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Assessment collection
Monthly, quarterly, or annual assessments with automatic reminders at 7, 14, and 30 days overdue. Payment plans for homeowners in hardship. One reconciled ledger.
Buyer's guide · 2026
HOA management software for self-managed and small HOAs
HOA management software is a platform for homeowners associations, neighborhood associations, and small condo boards to collect assessments, track architectural review requests, log violations, and communicate with homeowners.
Most HOA software is sold to property management companies, not homeowners. This guide is for self-managed HOAs and board members who want their own platform without hiring a management company.
01 · Evaluation criteria
What to look for.
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Architectural review (ARC) workflow
Homeowners submit requests with photos and measurements. Committee reviews online. Approved/denied with an audit trail. No more lost emails.
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Violation tracking
Violation notices with photo evidence, automatic escalation, fine tracking, and hearing scheduling.
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Document library
Bylaws, CC&Rs, minutes, financial statements, insurance certificates. New board members have context on day one.
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Board elections and voting
Digital voting with secure ballots for board elections, bylaw amendments, and budget approvals.
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Pricing that fits self-managed HOAs
Under $150/month for 50 to 500 unit HOAs. Not a per-door management-company price.
02 · Buying questions
Questions you should be asking.
What's the best HOA software for self-managed HOAs?
For self-managed HOAs under 500 units: Covey, HOAStart, TownSq (free tier), AppFolio (if managed). Covey is the considered-design option; TownSq is the cheapest basic option.
How much does HOA software cost for a self-managed HOA?
$50 to $150/month for small HOAs (50 to 300 units). $150 to $400/month for larger self-managed HOAs (300 to 1,000 units).
Can we run elections online?
Yes. Covey and several competitors support digital voting with audit trails for board elections, bylaw amendments, and special assessments.
Does HOA software integrate with QuickBooks?
Yes. Assessment income, dues receivable, and expense categorization all export to QuickBooks Online or Desktop on most modern platforms.
03 · Tools to evaluate
2 platforms, side by side.
Covey
Wild Apricot
Pricing
$59–$999+/mo flat
$66 to $720+/mo
Migration
48h human-led, included
We've built a dedicated Wild Apricot import.
Free trial
Private beta
30-day free trial
Best for
Orgs that want considered design + fast migration
Small-to-mid associations, nonprofits, clubs, and chambers with 50 to 2,000 contacts.
04 · Where Covey fits
We built Covey for this.
Covey is built for organizations in the hoa management software category that want four things at once: a considered interface, transparent pricing, a 48-hour migration, and human support on every plan. If those four things matter to you, Covey is worth a demo. If you need something else (a specific vertical module, an enterprise-scale implementation, a particular integration), we will tell you and point you somewhere that fits.
Considered interface
Legacy membership platforms feel like they were designed in 2008. Covey is built by a small team that treats typography, spacing, and the quiet details as the product.
48-hour human migration
A real human pulls your members, levels, events, payment history, email templates, and posts from your existing platform. You're live on Covey inside 48 hours, not six weeks.
100% human support, every plan
No support tiers, no ticket queues that take four business days. Every plan includes a real person answering your questions, often the same person who wrote the feature.
Pricing you can read
One page, plain numbers, no 'contact sales.' The price you see is the price you pay. Migration is included, onboarding is included, support is included.
Ready when you are
Shopping hoa management software? Start your Covey evaluation.
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