Is Net2 Lite really free?

Paxton's US Net2 page says Net2 Lite is ideal for most sites and free of charge, while Net2 Pro offers extra features for more advanced access control. Hardware, installation and service are separate costs. Check with your installer which edition your office runs, because some features you may want are only in Pro.

What happens to my Net2 add-ons when we update to v7.0?

Paxton states that any SDK-based integration stops working on a site updated to Net2 v7.0. Integrations built on the Net2 Web API are the supported route. Before updating the server, list every connected product, such as visitor, payroll or badge printing, and ask each supplier whether it uses the API or the SDK.

Can my IT team build its own Net2 integration?

Not directly any more. Paxton says it no longer accepts applications for non-commercial integrations, meaning integrations built for one site and not sold to others. For a site-specific need, Paxton points to its Certified Integration Developers. Commercial products go through Paxton's four-step approval to receive an API licence.

Is the Net2 Nano still sold?

We could not confirm it. The Net2 Nano does not appear on Paxton's current US controllers page, which lists the Net2 Plus family. If you have Nano units, ask your installer about spares and support before you assume either way. We mark its status as unconfirmed.

Systems / Paxton Net2

Paxton Net2: versions, controllers, API changes and upgrade options

Paxton (UK)GateStride: Not yet scheduledReviewed October 2026

By Tom Jin

Net2 is the networked access-control system from Paxton, a UK manufacturer with a strong channel in the United States. Paxton describes it as a system that can be "administered using one or more PCs" and managed from a central location. The software comes in two versions: Net2 Lite, which Paxton says is "free of charge" and suits most sites, and Net2 Pro, which adds more advanced features. Doors are run by Net2 Plus single-door controllers.

You typically find Net2 in small and mid-size offices, clinics and multi-tenant buildings, installed and serviced by a local security installer. It sits at the practical, low-cost end of on-premise access control. The big change for Net2 sites right now is on the integration side: Paxton is retiring the old SDK at version 7.0, so anything that talks to Net2 through the SDK must move to the Net2 Web API.

How to recognise Paxton Net2

Net2 runs on a Windows PC or server in the office, and the operator opens a program called Net2 to add users, set access levels and read the event log. Paxton's own branding is on the screen and in the about information, which also shows whether the site runs Net2 Lite or Net2 Pro and which version and service release (for example v6.7 SR1) is installed. At the doors you will usually find Paxton readers and keypads wired back to Net2 Plus controllers, which are single-door units in a plastic or metal housing.

A Windows program named Net2 on the office PC or server, with Net2 Lite or Net2 Pro in its title or about information.
Net2 Plus single-door controllers near each door, with Paxton part numbers in the 682-series (for example 682-493-US for the bare ACU or 682-630-US for the PoE+ version).
Paxton-branded proximity readers, keypads and fobs at the doors.
Staff or managers using the Paxton Connect app on a phone to manage the site remotely.
Printed Paxton application notes (APN-10xx-US) in the installer's handover pack, such as the Net2 backup or fire-alarm integration notes.

Still not sure? Follow how to identify your access control system.

Versions and editions

Name	Details	Status	Source
Net2 Lite	Paxton's free edition. Paxton says it is ideal for most sites and free of charge.	current	source
Net2 Pro	Paid edition with extra features for more flexible and advanced access control.	current	source
Net2 v7.0	Dated January 2026 on Paxton's integration page. Adds multi-factor authentication. SDK integrations stop working on any site updated to v7.0.	current	source
Net2 v6.7 SR1	From this release the Net2 Web API runs over HTTPS only, using a certificate supplied by the installer or integrator.	unconfirmed	source
Net2 v6.02 and later (Web API)	The local REST Web API, with Swagger documentation, has been available since v6.02. It needs an API licence. Support status of individual 6.x releases is not confirmed.	unconfirmed	source
Net2 SDK	Paxton states the SDK will be discontinued. Any SDK integration stops working on a site updated to v7.0; SDK users are asked to migrate to the local API.	end of life	source

Hardware

Name	Details	Status	Source
Net2 Plus ACU (682-493-US)	Single-door access control unit, listed on Paxton's current US controllers page.	current	source
Net2 Plus, plastic housing (682-528-US)	Net2 Plus controller in a plastic housing.	current	source
Net2 Plus, US metal enclosure (682-610-US, 682-620-US)	Metal enclosure with 12/24V power supply; the 682-620-US adds a trigger disconnect.	current	source
Net2 Plus PoE+ (682-630-US)	Power-over-Ethernet version of the Net2 Plus controller. Kits are sold as 682-930, -920, -950 and -960-US.	current	source
Net2 Nano	A Net2 product name seen on older sites. It is not listed on Paxton's current US controllers page; its status is not confirmed.	unconfirmed	source

What is ending, and when

For most Net2 offices the controllers are not what is ending. The Net2 Plus family is still listed on Paxton's US controllers page, and we found no dated end-of-sale or end-of-support notice for Net2 Plus. The change that matters is in software: Paxton's integration page dates Net2 v7.0 to January 2026, adds multi-factor authentication, and states that SDK-based integrations stop working on any site updated to v7.0. If your site relies on an add-on that was built on the SDK (a badge printer link, a visitor system or a time-and-attendance export, for example), check with whoever supplied it before you update.

Since v6.7 SR1 the Web API is HTTPS only and needs a certificate supplied for the site. We could not confirm the status of the Net2 Nano, which is no longer on Paxton's current US controllers page, so we mark it unconfirmed rather than ended. Paxton does not publish support end dates for older 6.x releases in the pages we reviewed. Dated notices for other brands are in our end-of-life tracker.

See every dated notice in the end-of-life tracker.

What offices commonly miss

No record of who left. Like most card systems, exits usually release through a request-to-exit button or push bar with no credential, so Net2 logs who came in but not who went out.
Third-party add-ons are tied to Paxton's integration rules. Since 1 July 2024 Paxton only grants API access to commercial integrations; a one-off integration for a single site has to go through one of Paxton's Certified Integration Developers.
Updating to v7.0 breaks anything built on the old SDK. Ask about every connected add-on before upgrading the Net2 server.
The Net2 server is a Windows PC in the office. Backups, Windows updates and the HTTPS certificate for the API are the office's responsibility (Paxton publishes a backup application note, APN-1070-US, for an older version).
Net2 Lite is free, but some advanced features are only in Net2 Pro. Check which edition you run before assuming a feature is available.

Integration options

Net2's public integration surface is a local REST Web API that runs on the Net2 server. It has been available since v6.02, ships with Swagger documentation once approved, and needs an API licence. From v6.7 SR1 it is HTTPS only with a site certificate, and v7.0 adds multi-factor authentication, which Paxton asks API users to discuss with its integrations team. Paxton has stopped accepting non-commercial integrations. Commercial integrators go through a four-step process (request form, a concept meeting, a demonstration of the working integration, then a lifetime API licence and certification). Paxton also offers Net2 training. How the API delivers events to an outside system (polling or push) is not confirmed in the public pages we reviewed.

The older Net2 SDK is being retired and stops working on sites updated to v7.0. Paxton also publishes application notes for importing and exporting user data (APN-1011-US), fire-alarm integration (APN-1031-US) and roll-call and muster reports (APN-1032-US). Because the API lives on the office's own server, any cloud service that wants to use it needs a small connector on the local network. We publish no exploit or configuration detail; keep Net2 and Windows patched to the release your installer supports.

Upgrade paths

Keep Net2 and add features in software

Net2 Plus controllers are current, so most offices can keep their doors as they are and add what is missing (phone unlock, exit tracking, a live list of who is inside) through software that uses the Net2 Web API. Make sure any such add-on is built on the API, not the SDK, so it survives the move to v7.0.

Update Net2 within Paxton

Move the server to the current Net2 release, confirm every connected add-on has migrated off the SDK first, and plan for the HTTPS certificate and multi-factor login that newer releases expect. Offices that outgrow Net2 Lite can move to Net2 Pro. Paxton10 is Paxton's other platform, but it is a separate system with its own controllers, not a drop-in upgrade.

Replace the platform

A full replacement means new controllers, often new readers and fobs, and re-commissioning every door. It can make sense during a fit-out or a move, but nothing in Paxton's published Net2 lifecycle forces it today. Compare the cost against keeping the Net2 Plus hardware that is still on sale.

Compare the routes over three years in the savings calculator.

GateStride and Paxton Net2

Not yet scheduled Paxton Net2 is Not yet scheduled on the GateStride compatibility list. It is not on our roadmap yet, and GateStride does not work with Net2 today. GateStride is in early access. If your office runs Net2 and you want phone unlock or a record of who has left the building, tell us; demand from real sites decides what we build next. Any future work would have to go through Paxton's Web API and its integrator approval rules, not the retired SDK.

Full compatibility list · Tell us you run Paxton Net2

Questions about Paxton Net2

Is Net2 Lite really free?: Paxton's US Net2 page says Net2 Lite is ideal for most sites and free of charge, while Net2 Pro offers extra features for more advanced access control. Hardware, installation and service are separate costs. Check with your installer which edition your office runs, because some features you may want are only in Pro.
What happens to my Net2 add-ons when we update to v7.0?: Paxton states that any SDK-based integration stops working on a site updated to Net2 v7.0. Integrations built on the Net2 Web API are the supported route. Before updating the server, list every connected product, such as visitor, payroll or badge printing, and ask each supplier whether it uses the API or the SDK.
Can my IT team build its own Net2 integration?: Not directly any more. Paxton says it no longer accepts applications for non-commercial integrations, meaning integrations built for one site and not sold to others. For a site-specific need, Paxton points to its Certified Integration Developers. Commercial products go through Paxton's four-step approval to receive an API licence.
Is the Net2 Nano still sold?: We could not confirm it. The Net2 Nano does not appear on Paxton's current US controllers page, which lists the Net2 Plus family. If you have Nano units, ask your installer about spares and support before you assume either way. We mark its status as unconfirmed.

Related systems: Paxton10 · Keri Doors.NET · UniFi Access

Sources

Last reviewed October 2026. Paxton Net2 and other product names are trademarks of their respective owners. GateStride is independent and not affiliated with, endorsed by or a dealer for any manufacturer.