec Direct pricing guide.

Visit Rentec Direct

Buildium in brief

• Essential: all basic accounting, maintenance and leasing features, basic communications, Buildium's AI Assistant, and standard and bulk reporting
• Growth: more customization and reporting automation, enhanced tenant screening, cheaper eSignatures and EFT transactions, and AI-enhanced communications and business analytics
• Premium: free inspections and eSignatures, a free first year of incoming EFT, the full AI and automation suite, and the Open API

Live phone support comes with Growth and Premium. Essential has ticket support and Buildium Academy training.

Add-ons on the pricing page. The 1099, check, showings and insurance prices appeared in our first read on October 28 but not in a second read the same day, so confirm them in your quote:

• Inspections (HappyCo): on Essential, $99 setup plus $40–$95 a month; fees included on Growth (then $0.40 per unit after 3 years) and Premium
• 1099 e-filing: $50 per batch plus $4.50 per form
• Check printing and mailing: $30 setup plus $1.50 per check
• Showings coordinator: from $41 a month, with a $25 setup fee on Essential
• Renters insurance (MSI): offered to residents from $12.00 a month through Buildium's Resident Center
• All Property Management leads: Premium customers get up to $500 in lead credit, after buying their first lead

The pricing page doesn't mention a Schedule E report, so we don't claim one. See Buildium alternatives for other options in this range.

Visit Buildium

Which should you pick?

• Independent landlord, 10–50 units, own properties: Rentec Pro. It has published per-unit pricing, a $50 floor, Schedule E reports, and one free incoming ACH per property each month.
• Managing for other owners: Rentec PM ($2.50 a unit) or Buildium Growth or Premium. Rentec PM includes trust accounting and an owner portal at a published price. Buildium's higher plans add analytics, an Open API (Premium) and live phone support, with required onboarding.
• Fewer than 10 units: Rentec Starter at $25 flat. Or compare free options in landlord software by unit count.
• Want a per-unit platform with AI agents: see Hemlane vs DoorLoop for DoorLoop's new plans.

How we checked

On October 28, 2026, we read:

• Rentec Direct's pricing page, including its calculator settings: Pro $2.00 and PM $2.50 per unit, a $50 minimum and 0.9× for annual billing
• Buildium's pricing page, including plan highlights, the fee comparison table, add-ons and the FAQ

The Rentec totals apply its calculator formula:

• Monthly: the higher of $50 or $2 per unit
• Annual: that amount × 0.9

The ACH example multiplies each vendor's per-transaction fee by 20. Prices change, so confirm before you buy.

FAQ

Is Rentec Direct cheaper than Buildium?

At published prices, yes. Rentec Pro is $50 a month up to 25 units ($45 on annual billing). Buildium's lowest plan starts at $65 a month, and Buildium doesn't publish how that rises with units.

Does Buildium have a free trial?

Yes. It's 14 days with sample data and no credit card, and you can convert to any plan from the trial.

Does Buildium charge an onboarding fee?

Buildium requires its customized onboarding service on Growth and Premium. The pricing page doesn't publish its price.

Which has lower ACH fees?

Rentec Pro and PM include one free incoming ACH per active property each month, then $0.50. Buildium charges $2.35 per incoming EFT on Essential and $1.35 on Growth. Premium is free for 12 months, then $0.60.

Does Rentec Direct have trust accounting?

Yes, on the PM edition ($2.50 per unit, $50 minimum), along with an owner portal and ACH owner payouts.

Related

• All-in-one property management software
• Rentec Direct pricing
• Buildium alternatives
• Hemlane vs DoorLoop
• Buildium pricing