Intercom systems are essential for every multi-tenant property type—from residential to commercial. If you’re a property owner or manager who wants to improve resident safety and access control at your building, you’ve probably considered investing in an intercom system with video. The Whoo intercom system is one of the many options currently available. If you’re considering Whoo Ai, read this review first to learn more about its intercom, its features, and how it compares to the competition.
In this Whoo intercom review, we cover:
- About Whoo Ai
- Overview of the Whoo intercom system
- Features
- Pricing
- Pros and cons
- Comparison of Whoo intercom with the ButterflyMX smart video intercom
About Whoo Ai
Whoo AI was started by Arturo Falck in 2015. Throughout his career, Arturo gained experience as a software developer at various companies. Whoo aims to create property technology solutions to improve people’s lives. Their only product is the Whoo intercom system, which provides access control for multi-tenant buildings.
Overview of the Whoo intercom
Whoo Ai relies on Akuvox, a Chinese company, for its intercom hardware. They do not appear to design or manufacture their intercom. The Akuvox intercom is a cloud-based video intercom system that connects to the internet via an Ethernet connection.
Tenants can download a mobile app on their smartphones. However, whether Whoo designed and developed this app or purchased it from a third party is unclear.
Features
- Built-in camera: Provides one-way video calling
- Smart Keys: Residents can create one-time building access codes for visitors
- Display: 7-inch LCD touchscreen
- Mobile app: Lets residents open the door from a smartphone
Pricing
Whoo Ai lists hardware pricing for the intercom starting at $3,200. In addition, they also have a subscription fee starting at $2.50 per month based on a $30 annual fee per apartment. For specific pricing for your building, we suggest you request a quote.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Smartphone functionality: Residents can view and verify visitors and grant access from a mobile app.
- Weather-resistant: IP65-rated hardware
Cons
- Don’t design or manufacture its own intercoms: Since Whoo buys them from Akuvox, there could be a third-party risk. Akuvox may stop providing updates or repairs or simply go out of business.
- No integrations: The Whoo intercom may not integrate with any property management software (PMS) or other smart home devices
- Smart keys are not customizable: Guest building access codes might be single-use only
- No audio capabilities: Whoo Ai does not currently list any audio functionality available on the Whoo intercom
Watch how ButterflyMX works:
Comparison of the Whoo intercom with ButterflyMX’s smart video intercom
The Whoo intercom system offers a simple apartment access solution but doesn’t provide as many features and capabilities as ButterflyMX. In addition, since Whoo purchases its intercoms from Akuvox, a Chinese company, it may not be in control of the design, manufacturing, or software used on its intercoms. As such, customers risk losing product support, updates, or worse.
Integrations are crucial when considering the right intercom system for your building. You want to make your work easy as a property manager or owner. ButterflyMX offers many property management system integrations to automatically update your intercom directory when tenants move in and out of your building. The ButterflyMX video intercom also integrates with many smart home devices and solutions such as smart locks and Alexa. In contrast, Whoo Ai may not integrate with valuable third-party systems such as access control and property management systems because they don’t manufacture the hardware they sell.
Lastly, the Whoo intercom system has been on the market since 2015, yet only a handful of reviews of their product. Moreover, the Akuvox intercoms they sell have lower ratings than ButterflyMX on both the Google Play and Apple App Stores. On the other hand, ButterflyMX has been successfully installed in over 5,000 buildings and has over 6,000 five-star reviews from residents, property managers, and owners.
Whoo Ai vs ButterflyMX
The Whoo intercom may have some basic access entry system functionalities, but ultimately, it may not hold up against the robust features and capabilities of the ButterflyMX system. Choose ButterflyMX to provide the best access experience for you, your building, your residents, and their guests.
| Feature | ButterflyMX | Whoo Ai |
|---|---|---|
| Built-in camera | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app & smartphone-based access | Yes | Yes |
| IP65 rated | Yes | Yes |
| Customizable intercom screen | Yes | No |
| Customizable virtual keys | Yes | No |
| Multiple intercom sizes | Yes | No |
| PMS integrations | Yes | No |
Disclaimer: ButterflyMX provides these blog posts to help our customers and potential customers make the right business decisions. Our blog posts are based on the information available to us at the time of writing.
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