Access control allows for streamlined control of movement around facilities. It restricts areas employees can and cannot enter and provides analytics on all the comings and goings within a space. It also reports any suspicious occurrences to maximize safety and security.
The best access systems provide you with everything you need to manage who can and cannot access your space while streamlining operations and improving user experience.
Most access control companies offer both access control hardware and software. Some important features to look for in modern access control software include a dashboard accessible across devices, remote management capabilities, and the ability to create access groups and set time-based access restrictions.
For added safety, make sure you look for access control software that provides event filtering, reporting, and exporting and has reliable lockdown features.
Consider your business needs and choose an access control software that can support your business goals. An access control system with tailored development options, plenty of software integrations, and an open API will enable your business growth and will smoothly scale with your business.
A system that seamlessly integrates with your SSO provider, CRM system, data management system, and more will give you the best experience, syncing with your other management software and reducing manual overhead without additional work on your end.
Key features to look for in access control software #
- Global, remote access management
- Visitor management functionalities
- Remote and scheduled unlocks
- Configurable restrictions
- 2FA on mobile credentials
- Intrusion detection and alert policies
- Lockdown
- Event logs and export
- In-and-out tracking
- Real-time analytics and reports
- Capacity management and occupancy analytics
- SSO and SCIM
- Automated provisioning
- Video camera integration
Find the best access control software of 2024 that fits your needs by reading through the list below. If you're looking for the best overall access control system, check out our guide on the topic.
1. Kisi #
One of the best access control software, Kisi, is a cloud-based system offering enterprise features to businesses of any size. In terms of functionality, Kisi offers easy access group management and restrictions, remote global management, visitor access, automated provisioning, lockdown features, video surveillance integrations, and a lot more.
Admins appreciate the user-intuitive dashboard, while users get to experience unlocks through either a key card, a mobile phone, fobs, or remote dashboard unlocks. In addition to these features, Kisi is also compatible with iOS and Android, and both admins and users get to use the highest-rated access control app. The Kisi access software can integrate with over thirty services from SSO providers to CRM and data management systems.
Unlike other access control software, Kisi natively offers additional products like capacity management, occupancy reports, and intrusion detection, all fully integrated into the same dashboard and not requiring any additional hardware. On top of that, the system's functionalities are extended via integrations with video camera systems, directories, office tools, and more.
2. ISONAS #
If you run a smaller business, ISONAS might be the best access control software system for you. ISONAS operates as a pure IP-type system. It requires minimal hardware thanks to its web browser interface. Equipped with this control system, you are provided with proximity or keypad door readers at access points.
ISONAS' access control software, Pure Access Cloud, is a fully hosted platform designed for low to mid-complexity applications. The customizable dashboards and the step by step access point check out are just a few of the benefits offered.
3. Johnson Controls #
Next on the best access control software list is Johnson Controls. It is a web-based system that provides access control to enable various activities, such as door lock schedules. It also has the capability to monitor alarms and allows the management of permissions, like enabling temporary visitor access.
Johnson Controls also integrates video surveillance into its operations. If your business operates in multiple locations, consider Johnson Controls as an excellent choice of the list of access software that are easy to scale.
4. ADT #
ADT is an electronic system that is considered one of the best video surveillance systems. It provides a means to monitor movement in a business and can integrate with other alarm systems.
The benefit of ADT is its speedy same-day service offering their customers monitoring services all day, every day. You can gain access with pin code entry and card access.
ADT modernized the product by also introducing a mobile app service. This provides managers with the ability to manage access remotely.
5. Vanderbilt Industries #
Vanderbilt Industries offer access control and video surveillance solutions. Users can choose between their web-based, cloud-based, and enterprise access control solution. ACT365 is Vanderbilt Industries' cloud-based solution that enables remote management of single or multiple locations, from an easy-to-use access contol software and interface.
The benefits include its scalability and easy integration with other apps. Equipped with intelligent door readers and encrypted smart cards that make it possible to enter and move around between various spaces quickly, it is one of the top acess software for multiple door infrastructures.
6. Brivo #
Brivo is a security company providing cloud-based access control and video surveillance products. Besides the hardware, Brivo offers a few different app products, each with its own intended user.
Brivo Mobile Pass serves as a mobile credential for users to install to unlock doors. Brivo Access is for admins to manage their spaces. Brivo Smart Home allows residents to access smart buildings and manage certain amenities.
The dedicated smart building app and functionalities make Brivo a great alternative for residential real estate. Still, spreading their software over different apps makes managing commercial facilities more complex. The need for downloading multiple apps at times makes onboarding employees and admins more challenging. Read our comprehensive Brivo review for more software and hardware details.
7. Absolute #
Absolute Core is a cyber security platform centered around providing businesses with high connectivity, security, and a good user experience. It enables the modern remote and hybrid workers to securely access applications wherever they are.
If your team is operating as a mobile workforce, this is the solution for your cyber access control software needs. It focuses on providing rich controls for IT while ensuring better user experience and stable and consistent team connections. Even when everyone is far apart.
8. Auconet Business Infrastructure Control Solution (BICS) #
Auconet BICS controls multiple networks in a way that is not overly difficult to understand and allows for integrations to become more seamless. It is a network access control software suitable even for the largest global or multi-tenant networks.
Although the initial costs may be high, overall, businesses that choose Auconet reap the benefits of the total cost of ownership as well as real-time visibility, persistent monitoring, and automated, optimized control across all network device solutions and connected endpoints.
9. Cisco ISE #
Penultimate on the best access control software list, Cisco ISE operates as software focused on intent-based networking through WAN, the branch, and the cloud. It allows management to gain awareness of everything that causes hits to the network and gathers intel to authenticate users and endpoints.
It helps you enhance security by protecting your network, data, and resources from hostile attacks and automatically contain threats. All complexities regarding access control are removed from this software. It is very easy and simple to manage. Some of the services offered by Cisco ISE include end-to-end security, automation, and analytics.
10. Reblaze #
Last on our list of best access control software is Reblaze, a virtual cloud-based security solution. This software solution includes next-gen WAF, API security, CDN, DoS/ DDoS protection, traffic analysis in real-time, and more.
Reblaze’s interface is a cloud-based dashboard that is entirely managed and provides security benefits from Machine Learning. The software displays a real-time overview of all incoming traffic, showing what's passed and blocked, as well as why these decisions are being made.
How to choose the best access control software? #
While researching access control software, ranging from physical to cyber security, you want to keep in mind what is essential and what will work best for your business needs. Consider your business plan and what you may need in the future, and look for a system that will be able to grow with you.
Kisi's ease of deployment, cloud management, extensive software integration directory, and over-the-air updates deployed on a regular basis will ensure that your needs are met no matter how your business changes down the road. Get in touch with our security experts for a tailored migration path for your business.
Bernhard Mehl
Bernhard is the co-founder and CEO of Kisi. His philosophy, "security is awesome," is contagious among tech-enabled companies.
