How Buildium prices
Buildium's Essential/Growth/Premium tiers are flat-rate and the starting price for each is published on their site — you're not billed per unit until your portfolio crosses roughly 5,000 units, at which point it moves to a custom quote.
At a glance
| Direct PMS | Buildium | |
|---|---|---|
| Flat tiers don't flex past one business line | Pay per module — a portfolio running leasing and short-term stays pays for both, not a flat tier plus a second tool bolted on. | Buildium's Essential/Growth/Premium tiers are flat-rate for the rent roll alone; short-term income, resales and caretaking aren't part of any tier. |
| One calendar refuses the double-booking bug | A lease and a nightly booking read and write the same calendar record — the conflict is refused at creation, not caught later. | Buildium's calendar is a lease calendar; nightly stays need a channel manager alongside it, with nothing stopping the two from colliding. |
| The same pricing model past 5,000 units | Per-unit, per-module pricing holds at 40 units or 4,000 — no plan change to negotiate. | Buildium moves to a custom quote once a portfolio crosses roughly 5,000 units — a pricing model change right at your largest accounts. |
| Published pricing | Free to 2 properties, then from $50/month plus a per-property fee. Every figure is on the pricing page. | Buildium's Essential/Growth/Premium tiers are flat-rate and the starting price for each is published on their site — you're not billed per unit until your portfolio crosses roughly 5,000 units, at which point it moves to a custom quote. |
Where Direct PMS is different
Pay per module — a portfolio running leasing and short-term stays pays for both, not a flat tier plus a second tool bolted on.
Buildium's Essential/Growth/Premium tiers are flat-rate for the rent roll alone; short-term income, resales and caretaking aren't part of any tier.
A lease and a nightly booking read and write the same calendar record — the conflict is refused at creation, not caught later.
Buildium's calendar is a lease calendar; nightly stays need a channel manager alongside it, with nothing stopping the two from colliding.
Per-unit, per-module pricing holds at 40 units or 4,000 — no plan change to negotiate.
Buildium moves to a custom quote once a portfolio crosses roughly 5,000 units — a pricing model change right at your largest accounts.
The honest objection
"Buildium's flat pricing is simpler than paying per unit."
It is, for a single business line. The moment that portfolio also has vacant units earning nightly income, a resale in the pipeline, or fit-out work between tenancies, Buildium's flat tier doesn't cover any of it — those go on separate tools, at separate cost, with nothing reconciled between them.
Switching from Buildium
Your Buildium tenant, lease and unit export maps directly into Direct PMS's registry — we do that mapping for you rather than handing you a CSV template and a deadline.
What you get that Buildium doesn't cover
Direct PMS runs every business line on one registry — you only subscribe to the modules you use.
Tenancy onboarding that blocks the calendar, monthly invoicing, a Paid/Arrear/Due cell per tenancy per month, deposits posted to the ledger and refunded on move-out.
Maintenance work orders with SLAs, move-out inspections, building staff and assets.
A vacant furnished unit is one flag away from nightly income on your own booking site — and tenancy onboarding automatically refuses if bookings conflict.
Dispositions and owner resales through your own pipeline.
Turn-key furnishing between tenancies, quoted and invoiced.