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CommonBoard vs PayHOA
PayHOA is a popular tool for self-managed associations. Both products handle dues, payments, books and a website. The biggest difference is where owners' money goes first, and how much the board can see.
Side by side
Facts about other products are from their own sites, checked on the date shown under Sources.
Price for a small association
- CommonBoard
- $39.00 a month for 24 units (sample price)
- PayHOA
- $49 a month billed yearly ($54 monthly) for 1 to 25 unitssource
Free trial
- CommonBoard
- 30 days of the Board plan, no card
- PayHOA
- 30 days, no cardsource
Free plan
- CommonBoard
- Yes: website, announcements, documents and the rules assistant, up to 50 units
- PayHOA
- —
AI
- CommonBoard
- Included: rules answers that quote your documents, letter and minutes drafts, bank matching. A board member approves everything.
- PayHOA
- Gable AI assistant: free for 3 months, then an extra $24.50 a month and upsource
Online payment fees
- CommonBoard
- The board chooses who pays. Owners see any fee before they pay.
- PayHOA
- $2.45 per bank transfer; 3.5% + $0.50 per card. The association can pass fees to owners.source
Where owner payments go
- CommonBoard
- Straight to your association's own bank, through its own Stripe account. We never hold it.
- PayHOA
- First into a PayHOA Treasury account powered by Stripe; the board then moves it to its banksource
Books and bank
- CommonBoard
- Double-entry books, bank feeds and reconciliation, board reports, CPA package
- PayHOA
- Bank syncing, bank reconciliation, custom chart of accountssource
Theft protection
- CommonBoard
- Two approvals for big payments, monthly bank report straight from the bank, alerts to two board members
- PayHOA
- —
State rules
- CommonBoard
- Wisconsin and Illinois rules built in, with the law cited
- PayHOA
- —
Website
- CommonBoard
- Public website and owner portal included
- PayHOA
- HOA website with hosting includedsource
A dash means we couldn't confirm it on the vendor's own site, so we left it out.
Sources
- PayHOA starts at $49 a month billed yearly ($54 billed monthly) for 1 to 25 units. HOA Software Pricing: Plans From $49/mo | PayHOA, checked November 1, 2026.
- PayHOA offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card needed. HOA Software Pricing: Plans From $49/mo | PayHOA, checked November 1, 2026.
- PayHOA's Gable AI is on by default, free for 3 months, then an extra $24.50 a month and up. HOA Software Pricing: Plans From $49/mo | PayHOA, checked November 1, 2026.
- PayHOA charges 3.5% plus $0.50 per card payment. HOA Software Pricing: Plans From $49/mo | PayHOA, checked November 1, 2026.
- Owner payments to PayHOA first land in a PayHOA Treasury account powered by Stripe, not directly in the association's bank. HOA Software Pricing: Plans From $49/mo | PayHOA, checked November 1, 2026.
- PayHOA includes bank syncing, bank reconciliation, and a custom chart of accounts. HOA Software Pricing: Plans From $49/mo | PayHOA, checked November 1, 2026.
- PayHOA includes an HOA website with hosting. HOA Software Pricing: Plans From $49/mo | PayHOA, checked November 1, 2026.
Which one fits you
Pick CommonBoard if
- You want owner payments to land in your association's own bank account, not an intermediate account.
- You want no single board member able to move money alone.
- You're in Wisconsin or Illinois and want the state's rules built in.
PayHOA may fit better if
- You're happy with how payments land today and don't need separation-of-duties controls.
- You're outside Wisconsin and Illinois and want a tool that's been around longer.
Switching? CommonBoard imports your PayHOA export and checks every owner and bank balance to the penny before anything posts. You can also run both side by side for up to 60 days in shadow mode. See pricing