Brivo Alternatives for Apartments and HOAs

What a Brivo system is made of

Brivo's control panels page lists modular panels that support up to 30 doors and a single-door Ethernet controller.

Brivo Smart Readers connect over OSDP or Wiegand and read encrypted Brivo mobile credentials, encrypted 13.56 MHz smart cards, or 125 kHz proximity cards.

Brivo's editions sheet says Brivo Security Suite is available across three editions, Standard, Professional and Enterprise, lists administrators of 10, 30 and Unlimited across the three editions, and says additional administrators for Standard and Professional are available for purchase.

For apartments, Brivo's multifamily page describes syncing resident data with PMS leaders such as Yardi, RealPage, RentManager and Entrata, and one-time PINs to FedEx and UPS drivers through delivery-carrier integration. Those are the questions to put to any alternative: who issues credentials, what happens at move-out, and how deliveries get in.

Elwin installs, configures and supports Kisi, PDK, Brivo, Verkada and Paxton access control, and ButterflyMX entries through ButterflyMX-certified technicians, for apartment buildings, HOAs and mixed-use propertiesacross the Bay Area.

Kisi

Its four relays switch dry at 12 or 24 VDC, or wet at up to 0.35 A at 24 V or 0.7 A at 12 V per relay.

Kisi's Reader Pro 2 lists physical credentials (LF/RFID, HF/NFC) and mobile credentials (BLE, NFC), third party cards, fobs and tags, 125 kHz and 13.56 MHz. Kisi's installation steps say that after attaching the Wiegand board to the Kisi Controller Pro 2, you can connect legacy controllers and readers to the Wiegand board, and to locate the four Wiegand device interfaces on the Controller Pro 2. Wiring two legacy readers and two legacy controllers to it gives one Kisi controller two doors.

Kisi's offline support page says a Reader's Offline Cache can cover internet outages for up to 36 hours, that Offline Cache only covers unlocks with physical credentials in the scenario it describes, and that the Kisi Controller goes into offline mode when it cannot re-establish an internet connection for five minutes. With third-party readers, the offline cache covers physical credentials only.

A note says those prices apply only with a Kisi OSP, Flex or Fit plan.

BeforeAfter

See all before and after photos

See how we set up Kisi access control for apartment and office doors.

PDK

A PDK system starts with a Red Cloud Node, one per site with an internet connection. PDK lists One-Door, Two-Door, Four-Door and Eight-Door controllers and says to add other controllers to scale a system with network, PoE, and wireless options.

The Red 4 data sheet (rev. June 3, 2024) lists OSDP, four 2 A Form-C relays, a 12 VDC 5 A supply, and 4 A at 12 V total to peripherals. Connect the Ethernet cable and the Cloud Node discovers it.

PDK readers come in Bluetooth, standard prox, vandal-proof and keypad versions, with unlimited mobile credentials. Hardware is sold through PDK's distribution partners, so pricing comes as a distributor quote. The warranty is one year for any purchaser, and three, four or five years for dealer purchasers with certified, gold or platinum partner status.

See how we scope PDK access control around the Cloud Node, controllers and gates.

Verkada

Verkada's access controllers overview lists readers on 2, 4 and 16 ports as Verkada/RS-485 or Wiegand, and says the AC43 supports Verkada or third-party OSDP and Wiegand readers.

The AC43 and AC62 include a fire alarm interface to cut power to fail-safe locks.

Verkada prints MSRP. On October 12, 2026 the AC12 was $899, the AC43 $1,999 including a 1-year license, and the AC62 $5,999, with the AC12 and AC62 marked as needing an additional license.

Paxton

It runs on 12 or 24 VDC, connects over TCP/IP or RS485, and its relay switches 24 V DC at 4 A maximum.

Net2 plus keeps permitting or denying access during a communications failure and reports the activity back once the link returns. Net2 Lite software is free of charge, Net2 Pro adds features, and the software manages sites of up to 1,000 doors and 50,000 users.

It keeps working on locally stored programming if the server connection is lost and carries a 5-year warranty.

Its RS485 reader output is for Paxton readers only, and the Paxton Key phone app is free. Paxton sells through distributors and lists installers on its site.

ButterflyMX

It has 2 wet relay outputs at 12 VDC up to 1 A and 2 dry relay outputs rated to 48 VDC, 48 W and 4 A at 12 VDC. ButterflyMX's access control page says its systems only require three connections to be installed at your property: internet, power, and door strike, and its controller guide says the controller connects with RJ45 using a CAT5e rated cable or higher, with WiFi supported if ethernet is not available.

Its keypad, mullion and single-gang readers run on OSDP over RS-485. The installation guide (rev. 2.0/1.2, October 1, 2024) states the controller does not support Wiegand and may support third-party OSDP readers depending on specific criteria.

ButterflyMX charges $20 per month per door, gate or elevator on its access control hardware.

Hardware carries a two-year warranty to end customers.

Elwin's ButterflyMX-certified technicians install, configure and support ButterflyMX entries. See ButterflyMX video intercom installation for how we scope the panel, the door release and the network.

Swiftlane

It unlocks by face recognition, app, Bluetooth, NFC, PIN or key card. It runs on 24 VDC at 2.5 A over Ethernet, has three relays, is rated IP65 and IK10, and carries a 2-year limited warranty on electronic components.

Behind the entry, Swiftlane's Door Controller 5.2 supports up to four entrances.

It unlocks over Bluetooth through the Swiftlane app, has a PIN keypad, and adds Apple Wallet and Google Wallet as a paid add-on.

What changes for apartments and HOAs

Swiftlane's SwiftReader X data sheet says it is designed to provide a video intercom and access control experience for occupant and visitor access control in condominiums, apartment buildings. Kisi's pricing page lists an Intercom option for receiving calls via the Kisi mobile app, and Brivo's multifamily page describes one-time PINs for FedEx and UPS drivers and resident access via mobile or PIN.

ButterflyMX's controller installation guide says the ButterflyMX controller is meant for indoor use only.

For pool gates and clubhouse doors, see HOA clubhouse and amenity access control. For the whole property, see multifamily security systems.

How to compare the quotes

Ask each bidder for the same list, so the quotes line up door by door:

Bring the current panel's model, the reader models and a photo of the lock power supply to the site walk. Our guide to choosing an access control installer in the Bay Area covers what a written quote should include, and access control cost per door covers the door side of the price. Request a site walk and Elwin tests the readers, measures the lock draw and quotes the swap door by door.

• The same doors on each quote, with the reader, lock and relay named per door.
• Which existing readers were tested and passed. For ButterflyMX that is the converter's three-blink test; for Kisi, the Wiegand board; for Verkada and Paxton, the Wiegand reader port.
• The subscription's billing unit, such as ButterflyMX's $20 per month per door, gate, or elevator on its access control page.
• What happens offline, in the vendor's own words, and for how long.
• Whose name the software account is in. It should be the property or the HOA.

Questions about replacing Brivo