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QuickBooks has long been the trusted source for in-house property management accounting for property management businesses and landlords.
However, it has its problems: it’s not designed for property management.
As a result, many tasks unique to property management can be arduous or needlessly complex with the system.
So, how does it compare to a comprehensive property management tool like DoorLoop or Buildium?
That’s the purpose of this guide.
Below, we’ll help you figure out which is better for you: DoorLoop vs. Buildium vs. QuickBooks.
Read on to discover which is best for you and your property management needs.
Buildium vs. QuickBooks vs. DoorLoop: Features
To compare each of our accounting software tools, we’ll be looking at four main sets of features:
- Accounting
- Tenant portal and rent collection
- Communications tools
- Maintenance management
We’ll also be breaking down the following:
- Pricing
- Each software's pros and cons
- Non-feature points, such as customer service and ease of use
As we move through each feature set, pricing, and pros and cons, consider what is most important to you.
Also, keep in mind that one of our contenders plays nice with QuickBooks (while one doesn’t).
So, you could consider using them together if you’d prefer not to let go of QuickBooks as your accounting tool of choice.
In fact, let’s start there.
Feature: Accounting Tools
Each of our tools offers a large number of great accounting features, though it’s in accounting that several noticeably pull ahead due to better integrations in particular.
Buildium
Buildium has a decent set of accounting features for property managers and landlords, including the following:
- Automatic rent payments
- Bank reconciliations
- Payment and fee tracking
Does Buildium Integrate with QuickBooks?
Unfortunately, Buildium does not integrate with QuickBooks.
So, if QuickBooks is your preferred accounting tool and you’d like to keep it that way, Buildium likely isn’t the best option for you.
As expected, QuickBooks has the most extensive accounting features for property management companies.
But while it wins in accounting by a landslide, it loses out big time in the realm of property management when compared to dedicated property management software.
DoorLoop's dedicated software features include the following for your property management business:
- Expense and deposit tracking
- Robust reporting
- Invoicing and vendor payments
- Tax tools
DoorLoop
DoorLoop offers an all-in-one suite of property management features, including everything you need for everything from accounting to maintenance management and bank accounts syncing.
One of the most notable points in terms of DoorLoop's accounting features, and what really allows the software to pull ahead of its competition, is that it offers a convenient QuickBooks Online integration—something Buildium doesn’t offer.
With DoorLoop, you don’t have to choose between a great property management tool and your favorite accounting platform; you can get the best of both worlds simultaneously.
Alternatively, if you'd rather keep everything on one platform, DoorLoop’s extensive accounting features allow you to manage all your property accounting from one place.
Features include:
- Robust reporting
- Automatic rent payments
- Bank reconciliations
- Full chart of accounts
- Straightforward bank account syncing with Plaid, which allows you to automatically sync your income and expenses all from within DoorLoop
- Convenient QuickBooks Online integration that can be set up in minutes
Feature: Tenant Portal and Rent Collection
Moving on from accounting, we get to where the dedicated property management software shines: everything else.
It’s no surprise that QuickBooks isn’t built specifically for property management, but that means you’re missing out on a lot of features that can help you streamline, optimize, and maximize your property management efforts.
Still, it remains a great accounting option that can work in tandem with DoorLoop’s easy integration. But more on that later.
Next, let’s talk about tenant portals and rent collection features.
Buildium
Buildium offers a “resident center,” which includes essentially the same features as the standard tenant portal.
Features include:
- Collect rent and other fees online
- Late payment reminders
- Association fees
QuickBooks
QuickBooks doesn’t offer a tenant portal or a way to collect rent payments from tenants, unless you use an integration like NowRenting.
However, doing so doesn’t offer the same benefits as a dedicated property management software, and it comes with no additional benefits of its own.
DoorLoop
DoorLoop offers an easy-to-use tenant portal that allows tenants to do everything from paying their rent to communicating directly with their landlord.
Features include:
- Ability to issue and collect rent and other fees online
- Automatic rent payments
- View payment history
Feature: Communications Tools
Property management software offers invaluable communication tools that simplify tenant communication and simplify property management in general.
Let’s see how each stacks up here.
Buildium
Buildium offers these communication tools:
- In-app maintenance requests
- Bulk email tenants
- Physical letter service with EZMail
QuickBooks
QuickBooks doesn’t offer a way to communicate directly with tenants.
DoorLoop
DoorLoop offers a variety of modern communication tools:
- SMS text messaging
- Direct emailing from within the app
- Maintenance order communication with tenants
Feature: Maintenance Management
Maintenance management is another invaluable feature you get with property management software.
It allows you to funnel maintenance requests into a central location, saving you time and headache.
Buildium
With Buildium, tenants can create maintenance requests. You can communicate together on that request, issue work orders to vendors, and pay them via the platform.
QuickBooks
QuickBooks doesn’t offer maintenance management features.
DoorLoop
DoorLoop offers a complete maintenance management system, including the ability to do the following:
- Create and edit maintenance requests and add attachments
- Communicate with tenants on that order via the app, including the convenient smartphone app
- Assign work to a vendor
- Pay that vendor out when they’re done
- Offer status updates to tenants along the way
Pricing
Now that we’ve compared features, let’s take a look at pricing.
This is where each option really separates from one another, even our two dedicated property management tools.
Let’s see where they stand:
Buildium Pricing
Buildium offers a somewhat unique and contrasting pricing structure. Most property management software like DoorLoop is priced per unit per month, but Buildium is based on tiers of features.
The consequence of that is if you invest in the basic plan, you’ll be missing out on several important features you’d otherwise be getting for the same or lower price with other tools.
Their starter plan comes in at $52 per month, with lots of standard features:
- Most accounting features, including online payments
- Maintenance management
- Tenant portal
However, the problem comes when you realize that several key features are only available with the higher level Growth plan:
- Analytics
- eLeasing
- And live phone support
In addition to that, you’ll need to move all the way to Buildium's $479 Premium plan to get any of these important features:
- Premium support
- Open API
Summary
Buildium starts off affordable but lacks several key features you’d want or expect, like live phone support and eLeasing. It becomes incredibly pricey when you move up to the $166 plan just for those typically standard features.
QuickBooks Pricing
QuickBooks Online has a pretty complex pricing system, but the basic business plans start at $30 per month.
You’ll need to upgrade to their Essentials plan at $60 per month to get certain key features like multiple users and bill pay. There's also a $90 Plus plan that adds invetnory and project profitability tools. Meanwhile, the $200 Advanced plan gives you access to analytics and online training.
Summary
QuickBooks offers affordable pricing. However, when compared to the two dedicated property management tools on this list, it’s important to remember that you’re getting a robust accounting platform with none of the other property management features.
DoorLoop Pricing
DoorLoop offers both the simplest and most affordable pricing of any of the options on this list, especially when you consider apples-for-apples (or features-for-features).
The Starter plan offers the majority of DoorLoop’s features at just $59 per month for up to 20 units.
Moving up to the $119 Pro plan for up to 20 units gives you access to the following:
- Owner portal
- Professional IDX-based website
- Bank reconciliations
The top-level Premium plan for $179 per month and up to 20 units includes these as well:
- API access
- Web portal integration
- Gmail + Microsoft Outlook add-on
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Summary
Especially when you factor in a true feature-to-feature comparison, DoorLoop is the most affordable option on the list.
Buildium vs. QuickBooks vs. DoorLoop: Pros and Cons
With features and pricing covered, let’s dive into the overall picture of each software and look at the pros and cons.
Before we do that, however, keep in mind that these pros and cons are based partly on real user reviews, not just a single opinion, to offer the most unbiased review possible.
Buildium
Buildium has a robust set of features along with a strong knowledge base that makes it easy to get started.
The company's customer service, however, is difficult to get a hold of and can be a pain point for users. In addition, its pricing is the highest of the three options on this list, including DoorLoop and its equally comparable feature set and better customer service.
- Pro: Extensive knowledge base
- Pro: Comprehensive features
- Con: Expensive higher-tier plans compared to other property management tools
- Con: Unresponsive customer service
QuickBooks
QuickBooks is highly affordable and has the best set of accounting features of the options on our list, and for good reason.
It’s a dedicated accounting tool, which means you won’t get any of the great features you’d enjoy from an all-in-one property management software like DoorLoop.
- Pro: Best set of accounting features
- Pro: Long list of integrations
- Con: Non-responsive customer service
- Con: Only handles accounting
DoorLoop
DoorLoop has a lot going for itself.
It not only has the best accounting features of the two property management tools compared, but it also has the most comprehensive feature set in general for property management.
It gets big points for having a QuickBooks integration, so it plays nice with your favorite accounting tool. It also offers great ease of use and incredible customer service.
- Pros: Best accounting features across property management software, QuickBooks integration, amazing ease of use, stellar customer service
- Cons: Lacks community features
In Summary: Who Wins?
All three of our contenders offer a great set of accounting features that makes it easier to manage your property accounting.
QuickBooks offers the most comprehensive accounting features, but that comes at the cost of not offering any of the amazing property management features of DoorLoop or Buildium.
However, with DoorLoop’s super simple QuickBooks integration, you can get the best of both worlds from DoorLoop and QuickBooks together.
Rather keep everything in one software? DoorLoop also offers the most comprehensive set of accounting features of our two dedicated property management software tools on the list.
So, you'll have the following:
- Everything you need for your property accounting, including custom reports and a variety of payment methods (e.g., ACH and credit cards)
- Built-in CRM and tenant portal that allows you to collect rent, offer renters' insurance, and accept applications
- And much more
Schedule a free demo today to see what DoorLoop can do for you.
Want to compare more property management software systems? Download this free whitepaper to get the inside scoop on the most popular picks!
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