Yardi Breeze costs less than AppFolio at every portfolio size. Breeze charges $1 per unit per month with a $100 minimum on an annual agreement and lists no onboarding fee, so 100 units cost about $100 and 500 units about $500. AppFolio Core is reported at about $1.49 per unit with a $298 monthly minimum, a 50 unit minimum and a one time onboarding fee, so it only earns its premium if you use its leasing, automation and resident experience heavily.
AppFolio or Yardi Breeze, the short verdict
- Under 50 units: Yardi Breeze, because AppFolio will not sell you Core below 50 units.
- 50 to 200 units: Breeze by a wide margin on price, about $100 to $200 a month against AppFolio's $298 minimum.
- 200 to 500 units: Breeze is still about a third cheaper per unit. Pay for AppFolio only if its leasing CRM, AI features and owner experience save staff time you can measure.
- Commercial or mixed portfolios: both sell commercial options priced separately from residential, so get a written quote from each.
- Tenants already pay by bank transfer and you do not want a payments module at all: a flat priced system such as Letting can undercut both below 25 units and above 450.
AppFolio vs Yardi Breeze pricing by unit count
Yardi Breeze figures come from yardibreeze.com/pricing, checked September 2026: $1 per unit, $100 minimum, annual agreement, no onboarding, training or support fees. AppFolio does not publish prices, so its column uses widely reported Core pricing of about $1.49 per unit with a $298 minimum. Letting is shown for reference at its published flat bands, billed yearly (the fair match for two annual agreements), with the month to month price in brackets.
| Units | Yardi Breeze | AppFolio Core, reported | Letting, flat, billed yearly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | $100 (minimum) | Not available, 50 unit minimum | Landlord, $29 ($59 monthly) |
| 50 | $100 (minimum) | About $298 (minimum) | Agency, $94 ($189 monthly) |
| 100 | $100 | About $298 (minimum) | Agency, $94 ($189 monthly) |
| 150 | $150 | About $298 (minimum) | Agency, $94 ($189 monthly) |
| 200 | $200 | About $298 | Portfolio, $224 ($449 monthly) |
| 300 | $300 | About $447 | Portfolio, $224 ($449 monthly) |
| 500 | $500 | About $745 | Portfolio, $224 ($449 monthly) |
Over one year at 200 units that is about $2,400 on Breeze against $3,576 on AppFolio Core before its onboarding fee. At 500 units it is $6,000 against about $8,940. The gap is roughly $1,200 a year for every 100 units once you pass 200.
Fees and terms that change the comparison
Subscription price is where most comparisons stop. These are the lines that decide the first year bill.
| Item | Yardi Breeze | AppFolio |
|---|---|---|
| Unit minimum | None, $100 monthly minimum | 50 units on Core |
| Contract | Annual agreement, billed monthly | Annual agreement on quote |
| Onboarding and training | None listed on the pricing page | One time onboarding fee, sized to the portfolio |
| Incoming ACH rent payment | Yardi dropped residential ACH fees in 2024, within payment limits | Fees depend on setup, ask for the schedule |
| Card payments | Processing fee, usually paid by the resident | Processing fee, usually paid by the resident |
| Higher tier | Breeze Premier, $400 monthly minimum | Plus and Max, reported near $3.20 and $5.00 per unit |
| Screening and listings | Included workflows, screening paid per report | Included workflows, screening paid per report |
If your residents pay by ACH, Breeze's zero ACH policy is worth real money. On Buildium Essential, by comparison, 100 incoming ACH payments cost $235 a month. Our Buildium pricing guide has that math at 10 to 150 units.
Is Yardi Breeze or AppFolio better for small property managers?
Yardi Breeze is the better buy for most managers under 200 units. It has no unit minimum, a published price, no listed onboarding fee and free residential ACH, and the interface is simple enough that a two person office is productive in the first week. Its limits show in reporting depth and customization, which is why larger teams move up to Breeze Premier or Voyager.
AppFolio makes sense for a small company only if you plan to pass 200 units within a year and want its leasing automation, resident app and AI assistant now. Paying the $298 minimum early can be cheaper than migrating twice. Our AppFolio alternative page covers what to do if AppFolio turned you down for being under 50 units.
Where each one is stronger
AppFolio's strengths are a polished resident and owner experience, leasing tools that handle high inquiry volume, and automation that takes routine messages and maintenance triage off staff. Mid size companies with dedicated leasing agents get the most from it. The weak spots for smaller operators are the minimums, the sales process and a bill that rises with each tier.
Yardi Breeze's strengths are price, speed of setup and a clean accounting core that grows into the wider Yardi family. Owners, residents and vendors each get a portal. The weak spots are fewer advanced reports, fewer integrations than AppFolio, and a Premier tier that jumps to a $400 minimum when you need its extra features.
Both collect rent online, screen applicants, list vacancies, track maintenance and keep a full general ledger. If vendor bills from plumbers, landscapers and roofers are what slows your month end, neither is an accounts payable tool, and it can pay to automate vendor invoice processing separately before you switch platforms.
When neither AppFolio nor Breeze is the right buy
Both platforms are built around collecting rent inside their own payments module. If your tenants pay by bank transfer, Zelle or check and you mainly need a rent roll, arrears, inspections and owner statements, you are paying for a module you will not use. Letting reads the bank export from any US bank, matches payments to tenants and produces a statement per owner.
- 25 units or fewer: Letting Landlord at $29 per month billed yearly against Breeze's $100 minimum
- 26 to 150 units: Letting Agency at $94 per month billed yearly, under Breeze and far under AppFolio's minimum
- 224 to 500 units: Letting Portfolio at $224 per month billed yearly, below both
Between about 151 and 223 units Breeze has the lower subscription, and so does anyone comparing Breeze with our month to month prices ($59, $189, $449). We say so. See the full comparison on our Yardi Breeze alternative page and the cost at larger sizes on property management software for 500 units.
Switching between AppFolio and Yardi Breeze
Moving from AppFolio to Breeze, or the other way, means exporting tenants, leases, owners and open balances, then rebuilding recurring charges and bank accounts in the new system. Plan the cutover for the first of a month so opening balances are clean, and keep read access to the old system for at least one year end.
- Export tenants, leases, owners and vendors to CSV
- Record every tenant balance and security deposit on the cutover date
- Reconnect bank accounts and payment settings before rent day
- Run one month in parallel if your staff can manage it
FAQ
Is Yardi Breeze cheaper than AppFolio?
Yes, at every size. Yardi Breeze costs $1 per unit per month with a $100 minimum and no listed onboarding fee. AppFolio Core is reported at about $1.49 per unit with a $298 minimum, a 50 unit minimum and an onboarding fee. At 100 units that is about $100 against $298 a month, and at 500 units about $500 against $745.
How much does Yardi Breeze cost per month?
Yardi Breeze costs $1 per unit per month with a $100 monthly minimum on an annual agreement, according to yardibreeze.com/pricing in September 2026. Breeze Premier has a $400 monthly minimum. Yardi lists no onboarding, training or support fees and does not charge residential ACH fees within its payment limits. Card payments carry a processing fee.
What is the minimum number of units for AppFolio?
AppFolio Core requires at least 50 units, with a reported monthly minimum near $298. Managers under 50 units are usually told to come back later or look elsewhere. Yardi Breeze has no unit minimum, only a $100 monthly minimum, and Letting has neither: the Landlord plan is $59 for up to 25 units.
Which is better for 100 units, AppFolio or Yardi Breeze?
For most 100 unit managers Yardi Breeze is the better value, about $100 a month against AppFolio's $298 minimum plus onboarding. AppFolio is worth the premium if you have leasing staff who use its CRM and automation daily. If tenants pay by bank transfer, see property management software for 100 units.
Does Yardi Breeze require a contract?
Yes. Breeze's published price is based on an annual agreement, billed monthly. AppFolio also signs annual agreements. If you want to stay month to month, Letting's plans are billed monthly with no term, or yearly at half the monthly price.