Compare · HOA management software
Fourplex vs PayHOA: which fits your HOA?
Both help self-managed boards collect dues and stay organized. Here is an honest, side-by-side look at pricing, features, and which kind of community each one fits best.
The short answer
Fourplex is the stronger pick for small, self-managed HOAs that also bill water or trash.
PayHOA is an established HOA platform with full accounting and violation workflows. Fourplex is built for self-managed HOAs of all sizes that want dues, water submetering, trash billing, and HOA tools on one login, without adding a separate submetering vendor.
- Price for a 4-unit HOA
- Fourplex $29/mo · PayHOA $54/mo (list, monthly billing, October 2026)
- Water submetering
- Fourplex: built in, +$20/mo for 4 units · PayHOA: integrates with a separate submetering company you pay for too
- Best for
- Fourplex: self-managed HOAs of all sizes · PayHOA: HOAs that want full general-ledger accounting
One autopay for everything
Set up autopay once — it covers dues, trash, and utility billing in one place — no second vendor, no second login.
Lower starting price
$29/mo covers up to 19 homes with every feature. PayHOA lists $54/mo for 0–25 units on monthly billing.
Where PayHOA may fit better
Larger HOAs that want full general-ledger accounting, budgets, and violation tracking today.
Fourplex vs PayHOA at a glance
The features boards ask about most, compared side by side.
| Feature | Fourplex | PayHOA |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price (4 units) | $29/mo — every feature included | $54/mo (0–25 units, monthly billing) |
| Dues collection & autopay | ACH 1.2% ($2.40 on $200 dues) or card | Online payments and autopay; flat $2.45 per ACH payment |
| Water submetering | Read, bill, and collect — +$5 per home/mo | Integrates with legacy submetering companies — you pay for both |
| Trash & shared-bill splits | Included on every plan | Supported |
| Water usage reports | Granular per-unit reporting and water trends | Depends on the separate submetering company |
| Accounting & financial reports | Ledger, bank balances, P&L and balance sheet — not full GL | Full HOA accounting, budgets, and bank reconciliation |
| HOA website & email | Custom HOA website and a permanent HOA email address | Community website tools; messaging from the platform |
| Documents, meetings & voting | Library, agendas, quorum, polls and elections | Document storage and community tools |
| Resident portal | Pay, requests, documents, water usage | Owner portal for payments and community access |
| Bill delivery | Fully paperless — owners pay and view statements online | Online, plus mailed paper dues bills |
PayHOA details from public pricing and product pages, October 2026. Last updated October 19, 2026.
Pricing: what each really costs
Plans, per-transaction fees, and what is included — so you can estimate your real monthly cost.
Fourplex
Our pricing$29per month, up to 19 homes
- Every feature included — no plan tiers
- ACH 1.2% or card 3.5% + $0.50 per payment; your HOA may absorb fees
- Trash splits, website, HOA email, and reports included
- Water submetering add-on: $20/mo for 4 homes ($49 all-in)
PayHOA
$54per month (0–25 units, monthly billing)
- Lower rate when billed annually
- Flat $2.45 fee per ACH payment; percentage-based card fees
- Bookkeeping services available at extra cost
- Submetering through a separate legacy company, billed separately
Example
A 4-unit HOA that bills water: Fourplex $49/mo for the platform plus submetering, vs $154/mo for PayHOA ($54) plus a water-only submetering quote ($100). Without water, it is $29 vs $54. On a $200 dues payment by ACH, Fourplex's 1.2% is $2.40 and PayHOA's flat fee is $2.45.
Dues collection and autopay
How owners pay, how fast you are paid, and what it costs per transaction.
With Fourplex
Autopay set up in minutes
- ACH 1.2% ($2.40 on a $200 payment) or card 3.5% + $0.50
- Your board decides whether the HOA absorbs fees
- Special assessments and one-time fees on the same rails
With PayHOA
Invoicing and online payments
- Recurring and one-time invoices with online pay
- Flat $2.45 fee per ACH payment
- Strong fit when you want full accounting behind every payment
Utilities and shared expenses
Billing water or trash fairly without spreadsheets or a second login.
With Fourplex
Metered per unit, one autopay setup
- Water submetering — read, bill, and collect — for $5 per home
- Trash splits included on every plan
- Owners set up autopay once for dues, trash, and water; residents see granular usage trends
With PayHOA
Submetering through a separate company
- Integrates with legacy submetering companies
- You pay for PayHOA plus the submetering company
- Two logins and two bills for dues plus water
Governance, records, and accounting
Meetings, documents, reports, and what the board runs day to day.
With Fourplex
Everything a small board runs, in one place
- Shared HOA inbox with a permanent address that survives board turnover
- Meetings, voting, ARC, maintenance, and records requests
- P&L, dues collection, reserve, and balance-sheet reports
With PayHOA
Broad management toolkit
- Full general-ledger accounting and budgets
- Violations and message boards
- Better when you need deep accounting exports at scale
Which one is right for you?
Choose Fourplex if…
- You self-manage an HOA of any size
- You bill water or trash and want one autopay setup that covers dues, trash, and utilities
- You want every feature for $29/mo up to 19 homes
- You want a simple interface volunteers can pick up in an afternoon
Choose PayHOA if…
- You need full general-ledger accounting and budgets today
- You rely on violation tracking workflows
- You want paper dues bills mailed to owners
- You do not bill water or other metered utilities
Switching from PayHOA to Fourplex
Most small boards finish migration in a few days with our onboarding help.
01
Export your data
Download owners, units, balances, and documents from PayHOA.
02
Import to Fourplex
We help map units, owners, and opening balances into Fourplex.
03
Turn on autopay
Owners get one invite to enroll for dues — and water if you submeter.
Small HOAs should not need one vendor for dues and another for water. Fourplex puts fair utility billing and board tools on the same resident login.— Fourplex product team
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers to what boards ask before they switch.
Is Fourplex cheaper than PayHOA?
For a 4-unit HOA, Fourplex is $29/mo vs PayHOA's $54/mo list price on monthly billing (checked October 2026). If you also submeter water, Fourplex is $49/mo all-in; PayHOA integrates with submetering companies, but you pay for PayHOA plus a legacy submetering company. ACH fees differ: Fourplex charges 1.2% and PayHOA a flat $2.45. On a $200 dues payment that is $2.40 vs $2.45.
Can I migrate my data from PayHOA?
Yes. Export owners, units, balances, and documents from PayHOA and our onboarding team helps import them. Most self-managed boards are live within a few days.
Does PayHOA offer water submetering?
Not directly. PayHOA integrates with submetering companies, so you pay for PayHOA plus a legacy submetering company. Fourplex includes water submetering — reading meters, billing each unit for its usage, and collecting on autopay — for $5 per home per month.
Does Fourplex have HOA accounting?
Yes. Fourplex tracks every dues payment, shows linked operating and reserve bank balances, and builds P&L, dues collection, reserve, and balance-sheet reports you can export. It is not a full general ledger; PayHOA's accounting is deeper.
Which is better for a self-managed HOA?
For self-managed HOAs that bill water or trash, Fourplex — one login for dues, utilities, website, email, and records. PayHOA is stronger if you need full general-ledger accounting and do not bill utilities.
Run your HOA on one tool, simplified.
Start managing your HOA on Fourplex — plans from $29/month for small, self-managed communities.
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