Electric Locks vs. Magnetic Locks: How to Choose

 

 

Electric locks and magnetic locks often get discussed as if they are interchangeable. They are not. An electric strike releases a keeper so a door latch can pass through the frame, while a magnetic lock, also called a maglock or electromagnetic lock, uses an energized magnet to hold an armature plate on the door.

That difference affects almost every practical decision that follows: what happens during a power outage, how people exit, whether the door can accept the hardware, how the door release mechanism works, when connected to an apartment intercom system, how much work installation requires, and how the lock connects to an access-control or video-intercom system. For property managers, developers, architects, and security teams, the useful question is not which lock is universally better. It is which locking arrangement fits this door, this code path, and this access plan. 

This guide will answer:

• What is the difference between electric locks and magnetic locks?
• How electric strike locks work
• How magnetic locks work
• Fail-safe and fail-secure behavior during a power outage
• Fire and life-safety code considerations
• Electric strike and magnetic lock comparison
• Security, holding force, and maintenance tradeoffs
• Cost and installation planning
• How to choose by door and property
• Integrating locks with access control and video intercoms
• Pre-installation decision checklist
• FAQs

 

Watch how ButterflyMX works:

 

What is the difference between electric locks and magnetic locks?

An electric lock is a broad category. It can include electric strikes, electrified mortise locks, electric deadbolts, shear locks, and other electrically controlled hardware. In this article, the main comparison is between electric strikes and magnetic locks because those are the two options most often compared for controlled property entrances.

An electric strike works with a separate mechanical latch or lockset. When access is approved, the strike releases its keeper and allows the latch to pass. A magnetic lock works differently: an electromagnet mounted at the frame holds an armature plate mounted on the door. When the magnet is energized, the door stays held closed. When power is removed, the holding force releases.

That mechanism difference matters more than a simple strength comparison. It affects fail mode, egress design, door and frame compatibility, installation work, power planning, and access-control integration. In other words, the best choice is usually made opening by opening, not by picking one lock type for an entire property.

 

Watch how an electronic lock/door strike works:

 

How electric strike locks work

An electric strike replaces or modifies the fixed strike plate in the door frame. The door still has a latch, lockset, or compatible mechanical hardware. After a valid credential, keypad code, or intercom release signal, the electric strike releases its keeper so the latch can move through the frame and the door can open.

This is why electric strikes are often used where the door already has suitable latching hardware. The strike handles the controlled release, while the latch and exit hardware remain central to how the opening actually secures and opens. In many installations, the strike controls entry from the credentialed side, while separate mechanical hardware supports exit from the inside.

The installer still has to solve several door-specific details. Handing, latch shape, frame material, alignment, fire rating, and strike model all affect whether a strike is a good fit. If the frame cannot be prepared cleanly, or if the latch and strike will not align reliably, an electric strike may create more problems than it solves.

Electric strikes are often fail-secure, which means the controlled side remains locked when power is lost. However, some models are fail-safe or can be configured either way. The model documentation and installation setup determine the actual power-loss behavior, not the phrase electric strike by itself.

 

Watch how a magnetic lock works:

 

How magnetic locks work

A magnetic lock uses continuous electrical power to create holding force between an electromagnet and an armature plate. The electromagnet is usually mounted at the frame, and the armature plate is mounted on the door. As long as the magnet is powered and aligned with the plate, the door is held closed.

When power is removed, the magnetic bond releases. That makes maglocks fail-safe by design: they need power to lock. Magnetic lock guidance describes this basic mechanism and why surface-mounted maglocks are common on some glass or difficult-to-prep openings.

Surface mounting can be a real advantage, especially when cutting the frame for a strike is not practical. But it is not a shortcut around proper design. Brackets, armature contact, door construction, wiring, release devices, and alignment still have to be reviewed by a qualified installer.

Holding force is also easy to misunderstand. A maglock may have a published holding-force rating, but that number is not the same as total door security. The frame, mounting, door material, power supply, release arrangement, and likely attack method all affect how the opening performs.

 

Fail-safe and fail-secure behavior during a power outage

Fail-safe means the lock unlocks when power is lost. Fail-secure means the controlled side stays locked when power is lost. These terms describe the lock state after power loss; they do not, by themselves, prove that an opening is safe, secure, or code-compliant.

Lock type	When powered	When power is lost	Planning implication
Electric strike	The keeper releases after an approved signal.	Often remains locked in a fail-secure setup; fail-safe models or configurations may unlock.	Confirm the exact model, controlled-side behavior, and exit method.
Magnetic lock	The energized magnet holds the armature plate.	The lock releases because it needs power to lock.	Plan power continuity and required release methods together.

This is often the deciding difference between electric strikes and maglocks. A fail-secure electric strike may keep the exterior side secured during an outage while interior exit hardware still allows people to leave. A maglock, by contrast, releases when it loses power unless the complete system includes properly designed backup power.

Backup power can help a property keep entrances operating during an outage, but it must be evaluated with the required emergency release and egress arrangement. It should not be treated as a way to bypass release requirements. This comparison of magnetic locks and electric strikes explains the common fail-mode distinction in practical terms.

 

Fire and life-safety code considerations

A maglock or electric strike is not automatically allowed or prohibited on an egress door because of the mechanism alone. The code question is about the entire locking and release arrangement: the occupancy, the door’s role in the means of egress, the locally adopted code and edition, listed equipment, fire-door requirements, accessibility requirements, and the Authority Having Jurisdiction, or AHJ.

A means of egress is the path occupants use to leave a building. A request-to-exit device, often called REX, can be part of a controlled-access design because it initiates release for someone leaving. It is not the same as the reader, keypad, mobile credential, or intercom used to authorize entry from outside.

Different locked-egress arrangements can have different requirements. Delayed-egress, sensor-release, and door-hardware-release systems are not interchangeable labels. NFPA guidance on permissible egress-door locking arrangements explains why doors in an egress path cannot be treated as unrestricted locking opportunities.

Listings matter, too, but they do not replace local review. UL distinguishes between standards for access-control system units and certain special-egress applications, and standards for burglary-resistant electric locking mechanisms. UL guidance on UL 294 and UL 1034 explains those different scopes. Before publication or installation decisions, current local requirements should be confirmed with qualified professionals and the AHJ.

 

Electric strike and magnetic lock comparison

The table below is a screening tool, not a final specification. The right answer can change from one door to the next, even on the same property.

Criterion	Electric strike	Magnetic lock	Decision cue
How it secures	Releases a keeper around a mechanical latch.	Energizes an electromagnet against an armature.	Start with the existing latch and opening construction.
Common power-loss behavior	Often fail-secure; some models support fail-safe operation.	Fail-safe because it unlocks without power.	Match the fail mode to the approved security and egress plan.
Opening compatibility	Works best where the frame and latch accept strike preparation.	Often suits glass or hard-to-prep openings.	Survey the door, frame, brackets, and handing.
Controlled sides	Typically controls entry while separate hardware supports exit.	Holds the opening through magnetic force and release devices.	Evaluate the complete door, not only the lock.
Main installed cost drivers	Frame preparation, latch alignment, wiring, and lockset compatibility.	Brackets, alignment, power, REX, release devices, and backup components.	Compare total installed cost, not hardware price alone.
Egress review	Fail mode and mechanical egress must fit the approved arrangement.	Release arrangement and power-loss behavior need careful review.	Verify local code and AHJ approval where required.

Neither option wins every category. A managed property might use electric strikes on conventional latching entrances and maglocks on certain glass amenity doors. That mixed approach can make sense when each opening is designed, powered, released, and approved on its own terms.

 

Security, holding force, and maintenance tradeoffs

Neither electric strikes nor magnetic locks are universally more secure. A maglock’s holding-force rating tells you something about the lock model, but it does not tell you everything about the opening. A weak frame, poor mounting, bad armature contact, or unreliable power can undermine a strong-looking specification.

An electric strike has a different security model. It depends on the latch, lockset, frame, strike alignment, and how the controlled side is configured. Because the strike works with mechanical hardware, the overall opening can only be as reliable as that hardware and its installation.

Maintenance follows the same logic: inspect the parts that actually make the opening work. For electric strikes, that means latch engagement, keeper movement, alignment, wiring, and wear. For maglocks, it means armature contact, mounting alignment, brackets, wiring, and any backup-power components. The manufacturer documentation should guide model-specific inspection and maintenance.

The security conversation should also separate controlled entry from free exit. A door may need to resist forced entry from outside while still allowing occupants to leave through compliant egress hardware. That balance is why lock type, fail mode, release devices, and code review have to be discussed together.

 

Cost and installation planning

Hardware price is only one line in the budget. The real comparison is the complete installed opening: lock hardware, frame or door preparation, compatible latch or lockset, power supply, wiring, controller connections, REX and emergency-release devices, backup power, labor, inspection, and future maintenance.

Electric strikes can require precise frame work because the latch and keeper must align correctly. That can add labor on some doors. A surface-mounted maglock may avoid some strike preparation, but brackets, wiring, power, release devices, and alignment can add their own cost and complexity.

That is why universal price claims are rarely helpful. One opening may make a strike simple and economical. Another may make a maglock the cleaner physical fit. For planning, ask for opening-specific designs and installed quotes instead of comparing lock hardware in isolation.

 

How to choose by door and property

Choose the lock by the opening, not by the property type. A multifamily main entrance, glass amenity-room door, staff-only service door, and gate can have different traffic patterns, materials, weather exposure, visitor-entry needs, and egress requirements. Electric strikes and maglocks also are not the only categories available for every unusual opening.

Use this sequence before narrowing the hardware:

1. Confirm the door’s function, occupancy, egress path, fire rating, traffic pattern, handing, door material, frame, and existing latch hardware.
2. Identify the locally adopted code path and involve qualified professionals and the AHJ where required.
3. Decide how the controlled side should behave during a power loss without compromising required exit behavior.
4. Evaluate physical security based on the complete opening, not a single holding-force or hardware specification.
5. Verify available power, wiring routes, environmental conditions, backup-power design, REX, and release components.
6. Confirm that the chosen hardware can work with the intended access-control, credential, and visitor-entry sequence.

For a glass amenity or interior door, a surface-mounted maglock may be a practical starting point because strike preparation can be difficult. That still leaves important questions about brackets, release devices, aesthetics, power, and local approval. For a conventional latching entrance, an electric strike may be worth evaluating because it uses the existing latch relationship. Either way, the final design should come from the opening, not from a preference for one category.

 

Integrating locks with access control and video intercoms

Both electric strikes and magnetic locks can be part of an access-control design when the hardware is compatible with the controller and the approved door arrangement. A resident, staff member, or visitor presents a credential, enters a code, uses a mobile credential, or receives video-intercom authorization. The access-control system then sends a relay signal that releases the selected lock for the configured time.

That sequence is simple to describe, but it depends on careful matching in the field. An installer should verify voltage, current draw, relay logic, lock power, cable run, controller compatibility, REX, emergency release, backup power, and the approved egress design. An overview of electronic lock types shows why the lock, power supply, controller, and release hardware need to be evaluated as one system.

ButterflyMX fits into this discussion as the access-control and video-intercom layer around compatible door hardware. Residents can receive visitor calls and grant access from their smartphones. Property teams can remotely manage residents, visitors, credentials, and access permissions. The lock still performs the physical secure-and-release function, and the egress hardware still has to meet the applicable requirements.

That distinction matters for managed properties. A building may use different suitable lock types across entrances, amenity spaces, and staff areas while managing access through a unified system. The access platform helps manage who can enter and how access is granted; the installer and code reviewer help confirm that each opening is correctly built, powered, released, and approved.

 

Pre-installation decision checklist

Use this checklist as planning guidance. It is not a substitute for engineering, electrical, fire-protection, accessibility, or code review.

1. Document the door material, frame, handing, latch, lockset, fire rating, traffic pattern, and environmental exposure.
2. Confirm the desired fail mode and the method of free egress, including REX and emergency release where applicable.
3. Review the selected hardware documentation for model-specific power, wiring, environmental, and listing requirements.
4. Map the access-control relay, power supply, cable route, backup-power behavior, and compatible reader or intercom components.
5. Have a qualified installer design the complete opening and its release sequence.
6. Verify current locally adopted requirements and obtain AHJ confirmation where required.

A connected entry system works best when lock hardware, egress design, power planning, and visitor access are considered together. Treating those items as separate decisions can lead to compatibility problems, added cost, or a door that does not behave the way the property needs it to behave.

 

Frequently asked questions

Do electric strikes stay locked when power fails?

Many electric strikes stay locked on the controlled side when power fails because they are configured fail-secure. Some strikes are fail-safe or configurable, so the selected model and installation determine the actual behavior. Interior free egress must be evaluated separately.

 

Are magnetic locks fail-safe or fail-secure?

Magnetic locks are fail-safe by design because they need power to stay locked. When power is removed, the magnet releases the armature plate. Backup power may keep a maglock energized during an outage, but required emergency release and the approved egress arrangement still govern the design.

 

Do maglocks and electric strikes need UL listings?

The applicable listing depends on the equipment and use case. UL 294 addresses access-control system units and certain special-egress applications, while UL 1034 addresses burglary-resistant electric locking mechanisms. Confirm the required listing, code path, and AHJ expectations for the specific opening.

 

Can a video intercom or mobile credential release either lock?

Yes, either lock type can be released through a compatible controller and relay design. The installer must verify electrical compatibility, relay logic, lock power, release components, backup power, and the required egress arrangement before installation.

 

Electric strikes and magnetic locks answer different door-control needs. A strike works with a mechanical latch and may be fail-secure or fail-safe depending on the model. A maglock uses powered magnetic force and releases when power is removed. The better choice depends on the opening, the approved egress design, and the way the property plans to manage access.

Once the physical hardware is properly specified, ButterflyMX can help connect compatible door hardware to video intercom calls, mobile access, credentials, and remote property access management. Talk with an access-control expert about planning a connected entry system for your property.

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