Best Buildium alternative for property management

Introduction

The market offers numerous solutions, but two platforms stand out for different reasons: Buildium, an established all-in-one platform, and Hausing, a specialized solution built by industry insiders focusing on commercial property operations and advanced analytics.

This comparison examines both platforms' features, pricing, and suitability for different property management scenarios, helping you determine which solution best fits your operational needs and growth plans.

Buildium strengths and weaknesses

Buildium strenghts

Buildium brings together key property management functions—accounting, leasing, maintenance, communication, and marketing—into one unified platform. This helps reduce the need for multiple tools and simplifies internal workflows.

It’s also designed to scale, supporting property managers as their portfolios grow—from a few units to thousands. Its built-in financial tools are tailored for property management, with features like rent collection, reporting, and tax support included by default.

For those looking for a broad, all-in-one system with strong accounting and operational tools, Buildium offers a solid option.

Where Buildium Falls Short

Buildium is not suitable for those operating outside of the U.S. or managing smaller portfolios. Customers have also noted that it’s not the best choice for commercial property management.

One common concern is cost complexity. Although the Essential plan starts at $58/month, additional charges can add up quickly. For example, Buildium charges transaction fees for EFT payments and E-lease fees. Users have also noted frequent price increases, which can make long-term budgeting difficult.

Buildium’s large feature set also introduces a steep learning curve. New users can find the system overwhelming at first, especially if they’re switching from simpler tools like spreadsheets or lighter platforms. Unlocking its full potential takes time—both in terms of setup and in learning how to streamline day-to-day workflows.

• Initial setup can be time-consuming
• Some features are hard to find or underutilized due to interface complexity
• It may take weeks to optimize workflows and fully onboard a team

Overall, while Buildium offers impressive depth, its pricing model and complexity may pose challenges—especially for users who prioritize simplicity, speed, and transparent costs.

Who is Buildium best suited for?

Buildium attracts property managers who prioritize comprehensive functionality over specialized features. The platform serves as the ideal choice for operations that need a single solution capable of handling diverse property management challenges.

Large Property Management Companies. Organizations managing diverse portfolios find Buildium valuable because of its ability to standardize operations across varied property types and market segments. Also property managers planning aggressive expansion strategies value knowing their software is suitable for larger amounts of units.

Full-Service Property Management Operations. Companies offering comprehensive services to property owners find the all-in-one approach essential for maintaining service quality. The platform supports end-to-end service delivery from marketing and leasing to maintenance coordination, financial management, and owner reporting.

Introducing Hausing, the Alternative

The property management software landscape has long been dominated by wide-ranging platforms that attempt to serve every possible use case. Hausing is a European-built property management tool, created by property professionals. It’s designed to simplify day-to-day operations—especially for small to mid-sized portfolios.

Hausing focuses on the core functions that property managers use:

• Ongoing and preventive maintenance tracking,
  
• Rent and utility invoicing,
  
• Lease and document digital storage and archive,
  
• Cost sharing with tenants,
  
• Communication via secured links or separate tenant portal.
  

Its clean interface is built to be intuitive and doesn’t assume you have an in-house IT team to get started.

Hausing is designed specifically for commercial property operations rather than adapted from residential focus. It has a clean interface to be intuitive and usable for everyone – business owners, property managers, tenants and accountants.

The platform's commercial focus reflects market realities that general-purpose software often overlooks:

• Complex lease structures - Handles sophisticated commercial lease arrangements and renewal processes naturally
• Utility sharing - Manages intricate utility sharing arrangements and cost allocation automatically
• Specialized maintenance - Addresses commercial property maintenance requirements and contractor coordination
• Financial reporting sophistication - Provides commercial-specific financial reporting and analytics capabilities

Hausing strengths and weaknesses

Where Hausing excels

Hausing's specialized approach creates exceptional capabilities in areas most critical to commercial property management success.

Great Maintenance and Work Order Management. Hausing's maintenance capabilities earn recognition as the "best preventive maintenance tool" from industry professionals with experience across multiple platforms:

• Dual maintenance approach - Seamlessly integrates reactive work orders (emergency repairs like leaking pipes) with proactive preventive maintenance scheduling
• Three-way communication excellence - Creates genuine collaboration between property managers, clients, and contractors through integrated messaging
• Zero forgotten issues - Users consistently report achieving complete maintenance oversight with no missed tasks
• Contractor accountability - Task delegation system ensures responsibility and follow-through throughout maintenance workflows

“Best PM tool I have used in my property manager experience,” explained Juris from Colliers.

Automated Lease Tracking. The system tracks lease terms, renewals, and changes automatically. You’ll get timely reminders, never miss a deadline, and can manage contract updates without manual follow-up. Everything stays organized and up to date with minimal effort.

Real-Time Portfolio Insights. Hausing gives you a clear overview of your portfolio—income, occupancy, and utility usage in real time. It highlights cost-saving opportunities and supports smarter planning with performance comparisons and data-driven insights.

“It's simple to use, easy to learn and keeps our data up to date in real-time. Thanks to Hausing we save time and money and it helps us to be much more efficient,” said Hausing long-time user Merle, from Palm Grupp.

Smart Utility Cost Management. Hausing automates utility cost distribution based on property details and tenant usage, making billing accurate and effortless. It handles complex sharing between tenants and eliminates errors common in spreadsheets. Both tenants and owners get clear, transparent breakdowns every month.

What Hausing isn’t built for

Hausing is primarily designed for commercial real estate. This means that it may not yet meet the needs of residential portfolio managers looking for features tailored to apartment or rental housing at scale, like tenant screening or residentital-specific payment optimization.

The platform also isn’t built for managing very large or multinational portfolios—its strength lies in simplicity and focus, not enterprise-level customization or complex internal roles.

Hausing is designed for small to medium-sized property management companies that value clarity and speed over feature complexity. If you're managing a large, multi-national portfolio, a platform like Buildium may be a better fit, as Hausing intentionally keeps things simple and focused rather than scaling into enterprise-level complexity.

Who is Hausing best suited for?

Hausing is designed for commercial property managers who want a focused, reliable tool without the clutter of overbuilt systems. It works especially well for those managing office buildings, retail spaces, or mixed-use developments—where complex lease terms, shared utilities, and ongoing maintenance are part of daily operations.

For teams still relying on Excel, Hausing is a practical upgrade. It preserves the simplicity of spreadsheets while eliminating common issues like manual calculation errors, outdated versions, and scattered communication. You gain automation, centralised documentation, and real-time collaboration—without losing control.

To see how others have made the switch from Excel to Hausing, visit  Hausing’s website to read customer case studies.

Hausing is also a good fit for cost-conscious operations. With a starting price of €39/month, it delivers professional-grade functionality with fast setup and no unnecessary extras.

Meanwhile, portfolios with high maintenance demands benefit from Hausing’s structured approach:

• Preventive maintenance scheduling keeps operations smooth,
• Work orders are easy to assign, track, and complete,
• Built-in tools simplify communication with contractors.

Curious to see how it fits your workflow? Explore Hausing for free or book a short demo to see how it works with your current portfolio.

Key differences at a glance