@Kevin Garcia It's difficult to identify the "best" because each platform has it's strengths. Of the platforms you mentioned, Appfolio, Realpage (which now also owns Buildium), and Yardi are big software platforms that have been around a long time. These fall into the mature platform category and are going to be feature complete, but each has a different workflow. That's just scratches the surface though...
Some of the most useful items BiggerPockets members have identified are features that save time so they can spend time working on their next property. These are features like online renter payments, tenant portal (for payments and work orders), help keeping track of work orders, tax reporting features, and accounting functionality. One of the most important steps you can take as either a startup landlord or seasoned one is to use a platform specific to property management as it will elevate your operation and save you tons of time.
The good news is that nearly every software designed for landlords includes these features. The differences between most software is subtle and may be how they bill for their service, support their product, or the process to use those features. In your case with a couple units you are also looking for a platform with an easier entry point (ie.. lower minimums) as some of the platform won't speak with you until you have hundreds of units.
Here's some software options that you commonly see recommended on BiggerPockets.
The more mature platforms that are designed for landlords include Rentec Direct, Buildium, Appfolio, Propertyware, and Rent Manager. These platforms typically have billing policies where you pay a per unit fee per month to the software and you get regular updates and support each month.
There are a number of low-cost platforms available that are able to offer you a lower price and entry by passing along some of the costs to your tenants (payment processing fees, applications, tenant screening, etc). These platforms include RentRedi, Stessa, Avail, Innago, Apartments.com (formerly Cozy), and TenantCloud.
Pretty much every platform mentioned contains the base features you are going to need. The more mature platforms, being around longer, typically have a few more bells and whistles under the hood as well, such as tax planning, cash payments, etc. For you, it probably boils down to which platform's processes, pricing, and support works best. The best way for you to figure this out is visit the platforms and explore their free trial (if offered). Run through some of the features you will need like setting up a property, moving in a tenant, receiving rent payments, and publishing online applications.
Pay attention to which platform feels the best to you as you perform these functions. Each platform does it a bit different and you are going to like some more than others. While trying it out, call their customer service and see how they treat you and how knowledgeable they are on their product. Ask their customer service to walk you through the above options if needed.
It shouldn't take more than a couple hours of research to try out the top platforms and identify which feels the best for you. Those couple hours of research will save you hundreds of hours of time down the line, so it's well worth the effort.
