Post Updated on February 26, 2025
In 2025, commercial real estate general partners (GPs) are looking for more than just investor portals and CRM tools. The industry is demanding smarter automation, seamless banking integrations, AI-powered insights, and compatibility with property management software to eliminate manual work. Real estate investment management is no longer just about tracking deals—it’s about streamlining workflows, boosting investor confidence, and increasing operational efficiency.
New trends in software are driving these demands. AI-driven analytics help GPs make better investment decisions, automated capital calls and distributions reduce human error, and integrated banking tools enable real-time cash management. Additionally, integrations with property management platforms have become essential, especially for firms handling multifamily and manufactured housing investments.
With these industry shifts in mind, we’re breaking down three leading platforms—Juniper Square, AppFolio Investment Management, and Covercy—to see which one best meets today’s needs.
Juniper Square
Juniper Square is a top choice for real estate investment firms looking to simplify investor relations and fundraising. Its intuitive interface makes managing investor communications and deal tracking seamless. Pricing varies based on firm size and needs.
Pros:
- Easy-to-use interface that simplifies investor relations
- Strong fundraising tools, including CRM and deal tracking
- Highly rated customer support
Cons:
- Lacks automation features for streamlining workflows
- Pricing can be steep for smaller firms
Best for: Firms focused on investor relations and fundraising.
AppFolio Investment Management
AppFolio Investment Management offers a robust, all-in-one platform for firms managing both investments and properties. It integrates an investor portal, CRM, and reporting tools in a single system. Pricing depends on portfolio size and the features you enable.
Pros:
- Feature-rich with built-in CRM and investor portal
- Seamless access to investment details anytime
- Excellent customer support
Cons:
- Integration issues with its property management counterpart
- Email system lacks HTML support, limiting communication options
Best for: Firms wanting an all-in-one investment and property management tool.
Covercy
Covercy is an AI-powered investment management platform designed for commercial real estate firms seeking automation and banking integration. It simplifies capital calls, distributions, and investor relations, all while offering seamless Rent Manager compatibility. Pricing is competitive and scales with your portfolio.
Pros:
- The only platform that integrates banking and investment management
- Automates capital calls and distributions—no manual work needed
- AI-driven tools to streamline operations and provide real-time insights
- Top-tier customer support
Cons:
- Some users want better document signing automation
- Data input options could be more flexible
Best for: Firms looking for automation, banking integration, and operational efficiency.
Why Covercy Stands Out
Covercy is the only platform that integrates with Rent Manager, one of the most widely used property management platforms—prolific in office, manufactured housing, and multifamily. If you want a seamless workflow and integrated accounting reports between investment management and property operations, this is a game-changer.
Final Verdict
- If you need a simple, fundraising-focused tool, Juniper Square delivers.
- If you want an all-in-one investment and property management platform, AppFolio is a strong choice.
- If you want automation, banking integration, and seamless Rent Manager compatibility, Covercy is the clear winner.
Ready to simplify your real estate investment management? Request a Covercy demo today.
Original Post Published in March 2024
Juniper Square vs. AppFolio: Commercial real estate professionals are likely familiar with both brands, but which is the better choice for your firm? Perhaps they’d both work for you or perhaps a third solution altogether would be best! In the real estate investment management space, Juniper Square and AppFolio often go head-to-head when courting commercial real estate general partners (GPs) and their investors to purchase & adopt their respective software platforms. Like many software solutions, committing to a platform means a high volume of onboarding effort — uploading documents, importing assets, building deal rooms, adding investor contact information, launching an investor portal, and more — not to mention the software fees themselves, which are often locked in for at least a year and make a software switch difficult and time-consuming.
That’s why we’ve developed this Juniper Square vs. AppFolio comparison guide. Just like you would do before investing in a new real estate deal, take your time to conduct thorough due diligence when it comes to selecting the right investment management platform for your firm. First, let’s take a look at user reviews for each platform.
Note: Covercy is the first commercial real estate platform to offer GPs a forever-free version for the first 3 assets, plus a 14-day free trial to test out the richer platform features — like distribution waterfalls, InvestNow, and FDIC-insured checking accounts. Try Covercy free today.
Juniper Square Reviews
Juniper Square is a well-known market leader in the investment management category. There are several reputable software review sites, like Capterra, G2, and Software Advice, that curate Juniper Square reviews & make it easy for buyers to compare Juniper Square to other investment management software competitors and alternatives. You could visit these websites to check for recent reviews of Juniper Square. As of this writing, Juniper Square holds strong rating averages across the board:
Capterra: 4.9/5 (61 reviews)
G2: 4.8/5 (84 reviews)
AppFolio Reviews
AppFolio, like Juniper Square, is a category leader in investment management. One key difference between AppFolio and Juniper Square that muddies the waters a bit when it comes to comparing the two is that AppFolio is perhaps better known for its property management software. AppFolio Property Manager is not the same as AppFolio Investment Manager, and buyers would be wise to make sure they are researching the correct platform before making any decisions here.
That being said, AppFolio Investment Manager scores slightly lower than Juniper Square on the two major software review sites we checked:
Capterra: 4.7/5 (100 reviews)
G2: 4.6/5 (105 reviews)
Remember, it’s important to consider multiple reviews to get a balanced perspective, and to keep in mind that the needs of your organization may differ from those of the reviewers. Here are some general factors you might want to consider when reading reviews:
- Usability: How intuitive is the software? Is it easy to navigate and learn? What is the learning curve like?
- Functionality: Does the software provide all the necessary features? How well do these features meet the reviewers’ needs?
- Customer Support: Is the company responsive and helpful when users have problems?
- Value for Money: Do reviewers feel they’re getting their money’s worth? Remember, the cheapest option isn’t always the best value if it doesn’t meet your needs.
- Integration: How well does the software integrate with other tools you already use?
- Customizability: Can you customize the tool to suit your specific needs?
Juniper Square vs. AppFolio: Strengths & Weaknesses
Juniper Square and AppFolio Investment Management are both leading investment management software solutions, but they have some key differences.
Juniper Square is known for its ease of use and its focus on fundraising. It has a number of features that make it easy for investment managers to create and manage fundraising campaigns, including a built-in CRM system, a deal tracking tool, and a customizable website builder. Juniper Square also has a strong focus on investor relations, with features that make it easy to communicate with investors and keep them updated on the progress of their investments.
AppFolio Investment Management is a more comprehensive solution that offers a wider range of features. In addition to fundraising and investor relations, AppFolio Investment Management also includes features for portfolio management, accounting, and compliance. AppFolio Investment Management is a good choice for investment managers who need a single platform to manage all aspects of their business.
| Criteria | Covercy | Juniper Square | AppFolio Investment Management |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Firms that want automation, banking integration, and Rent Manager compatibility. | GPs focused on investor relations and fundraising. | Teams that need a single system for investments and property operations. |
| Standout features | Integrated banking, AI-driven workflows, and automated capital calls and distributions. | Intuitive CRM, deal tracking, and investor relations tooling. | All-in-one portal, CRM, and property management integrations. |
| Limitations | Document signing automation and data import flexibility are still improving. | Limited automation for operations and higher costs for smaller teams. | Property management integrations can be complex; email tools lack HTML support. |
| Pricing approach | Tiered plans with a forever-free option for the first three assets. | Custom pricing based on firm size and needs. | Pricing scales with portfolio size and selected feature modules. |
Which platform is right for you?
The best platform for you will depend on your specific needs and requirements. If you are primarily focused on capital raising and investor relations, then Juniper Square is a good choice. If you need a more comprehensive solution that includes features for portfolio management, accounting, and compliance, or if you need fully integrated property management solutions, then AppFolio Investment Management is probably a better option.
Here are some additional factors to consider when choosing between Juniper Square and AppFolio Investment Management:
- Your budget: Juniper Square is more affordable than AppFolio Investment Management.
- Your team’s size and experience: Juniper Square is easier to use than AppFolio Investment Management, so it may be a better choice for smaller teams or teams with less experience with investment management software.
- Your specific needs: If you have any specific needs or requirements, make sure to check that both platforms offer the features you need.
Try Covercy free
Covercy is the first real estate syndication platform where banking meets investment management. Save time with our automated distribution & capital call payment processing, gain your LPs’ trust with our intuitive Investor Portal, and generate interest from capital funds held in your Covercy Wallet – all in one platform.
Covercy will either provide an import tool to load your real estate assets and investors or load them for you.
Bonus: Covercy is the only investment management platform on the market that offers GPs a forever-free version of the tool. If you need a more powerful version, Covercy also provides a 14-day free trial for the Pro and Standard platform tiers.
Ready to get started? Request a Covercy demo today.