Stessa vs. Buildium: A Software Comparison for Landlords

Property management software is a game-changer for landlords. It saves time by keeping all the property and financial information in one place and money by eliminating the need to hire a property management company.

The question is: Which software is right for you?

With many options on the market (and varying features and benefits), it can take a lot of work to narrow things down. Today, we’ll give you a few hours back in your day by covering the differences between Stessa vs. Buildium.

As a bonus, we’ll also discuss how TurboTenant compares. We hope this will help you determine what features are most important to you and which software is the right fit.

Key Insights

• Stessa and Buildium offer similar features, including online rent collection, accounting, and lease tracking. Both platforms, like many other types of landlord software, aim to make property management easy for landlords, property managers, and real estate investors.
• Both types of software are known for being easy to use. However, when comparing Stessa vs. Buildium, some notable differences emerge. Stessa does not offer maintenance requests or communication tools, while Buildium only offers paid plans, though a free trial is available.
• Stessa and Buildium offer mobile apps for your convenience.
• TurboTenant is another highly rated property management software that provides all the essential features, including financial reporting and communication tools. We also go the extra mile by providing scheduled showings and move-in/move-out reports to help streamline the rental process from beginning to end.

Introduction to Stessa

Stessa started with a simple idea of helping two business owners better manage their real estate investments. Over time, they found this tool could be helpful to others, so they brought it to the market, aiming to demystify reporting, making property management easier by adding a degree of automation and showing landlords how to increase the value of their investments.

Stessa’s features include:

• Accounting
• Leasing
• Tenant Screening
• Landlord Banking
• Rent Collection

Introduction to Buildium

Buildium was created in 2004 with the goal of taking the headache out of property management. They’ve made progress over the years, receiving various awards and helping landlords manage properties with greater ease.

Buildium’s features include, but are not limited to:

• Property Accounting
• Online Rent Collection
• Maintenance Requests
• Rental Listing Syndications
• Online Leasing
• Renters and Property Insurance

In-Depth Comparison: Stessa vs. Buildium

Let’s review Stessa and Buildium’s various features to aid your decision-making process.

User Interface and Experience

According to reviews, both platforms offer a good user experience, meaning they’re easy to navigate. Each platform also has customer support to expedite problem resolution.

One thing mentioned in Buildium reviews is that the platform offers videos to guide users through various tasks, making navigating easier.

Tenant and Lease Tracking

Stessa tracks your leases and tenants on a Leases & Tenants page — no surprise. From this page, you can upload critical information from rental agreements, making it simple to streamline units and tenants so that you always know what’s happening with your rental properties.

Like Stessa, Buildium also has a tenant and lease tracking feature. You can also customize events to keep tabs on different events happening with the property, including when a lease is renewed or converted into a month-to-month agreement.

Maintenance and Repair Management

There is currently no maintenance management or tracking service in Stessa. Buildium, on the other hand, allows you to submit a work order for maintenance. You can also upload pictures and videos if needed and receive notifications on your devices when maintenance has been completed and for other important updates.

Buildium also has a Maintenance Contact Center, which handles maintenance requests over the phone for your convenience.

Communication Tools

There are currently no communication tools in Stessa. However, Buildium has a Resident Center, similar to a tenant portal, where you can talk directly to tenants.

Renters can also log in to this portal to perform basic tasks, such as paying rent or inputting a maintenance work order.

Financial Management and Reporting

Both Stessa and Buildium have financial management tools that show how your properties are doing. They can also connect to many banks, helping you streamline payments and expenses.

Reviews highlight Stessa as one of the top rental accounting software solutions for reporting. They state that the software is innovative and designed for investment owners who want to understand their property performance.

Pricing Comparison

Stessa has three pricing tiers: Essentials, Manage, and Pro. The first option is free and lets you add as many products as you want. The Manage plan is $15 per month, and the Pro plan is $35 per month, with discounts if you pay in one lump sum each year.

Buildium offers three plans: Essential, Growth, and Premium. The first plan, Essential, starts at $55 per month for up to 150 units. Growth starts at $174 per month, and Premium starts at $375 monthly. Each plan offers different features. While Buildium pricing varies based on the features you desire, every plan offers a free trial.

Mobile App Availability and Features

Both providers offer mobile apps. Stessa’s mobile features include rental applications, rent collection, and finance automation.

The Buildium app lets you input maintenance orders, access tenant details, check out your properties, and accept payments, among other functionality.

User Reviews: Stessa vs. Buildium

Below are some remarks users made in reviews regarding Stessa vs. Buildium:

Stessa

Pros:

• Quick to respond
• Simple expense tracking
• Easy-to-understand reports
• Geared to streamline tax preparation
• Detailed property performance overviews

Cons:

• Unable to split transactions
• Can be challenging to find your way around
• Cannot customize everything
• Marketing unavailable
• Not connected to all financial institutions

Buildium

Pros: 

• Helpful and responsive phone support staff
• Simple to use
• Lots of data to refer back to
• No minimum property requirement

• Free trial with every plan

Cons:

• Difficult to add late fees
• Confusing reports and labels
• No free plan
• Additional fees for onboarding
• Limited customization

Making the Right Choice: Factors to Consider

When choosing landlord software and figuring out which option is right for you, such as Stessa vs. Buildium, many considerations must be made. Some things to consider are the price, number of units, and customer support.

For example, Stessa property management is more affordable than Buildium when considering the starting Buildium pricing vs. Stessa costs. However, Buildium offers more functionality in some areas. Then there are always customer support considerations and how much you think you’ll need to use it.

Both software solutions have multiple features, benefits for landlords, and helpful tools for renters. Think about what features are most valuable to you as a landlord, and that will simplify your decision about which software would work best to manage your rentals.

Why TurboTenant Stands Out

As mentioned earlier, Stessa and Buildium aren’t your only choices for property management software. Another great option is TurboTenant. Not only are we an affordable property management tool, but we also offer multiple capabilities that benefit landlords and renters.

For instance, we offer services such as:

• Rental Advertising
• Applications
• Background Check for Tenants
• Document Storage
• Lease Management
• Free Online Rent Payments
• Automatic Late Fees, Receipts, and Reminders
• Maintenance Requests
• In-App Messaging
• 7-Days-a-Week Chat and Email Support

Below is a full comparison of Stessa vs. Buildium vs. TurboTenant:

Make property management easier than ever. Try TurboTenant for free today. It’s the perfect solution for DIY landlords who like saving time and money.