Yardi vs. Buildium vs. Revela: Which is Better for Property Managers?

Quick Summary 

This article compares Yardi, Buildium, and Revela to help you choose the best property management software for your portfolio. We'll examine their features, scalability, and pricing to determine which platform best handles accounting, maintenance, and tenant management for different business sizes.

Choosing Property Management Software That Scales

Property managers need software that handles accounting, leasing, and maintenance without creating operational bottlenecks. But choosing between established platforms like Yardi and newer solutions like Buildium requires understanding how each serves different business needs.

Yardi offers enterprise-level functionality with deep customization options but comes with complexity and higher costs. Buildium provides a user-friendly interface that appeals to smaller teams but may lack advanced features for growing portfolios.

The key is finding software that matches your current needs while supporting future growth. This guide compares Yardi, Buildium, and Revela across essential features to help you make the right choice.

Why Listen to Us?

For over a decade, we've worked with real estate teams across various portfolio types and identified a common challenge: inefficient, duplicative financial processes. 

There are gaps between transactions and reporting where data is just waiting to be manually transferred between systems. The result:

• Complex third-party integrations
• Delayed reconciliations
• Inaccurate financial insight

We've found that the best property management accounting solutions bridge this gap with built-in solutions to invoicing, payments, and even financing. Our mission here is to guide you to them. 

Yardi vs. Buildium: Key Differences

Founded in 1984, Yardi is one of the oldest names in property management solutions. Meanwhile, Buildium was launched in 2004 and has become well-known for its user-friendly platform designed for smaller operators.

Both platforms help property managers lease vacancies, track finances, and coordinate maintenance. However, they serve different market segments with distinct approaches to functionality and complexity.

Here's how they compare:

Use Cases

Yardi offers advanced features that appeal to teams with complex, large-scale portfolios requiring extensive customization. Meanwhile, Buildium provides a more straightforward solution popular with small to mid-sized property managers and self-managing landlords.

User Interface

Buildium features a clean, intuitive dashboard that requires minimal training for new users. Yardi's interface is more comprehensive but has a steeper learning curve, especially for the Voyager platform.

Accounting Features

Yardi offers GAAP-compliant accounting with advanced budgeting, forecasting, and detailed reporting capabilities for complex financial management. Buildium provides essential accounting tools including rent ledgers, expense tracking, and owner statements with automated reconciliation.

Scalability

Buildium works well for smaller portfolios but lacks extensive customization features that larger operations need. Yardi supports and scales alongside enterprise portfolios of any size with modular add-ons.

Customer Support

Yardi offers comprehensive assistance with premium subscriptions, including dedicated account management for enterprise clients. Buildium provides responsive customer service with accessible support for all plan levels.

Integration Approach

Buildium integrates with third-party tools for leasing, inspections, document signing, and listing platforms. Yardi offers more built-in features but requires complex setup for external modules and integrations.

What is Yardi?

Yardi is a comprehensive property management software solution that offers two main platforms: Yardi Voyager for enterprise portfolios and Yardi Breeze for smaller operations. Both provide accounting, maintenance management, and leasing tools for residential and commercial properties.

Yardi Voyager delivers sophisticated functionality with deep customization options that support large, complex real estate portfolios. Yardi Breeze offers a more streamlined approach with an intuitive interface designed for smaller property management teams who need essential features without technical complexity.

Key Features

• Rent Tracking: Monitors rent across multi-unit properties, applies late fees automatically, sends tenant notices, and generates comprehensive payment reports

• Lease Management: Creates lease documents digitally, stores tenant data securely, and organizes agreements, inspection forms, and related documentation in one system

• Mobile Access: Enables property management tasks on mobile devices, allowing managers to handle operations, approve work orders, and access reports remotely

• Financial Management: Processes invoices efficiently, automates vendor payments, and provides GAAP-compliant accounting with budgeting and forecasting capabilities

• Online Payments: Facilitates rent collection through ACH transfers and credit card processing with automated posting to tenant accounts

• Maintenance Coordination: Manages work orders from creation to completion, coordinates vendor scheduling, and tracks asset performance across properties

Pricing

• Yardi Breeze starts at $1 per unit monthly with a $100 minimum for residential portfolios. 
• Breeze Premier (for mid-sized operators) starts at $2 per unit, with a minimum of $400.
• Yardi Voyager offers custom pricing, depending on portfolio size and the modules you choose

Pros 

• Competitive pricing structure for Yardi Breeze makes it accessible to smaller teams
• Comprehensive maintenance management tools streamline vendor coordination and work order tracking
• Advanced financial reporting and customization options support complex accounting requirements
• Highly scalable platform accommodates portfolios from dozens to thousands of units

Cons 

• Expensive add-on modules can significantly increase total cost of ownership
• Limited automation in reconciliation processes requires manual oversight and intervention
• Yardi Voyager's complexity creates a steep learning curve that may slow team adoption
• Dated user interface feels less intuitive compared to modern property management platforms

What is Buildium?

Source

Buildium is a property management platform designed for streamlining leases, tenant information, and accounting operations. It offers a clean, simple dashboard that centralizes key tasks including rent collection and maintenance management.

Users describe its navigation as intuitive and especially suitable for small to mid-sized operators managing residential portfolios. The platform focuses on simplifying daily property management tasks without overwhelming users with complex features.

Key Features

• Rent Tracking: Monitors payments and late fees across properties in real-time with automated reminders to reduce collection delays
• Maintenance Management: Assigns and monitors work orders with built-in vendor coordination and tenant communication throughout the repair process
• Transaction History: Tracks payment records and audit logs in real-time with exportable reports for accounting and owner statements
• Online Payments (ePay): Allows tenants to pay rent via ACH or credit card with automatic posting to their accounts
• Automatic Bank Reconciliation: Simplifies account balancing and trust accounting compliance with minimal manual intervention required
• Automated Disbursement: Calculates amounts owed to property owners and vendors, then sets up automatic payments for recurring items

Pricing 

Buildium offers tiered plans based on portfolio size:

The Essential plan starts at $58 per month for up to 20 units and includes core features such as accounting and maintenance. 

Other plans include Growth at $183 per month and Premium at $375 per month. They offer core features alongside added functionality, including unlimited eSignatures, analytics & insights, and Open API access.

Pros

• Easy reconciliation and reporting streamline monthly accounting tasks
• Affordable, user-friendly interface requires minimal training for new team members
• Good fit for smaller portfolios with straightforward operational needs
• Online rental payment software tools integrate seamlessly with tenant workflows
• Responsive mobile app enables management tasks from anywhere
• Integrates with popular listing platforms for efficient vacancy marketing

Cons

• Limited financial services compared to comprehensive property management platforms
• Less automation than enterprise platforms, requiring more manual oversight
• Limited customization options may not meet complex portfolio requirements

Best Alternative to Yardi and Buildium: Revela

Revela is a cloud-native property management solution designed to streamline operations while reducing reliance on third-party tools. Unlike platforms that treat accounting as an add-on, Revela builds financial management into its core functionality.

The platform combines essential property management features with integrated banking and payment processing. This unified approach helps property management companies eliminate workflow gaps and reduce the complexity of managing multiple systems.

Revela works across residential portfolios of all sizes, from single-family rentals to large multifamily properties, with customizable workflows that adapt to different operational needs.

Key Features

• Accurate Trust Accounting: GAAP-compliant trust and general ledger accounting with built-in reporting that meets regulatory standards

• Custom Chart of Accounts: Configure COAs at the property or entity level for consistent portfolios

• Embedded Fintech (banking, lending): Issue and track debit cards for employees and vendors, plus access to in-platform lending

• Online Payments: Handle rent collection, owner disbursements, and vendor payouts without third-party processors

• Automated Reconciliation: Match transactions, flag anomalies, and close books faster with up to 50% less manual work.

• Onboarding and Support: Get personalized training and dedicated customer support for a smooth setup

Pricing

Revela provides custom pricing based on your needs, and you can try out the platform’s features in a free demo before committing.

Pros 

• Intuitive, modern UI
• Live dashboards that centralize financial and operational data
• Finance-first design that eliminates the need for multiple payment gateways
• Integrated point solutions for maintenance and reporting
• Automated recurring charges

 Cons

• Advanced customization features may take some time to set up. 

Comparison Table: Yardi vs. Buildium vs. Revela 

At Revela, our mission is to ensure smooth workflows for managers across any portfolio. When asked about their experience, a satisfied customer shared, “They created an all-in-one system where accounting is communicating to all other tools.”

We understand our users’ needs and have designed a solution that focuses on finance and accounting, cutting manual work in half within 3 months. 

Now, let’s compare Yardi, Buildium, and Revela:

Why Choose Revela?

Revela is a property management platform built to adapt to your business, not the other way round. While other providers box users into rigid systems, we tailor our workflows to improve your operations and internal processes. 

For property managers seeking a finance-first alternative to Yardi or Buildium, Revela is the clear choice. Here’s what you get:

• Reduced Software Costs: Eliminate redundant platforms and integrations to reduce tech spending.
• Time Recovery: Free your staff from repetitive, manual data transfer between systems
• Integrated Banking: Open accounts, send payments, and reconcile transactions on the platform
• Financial Accuracy: Improve your reporting with fewer errors and real-time financial visibility.
• Operational Efficiency: Use integrated solutions that eliminate silos and scale with growing portfolios

Choose the Best Property Management Software with Embedded Finance

Alongside streamlining maintenance operations and stakeholder communications, the best property management accounting software should deliver built-in financial services that improve accuracy, speed, and insight.

While Yardi and Buildium offer a mix of native and third-party options for online rent collection, vendor payments, and owner disbursements, Revela takes it a step further with native banking, providing property management companies with a direct path to growth.

Book a demo to see how Revela prioritizes accounting and finances.