Aldea HQ vs TownSq
TownSq was built for property management companies running dozens of communities. If you're a volunteer managing your own — an HOA, a condo board, a co-op, or a neighborhood club — you're the other customer. The one paying for tools designed for someone else.
Aldea HQ is built for you: simple tools, integrated dues collection, and pricing that doesn't grow with your member count.
Is Aldea right for your community?
Self-managed HOA or condo board
You're a volunteer giving your time to run your community — the last thing you need is software built for property management professionals. If you're using maybe 20% of TownSq's features but paying for 100% of the plan, Aldea gives you everything you actually reach for: a community handbook, news feed, ticket system, and online dues collection. Starting at $49/mo, no surprises.
Homeschool co-op or neighborhood club
Your community isn't an HOA — and you shouldn't have to pay for one's software. TownSq's design puts HOA enforcement workflows front and center, which means you're navigating around features you'll never use. Aldea works for any organized group: collect annual dues online, post announcements, manage a digital handbook, and keep your member directory in one place.
Paying $200+/mo for features you don't use
If your community is on TownSq Pro or Advanced and your team has never touched violations tracking, architectural reviews, or the AI automation tools — you're paying for someone else's workflow. Aldea covers everything a self-managed community actually needs, at a fraction of the cost. Month-to-month, 14-day free trial, no migration headaches.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Aldea | TownSq |
|---|---|---|
| Community news & announcements | ||
| Digital community handbook | ||
| Support ticket system | Requests only | |
| Member management | ||
| Admin dashboard | ||
| Custom subdomain | ||
| Mobile-friendly web app | ||
| No per-member fees | ||
| Online dues & payment collection | ||
| Full accounting & financial management | Advanced / Add-on (+$20/mo) | |
| AI-powered workflows | Add-on ($20/mo) | |
| Guest authorizations | Advanced plan | |
| Violation tracking | Add-on ($20/mo) |
Community news & announcements
Digital community handbook
Support ticket system
Member management
Admin dashboard
Custom subdomain
Mobile-friendly web app
No per-member fees
Online dues & payment collection
Full accounting & financial management
AI-powered workflows
Guest authorizations
Violation tracking
Pricing last verified: April 2026
Pricing comparison
| Aldea Starter | Aldea Professional | Aldea Business | TownSq Pro | TownSq Advanced | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $49/mo | $99/mo | $199/mo | $90–$270/mo | $145–$435/mo |
| Capacity | Up to 150 members | Up to 500 members | Up to 2,000 members | Varies by unit count | Varies by unit count |
| Pricing model | Flat rate | Flat rate | Flat rate | Per-unit | Per-unit |
| Online payments | ✓ Included | ✓ Included | ✓ Included | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| AI features | — | — | — | Add-on +$20/mo | Add-on +$20/mo |
| Annual discount | Save 2 months | Save 2 months | Save 2 months | 10% off | 10% off |
Aldea HQ
From $49/month
Plans from $49–$199/mo. No per-member fees.
- ✓Starter: up to 150 members ($49/mo)
- ✓Professional: up to 500 members ($99/mo)
- ✓No setup fees, no per-member charges
TownSq
$90–$435+/month
Varies by community size and plan tier.
- •Pro plan: $90–$270/mo (by unit count)
- •Advanced plan: $145–$435/mo (by unit count)
- •Many features are paid add-ons
Pricing last verified: April 2026. Based on publicly available information from townsq.io/pricing.
Why teams switch to Aldea
Simpler tools for self-managed communities
TownSq is built for professional property management companies with accounting, AI workflows, and enterprise features. If you're a volunteer board member managing your own HOA, most of those features go unused. Aldea focuses on what self-managed boards actually need: a handbook, news feed, ticket system, and member directory. Less complexity, faster setup.
Simpler pricing without per-member fees
TownSq's pricing scales with your community size — a 300-unit community pays $90–$145/mo, while a 900+ unit community pays $270–$435/mo on the same features. Aldea uses simple tiered plans starting at $49/month with no per-member charges. You pick a plan based on your member count and know exactly what you'll pay.
A digital handbook your residents will actually use
TownSq offers document management for storing files. Aldea goes further with a structured digital handbook — organized sections for CC&Rs, bylaws, architectural guidelines, and community policies that residents can browse like a website rather than download as PDFs. When residents can find answers themselves, your board spends less time answering the same questions.
No paid add-ons for core features
TownSq charges extra for features like violation tracking ($20/mo), architectural reviews ($20/mo), website builder ($10/mo), and digital voting ($250 per event). With Aldea, every feature in your plan is included — no paid add-ons or surprise charges as your needs evolve.
Aldea Pay: dues collection built in
Chasing dues payments by email is one of the most thankless jobs on a volunteer board. Aldea Pay replaces that entirely — and it's included in every plan at no extra subscription cost. No separate payment platform, no monthly add-on just to collect money your community is already owed.
Send one-time payment requests for dues, special assessments, or events. Set up recurring subscriptions with autopay so members are charged automatically each month or year. Automated reminders go out to overdue members so you don't have to follow up manually. Admins can issue full or partial refunds directly from the dashboard. Aldea Pay supports both USD and CAD.
A transaction fee of 1–1.5% per payment applies on top of standard Stripe processing fees — transparent from day one, no surprises.
Frequently asked questions
Does Aldea work for communities that aren't HOAs?
Absolutely. Aldea was designed for any group that has members and needs a hub — homeowners associations, condo boards, homeschool co-ops, neighborhood clubs, and self-managed organizations of all kinds. The platform is built around communication, a community handbook, and dues collection — not HOA-specific enforcement workflows. If your community has members and a shared purpose, Aldea fits.
Does Aldea have fewer features than TownSq?
It depends on which features matter to you. TownSq is packed with tools built for professional property managers — violation enforcement, architectural review workflows, and portfolio management across dozens of communities. For a management company, that depth makes sense. For a self-managed volunteer board, most of it goes unused while the bill stays the same. Aldea focuses on what self-managed communities actually reach for every week: a community handbook, news feed, support tickets, member directory, and integrated dues collection.
Does Aldea support online payment collection?
Yes — and it’s included in every plan at no extra subscription cost. Your community can collect one-time dues, special assessments, and event fees, or set up recurring subscriptions with autopay. Members pay online by card, admins can issue full or partial refunds, and Aldea Pay supports both USD and CAD. A transaction fee of 1–1.5% per payment applies on top of standard Stripe processing fees — the same transparent model as any modern payment platform.
How does Aldea’s pricing compare to TownSq for a 200-member community?
A 200-unit community on TownSq Pro starts at $90/mo — and that’s before any add-ons. Add violations tracking ($20/mo) and AI automation ($20/mo) and you’re at $130/mo on a plan that still doesn’t include full accounting (that requires Advanced or a $20/mo add-on). A community of 200 members on Aldea Professional pays $99/mo flat, with Aldea Pay, the community handbook, and all features included. For communities that don’t need TownSq’s property management depth, the math tends to favor Aldea.
Are there hidden fees or add-ons?
No hidden fees. Your monthly plan covers all platform features — no paid add-ons, no per-member charges, no setup fees. Aldea Pay carries a separate transaction fee of 1–1.5% per payment collected, on top of Stripe’s standard processing fee — this applies only when your community collects money, not as part of your subscription. For context, TownSq charges $20/mo extra for violations tracking, $20/mo for AI features, $10/mo for a website builder, and $250 per digital voting event on top of plan pricing.
What’s included in each Aldea plan?
Every plan includes the full feature set — community handbook, news feed, support tickets, member management, admin dashboard, custom subdomain, and Aldea Pay for online dues collection. Nothing is locked behind a higher tier. Plans differ by how many members your community has: Starter covers up to 150 members ($49/mo), Professional up to 500 ($99/mo), and Business up to 2,000 ($199/mo). Every plan starts with a 14-day free trial, no credit card required.
Is there a free trial?
Yes — 14 days, full access, no credit card required. You can set up your community profile, invite members, build out your handbook, and test Aldea Pay end-to-end before you commit to anything. Most communities have everything configured well before the trial ends.
How long does it take to set up Aldea for my community?
Most communities are fully set up in under 30 minutes. You create your account, configure your community profile, and send member invitations — that’s the core of it. Connecting Aldea Pay (via Stripe) takes an additional 10–15 minutes if you want online dues collection from day one. Our team is available if anything comes up along the way.
Can I switch from TownSq to Aldea? What happens to my data?
Switching is straightforward. You export your member list from TownSq as a CSV and import it into Aldea during setup — your member roster comes over cleanly. Your TownSq account can run in parallel until your community is ready to make the full switch, so there’s no forced cutover or scramble. Aldea is month-to-month with no cancellation fees, so the decision is low-risk. Your data is yours — you can export it from Aldea at any time.
What contract terms does Aldea offer?
Month-to-month, always. You can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel anytime without penalty. Annual billing is available if you’d like to save the equivalent of 2 months — but it’s never required. If you cancel, you keep access until the end of your current billing period and can export all your data before you leave. No lock-in.
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