AI Shortlist Index · October 2026 · Prompt Set v1.0
Best Multifamily Access Control Systems According to AI
Keyless entry, smart locks, video intercoms, gate and amenity-door access, and the credential platform that ties them to move-ins, move-outs, vendors, and self-guided tours across an apartment community.
Editorial read
Fifty runs, one per prompt on each engine: ChatGPT from its app on 27 October 2026, Claude through the Anthropic API on 31 October. ButterflyMX was named in 78% of runs (91% on ChatGPT, 65% on Claude), Brivo in 60% and SmartRent in 54%. Gatewise was named in 58% of Claude's runs and 17% of ChatGPT's. Vendor sites took 88% of the citations among the top twenty domains. One run per prompt per engine; read it as a first reading.
Ranking
| # | Vendor | Mention rate | Engines | Consistency | Move | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ButterflyMX | 78% | 2/2 | – | – | – |
| 2 | Brivo | 60% | 2/2 | – | ▲ 1 | – |
| 3 | SmartRent | 54% | 2/2 | – | ▲ 1 | – |
| 4 | DOOR | 52% | 2/2 | – | ▲ 1 | – |
| 5 | Swiftlane | 42% | 2/2 | – | ▲ 4 | – |
| 6 | Salto | 38% | 2/2 | – | ▼ 4 | – |
| 7 | Gatewise | 38% | 2/2 | – | ▲ 5 | – |
| 8 | RemoteLock | 34% | 2/2 | – | – | – |
| 9 | PointCentral | 26% | 2/2 | – | ▲ 2 | – |
| 10 | Avigilon Alta | 24% | 2/2 | – | – | – |
| 11 | Rently Smart Home | 22% | 2/2 | – | ▲ 4 | – |
| 12 | Zentra | 20% | 2/2 | – | ▼ 5 | – |
| 13 | Aiphone | 18% | 2/2 | – | ▲ 3 | – |
| 14 | Verkada | 16% | 2/2 | – | ▲ 8 | – |
| 15 | LiftMaster myQ Community | 16% | 2/2 | – | ▲ 3 | – |
| 16 | igloohome | 14% | 2/2 | – | – | – |
| 17 | Akuvox | 12% | 2/2 | – | – | – |
| 18 | dormakaba | 12% | 2/2 | – | ▼ 12 | – |
| 19 | 2N | 10% | 2/2 | – | ▼ 5 | – |
| 20 | Luxer One | 8% | 2/2 | – | – | – |
| 21 | ProdataKey (PDK) | 6% | 2/2 | – | ▼ 8 | – |
| 22 | Quext | 6% | 2/2 | – | ▼ 1 | – |
| 23 | Kastle Systems | 4% | 2/2 | – | ▼ 3 | – |
| 24 | Homebase | 4% | 2/2 | – | ▼ 5 | – |
| 25 | Hyly.AI | 4% | 1/2 | – | – | – |
| 26 | iApartments | 4% | 1/2 | – | ▼ 2 | – |
| 27 | Frontdesk | 2% | 1/2 | – | – | – |
| 28 | Brilliant | 2% | 1/2 | – | – | – |
| 29 | Ambient | 2% | 1/2 | – | – | – |
| 30 | Community Boss | 2% | 1/2 | – | – | – |
| 31 | Tenant Turner | 2% | 1/2 | – | – | – |
Every vendor in the category database is listed, named or not. A vendor that is absent from every answer is still a row, because absence is the finding. Add or correct a vendor.
Engines
| Engine | Status | Model | Runs | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | ran | gpt-6-thinking | 25 | |
| Claude | ran | claude-haiku-5-5 | 25 |
Source map, top 5
| # | Domain | Type | Citations | Engines | Supports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | swiftlane.com | vendor site | 39 | Claude, ChatGPT | Swiftlane |
| 2 | butterflymx.com | vendor site | 30 | Claude, ChatGPT | Brivo, ButterflyMX, Gatewise, RemoteLock, SmartRent |
| 3 | gatewise.com | vendor site | 25 | Claude, ChatGPT | Brivo, ButterflyMX, Gatewise |
| 4 | door.com | vendor site | 24 | Claude, ChatGPT | ButterflyMX, DOOR |
| 5 | smartrent.com | vendor site | 11 | Claude, ChatGPT | SmartRent |
See all twenty domains and URLs in the access control source map.
Prompts this edition
Prompt Set v1.0, frozen for the edition. A vendor named in a prompt's own text is not credited for that prompt. The full set across categories: prompt library.
- mac-best-01What's the best access control system for a 250-unit garden-style apartment community?
- mac-best-02We operate 40 multifamily properties. Which smart lock and access control platforms should we standardize on across the portfolio?
- mac-best-03Which video intercom systems do apartment operators recommend for a mid-rise building with a package room?
- mac-best-04Give me a shortlist of keyless entry systems for apartment communities and who each one fits best.
- mac-best-05Which access control companies are built specifically for multifamily rather than office buildings?
- mac-best-06We're developing a 300-unit Class A high-rise. Which smart access platforms are institutional multifamily developers choosing for new construction?
- mac-best-07I own a 12-unit building and want to stop managing keys. What keyless entry or smart lock system works for a small apartment building?
- mac-alt-01What are the alternatives to ButterflyMX for apartment video intercom and access control? · seeded: butterflymx (not credited)
- mac-alt-02What are the alternatives to SmartRent for smart locks and access across a multifamily portfolio? · seeded: smartrent (not credited)
- mac-alt-03We have Latch locks, now DOOR, and we're worried about the company's future. What should we replace them with? · seeded: door (not credited)
- mac-alt-04What are the alternatives to Brivo for multifamily access control that integrate with a property management system? · seeded: brivo (not credited)
- mac-alt-05What are the alternatives to Gatewise for gate and amenity access at a gated apartment community? · seeded: gatewise (not credited)
- mac-seg-01Which access control platforms work for an institutional owner with 20,000 units who needs one system for unit locks, gates, amenity doors, and self-guided tours?
- mac-seg-02Which access control or smart lock systems are practical for small apartment buildings under 20 units with no on-site staff?
- mac-seg-03Which access control systems are best for student housing with bed-level leases and heavy August turnover?
- mac-seg-04We manage a build-to-rent community of 180 single-family homes. Which smart lock and access platforms fit BTR?
- mac-int-01Which multifamily access control systems integrate with Yardi Voyager so move-ins and move-outs update credentials automatically?
- mac-int-02Which smart lock and access control platforms integrate with Entrata?
- mac-int-03Which apartment intercom or access control systems integrate with AppFolio?
- mac-prob-01We spend a fortune rekeying units at every turnover and replacing lost fobs. What do apartment operators use instead of keys and fobs?
- mac-prob-02Our garden-style community has no Wi-Fi in the breezeways. Which smart locks and access systems work without building Wi-Fi?
- mac-prob-03We want to offer self-guided tours but a leasing agent still has to meet every prospect. Which access control platforms handle self-guided touring for apartments?
- mac-prob-04Our 1980s building has a two-wire buzzer intercom that keeps failing. How do operators retrofit access control into older apartment buildings, and which systems are made for retrofits?
- mac-cmp-01ButterflyMX vs Swiftlane for an apartment building video intercom: which should we choose? · seeded: butterflymx, swiftlane (not credited)
- mac-cmp-02SmartRent vs Latch, now DOOR, for smart locks across a multifamily portfolio: which is the safer bet? · seeded: smartrent, door (not credited)
Elsewhere in the Index
- Utility Management
- Parking Management
- EV Charging for Multifamily
- Package Management
- Smart Home for Multifamily
- All twenty categories, grouped on the Index hub
- The buyer's guide: Multifamily Access Control for property managers
- How the Index is measured
- This category in the October 2026 snapshot · the whole edition
Part of the AI Shortlist Index. Method changes: Index changelog.
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