Propty vs TownSq: Best Software for Self-Managed California HOAs

Choosing between Propty and TownSq for your California HOA? Both platforms offer community management tools, but they take very different approaches — especially when it comes to California compliance and self-managed associations. Here's an honest, side-by-side comparison to help your board decide.

Quick Comparison: Propty vs TownSq

What California HOAs Actually Need

Before comparing features, it helps to understand what makes California different. Your board is legally required to comply with the Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act, which dictates how you run meetings, distribute budgets, conduct elections, and store records.

On top of that, AB 2159 now allows electronic voting for HOA elections — but only if the platform meets specific requirements: anonymous ballots, audit trails, and inspector of elections oversight. And if you manage condominiums, SB 326 requires balcony inspections on a specific timeline.

The question isn't just "which software has more features?" — it's "which software understands California law?"

Propty: Built for California HOA Boards

Propty is the only HOA management platform designed specifically for California associations. Every feature — from elections to budget disclosures — is built with Davis-Stirling compliance in mind.

What Propty Does Well

• AB 2159-compliant electronic voting with anonymous ballots, real-time audit trails, and inspector of elections support — no add-on fees, no per-event charges
• Live quorum tracking that calculates participation based on actual ownership shares, so you know the moment you hit quorum
• Davis-Stirling compliance workflows for budget disclosures, meeting notices, and record-keeping obligations under Civil Code §5300–5320
• Maintenance request management with a centralized inbox, history tracking, and team assignment
• Multi-channel notices via SMS, email, and push notifications with delivery confirmation
• Document storage for budgets, bylaws, meeting minutes, and contracts
• Amenity bookings with automated rules and conflict prevention
• Team management with customizable roles and permissions

Where Propty Stands Out

For self-managed California HOAs — boards run entirely by volunteer homeowners — Propty's compliance-first approach eliminates guesswork. You don't need to figure out whether your election process meets AB 2159. You don't need to manually track quorum with spreadsheets. The software handles it.

The live quorum tracking alone is a game-changer for small boards. Instead of counting proxies by hand during a meeting, you see real-time participation numbers based on ownership percentages. Meetings start on time because you instantly know whether you've met the threshold.

💡 Tip: If your board currently runs elections with paper ballots and hand-counts, switching to compliant e-voting can save 20+ hours per election cycle. Read our guide on AB 2159 electronic voting to understand the requirements.

TownSq: Built for Management Companies

TownSq is a nationwide HOA management platform with over 3 million active users. It's designed primarily for professional management companies overseeing multiple communities, though individual HOAs can use it too.

What TownSq Does Well

• Portfolio management via TownSq Business — dashboard views across multiple communities, ideal for management companies
• AI-powered features including suggested replies to resident requests and request interception that triages homeowner questions automatically
• Communication tools including announcements, forums, messages, and a community website builder
• Resident portal and mobile app for homeowners to submit requests, view announcements, and access documents
• Professional services including outsourced bookkeeping, document processing, and print/mail services
• Violation and inspection tracking for architectural reviews and community standards enforcement

TownSq Pricing Breakdown

TownSq uses a tiered model with significant add-on costs:

• Pro: $90/month — announcements, website, requests, tasks
• Advanced: $145/month — adds audit logs, guest access, architectural reviews, TownSq Business
• Enterprise: Custom quote — adds integrated accounting, personalized implementation

Key add-ons (per community, per month unless noted):

• Digital voting: $250 per voting event + $25 setup fee
• Architectural reviews: $20/month
• AI automation: $20/month
• Website builder: $10/month
• Violation tracking: $20/month
• Concierge services: $99/month

Where TownSq Falls Short for California

TownSq is a solid platform for management companies running dozens of communities nationwide. But for self-managed California HOAs, several gaps stand out:

No California-specific compliance. TownSq doesn't include Davis-Stirling workflows, SB 326 tracking, or California-specific budget disclosure tools. Your board still needs to figure out compliance independently.

E-voting is expensive and limited. At $250 per voting event plus a setup fee, electronic voting quickly becomes costly for small associations that hold annual elections plus any special votes. And there's no mention of AB 2159-specific compliance features like anonymous ballot verification or inspector of elections integration.

No live quorum tracking. You'll still need to manually track quorum at meetings — a real pain point for self-managed boards without a property manager handling logistics.

Pricing adds up fast. The base $90/month Pro plan is lean. To get features like violation tracking, architectural reviews, and voting, you're looking at $145/month plus $20–$250 in add-ons per feature. For a small self-managed HOA watching every dollar, this modular pricing can be frustrating.

Head-to-Head: Key Feature Comparison

Electronic Voting

• Propty: AB 2159-compliant e-voting included in every plan. Anonymous ballots, audit trails, inspector of elections support. No per-event fees.
• TownSq: Digital voting available as a $250/event add-on. No documented AB 2159 compliance features.

Winner: Propty. For California HOAs, compliant electronic voting isn't optional — it's a legal requirement if you want to offer e-ballots. Propty includes it; TownSq charges per event without California-specific safeguards.

California Compliance

• Propty: Davis-Stirling compliance built into budget, meeting, and election workflows. SB 326 tracking. California-specific templates and timelines.
• TownSq: Generic compliance tools. No California-specific features.

Winner: Propty. This isn't close. If you're a California HOA, you need a platform that understands your legal obligations.

Communication & Resident Engagement

• Propty: Multi-channel notices (SMS, email, push), document sharing, amenity bookings
• TownSq: Announcements, forums, messages, community website builder, AI-suggested replies

Winner: TownSq. TownSq's communication suite is broader, with forums, a website builder, and AI features that help teams respond faster. For communities that prioritize resident engagement over compliance, TownSq offers more social tools.

Portfolio & Multi-Community Management

• Propty: Designed for individual associations and small management companies
• TownSq: TownSq Business provides portfolio dashboards, cross-community insights, and bulk management tools

Winner: TownSq. If you manage 10+ communities, TownSq's portfolio tools are significantly more mature.

Ease of Use for Volunteer Board Members

• Propty: Simplified workflows designed for non-technical volunteer board members. Compliance guidance built into the interface.
• TownSq: Feature-rich interface designed for professional property managers. Steeper learning curve for volunteers.

Winner: Propty. Self-managed HOAs are run by homeowners with day jobs. Propty's interface assumes you're not a property management professional; TownSq's assumes you are.

Pricing Value for Small HOAs

• Propty: All-inclusive pricing. E-voting, compliance tools, and core features included.
• TownSq: $90–$145/month base plus $20–$250 per add-on. A fully-featured setup for one community can easily exceed $300/month.

Winner: Propty. All-inclusive pricing is friendlier for self-managed HOAs working with tight budgets and no management fee revenue to absorb software costs.

When to Choose TownSq Over Propty

TownSq is the better choice if:

• You're a professional management company overseeing 10+ communities across multiple states
• You want AI-powered communication tools to handle high volumes of resident requests
• You need outsourced professional services (bookkeeping, mail, document processing)
• Your communities are outside California and don't need state-specific compliance
• You prioritize resident social engagement features like forums and community websites

When to Choose Propty Over TownSq

Propty is the better choice if:

• You're a self-managed California HOA run by volunteer board members
• Davis-Stirling compliance is a top priority and you don't want to figure it out yourself
• You need AB 2159-compliant electronic voting without per-event fees
• You want live quorum tracking based on ownership shares
• You prefer all-inclusive pricing without surprise add-on costs
• Your board is non-technical and needs a platform that's simple to learn

The Bottom Line

TownSq is a capable, feature-rich platform built for the professional management company market. It's strong on communication, portfolio management, and AI — but it treats California compliance as someone else's problem.

Propty takes the opposite approach. It's purpose-built for California, with Davis-Stirling compliance, AB 2159 e-voting, and live quorum tracking baked into every workflow. For self-managed HOAs where volunteer board members are doing everything themselves, that compliance-first design isn't a nice-to-have — it's essential.

If you're a California HOA board choosing between the two, the question is simple: Do you want software that understands California law, or software where you have to understand it yourself?

ℹ️ Ready to see the difference? Visit propty.io to explore how Propty handles California HOA compliance out of the box.