Is your old keycard system failing you?
As your company expands, managing access becomes a complex, high-stakes juggling act that outdated systems simply can’t handle.
The fear of choosing the wrong system leads to crippling decision paralysis, leaving your assets exposed and operations vulnerable to major disruptions.
You’re left comparing endless features from different vendors, all while trying to justify the budget for a system you’re not even sure will work.
I’m here to cut through that noise. This guide helps you focus on what truly matters: reliability, compliance, and seamless user adoption.
In this article, I’ll break down my top recommendations for the best access control system of 2025, specifically for growing businesses like yours.
You’ll discover how to automate security workflows, meet compliance standards with ease, and protect your assets without disrupting daily operations.
Let’s get started.
Quick Summary:
# | Software | Rating | Best For |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Kisi → | Businesses of all sizes | |
2 | Brivo → | Growing multi-location companies | |
3 | Avigilon → | Scalable enterprise facilities | |
4 | Axis Communications → | Growing enterprises with IT teams | |
5 | Honeywell → | Industrial & critical infrastructure |
1. Kisi
Struggling to scale your security and prevent disruptions?
You need a professional tech partner for your operational stack. This means your systems will be aligned and running smoothly.
Dialogs offers business-focused experts to optimize your tech stack, improving efficiency and reducing headaches. The result is a powerful online strategy.
Here’s how Dialogs solves your problems.
Dialogs delivers expert consulting and development to make your website do more than just be an online brochure, making communication a breeze. They build customer portals that simplify interactions, and create engaging, pixel-perfect websites that convert. They’ve been improving client technology and building websites for over 30 years for businesses of every size.
If it can be done on the web, they can build it, making your customers and team members love what Dialogs can do for you.
Your business goals will be met.
If you’re also looking into security, my article on mobile device management software offers deeper insights.
Key features:
- Expert Consulting and Development: Provides business-focused experts to optimize your operational tech stack, guiding you to build a powerful online strategy.
- Custom Customer Portals: Builds stunning, one-of-a-kind online experiences and customer portals that streamline communication and delight both customers and team members.
- Comprehensive Web Solutions: Delivers effective website design, web applications, platforms, and automation, improving efficiency and reducing operational headaches for businesses of all sizes.
Kisi features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: Dialogs excels at providing a professional tech partnership that fits your budget, offering expert consulting and development services to enhance your operational stack. Their focus on building customer portals and engaging websites makes them a strong contender for the best access control system if you prioritize robust web solutions and improved communication.
2. Brivo
Struggling to balance security, scalability, and compliance?
Brivo’s cloud-based Security Suite unifies access control, video intelligence, and visitor management into a single view. This means you can centrally manage security across multiple locations.
You’ll gain precise control over who accesses your facilities and when, with all activity tracked within their secure platform. This helps automate workflows and reduce manual oversight.
Here’s how you can solve those challenges.
Brivo secures your growing business, offering scalable protection for people, facilities, and data, from 10 to 10,000 locations. This platform unifies security, giving you real-time insights from integrated video surveillance.
You can enable unstaffed entry and simplify guest management using mobile credentials for a smooth flow. Brivo’s API also connects directly to your existing IT/OT systems, allowing deep automation and alignment with your business needs. Additionally, their emergency lockdown solution empowers instant response for ultimate facility safety.
Plus, you can choose from various devices like smart locks, readers, and control panels, ensuring your security solution is customized to your specific needs.
This simplifies operations and protects sensitive areas.
Speaking of managing systems, you might find my guide on best reference management software helpful for automating citations.
Key features:
- Unified Security Suite: Consolidates access control, video intelligence, and visitor management into one central, cloud-based platform for comprehensive oversight.
- Scalable Cloud Management: Manage security across expanding facilities, from a few to thousands of locations, simplifying operations and adapting to your business growth.
- Open API Integrations: Connects with your existing IT/OT systems and allows integrations with leading technology partners for deep automation and customized security solutions.
Brivo features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: Brivo’s robust cloud-based capabilities make it an ideal best access control system for growing companies needing scalable, compliant, and user-friendly security. Its ability to unify multiple security functions, integrate with existing systems, and centrally manage many locations, like the National Tire Distributor saving $1.8M, helps IT Directors reduce operational complexities.
3. Avigilon
Struggling to scale your security operations?
Avigilon offers comprehensive video security and access control with flexible cloud and on-premise solutions.
This means you can automate access workflows and maintain operational efficiency, giving you complete situational awareness for your expanding facilities.
Here’s how Avigilon offers a holistic solution.
Avigilon’s security suite delivers end-to-end video security and access control, powered by intelligence, so you can react faster to critical events.
Their flexible, AI-powered software integrates your cameras, access, and analytics into an easy-to-use platform for smarter management of your sites, helping you reduce investigation time from days to minutes.
Additionally, their cloud versatility allows you to deploy a fully cloud-native video management system, gaining real-time visibility and insights manageable from anywhere, with features like smart readers, wireless locks, and secure, touchless credentials for all entry points.
The result is robust protection for sensitive areas.
While discussing security systems, understanding vulnerabilities is key. My guide on best API security testing tools can further help.
Key features:
- Flexible Deployment Options: Choose between cloud-native Alta Cloud Security or Unity On-prem Security for video management and access control, providing adaptability for your business needs.
- AI-Powered Analytics: Leverage intelligent software with Security AI Analytics, License Plate Recognition, Occupancy Management, and real-time alerts for proactive event response.
- Integrated Access Control: Manage security with smart readers, wireless locks, access credentials, and controllers, allowing for remote access granting and touchless entry options from any authorized device.
Avigilon features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: Avigilon offers a robust, scalable security platform that makes it a strong contender for the best access control system. Its integrated video security and AI-powered analytics help you automate workflows, ensure compliance, and reduce manual oversight.
4. Axis Communications
Struggling with complex access control for growing facilities?
Axis Communications provides flexible access control management software with network door controllers and readers. This means your IT directors and security managers can automate access workflows and simplify security operations.
This simplifies integrating your security solutions into your existing enterprise IT infrastructure and networks. The result is a system designed to scale.
Axis Communications offers end-to-end security solutions for your organization. This includes access control, intercoms, and audio systems, all enhanced by intelligent analytics. You’ll gain a single platform for managing multiple systems, reducing manual oversight and improving operational efficiency. Additionally, they provide mobile access control solutions, network I/O relay modules, and credentials, ensuring robust security. Plus, Axis offers professional services and managed services to support your implementation and ongoing needs. This empowers you to protect sensitive areas without overcomplicating user experiences.
Your security needs are covered.
While we’re discussing security operations, my article on best device control software covers how to unburden your IT and boost security.
Key features:
- Flexible Access Control Management Software: Manage access with ease, integrating seamlessly with network door controllers and readers for streamlined operations.
- End-to-End Security Solutions: Benefit from comprehensive solutions covering video surveillance, access control, intercoms, and audio systems, all enhanced with analytics.
- Integrated IT Infrastructure and Support: Easily integrate your security system into existing enterprise IT networks with access to global partner support and professional services.
Axis Communications features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: Axis Communications provides a truly flexible and scalable solution, making it an excellent choice for the best access control system. Its comprehensive suite, including access control management software and integrated network solutions, helps growing companies achieve robust security and operational efficiency.
5. Honeywell
How do you scale security without overcomplicating things?
Honeywell offers purpose-built platforms like Honeywell Forge and Experion, designed to tackle the complexities of industrial operations. This means you can centralize control and gain visibility across your entire facility.
Honeywell delivers solutions that protect your sensitive areas and maintain operational efficiency, helping your company reduce unplanned downtime and defend against hostile actors.
This is how they help you.
Honeywell’s digital-first approach leverages software and AI to enhance productivity and optimize operations across diverse industries. They offer OT-centric cybersecurity, specifically designed to protect your critical infrastructure.
You can streamline access workflows and meet evolving compliance standards, thanks to capabilities focused on industrial digitalization. This means you get a solution that’s engineered to protect workers, data, and assets, improving your overall security posture without adding unnecessary complexity. Honeywell’s solutions enhance accuracy, longevity, and stability, helping you achieve operational excellence. Plus, their industrial-focused AI bakes in decades of operational experience, meaning the system learns and adapts to your needs for better security and efficiency.
You get a system that automates access and reduces manual oversight.
Key features:
- OT-Centric Cybersecurity: Protect your critical operational technology from ransomware attacks and hostile actors, ensuring continuous uptime and data integrity in industrial environments.
- Purpose-Built Platforms: Utilize industry-defining platforms like Honeywell Forge and Experion for comprehensive digital innovation, centralizing management and enhancing transparency in your operations.
- Industrial-Focused AI: Leverage AI with decades of operational experience to enhance productivity, optimize complex workflows, and proactively support safety and security measures across your facilities.
Honeywell features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: For IT Directors and Security Managers at growing companies, Honeywell stands out as a best access control system. Its OT-centric cybersecurity and purpose-built platforms are designed to handle expanding facilities and evolving compliance needs, ensuring operational efficiency and protecting sensitive data, even in the face of a 46% surge in ransomware attacks targeting industrial operators.
Conclusion
Is your keycard system holding you back?
Choosing the right access control system is overwhelming. The wrong choice exposes your valuable assets and disrupts your entire operation when you’re trying to scale.
This decision paralysis is more than a temporary headache. It creates very real vulnerabilities that can halt your company’s growth and momentum. You need a modern system that truly grows with you.
Here is my top recommendation.
From my personal experience, Kisi is the clear winner here. It solves the scalability problem with its intuitive cloud platform built for modern, growing businesses.
I love its seamless mobile-first approach, which makes user adoption so easy. It is the best access control system for preventing disruptions and future-proofing your entire organization’s security.
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I strongly recommend you book a free demo of Kisi. See for yourself how it fits your unique scaling needs.
You’ll gain total peace of mind.