Cloud access control moves the management layer off a server in your building and into a browser. You add a person, set what doors they can use and when, and it takes effect immediately — from your desk, from home, or from another city. For multi-site operations it is transformative; for a single small site it is a judgement call.
Typical range: $950–$3800 CAD per door, plus subscription. Ranges are typical for the GTA and depend on the door, the hardware and the time of day. We confirm the price before dispatching.
What you gain
- Management from any browser or phone, with no VPN and no software to install
- Instant revocation across every door and every site at once
- Audit trails retained and searchable without maintaining a server
- Automatic software updates and security patching
- Multi-site management from one interface, which on-premise makes genuinely difficult
- Mobile credentials, typically included rather than bolted on
- Integration with directory services so access follows onboarding and offboarding automatically
What you should weigh against it
There is a recurring subscription, usually per door or per site, and it continues indefinitely. Over ten years that can exceed the capital cost of an on-premise system, so the comparison should be run over the life of the installation rather than at purchase.
You are also dependent on a vendor's continued existence and pricing decisions. This is a real consideration — access control platforms get acquired, and terms change. It is worth asking, before signing, what happens to your hardware if you leave: whether the controllers are proprietary or can be repurposed onto another platform.
The internet dependency is usually overstated. Controllers cache credentials and keep granting access through an outage; what you lose is remote management and live monitoring. Confirm this for the specific platform rather than assuming it.
Directory integration
The strongest argument for a modern platform is tying physical access to your identity provider. When HR disables an account, building access goes with it automatically and in the same moment.
The gap between an employee losing system access and losing building access is a well-documented weak point in a lot of organisations, and closing it through integration removes a manual step that depends on someone remembering.
Choosing a platform
We install several and we are not tied to one. The things worth checking on any platform are whether the controllers are open or proprietary, what the data export path looks like if you leave, whether the readers use OSDP, and what the offline behaviour genuinely is.
Ask any vendor those four questions. The answers separate platforms that are a good long-term choice from those that are a comfortable purchase and an expensive exit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if the internet goes down?
Doors keep working. Controllers hold the credential database locally and continue to grant and deny access on their own; events are queued and upload when the connection returns. What you lose during the outage is remote management and live monitoring. This is standard across reputable platforms, but confirm it for the specific one you are considering rather than assuming.
Is cloud access control secure?
Reputable platforms encrypt credentials in transit and at rest and patch centrally, which in practice often makes them better maintained than an on-premise server that nobody has updated in three years. The weak points in most real deployments are not the cloud layer at all — they are cloneable legacy cards, unencrypted Wiegand reader wiring, and administrator accounts without multi-factor authentication.
How much does cloud access control cost per month?
Subscriptions are typically billed per door or per site and vary considerably by platform and feature tier. The figure matters less than the total over the system's life, so we model it over ten years alongside an on-premise alternative when you are deciding. For multi-site operations cloud usually wins clearly; for a single small site the answer genuinely depends on the numbers.
Can I manage several buildings from one account?
Yes, and this is where cloud platforms are most clearly superior. One interface covers every site, permissions can span buildings, and a single revocation removes someone everywhere at once. Doing the same with on-premise systems means either a VPN to each site or separate administration per building.
Cloud Access Control across the GTA
We provide cloud-based access control throughout the Greater Toronto Area. Pick your city for local detail, or call and we will tell you straight away whether you are in range.
Related services
Access Control Systems
Card, fob, mobile and biometric access control designed, installed and commissioned — on platforms you own rather than are locked into.
Card & Fob Readers
Proximity, smart-card and mobile-credential readers installed, replaced and integrated — including migration off cloneable legacy formats.
Keypad Entry
Standalone and networked keypads — the simplest way to remove keys from a door, with clear limits worth understanding first.
Magnetic Locks
Electromagnetic locks installed with compliant egress — request-to-exit, fire-alarm interface and power-loss release done to code.