FRONTSTEPS

FRONTSTEPS is a community-management platform that brings accounting, payments, security, and communication tools together for community associations. Its resident portal supports online dues payments, maintenance requests, violation tracking, association accounting, and document storage. FRONTSTEPS Community adds messaging, announcements, document sharing, homeowner portals, and mobile access for managers, boards, and residents. FRONTSTEPS Manager combines violations, work orders, budgets, inspections, communications, and approvals. Caliber supports financial tasks including automated payment posting, budgeting, collections, and fund-based accounting, while Dwelling offers visitor management and access control through web and mobile, including guest passes and remote gate control. The platform is available on web, iOS, and Android. The maker says its payments use encryption and tokenization, work with certified payment processors, and follow PCI standards. FRONTSTEPS is paid software, and prospective customers are directed to request a demo; no software price is stated. The maker says average implementation takes 60 days. FRONTSTEPS is headquartered in Denver, Colorado; its history page says Community Investors Inc. rebranded to FRONTSTEPS in 2017.

FRONTSTEPS spans resident-facing tasks and association operations, with mobile access and a separate visitor-management component. Prospective customers need to request a demo and pricing rather than compare a published software price.

FRONTSTEPS is designed for community management companies, HOA boards, and homeowners. It may suit associations looking to combine resident communications and payments with administrative workflows and access management.

Overview

FRONTSTEPS is community-management software for HOA management companies, boards, and homeowners. It is strongest for organizations that want accounting, resident communication, payments, and property operations under one roof. Its broad coverage comes with a buying process that starts with a demo and custom pricing.

Key features

FRONTSTEPS Community gives residents, managers, and boards a shared place for messaging, announcements, document sharing, and portal access, with mobile tools for everyday use. That makes it a practical fit for associations that want routine communication and documents connected to their management platform; its usefulness depends on residents and staff adopting the portal.

Caliber handles core financial work such as automated payment posting, budgets, collections, and fund-based accounting. It also supports compliance workflows, work orders, and architectural review requests, linking financial administration to other community tasks. Customizable rules and AI-powered reporting may help teams shape workflows and review information, though buyers should establish how these tools fit their own accounting processes.

FRONTSTEPS Manager brings violations, work orders, budgets, inspections, communications, and approvals into one system, with mobile access for managers. The range is useful for teams coordinating recurring operational work, but Caliber and Manager both cover work orders and budgets, so a demo should clarify which product owns each workflow in the proposed setup.

Homeowners can pay assessments online through Payments. FRONTSTEPS says the service uses encryption and tokenization, works with certified processors, and follows PCI standards; it also integrates with a PCI DSS-compliant processor. Dwelling adds visitor management and access control through web and mobile, including digital guest passes, visitor logs, license plate recognition, and remote gate control. These capabilities make the suite relevant to communities with gate and visitor workflows alongside association administration.

FRONTSTEPS says its ALLi AI keeps customer data inside its ecosystem and does not use that data to train its AI. Its partner directory includes AvidXchange, CheckAlt, Edenred Pay, Thumbtack, TechCollect, and VIVE. Third-party vendors that need Caliber API access must contact Customer Support for onboarding; internal customer use is not charged. Support options include a Knowledge Base, training sessions, FAQs, and contact support. The maker reports an average implementation time of 60 days, a meaningful planning commitment for organizations replacing established processes.

Pricing

FRONTSTEPS uses paid, custom pricing, with prospective customers directed to request a demo. The Starter Pack has a flat monthly fee for self-managed communities and small management companies overseeing one to ten communities, but the fee is custom pricing. That structure may suit smaller operators seeking a defined entry package, while the lack of a public amount makes direct budget comparison difficult. No trial or renewal terms are stated.

Platforms

FRONTSTEPS supports Android, iOS, and web. Mobile access extends to residents and managers, while Dwelling also offers web and mobile visitor-management tools.

Who it's for

FRONTSTEPS is a strong candidate for community management companies and HOA boards that need accounting, payments, resident communication, and operational workflows to work together. It is less compelling for buyers who want to compare published prices before speaking with a vendor, or whose needs are limited to a single narrow function such as accounting or resident messaging.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Community, Caliber, Manager, Payments, and Dwelling cover resident services and administrative work across one ecosystem.
• Pro: Caliber connects accounting tasks with compliance, work orders, and architectural review requests.
• Pro: Dwelling includes digital guest passes, visitor activity monitoring, and remote gate control for communities with access needs.
• Con: Custom pricing requires a demo before buyers can assess cost against alternatives.
• Con: The overlap between Caliber and Manager in areas such as budgets and work orders calls for workflow clarification during evaluation.
• Con: The reported average implementation time of 60 days requires advance planning.

Alternatives

For a paid HOA platform spanning Android, iOS, web, and API access, consider CINC. Condo Manager is another paid option, with a free trial and a plan described as covering unlimited units and corporations. For a small community, HOA Simplify offers a free plan and a free trial; its Basics plan covers 25 units, while Community is $79 a month, billed $99/mo Launch Pricing, for up to 50 units with basic accounting and billing and a resident portal. Vantaca is a paid alternative whose fees may be based on authorized users or active doors under the customer order. HOA Start offers a paid Complete plan with all software features, a mobile app, marketing website, and admin dashboard, as well as a Software Only plan. NeighborhoodHQ has a free plan and directs buyers to contact the company for a fit. SMPLR HOA has a free plan and trial, and its Community plan starts at $25 a month, billed annually at a 25-home minimum; monthly billing is $32/month. HOA-I has a free trial and monthly paid plans, including Small HOA at $110 a month and Medium HOA at $150 a month.

Browse more options in Homeowners Association Management Software, HOA Management Software, and HOA Accounting Software.

Verdict

Choose FRONTSTEPS if your management company or association wants resident services, accounting, payments, operations, and visitor access within one connected platform. Its main advantage is the breadth of that toolkit; its main drawback is that custom pricing and a roughly 60-day average implementation make cost and transition planning part of the decision. Buyers focused on one function or a published price should compare narrower options before committing.