When you set out to upgrade your property's access control system, you run into products and services from dozens of companies, and the choices pile up fast. This guide cuts through it. First we rank the top 10 access control companies, then we cover what makes a great one, how pricing actually works, and the questions buyers ask most.
This post covers:
The right access control system depends less on the brand and more on how your property runs. Mobile access and cloud-based management are baseline expectations now, especially across residential and commercial property, because they let residents and tenants enter with a phone while staff manage every gate and door from anywhere. Per the 2024 NMHC and Grace Hill Renter Preferences Survey, 67 percent of renters are interested in or would not rent without keyless smart locks.
Keep these factors in front of you as you compare companies:
Ten may look like a lot, but each fits a different kind of property. This is a ranking for property operators, not a global revenue chart, which is why a platform built for property operations leads it.
The top access control companies are:
Gatewise is one smart access platform that runs the same way across every property type: multifamily (garden, mid-rise, and high-rise), student housing, self-storage, mixed-use, senior and 55-plus, HOA, and other commercial sites. Residents and tenants enter with a phone, staff manage everything from one cloud portal, and the configuration flexes by property while the platform stays the same. Independent Grace Hill and Kingsley Index research, published by Gatewise across 649 properties from 2023 to 2025, found a 20 percent rise in resident satisfaction with controlled access at Gatewise communities, against 7 percent at non-Gatewise communities, with a 16.5 percent stronger link to renewal intent.
Gatewise features:
Brivo is the cloud access pioneer and a strong fit for large, multi-site portfolios that want unified access, video, and visitor management at scale.
Standout features:
Formerly Openpath, acquired by Avigilon in 2021 and now part of Motorola Solutions. Avigilon Alta delivers cloud access with video integration, suited to commercial offices and higher-security environments.
Standout features:
Verkada combines access control and video surveillance in one cloud-managed stack, known for simple installation and centralized management across a portfolio.
Standout features:
Kisi is a cloud-first, API-driven platform built around mobile credentials and fast administration, popular with commercial and workplace teams.
Standout features:
ButterflyMX is the best-known name in video intercom and guest entry for multifamily, focused on replacing the lobby and gate call box with smartphone-based video entry.
Standout features:
SmartRent bundles access control with multifamily smart-home technology, a fit when access is part of a broader in-unit rollout (thermostats, leak sensors, smart locks).
Standout features:
myQ brings vehicle gate and garage access with visitor workflows, a fit for gate-heavy communities already standardized on LiftMaster hardware.
Standout features:
One of the world's largest access control manufacturers, with a deep hardware portfolio (Schlage, Von Duprin) and the Zentra multifamily platform. (Gatewise is an Allegion company, acquired in July 2025.)
Standout features:
Salto is a global electronic-lock and access provider spanning residential, commercial, and hospitality, known for strong wireless lock hardware.
Standout features:
Several companies are worth knowing depending on the project. ProdataKey suits integrator-led commercial deployments with battery-backed resilience. For enterprise and government environments, Genetec, Honeywell, and Johnson Controls lead, while HID Global, ASSA ABLOY, and dormakaba are dominant access control manufacturers on the credential and lock-hardware side. ADT remains a familiar name in monitored security with access control offerings. A handful of these global manufacturers hold most of the traditional hardware market, while the cloud-native companies above lead on software and resident experience.
Once the shortlist is set, the differences come down to execution. Weigh these:
The strongest access control companies treat support and onboarding as part of the product, not an add-on, because adoption is where most access projects succeed or stall.
There is no single sticker price for access control, and any company that quotes one before understanding your property is guessing. Cost is driven by the scope of the deployment rather than a per-unit number:
Rather than choosing on lowest unit cost, weigh the full value: a platform that cuts fob and key replacement, reduces lockout and turnover labor, and supports rent premiums and retention pays back in operating efficiency and net operating income. The cheapest system to buy is rarely the cheapest to operate. The better questions are what is included at each tier, whether customer success comes standard, and how the platform scales as the portfolio grows.
Who are the top access control companies in 2026? For property operators, the leading access control companies are Gatewise, Brivo, Avigilon Alta (Motorola Solutions), Verkada, Kisi, ButterflyMX, SmartRent, myQ by LiftMaster, Allegion, and Salto. The right one depends on property type, integrations, and whether you need one platform across a mixed portfolio.
What is the best access control company for multifamily? Gatewise leads for multifamily because one platform runs garden-style, mid-rise, and high-rise communities, plus student housing, storage, and mixed-use, with cellular-first reliability and automatic PMS provisioning. ButterflyMX and SmartRent are strong where guest entry or in-unit smart-home technology leads the decision.
What is the difference between an access control company and an access control manufacturer? An access control company often provides the software platform, credentials, and support, while an access control manufacturer builds the physical hardware such as locks, readers, and exit devices. Many companies do both; manufacturers like Allegion, ASSA ABLOY, and dormakaba are known primarily for hardware.
How secure are cloud-based access control systems? Reputable providers use strong encryption and security protocols, and the best add cellular-first connectivity and uninterruptible power supply backup so access continues during outages. Cloud management also delivers remote control, automatic updates, and a real-time audit trail.
Which access control companies integrate with property management software? Platforms built for residential operations integrate with systems such as Yardi, RealPage, Entrata, and ResMan, so credentials provision and revoke automatically off the lease. Integration depth belongs on any shortlist when comparing access control solutions.
What replaced the physical call box? Smartphone-based video entry. A modern Guest Access intercom uses a QR scan and a two-way video call to connect a visitor to a resident or remote operator, replacing the physical call box and the dial-tone intercom mounted at the gate or lobby.
If a single platform across your whole portfolio sounds like the right fit, reach out to Gatewise and see if we are a match for your communities and facilities.
About Gatewise: Gatewise is a smart access control platform for multifamily, student housing, self-storage, mixed-use, senior, and commercial properties, trusted across 500,000+ units. Learn more at gatewise.com.
Gatewise offers a simple and modern gate entry system that provides residents with a mobile app and managers with a cloud-based management portal.
