In the past few years, we have seen an enormous shift in companies' operations.
Thankfully, the traditional model of having a fixed office and employees working from that location 9 to 5, five days a week, is no longer the norm—enter the era of hybrid remote work.
According to March 2024 Stanford research, hybrid models are now the most popular, even more so than full-time models in the office. Currently, 28% of paid working days in the US are work-from-home days
Hot desk booking software helps manage hybrid offices, from simply booking desks and meeting rooms to ensuring the right people show up on the right day for optimal collaboration.
Explore our comprehensive guide on hybrid office for more insights on optimizing your workplace.
Top 50 Hot Desk Booking Software in 2024
Hot desk booking platforms offer a promising way to improve hybrid work and offices. This software can enhance employee engagement and productivity while addressing office space management costs and efforts.
The problem is that each vendor's website says they are 'number one,' making it hard to find the best options to consider.
At FlexOS, we take a data-first approach to help you make a more informed decision.
Based on web traffic and branded searches, here are the top 50 desk booking software – objectively ranked.
The Top 10 Desk Booking Software In More Detail
Of course, you may still want to look into some of these platforms in a bit more detail. Below, I share more insights for each of the leading platform:
Looking for meeting room scheduling software instead? See our detailed guide.
1. Skedda
With its intuitive scheduling interface and many available automation rules to reduce manual admin work, Skedda ranks as the leading desk booking software.
What's neat is that Skedda designs your floor plans (even for a trial) and has a wide array of onboarding resources available for a successful launch. With advanced analytics, user roles & permissions system, and integrations, Skedda is a solid option for most companies.
Features: Besides expected features, Skedda recently launched a robust visitor management solution.
Customers and Awards: Skedda counts 17,000 users at customers like Toyota, MIT, and Deloite. It won G2 accolades for best admin, easiest setup, and momentum leader in Spring 2024, alongside 5-star reviews on various sites.
Pricing: Skedda no longer has a free plan, so expect to pay at least $99 per month.
Click here to explore Skedda.
2. Robin
Robin, also known as Robin Powered, pivoted during COVID and built desk booking features on its original product of meeting room bookings. For this reason, the Robin desk booking product isn't the most user-friendly out there, but it fits the needs of companies who were already on the platform.
Robin Powered is one of the few platforms that have embraced AI in the Workplace, which it uses to provide personalized recommendations on when to come to the office and which space to book for which meeting.
Features: Robin has all the usual features you'd expect, plus AI to use data from past bookings and preferences to book the best desk automatically.
Customers and Awards: Numerous companies worldwide use Robin, including Autodesk, Mailchimp, and Tripadvisor. It was named Enterprise Leader by G2 and Best Ease of Use by Capterra.
Pricing: Robin offers a 14-day free trial, after which it charges from $419 per month.
Click here to explore Robin.
3. Condeco
Condeco offers desk booking and meeting room booking software with a focus on more traditional companies. The platform offers the most important features, but clearly hasn't been updated in some time.
While compatible with over 15 different applications and featuring companies like Pepsi, I expect that for most of our readers, this platforms won't be an option. It's designed for older, less tech-savvy users, and the interface reflects this.
Pricing: Condeco pricing starts at $45 per user. Larger companies with many employees may incur higher costs.
Click here to explore Condeco.
4. Envoy
Envoy is an older hot desk booking and meeting room booking system. With its roots in visitor management, it (like Robin) pivoted to desks during COVID-19.
As the desk booking app features were built on top of the visitor management platform, it's not the most intuitive or modern platform out there, but for larger companies Envoy still seems good enough to not switch vendors.
Like most, Envoy integrates with popular calendar apps and communication tools, ensuring seamless adoption into existing workflows.
Features: Besides hot desking and room bookings, Envoy recently launched a 'Virtual Front Desk' product and an expansive deliveries feature.
Customers and Awards: Envoy says it has over 160,000 users across 9,000 companies in 100+ countries, including Box, Slack, L'Oreal, and Mazda. It didn't mention any awards it has won.
Pricing: Envoy charges companies $5 and up per user per month for "Workplace Premium," which includes desk booking.
Click here to explore Envoy.
5. OfficeSpace
OfficeSpace is another enterprise-focused desk booking system that offers the usual features. If you're among companies like BCG, KPMG, and CapitalOne, then this may be a good fit for you.
Features: The usual suspects, like desk and room booking, visitor management, and workplace analytics. They've hinted at AI features in the works.
Customers and Awards: The abovementioned and 1,650 other large companies including Hubspot, OpenAI, and Airbnb use OfficeSpace. G2 called OfficeSpace a Mid-Market and Enterprise Leader in its latest rankings.
Pricing: OfficeSpace does't provide any pricing info, but Capterra reports packages start at $500 per month.
Click here to explore OfficeSpace.
6. Deskbird
Deskbird, a European-based platform, offers typical hot desk booking features alongside event listings that aim to bring people back to the office.
The user experience is modern, and the platform integrates well in Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Google Workplace. It also touts it GRPD compliance, helpful for European companies.
Features: Besides the expected features, Deskbird offers incognito bookings for privacy and real-time analytics for workspace utilization.
Customers and Awards: Over 5,000 workplaces use Deskbird, including Deloitte, Heineken, and Samsung. The platform won "Highest User Adoption Enterprise" and "Best Est. ROI" in G2's Winter 2024 rankings.
Pricing: Deskbird pricing starts at $1.80 per user, making it an affordable option for businesses focused on optimizing their office spaces.
Click here to explore Deskbird.
7. OfficeRnD Hybrid
Unlike the platforms listed above, OfficeRnD Hybrid emphasizes team coordination by letting users search for colleagues, plan shared schedules, and book desks nearby.
OfficeRnD Hybrid also integrates directly with popular tools like Google Calendar, Microsoft, and Slack for easy access to desk bookings from any device.
Features: OfficeRnD Hybrid covers the essentials like hot desking, with added data insights to optimize space use and reduce real estate costs. It also supports "neighborhoods" for team-based workspace arrangements to strengthen team connections.
Customers and Awards: OfficeRnD Hybrid includes customers like Yamaha and Xeros, and won the "Leader" and "Momentum Leader" badges from G2.
Pricing: OfficeRnD Hybrid has a free plan with no limitations for up to 20 users and 20 resources. "Start" costs $199 per month for up to 150 users, while "Professional" costs $399 per month for up to 1000 users. There's also a custom-priced "Enterprise" plan for tailored features and services.
Click here to explore OfficeRnD Hybrid.
8. Cloudbooking
Cloudbooking is another enterprise desk booking and hybrid office management solution that's especially popular in the UK. It offers the usual features and seems to be relatively user-friendly for a solution catering to large companies.
Features: Cloudbooking highlights its many integrations, including with IOT devices, as one of its strengths.
Customers and Awards: Cloudbooking counts Rakuten, Paramount, Airbus and other large companies as its customers. It earned a "Fall 2024 – High Performer" award from G2.
Pricing: Cloudbooking charges a fixed amount per number of users, starting at £99 for 80 users and 50 desks.
Click here to explore Cloudbooking.
9. Appspace
Appspace combines workplace tools with employee communication in one system in an attempt to make the online and offline workplace more united. Combining an intranet with digital screens and the usual (web) app, it lets you streamline your communication.
Its focus on content makes the platform a natural place to integrate AI, not only for writing messages, but also to answer common questions and booking desks.
Features: Besides the above, Appspace supports digital signage for visitor communication, room booking, and hot desking, and desk hoteling. The IoT integrations provide data insights on space utilization and air quality to help optimize office environments.
Customers and Awards: Used by 2,500 companies like Paramount+, Google, and Yale, Appspace, Appspace won the "Leader" badge on G2 in Summer 2024.
Pricing: Appspace starts at $3 per user and $38 per device per month, with a minimum spend of $950 monthly.
Click here to explore Appspace.
10. Deskly
Another European entry, Deskly is popular in Germany and beyond, and offers all the common hybrid office management features. It also integrated with platforms like MS Teams and even HRIS software like Personio.
Features: All common features. Like its other European counterparts, Deskly pays particular attention to being 100% GDPR compliant.
Customers and Awards: Deskly says it has over 100,000 users across companies like Bosch, Audi, and SNS. It won a range of European awards.
Pricing: After a 14-day free trial, Deskly charges per user (ouch!) at the rate of €1.65 – 2.20 per month.
Making Moves: Three Additional Desk Booking Platforms to Consider
As you can see from the data, a lot of the leading solutions are legacy providers offering scale and experience, but perhaps not the most modern or employee-friendly experience.
It's good to consider that for most companies, the type of vendor you work with matters – a lot. And that what works for some, may not be quite right for you.
Here are a few more stand-out options to consider:
Tactic
Tactic (disclaimer: a FlexOS supporter) enables teams to navigate between in-office and remote work with desk booking, meeting room booking, and office scheduling features.
Plus, Tactic provides real-time data on office space utilization, giving you valuable insights into your team's daily office usage. Tactic is run by a team that's passionate about solving hybrid work challenges, and counts Microsoft, Grammarly, and JLL among its customers.
Click here to explore Tactic
Kadence
Kadence offers a comprehensive desk booking software solution tailored to the needs of modern workplaces. Kadence stands out as a versatile platform for managing your teams and spaces, focusing on boosting team productivity and optimizing workspace utilization.
Kadence boosts team productivity with AI-powered Scheduling and Booking Suggestions to help your teams connect in the right places, and has versatile Mobile and Web platforms with full Microsoft Teams and Slack integrations for complete booking and coordination flexibility.
Click here to explore Kadance
Cafe
Cafe is a hot desk booking software that offers simplicity, ease of use, and an upbeat look and feel. It makes Cafe fit well with employee-centric startups and scaleups, but also counts Capgemini, Deloitte, and Volkswagen among its customers.
Cafe has been on the forefront of keeping hybrid teams connected, by allowing companies to upload event and activities, start and manage communities, and more. This is something quite unheard of in an office desk booking system.
Click here to explore Cafe
All 50 Hot Desk Booking Software in 2024
You may find that the options above aren't enough to find your perfect platform, or you may want to explore more alternatives.
Good news: almost every day, new and updated hot desk platforms pop up so you can find your perfect match:
- Skedda
- Robin
- Condeco
- Envoy
- OfficeSpace
- Deskbird
- OfficeRnD
- Cloudbooking
- Appspace
- Deskly
- Yarooms
- Eptura
- MapIQ
- MatrixBooking
- Tactic
- Poppulo
- Kadence
- Othership
- Whatspot
- Hybridhero
- Archie
- Wayleadr
- Reflex
- Officely
- Tribeloo
- Smartenspaces
- Joan
- Clearooms
- Duome
- Hotdesk
- Pult
- AFreeSpace
- Eden Workplace
- Accruente
- Breeze
- Flowscape
- Roomzilla
- Flydesk
- Meetio
- Gable
- Hybo
- Unspot
- Cafe
- iotspot
- Smartway2
- Officemaps
- GoBright
- TableAir
- Flexy AI
- Deskfound
Choosing the best software for you
With so many options, choosing the best hot desk booking software isn't easy. Your company size, geography, and existing tech stack all play a part in deciding which platform is best for you.
Here are some additional considerations you should take into account:
- Intuitive User Interface and Automation: Platforms in this category stand out with user-friendly interfaces, automated booking processes, and comprehensive analytics. This approach simplifies reservation while providing insights into workspace usage.
- Workflow Integration: Some platforms prioritize seamless integration with existing tools and systems, such as Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Outlook, enhancing user convenience and workflow efficiency.
- Modular Pricing and Safety Emphasis: Specific platforms offer modular pricing options, allowing you to choose your required services. They also emphasize safety and compliance through transparent visitor management and health policy reviews.
- Real-time Data and Insights: Some platforms differentiate themselves by providing real-time data on resource availability, enabling effective workspace management, and enhancing the employee experience.
- Simplicity and Integration: Only a few platforms emphasize straightforward user interfaces and easy integration with tools like Active Directory or G-Suite, making adoption smoother for users and administrators.
Why is desk booking software important?
Recent Stanford research shows that most companies are asking teams to come in 2-3 days per week, as hybrid work is proving to be the best solution for companies and their people. According to other remote work statistics, hybrid work boosts motivation, engagement, productivity, and retention.
At the same time, executing hybrid work well means that beyond improving leaders' remote team management skills, companies also need to think about how to neatly balance in-office and remote time spent, who comes in on which days, and what happens on those days.
When it comes to managing a hybrid workforce, one of the difficulties is determining how to allocate desk space effectively. We all want to avoid asking people to return to the office to find out there's no space to do work.
Hot desking can facilitate a more fluid and cooperative work environment by letting employees reserve desks, conference rooms, and other resources on demand.
The hot desk booking apps discussed in this article go beyond just booking desks. They also allow you to track attendance to inform schedule improvements, meetings, and events. Finally, they assign tasks and projects while boosting team collaboration and engagement.
Check out our comprehensive guide on hybrid office for more insights on optimizing your workplace and running a hybrid office like a pro.
Why Do You Need a Desk Booking System?
Desk booking systems provide organizations with a convenient and flexible way to manage their workspace and accommodate the changing needs of their employees. Let's find out why you need a desk booking system for your workspace and what it can actually do for your workspace:
Optimize Space Utilization
In most offices, many workspaces are occupied unnecessarily, even if the people don't need them. With a desk booking system, employees only reserve a desk when they actually need it. A desk booking system helps optimize desk space utilization in a shared office environment. With a desk booking system in place, an employee can easily find and reserve a workspace, reducing the amount of unoccupied desk space and maximizing the use of available resources.
Flexible Work Arrangements
The trend towards more flexible work arrangements, including remote work and flexible hours, has increased the demand for desk booking systems. In a Gallup Poll, 37% of the employees said they are willing to leave their current work in a more flexible work environment. By using a desk booking system, employees can reserve a desk or workspace, regardless of location and schedule, which increases flexibility and helps ensure they have a place to work when needed.
Increased Collaboration
Desk booking systems can also facilitate collaboration between employees by enabling them to book workspaces near their colleagues or in specific areas of the offices. Desk booking systems allow employees to see which desks are available at a given time, making it easier to reserve a space near their team for a more organized work schedule. For example, if they need to work on a big project with their team, they can use a desk booking system to book a space without interruption.
Cost Effectiveness
The desk booking system can help organizations save on real estate costs by optimizing desk space and reducing the number of unoccupied desks. It helps make every desk or workstation available to all employees, so more space will be well-spent. By monitoring occupancy rates and managing workspace size, the desk booking system will enable you to save on maintenance and incidental costs.
Improving health and safety
With the COVID-19 Pandemic, health and safety concerns have become a top priority for many organizations. With a desk booking system in place, businesses can easily manage the number of people in the office at any given time, which can help to reduce overcrowding and ensure that social distancing guidelines are being followed to improve health and safety conditions.
Are there Free Hot Desk Booking Apps I can use?
Yes, there are great options for free hot desk booking apps.
Many of the options above have free plans, at least up to a certain amount of employees, including Envoy, Skedda, Cafe, and Officely (up to 10 employees.) If you don't mind putting in a bit more work, there's also a free way to manage hot desks in Microsoft Teams.
Looking to add your platform here? We don't change our listings, but we're always open to other collaborations. Advertise with us.
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