Wi-Fi and security for your homeMagnetics Residential(470) 570-5775Account
MagneticsProfessional

Access Control

UniFi Access vs. LenelS2

Both open doors with cards, fobs and phones. UniFi Access covers what most buildings need, with far less to run.

  • G6 Pro Entry

How they compare

What each one costs, and what it does.

Cost and capacityUniFi AccessLenelS2
Hardware$$$$
LicenseNone$Per reader, by edition
Without a licenseNothing changesUpdates and support stop
Runs onA UniFi consoleA Windows server or appliance
FeaturesUniFi AccessLenelS2
Phone as key
Video at each door~Through a licensed integration
Lockdown
Visitor managementA separate module
Directory sync
Multi-site management
Works offline

Learn more on Ubiquiti’s siteUniFi AccessUniFi Protect

How to choose

It comes down to how much your site needs. Most buildings need what Access does, and few need LenelS2’s depth.

Choose UniFi Access if

  • You want it simpleDoors, schedules and people are managed in one app, with no server to run and no license to renew.
  • You want doors and cameras togetherAccess and Protect share a console, so every door event has the footage beside it.
  • Your old system can’t all go at onceA Retrofit Hub keeps existing readers and their wiring, so the doors move over in stages.

Choose LenelS2 if

  • You run an enterprise security operationOnGuard scales to thousands of doors, with event monitoring for a team that watches the system all day.
  • Access has to follow HR recordsOnGuard exchanges cardholder data with HR and ERP systems, and LenelS2 lists hundreds of integration partners.

Common questions

Often, yes. A Retrofit Hub keeps your existing readers and wiring, and a relay can let UniFi open a door the old system controls, so doors move over in stages. We check what your current equipment supports at the site visit.

No. Access has no license per door or reader, and nothing stops working if you never pay Ubiquiti again. LenelS2 licenses OnGuard by the number of readers, and updates come through a paid support plan.

For most buildings, yes. One console runs up to 300 door hubs, and Site Manager covers many sites from one place. A site with thousands of doors and its own security operations team is where LenelS2 fits better.

Yes, with UniFi Protect, in the same console and with no integration license. Every door event has its footage beside it. LenelS2 connects to cameras through a video integration, such as Milestone, licensed per channel.

Yes. Access imports people from Microsoft Entra, Google Workspace or Active Directory. LenelS2 goes further, exchanging cardholder data with HR and ERP systems.

Yes. Visitors get one-time or recurring schedules, and a kiosk can check them in, print a badge and open the door. In OnGuard, visitor management is a separate module.

We install UniFi Access. If LenelS2 is the right fit for your site, we will tell you.

Sources

See what your building could do

Start with a short call. Then we come out, look at the space and design a system that fits your building.

Send a MessageMessage Us

Book a call