Paxton

Paxton has been building door entry equipment for over 30 years according to its own site, from a head office in Brighton with colleagues in 12 countries and exports to more than 60. Customers named on its About page include Michelin and Sky Deutschland.

Where cloud-first rivals charge per user per month, Paxton earns on the hardware: controllers, readers and keypads reach customers through a network of registered installers, who also download Net2 updates from a partner portal.

Net2 and Paxton10

Net2 comes in two versions: Net2 Lite, free of charge and meant for most sites, and Net2 Pro with extra features for more flexible control. Paxton10 pairs access control with video management in a web-based interface, and its software is described as free with zero licence fees.

A Paxton10 system scales to 100 sites on one system, with up to 1,000 doors, 1,000 cameras and 50,000 users, according to the product page.

Credentials and apps

Free mobile apps cover site management (Paxton Connect) and Bluetooth smart credentials on a phone or smartwatch (Paxton Key). Remote access works from a browser anywhere with an internet connection.

Support terms

Paxton promotes free installer training workshops, a technical support team and a 5-year guarantee, which matters when the installer is the party you call after the fit-out.

Limitations to Consider

There is no public price list, and the system is designed around Paxton hardware, so you cannot mix in controllers from another maker. Net2 downloads sit behind the installer portal rather than an open download. The pages we checked do not say whether any hosted service exists, so treat Paxton as site-based software with remote web access.

Who Should Use Paxton

Schools, shops and commercial buildings that buy through an installer and want to avoid per-user software fees. Operators who need phone-managed keys across mixed lock brands should compare Tapkey.