ButterflyMX

Overview

ButterflyMX brings video intercoms, access control, cameras, and related property systems together for multifamily, commercial, student housing, and gated-community properties. It is strongest for owners and managers coordinating resident, visitor, and staff entry across a property. Residents and visitors use it free, but owners face hardware, installation, and recurring software costs.

Founded in 2014 and headquartered in New York City, the company serves properties that can support the required internet, power, and electronic or magnetic locks. Local installers handle installation, so it is a less straightforward fit for a building seeking a software-only or self-installed access system.

Key features

Resident and visitor entry

Residents can see and speak with visitors, grant access remotely, create temporary PINs, and issue visitor passes. The free Apple and Android app makes those tasks available on mobile, though residents must provide their email address to the property manager or owner to register. Visitors can use the QR Code Intercom in a browser without downloading an app, a useful option for occasional guests.

The QR entry route uses 256-bit end-to-end encryption, geofencing, session limits, and audit logs. These controls offer a more bounded way to admit visitors than an unrestricted access link.

Property administration

Staff can manage permissions remotely and review entry events with date- and time-stamped photos retained for 365 days. Access schedules, mobile credentials, audit logs, and support for both locks and gates give managers tools beyond a lobby intercom. The photo history can help with incident review, but its stated retention window is finite.

Integrations, API, and security

Integrations include Yardi, RealPage, Entrata, AppFolio, Google Workspace, Yale, Kwikset, SALTO KS, Apple Wallet, and Google Wallet. That breadth may reduce friction for properties already using those systems, while the open API and SDK—with iOS and Android SDK documentation and an API reference—give development teams another route to connect workflows.

ButterflyMX describes its platform as SOC 2 compliant, backed by independent security audits, and supported by a public Trust Center. Live support is available by phone, email, or chat; mobile app access, updates, and live support are included in software pricing.

Pricing

ButterflyMX is paid for by property owners, while tenants, residents, and visitors can use the service free. The advertised starting point is $20/mo, but that does not convey the full cost of a property deployment: owners also pay for hardware, local installation, and annual software priced by apartment unit.

The intercom prices are one-time hardware purchases, not the full cost of service. The annual per-unit software charge and installation make ButterflyMX a better fit for owners budgeting a property-wide system than for someone seeking a low-cost standalone app. There is no resident paid tier to compare; residents and visitors get free use, while the owner carries the system costs.

Platforms

ButterflyMX supports Android, iOS, and web access, alongside an API. Residents have free Apple and Android apps; browser-based QR intercom access lets visitors enter without installing one.

Who it's for

Multifamily, commercial, student housing, and gated-community owners and managers are the clearest fit, particularly when they need remote permission management, visitor entry, and records in one system. Residents benefit from remote access and temporary credentials, while staff get event history and access administration. Properties without the required internet, power, compatible locks, or access to local installers should look elsewhere.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Resident entry, visitor passes, remote permissions, schedules, and audit logs cover several day-to-day access tasks in one platform.
• Pro: Photos attached to entry events are retained for 365 days, giving staff a defined history for review.
• Pro: Named property-management, credential, and wallet integrations plus an open API and SDK offer multiple connection paths.
• Con: Owners must budget for upfront hardware, installation, and annual per-unit software, with exact software pricing requiring a quote.
• Con: The system depends on internet, power, and an electronic or magnetic lock, and installation is handled by local installers.
• Con: Resident app registration depends on providing an email address to the property manager or owner.

Alternatives

Property Access Control Software is the broader category to browse when comparing systems beyond ButterflyMX.

Choose Raven CloudAccess if a small deployment needs a free tier capped at two doors, five users, and seven days of event history, or if self-hosted access matters. Its Starter plan is $7.99 per month.

Paxton10 is worth considering when a system with no software licence fees is preferable and hardware is budgeted separately; its stated capacity reaches 100 sites, 1,000 doors, 1,000 cameras, and 50,000 users.

Gallagher Command Centre is another paid access-control option.

Honeywell Enterprise Buildings Integrator is a paid option without a free plan.

Consider C•CURE 9000 when a deployment calls for capacity of up to 5,000 readers and 500,000 credentials on one server.

Napco MVP Access offers monthly flat-rate per-door billing, no annual service contract, unlimited users, and support for ten to thousands of doors and gates.

Nexkey is another paid option for access control.

OpenVia is a freemium alternative with a subscription term of one year unless a purchase agreement says otherwise.

Verdict

ButterflyMX is a strong choice for property owners who want resident and visitor entry, remote administration, and broad system connections under one roof. Its central advantage is the combination of everyday access tools with property-level records and integrations; its main drawback is the owner-side commitment to hardware, installation, and annual per-unit software. Choose it when that integrated approach justifies the building costs, and look elsewhere if you need a software-only setup or predictable pricing without a property quote.