Is Openpath the same as Avigilon Alta?

Yes. Openpath was acquired by Motorola Solutions in 2021 and rebranded as Avigilon Alta access in 2022. The product is actively sold and developed under the Alta brand. The mobile credential leadership, multi-tenant feature depth, and Wave-to-unlock UX that made Openpath distinctive carry forward. Search queries and historical documentation still use both names interchangeably.

Are Verkada and Avigilon Alta both NDAA Section 889 compliant?

Yes. Verkada is US-headquartered in San Mateo, CA. Avigilon Alta is part of Avigilon (Motorola Solutions), US-headquartered in Chicago, IL. Both publish NDAA compliance documentation. Neither appears on the FCC Covered List. Both are approved for US federal-touching deployments.

Can Avigilon Alta work with Verkada cameras?

Not deeply. Verkada is a closed ecosystem; its cameras don't expose open ONVIF streams that let Alta integrate at full depth. Alta access can manage doors at a Verkada-camera site, but without the unified video-plus-access event correlation Alta achieves with Alta video or third-party cameras. For full single-pane, the camera and access vendor should match. Conversely, Verkada Access runs Verkada cameras only; to pair access with non-Verkada cameras, use Alta access or Brivo.

Which has the better mobile credential experience?

Avigilon Alta tends to lead. Wave-to-unlock with Apple Wallet and Google Wallet support is mature and well-deployed, inherited from the Openpath DNA. Verkada Pass is good and added Apple Wallet and Google Wallet more recently. Where mobile UX is the primary criterion, Alta has the slight edge today.

Is one cheaper over 5 years?

Depends on the cross-stack buy. Per-door subscription rates are close enough that the standalone comparison rarely produces a clear winner. The 5-year comparison hinges on the cameras: buying Verkada cameras anyway, Verkada Access is operationally and economically simpler; buying Alta or Unity cameras, Alta access fits better. Model both stacks (video plus access) for your footprint.

What if I am not sure which fits?

Book the free consultation. You walk through your existing cameras, door count, multi-tenant requirements, identity-provider needs, and budget. You leave with a written read on which path fits and a 5-year cost bracket for each. Tec-Tel installs both. Call 855-577-0400 or book online.

Compare · Cloud access control

Verkada vs Openpath (now Avigilon Alta).

Openpath became Avigilon Alta access in 2022. The product is still sold and still developed. Here's the comparison buyers search for, under the current name.

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NDAA-compliant
Platform-agnostic
1,000+ deployments over 15 years

Openpath was rebranded as Avigilon Alta access in 2022 after the Motorola Solutions acquisition, and is still actively sold under the Alta brand. Pick Avigilon Alta (Openpath) for cloud access control with category-leading mobile credentials, Apple Wallet and Google Wallet support, and the option to pair with Avigilon video. Pick Verkada for cloud video plus access from one vendor on one Command dashboard, with a hard tie between cameras and doors. Both are NDAA Section 889 compliant.

§01 At a glance

What actually moves the decision.

Find the row that matches your biggest constraint. Capability claims are sourced to each vendor's published product documentation and NDAA Section 889 statements.

Criterion	Verkada Access	Openpath (Alta)
Product naming today	Closed cloud stack across cameras, access, intercom, alarms, and guest. One Verkada brand on one Command platform.	Avigilon Alta access (formerly Openpath). The Openpath name persists in search queries; the product is sold as Alta, part of the Motorola Solutions Avigilon portfolio.
What you are actually buying	Verkada Access is a module within Command, bundled with the broader Verkada SaaS stack. Hardware (readers, controllers) plus per-door SaaS license.	Alta access plus optional Alta video or Avigilon Unity video. Per-door cloud subscription plus reader and controller hardware.
Camera ecosystem	Closed. Verkada Access ties tightly to Verkada cameras only. No third-party camera support.	Open. Alta access integrates natively with Alta video, Avigilon Unity, or third-party cameras through the open API.
Mobile credentials	Verkada Pass app, with Apple Wallet and Google Wallet support added more recently. Solid, tightly integrated with the Verkada admin experience.	Apple Wallet and Google Wallet out of the box. Wave-to-unlock is one of the most polished mobile credential experiences in the category, inherited from the Openpath DNA.
NDAA Section 889	Compliant. Verkada is US-headquartered in San Mateo, CA.	Compliant. Avigilon Alta is part of Avigilon (Motorola Solutions), headquartered in Chicago, IL.
Identity provider integration	SSO via SAML, SCIM user provisioning, Okta and Azure AD. The integration story is mature.	Mature integration with Okta, Azure AD, and other IdPs via SCIM. Onboarding and offboarding via the existing identity stack reduces friction.
Multi-tenant building features	Workable but less differentiated than Alta. Tenant administration, branded portals, and resident apps are not the headline use case.	Strong multi-tenant features inherited from Openpath: tenant-isolated administration, branded resident apps, package room and amenity integrations.
Pricing model	Per-door SaaS license plus reader hardware, bundled with the broader Verkada SaaS license for video. Module pricing across the Verkada stack.	Per-door cloud subscription plus reader and controller hardware. Per-camera Alta video subscription if you add video. No on-prem option for the access platform.

§02 Where Verkada Access wins

Pick Verkada Access when these matter most.

One vendor across cameras and access

Verkada Access is bundled into Command. One dashboard, one app, one renewal cycle, one customer success contact across cameras, access, intercom, alarms, and guest. For thin security ops teams running multi-site portfolios, the single-pane simplicity is operationally valuable.

You are already on Verkada cameras

With a Verkada camera footprint, adding Verkada Access is the simpler buy. No new vendor evaluation, no second admin interface, no second mobile app. The integration is tight by design, and adding it to an existing video buy is one PO and one renewal.

Single-pane Command across the full stack

Command unifies cameras, access, alarms, intercom, and guest. Door events tie to that door's camera feed automatically. For non-technical operators, the integrated experience reduces training and support load.

Long warranty and brand recognition

Verkada's 10-year hardware warranty extends across the lineup, and the reader hardware sits in the same product family. Brand traction with CFOs and school superintendents shortens procurement; the committee has heard the name, so approval is faster.

§02 Where Openpath (Alta) wins

Pick Openpath (Alta) when these matter most.

Wave-to-unlock mobile credential UX

Wave-to-unlock with Apple Wallet and Google Wallet support is one of the most polished mobile access experiences in the category, inherited from Openpath. Tenants and employees onboard faster, fewer lost-fob support calls, cleaner deprovisioning.

Multi-tenant building features

Alta has deep multi-tenant features inherited from Openpath: tenant-isolated administration, branded resident apps, package room and amenity integrations. For office buildings, mixed-use developments, and residential portfolios, the depth is better than Verkada Access today.

Camera-vendor flexibility

Alta access integrates with Alta video, Avigilon Unity, or third-party cameras. You aren't locked into one camera vendor. For existing Avigilon cameras or mixed fleets, Alta is the answer Verkada Access does not have. And buying access now with cameras later, Alta gives you that optionality.

Motorola Solutions ecosystem ties

If your operation runs Motorola radios or dispatch, Alta ties in to the broader Motorola public-safety and commercial-security stack. Public safety customers feel this most.

§03 Architecture

Closed stack vs open ecosystem.

Verkada bets on vertical integration. Cameras, access, alarms, intercom, and guest are one stack from one vendor on one platform. The pitch is operational simplicity for thin security ops teams that want one vendor relationship for the whole physical security surface.

Avigilon Alta bets on best-of-platform integration. Alta access is the access module, Alta video the camera module, Avigilon Unity the on-prem camera option, and third-party cameras connect through the open API. The pitch is flexibility to mix the strongest component in each layer.

Both work. The choice is operational simplicity (Verkada) versus ecosystem flexibility (Alta). Tec-Tel deploys both across the customer base.

→ Verkada: closed stack across cameras and access, single-pane Command, vendor-managed updates.
→ Avigilon Alta: open ecosystem, multi-tenant strength, wave-to-unlock mobile credentials, optional Avigilon video tie-in.
→ Camera commitment decides it: Verkada cameras tilt Verkada Access, anything else tilts Alta.

§04 Pricing reality

Per-door subscription dominates the 5-year cost.

Both price access control as a per-door cloud subscription plus reader and controller hardware. Per-door rates vary by tier and contract length. Neither publishes public per-door pricing; quotes come through certified resellers.

On a 50-door deployment, the 5-year cost is dominated by the per-door subscription. Hardware is a meaningful one-time line but smaller over the window. Cross-stack economics matter: buying Verkada cameras anyway, adding Verkada Access on the same SaaS bundle is a small marginal cost; buying Alta video anyway, adding Alta access lands in the same Motorola Solutions buy.

→ Both: the per-door subscription is the dominant 5-year cost line.
→ Both: reader and controller hardware is a meaningful one-time line.
→ Cross-stack economics favor whichever camera vendor you are committed to; standalone access-only comparisons hide them.

Questions buyers ask us

FAQ

Is Openpath the same as Avigilon Alta?: Yes. Openpath was acquired by Motorola Solutions in 2021 and rebranded as Avigilon Alta access in 2022. The product is actively sold and developed under the Alta brand. The mobile credential leadership, multi-tenant feature depth, and Wave-to-unlock UX that made Openpath distinctive carry forward. Search queries and historical documentation still use both names interchangeably.
Are Verkada and Avigilon Alta both NDAA Section 889 compliant?: Yes. Verkada is US-headquartered in San Mateo, CA. Avigilon Alta is part of Avigilon (Motorola Solutions), US-headquartered in Chicago, IL. Both publish NDAA compliance documentation. Neither appears on the FCC Covered List. Both are approved for US federal-touching deployments.
Can Avigilon Alta work with Verkada cameras?: Not deeply. Verkada is a closed ecosystem; its cameras don't expose open ONVIF streams that let Alta integrate at full depth. Alta access can manage doors at a Verkada-camera site, but without the unified video-plus-access event correlation Alta achieves with Alta video or third-party cameras. For full single-pane, the camera and access vendor should match. Conversely, Verkada Access runs Verkada cameras only; to pair access with non-Verkada cameras, use Alta access or Brivo.
Which has the better mobile credential experience?: Avigilon Alta tends to lead. Wave-to-unlock with Apple Wallet and Google Wallet support is mature and well-deployed, inherited from the Openpath DNA. Verkada Pass is good and added Apple Wallet and Google Wallet more recently. Where mobile UX is the primary criterion, Alta has the slight edge today.
Is one cheaper over 5 years?: Depends on the cross-stack buy. Per-door subscription rates are close enough that the standalone comparison rarely produces a clear winner. The 5-year comparison hinges on the cameras: buying Verkada cameras anyway, Verkada Access is operationally and economically simpler; buying Alta or Unity cameras, Alta access fits better. Model both stacks (video plus access) for your footprint.
What if I am not sure which fits?: Book the free consultation. You walk through your existing cameras, door count, multi-tenant requirements, identity-provider needs, and budget. You leave with a written read on which path fits and a 5-year cost bracket for each. Tec-Tel installs both. Call 855-577-0400 or book online.

Get a straight comparison

One call picks the right cloud access platform for your sites.

Tec-Tel installs both Verkada and Avigilon Alta (Openpath). Bring your door count, your existing cameras, and your identity-provider stack. We'll model the full five-year cost for your footprint. You leave with a written read. Call 855-577-0400 or book online.

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