Comparison

iLOQ S50 vs Paxton Key

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

iLOQ S50

Transform your NFC-enabled smartphone into a digital key. This app allows you to unlock iLOQ S50 locks and readers using your phone, provided you have been granted access rights by your system administrator. It offers a convenient and energy-harvesting method for secure access.

Highlights
  • Smartphone as a digital key
  • NFC lock and reader access
  • Energy harvesting from NFC
  • Administrator-managed access rights
  • Update access for physical keys/fobs
Features
Read full description

With the iLOQ S50 app your smartphone becomes a key. By downloading the S50 app you can use your NFC-enabled phone to open iLOQ S50 locks and readers to which your locking system administrator has given you access rights. Opening locks is simple and convenient: Just place your phone’s NFC area close to the lock’s reader while the application is open and tap the lock icon on the screen. The reader harvests energy from the phone's NFC field and verifies your access rights for opening the lock. To use the S50 app as a key your phone number needs to be registered to a locking system by the administrator, after this you’ll receive a key registration message via SMS or email. Your access rights can also be updated at any time by the administrator, contact them for more info. The S50 app can also be used to update access rights to iLOQ K5 keys and K55S.2 Key Fobs.

About

Paxton Key

Transform your iPhone into a virtual key for building and car park access. Control your Paxton10 system to grant entry and perform predefined actions like setting alarms. This app eliminates the need for physical access cards.

Highlights
  • Use iPhone as a virtual access key
  • Gain access to buildings and car parks
  • Control Paxton10 system
  • Perform predefined system actions
  • Receive virtual keys remotely
Features
Read full description

Please note, this app is compatible with Paxton10 V3.3 and newer only. When used in conjunction with a Paxton10 system from Paxton, this app allows you to use your iPhone as a means of accessing a building. By presenting your iPhone to a wall mounted reader you will be able to control the Paxton10 system to; - Gain access to a building or car park - Carry out predefined actions within the system such as setting an intruder alarm This app allows users to have ‘virtual keys’ sent to them prior to visiting a building, dispensing with the need to obtain and carry a separate access card. About Paxton10 Paxton10 is an access control and video management system from Paxton. Built on a foundation of secure access control, Paxton10 knows where people are and allows the building to respond as required. Paxton10 combines security and convenience, and is suitable for all types of buildings. Paxton aims for engineering excellence, creating intelligent, innovative products that are fit to meet the challenges and trends of the quickly evolving security industry. This app directly supersedes the Paxton Key v1 app (discontinued 30th November 2022).

Screenshots

iLOQ S504 screens
Paxton Key2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Paxton Key at 4.5 against iLOQ S50's 1.4. Paxton Key also leads on ratings volume (1.4K vs 48). iLOQ S50's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 9 months) and review sentiment (20% vs 7%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Paxton Key holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 1.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Paxton Key has 1.4K ratings behind it against 48, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 20% of iLOQ S50's written reviews are positive against 7% of Paxton Key's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iLOQ S50 ships an update every 3 months, Paxton Key every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
iLOQ S50 versus Paxton Key: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriLOQ S50Paxton Key
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.4 (48 ratings)4.5 (1.4K ratings) — better
Positive reviews20.0% of reviews — better6.7% of reviews
Number of ratings481.4K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 9 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS16.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperiLOQ Ltd.Paxton Access Ltd

Customer experience

iLOQ S50

All ratings48 ratings
Positive10.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative89.6%
Written reviews30 reviews
Positive20.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative80.0%

Paxton Key

All ratings735 ratings
Positive83.4%
Neutral3.7%
Negative12.9%
Written reviews60 reviews
Positive6.7%
Neutral10.0%
Negative83.3%

Bugs and requests

iLOQ S50

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Paxton Key

Reported bugs

12 issues
  • App logs out unexpectedly
  • Watch app never syncs
  • App opens Apple Wallet instead of granting access
  • Requires closing all background apps
  • Bluetooth needs resetting
Show 7 more
  • Key deleted after registration
  • Repeatedly checks in after closing app
  • App opens Apple Wallet on watch
  • Watch app shows 'no credential'
  • Smart credential takes long to process
  • App opens Apple Pay instead of granting access
  • Background operation unreliable

Requested features

5 requests
  • Support Apple Wallet access cards
  • Add ability to add multiple keys
  • Improve watch functionality
  • Implement QR code option
  • Fix Apple Pay conflict

In-app purchases

None

iLOQ S50

No in-app purchases

None

Paxton Key

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is iLOQ S50 free?
iLOQ S50 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Paxton Key free?
Paxton Key is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, iLOQ S50 or Paxton Key?
Paxton Key is rated higher. iLOQ S50 averages 1.4 out of 5 from 48 ratings, while Paxton Key averages 4.5 from 1.4K ratings.
Do iLOQ S50 or Paxton Key have ads?
Neither iLOQ S50 nor Paxton Key shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iLOQ S50 or Paxton Key?
iLOQ S50 ships an update every 3 months, and Paxton Key every 9 months. Most recently, iLOQ S50 was updated on November 3, 2026 and Paxton Key on November 5, 2026.

Other comparisons