Free tool
What does door access really cost?
Paxton is the default name in UK access control. Ubiquiti UniFi Access does the same job from the console that may already run your network, usually for less per door. Price your building both ways, and Next2IT handles the install.
Interactive calculator
Price your doors, see the difference
Tell us how many doors, people and sites you have. We'll price the same system as UniFi Access and as a traditional Paxton build, over one to ten years. Every price is editable.
UniFi vs Paxton door access calculator
Describe your doors once and see the same access-control system priced two ways. Every figure is an editable ballpark in GBP ex VAT; nothing you enter leaves your browser.
Your doors
Pick the closest starting point, then adjust. Locks, exit buttons and cabling cost the same on both systems, so they're left out.
Prices
Indicative UK reseller ballparks, GBP ex VAT. Got a real quote? Type it in and make the comparison yours.
The numbers over 5 years
8 doors with 10 reader positions across 1 site, 60 people.
Ubiquiti UniFi Access
Lowest cost£8,759
£6,759 up front + £400/year · about £1,095/door over the term
- 8 × UniFi door hub (PoE)£1,217
- 10 × UniFi reader (Pro)£1,521
- 1 × UniFi console£302
- Installation & commissioning£3,600
- 60 × NFC card / fob£120
- Maintenance / service contract£400/yr
The console also runs your UniFi network and CCTV, so it's shared kit, not a door-access tax. Next2IT supply discount of 10% applied to the hardware.
Paxton (Net2-style)
£11,210
£9,210 up front + £400/year · about £1,401/door over the term
- 8 × door controller, cabinet & PSU£3,800
- 10 × reader£950
- 1 × management server / PC£650
- Installation & commissioning£3,600
- 60 × fob / card£210
- Maintenance / service contract£400/yr
The software itself is free; the recurring cost is whatever service contract or hosted access you take. The management PC needs to stay on, patched and backed up.
| Cumulative cost | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ubiquiti UniFi Access | £7,159 | £7,559 | £7,959 | £8,359 | £8,759 |
| Paxton (Net2-style) | £9,610 | £10,010 | £10,410 | £10,810 | £11,210 |
Ubiquiti UniFi Access comes out £2,451 lower over 5 years, about 22%. Cheapest isn't automatically right: door hardware, fire-alarm integration, listed buildings and what you already run all move the answer. We install and support both, so you get one honest recommendation and one team to look after it. Get a real quote.
Defaults as of 19 July 2026, GBP ex VAT, taken from typical UK reseller and trade listings; access-control kit is often trade-priced, so treat them as ballparks and drop in your own quote. Neither system charges a per-door software licence, so the recurring lines are whatever maintenance or hosting you choose to model. Locks, maglocks, exit buttons, break-glass units and cabling are excluded because both systems need them equally. Existing Paxton fobs generally can't be re-used on UniFi readers, which is why re-issuing credentials is costed. Nothing you enter here leaves your browser.
Why the maths works
The gap is on the door, not the licence
Fair's fair: neither Paxton nor UniFi charges annual door licences. The difference is what each door costs to build and what it takes to run the system afterwards.
Cheaper kit on every door
A traditional Paxton door needs a controller, a cabinet and a power supply before you've fitted a reader. A UniFi door needs one PoE-powered hub and a reader. Multiply the difference by every door in the building and it stops being small change.
No server in the cupboard
Net2-style systems are managed from a Windows PC that has to stay on, stay patched and eventually be replaced. UniFi Access runs on a UniFi console. If you already run UniFi Wi-Fi or CCTV you probably own one, so the management layer costs nothing extra.
Doors, Wi-Fi and CCTV in one app
UniFi Access lives in the same console as your network and cameras. Add a starter, revoke a leaver or unlock a door from your phone in seconds, without booking an engineer or learning a separate system.
Done for you
We handle the whole install
Access control guards the building, so swapping it feels risky. It isn't when it's planned properly. Here's how a Next2IT door access rollout runs.
Survey & design
We walk the building, check every door, lock and cable run, and design the UniFi Access layout, including which doors need in-and-out readers, intercoms or nothing at all.
Stage & configure
We pre-configure the hubs and readers, build your access groups and schedules, and enrol people's credentials before anything is touched on site.
Cut over door by door
We swap each door in a planned window, reusing existing locks and cabling where they're suitable, so the building stays secure throughout.
Support & monitor 24×7
Once you're live, our round-the-clock operations team looks after your doors, network and cameras together, so there's one number to call.
It's part of our wider access control and CCTV work, backed by round-the-clock support.
Questions
UniFi Access vs Paxton
It depends on your doors, which is exactly what the calculator works out. The saving is mostly up front: UniFi's per-door hardware typically costs less, there's no dedicated management PC to buy and maintain, and our bulk supply discounts stretch it further. Enter your own door count, or a real Paxton quote, for a tailored figure.
They're indicative UK reseller ballparks in GBP ex VAT, meant to be edited. Access-control kit is often trade-priced through installers, so quotes vary a lot. Drop in the figures you've actually been given and the comparison becomes yours. For a firm number, ask us for a free survey.
Yes, and the calculator is honest about that: neither system charges a per-door software licence. The difference is what you pay for hardware on every door, the Windows machine Net2 needs running in a cupboard, and how day-to-day changes get done. On UniFi you make them yourself in the app; on many traditional systems they mean a callout or a site visit.
Usually, yes. UniFi door hubs work with standard maglocks, electric strikes, exit buttons and position sensors, and existing cabling can often be reused where it's in good condition. That's exactly what our survey confirms before we quote, so there are no surprises on install day.
Paxton tokens generally can't be read by UniFi's NFC readers, so people get new cards or fobs, or use their phone instead. The calculator prices reissuing credentials for everyone, and we handle enrolment as part of the rollout so nobody is locked out on day one.
For the vast majority of offices, warehouses and multi-site SMEs, yes: door hubs, readers with intercom, schedules, access groups, remote unlock and a full audit trail, tied into UniFi CCTV. We're vendor-independent, and some specialist or high-security estates do suit Paxton or an enterprise platform better. If that's you, we'll say so.
Absolutely. We design, install and then support door access as part of our wider security and managed IT work, with 24×7 monitoring and a single team for your doors, cameras and network. You stay in control day to day from the app; we're there when you need us.
Ready to take control of your doors?
Send us your door count or your latest access-control quote. We'll model the real cost both ways, design the system and handle the whole install, with 24×7 support once you're live.