<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2015-10-06</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001433195</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>APPFOLIO INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>APPF</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001218663</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>OBERNDORF WILLIAM E</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>615 FRONT STREET</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>SAN FRANCISCO</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>94111</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001607557</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Oberndorf Investments, LLC</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>615 FRONT STREET</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>SAN FRANCISCO</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>94111</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class A common stock</value>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2015-10-06</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>P</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>666667</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>16.50</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>1135567</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>See Footnote</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class A common stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>506171</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class A common stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>182788</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>See Footnote</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class A common stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>4100</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>See Footnote</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F5"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
        <nonDerivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class A common stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>45900</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>See Footnote</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F6"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeHolding>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Oberndorf Investments LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (&quot;OBI&quot;), acquired 666,667 shares of Class B common stock of the issuer which automatically converted into
666,667 shares of Class A common stock of the issuer upon acquisition.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">These shares are owned directly by OBI, and may be deemed to be indirectly beneficially owned by William E. Oberndorf (&quot;WEO&quot;) as the sole controlling person of OBI. WEO disclaims beneficial ownership of these shares except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">These shares are held in the self-directed Individual Retirement Account of WEO.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">These shares are owned directly by the Bill &amp; Susan Oberndorf Foundation, a California corporation (&quot;Oberndorf Foundation&quot;), and may be deemed to be indirectly beneficially owned by WEO as a controlling person of Oberndorf Foundation. WEO disclaims beneficial ownership of these shares except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F5">These shares are directly owned by WEO's child Peter C. Oberndorf, and may be deemed to be indirectly beneficially owned by WEO. WEO disclaims beneficial ownership of these shares except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F6">These shares are owned directly by the Peter Oberndorf Irrevocable Trust, dated 6/30/89 (&quot;PCO Trust&quot;), and may be deemed to be indirectly beneficially owned by WEO in his capacity as sole trustee for the PCO Trust. WEO disclaims beneficial ownership of these shares except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/Gary Scheier, as Attorney-in-Fact for William E. Oberndorf</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2015-10-08</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/Gary Scheier, as Attorney-in-Fact for Oberndorf Investments LLC</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2015-10-08</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
