Video Intercom vs Audio Intercom: Which Is Right for Your Building

Audio intercom lets a resident or receptionist speak with whoever is at the door or gate before deciding whether to let them in. It is a proven, reliable technology that covers the basic need of most buildings: confirming who is calling before granting access.

It is also the lower cost option, both for the panel hardware and the cabling, which makes it a practical choice for buildings on a tighter budget or where video is not considered essential. A single audio panel and indoor handset is also simpler to maintain over time, with fewer components that can eventually need replacing.

Video intercom adds a camera at the entrance panel, so the person answering can see the visitor as well as hear them, either on a dedicated indoor monitor or, increasingly, through a smartphone app. This extra visual confirmation is particularly valued in apartment buildings and gated communities where residents want to see a delivery driver or visitor before buzzing them in.

Video panels cost more than audio only panels, and some setups add a modest ongoing cost if they include app based remote viewing, but many buildings consider the added security and convenience worth it, especially where the entrance is also covered by a wider CCTV camera installation and the intercom footage complements the existing coverage.

Apartment buildings and gated communities lean toward video intercom, since residents specifically value being able to see visitors, especially for security conscious households. Smaller offices and back of house building entrances more often use audio only, since the primary need is simply confirming identity before granting entry, not visual verification for every visitor.

A rough guide to which option tends to suit which type of entrance:

Both audio and video intercom systems commonly integrate with a building's broader access control system, so releasing the door through the intercom panel ties into the same access logs and management software as card or biometric access elsewhere in the building. This is worth discussing early if you already have, or plan to install, an access control system alongside the intercom, since planning both together usually gives a cleaner result than adding one after the other is already in place.

If you are also deciding between credential types for the rest of the building, our card, PIN and biometric access control compared guide covers that choice in more detail.

Whichever type you choose, coverage and placement matter as much as the technology itself. Entrance panels need to be positioned where visitors naturally approach, indoor units or app notifications need to reliably reach residents, and for larger public address style installations, speaker placement needs to be planned around how the building is actually used rather than installed uniformly.

Panel and cabling placement is also worth planning alongside the rest of the building's low voltage systems. A proper structured cabling layout makes it straightforward to run video and data lines to entrance panels without an awkward retrofit later.