Brivo Access Reviews

“Fees increased without visible improvement”

Pros

Overall, the system does its job well.

Cons

Using the phone app is frustrating because it's not very user friendly and making schedule changes on mobile is especially difficult. In my small business, I paid $1200 for a new control board just two months ago and then this month my monthly fees went up by 30%. It feels like a predatory way of doing business to require an expensive upgrade to keep the service running and then raise the monthly cost by that much right after. The size of the increase is outrageous and the explanation they gave was just a weak cliche: "Brivo informs us the increase is a result of its ongoing work to improve its suite of services." I definitely have not seen anything close to a 30% improvement in service. When I raised the issue with customer support online, all I got was a lousy "we apologize for the inconvenience," which basically came across as, "sorry sucker."

“The system never crashed since install”

Pros

Back when we opened our gym in 2015, we started using Brivo Access and it turned out to be incredibly dependable. The system consistently worked without any glitches and our members were always able to get in without issues. The reporting was also simple to handle.

Cons

Because we operated a 24/7 gym, we had to connect a lot of different systems and Brivo was one of the platforms that needed to sync with our gym software. That naturally brought extra integration costs which we were trying to avoid. I also ended up having to manage and troubleshoot two separate software systems regularly. Still, Brivo Access itself was affordable and excellent but the real frustration came from the other software provider that kept adding extra charges.

“No more digging around for physical keys”

Pros

Being able to unlock nearby doors right from my phone is the biggest advantage of Brivo especially since I don't have to dig around for keys anymore.

Cons

In some instances, the app is a bit slow when first opening it.

“provides visibility into what happens at the office”

Pros

It gives us a clear view of what's happening throughout the office and helps keep the workplace secure.

Cons

Every so often it feels a little slow and managing it without help from a consultant can be challenging.

“Programming fobs is easy”

Pros

Programming the fobs is very low-effort and being able to view activity as well is really useful.

Cons

One thing I like least about Brivo is that a fob that has already been used can't be reprogrammed.

“remote access made simple”

Pros

Being able to lock and unlock doors remotely has made this app absolutely essential for me whenever I'm not on site. Setting up users is simple, day-to-day management is simple and it's very convenient to give someone temporary access when they only need entry for a short period.

Cons

Honestly, I've loved everything about it. The only challenge came from our old church building, where our security company had to get creative with wiring because of the existing tunnels and access panels. That wasn't an issue with Brivo at all, just a limitation of the building itself.

“Good product quality ruined by poor support”

Pros

At its best, the product really performed well and delivered a very good-quality experience.

Cons

The pricing is far too high compared with other options. It's not only the upfront product cost either, the monthly fee runs about 6 to 7 times higher than competing services. The biggest disappointment though, is customer support. It has been the worst part of dealing with this company. If waiting 3 to 4 days to get an issue resolved doesn't bother you, then this might work for you.

“HR staff can be trained very fast”

Pros

Working as a contractor who installs and relies on Brivo as the standard option, one thing I appreciate is how quickly a new HR person can get up to speed. Since turnover is high, being able to train someone in just 1-2 hours is really important for keeping the system running properly.

Cons

At the same time, the product still feels far from finished. We have been waiting for certain parts to be completed yet new additions keep getting introduced before the existing gaps are addressed. That makes it feel sellable but not truly complete. We have been dealing with this for about 3 years and the inconsistent labeling on the program side only adds to the frustration. If someone does not use the system often, they may not immediately notice it but it creates a real usability problem.

“top-tier cloud access leader”

Pros

One thing that really stands out with Brivo is how well they document their processes and explain the way they continuously monitor threats and update the system to help prevent data breaches. The interface also feels very obvious even for someone using it for the first time.

Cons

New feature requests can sometimes take a bit longer than we would prefer but that seems to come from the level of scrutiny and testing they put in before releasing anything new which is honestly a benefit. The Brivo team keeps evolving the product and adding capabilities that help it stay ahead of the industry. There's a reason competitors focus so heavily on them, they dominate the cloud access market because the product is the best, not because they rely on overly aggressive marketing.

“replacement for physical key cards”

Pros

Getting around the app is fairly hassle free and adding or removing employees was very simple. It also turned out to be a really good replacement for physical key cards.

Cons

The interface wasn't appealing to me. A few times when I tried to unlock the door with my iPhone, it opened Apple Wallet instead.