The 5 Best Desk Booking Software in 2023 (+ What to Look For)

As businesses adopt the hybrid work model, they’re saying goodbye to large traditional offices and embracing something cozier.

While this shift has dramatically reduced business costs, it’s also given rise to a new challenge: more employees than desks. That’s where the magic of desk booking software comes in.

In the bustling SaaS landscape of 2023, there’s an abundance of desk booking software, tools, and platforms to choose from. But with so many options, how do you know which one’s right for your business?

This guide will simplify it for you, giving you a complete walkthrough of the best desk booking software out there. We’ll delve into their pros and cons, pricing structures, use cases, and much more.

Let’s get started.

Our evaluation criteria

Here are some of the things we were looking for as we researched different desk booking options: 

User Interface (UI): Is the user interface intuitive, easy to navigate, and thoughtfully designed?

Usability: Does the software boast a user-friendly setup, requiring minimal training?

Comprehensiveness: Does the software extend beyond desk reservations, offering tools to book other resources? While some businesses may only want a desk booking solution, an all-in-one platform can be a game-changer for many organizations.

Integrations: Does the software seamlessly integrate with popular office programs and apps, such as Microsoft Teams, Outlook, and Google Calendar?

Pricing: Lastly, is the pricing structure transparent, and can it scale up or down with your business as it grows and evolves?

Table of contents

• Best desk booking software – a comparison table
• The 5 best desk booking software – in-depth reviews
• What to look for in desk booking software
• Desk booking software FAQs
• 3 desk booking software use cases (and which software would be right for each)
• Cost of desk booking software
• What’s next?

Best desk booking software – a comparison table

Let’s start with a table summarizing the basic info about the software described in this article. Here you can view pricing and the availability of free trials or freemium plans to make a quick side-by-side comparison.

The 5 best desk booking software – in-depth reviews

While there are many tools on the market today, we’ve determined that these are the five best desk booking software options based on the criteria above. To help you make the best decision for your company, we’ve included each software’s key features, what tools they integrate with, their user ratings, and a list of pros and cons.

Here’s our selection of the 5 best desk booking software

• 1. OfficeRnD Hybrid — Best all-rounder for hybrid teams
• 2. Kadence — Best for creating collaborative work environments
• 3. Eden — Best for a holistic approach to office space management
• 4. WorkInSync — Best for resource optimization
• 5. Officely — Best for Slack users

1. OfficeRnD Hybrid

Best all-rounder for hybrid teams

OfficeRnD Hybrid is your all-in-one solution for creating a seamless hybrid work environment. This software suite is designed with collaboration in mind and offers a rich set of features and integrations. It allows you to easily book desks, meeting rooms, and other workspaces all within one interactive platform.

To start with, OfficeRnD Hybrid offers an interactive office map as your control center, making space management effortless. Employees can easily find a desk or meeting room on the map, and then click and book it in seconds. Other systems often force you into separate windows for such tasks, but OfficeRnD Hybrid keeps it all in one place for a clean, smooth experience.

OfficeRnD Hybrid supports both hot desking and desk hoteling, and it even lets you create customized neighborhoods for your teams or projects. But here’s where its collaboration features really shine through:

• Employees can coordinate their hybrid work schedules, search for colleagues in the office, and book desks near them.
• They can also create a list of their favorite colleagues and plan their schedules accordingly.

For companies with multiple offices, hybrid teams can use the interactive floor plan to easily check the availability of desks in different locations, from Paris to London and beyond. The smart scheduling platform is clutch for frequent travelers, allowing them to pre-book a desk in another office so it will be ready upon their arrival.

OfficeRnD Hybrid makes it easy for you to pick your desk by giving you filtering options based on amenities such as keyboards, monitors, laptop stands, and speakers. So, you can customize your workspace right from the floor plan without any hassle.

(Image Source: OfficeRND)

Automation is another ace up its sleeve. Make recurring bookings for specific days, whether it’s for yourself or for a team. No more wrestling with complex spreadsheets — a few clicks and you’re good to go.

Admins have control over check-in requirements to make sure employees follow protocols. For example, you can set a 30-minute check-in rule through email or integrations like Microsoft Teams.

Now, good desk booking software comes with a robust set of reporting features, and OfficeRnD Hybrid is a powerhouse in this arena. With the ability to customize your dashboards and reports, you can track and analyze space utilization data across all resources. 

Armed with OfficeRnD Hybrid’s advanced analytics and workspace utilization data, organizations can easily identify ways to optimize space and reduce overhead costs.

OfficeRnD Hybrid features & integrations

Besides desk booking, you can reserve phone booths, parking spaces, and pet slots with daily limits. This flexibility caters to various workspace needs. OfficeRnD Hybrid also offers an employee directory, an intelligent workplace scheduling tool, QR codes for hassle-free check-ins, and compliance with your organization’s hybrid work policy.

Employees can easily check their in-office days and secure desks as needed, minimizing the time they have to spend checking shared calendars and other administrative tasks. With the recurring bookings feature, employees don’t have to worry about whether they’ll have the workstation and resources they need when they come in, so they can make the most out of their in-office days.

Available integrations include:

• Azure Ad B2C
• Brivo
• Google Calendar
• Google Chrome
• Google Workspace
• Microsoft 365
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft Teams
• Okta
• OpenID Connect SSO
• Slack

These integrations are app-less embeddable, allowing team members to use the software within their preferred app, including mobile apps.

OfficeRnD Hybrid reviews & ratings

OfficeRnD Hybrid boasts exceptional ratings, with a 4.9 on Capterra and a 4.7 on G2.

OfficeRnD Hybrid pros and cons

Pros:

• The system’s design is intuitive, packed with useful features, and user-friendly, making it easy to roll out to end users
• You can enable single sign-on (SSO), so there’s no need to remember passwords
• Employee and desk data is presented visually within the floor plan so team members can easily locate colleagues they need or want to work with, fostering a more collaborative workspace
• Employees can see what days they’re expected to be in the office and make sure they’re compliant with your organization’s hybrid work policy
• Top-notch customer support along with easy-to-follow documentation and guides, making adoption a smooth and hassle-free process

Cons:

• No option to book entire areas
• Visitors and users outside your organization can’t directly book desks, but you can create generic visitor accounts to book desks on their behalf

OfficeRnD Hybrid pricing

Pricing for OfficeRnD Hybrid starts from $149/month. There’s a free option available for up to 20 users and 20 resources, or you can start a free trial of the complete software for 14 days.

2. Kadence

Best for creating collaborative work environments

(Image Source)

Kadence provides an intuitive hybrid work software suite that covers desk booking, room booking, team coordination, and even visitor management solutions. It not only supports hot desking and desk hoteling but also empowers you to customize neighborhoods to meet your team’s unique requirements.

One standout feature is the interactive floor plan, which makes it a breeze to spot who’s in the office and where they’re stationed. 

Kadence also provides invaluable daily reports that shed light on desk bookings, occupancy rates, and wasted bookings. 

Kadence features & integrations

Features include multi-language support, single sign-on, the ability to export employee desk and meeting room reservations into CSV files, and dedicated customer support.

Available integrations include:

• BambooHR
• Google Calendar
• Gusto
• JumpCloud
• Microsoft Teams
• Okta
• OneLogin
• OpenID
• Ping Identity
• Rippling
• Slack
• VMware
• Workday

Kadence reviews & ratings

Kadence enjoys a strong following of satisfied customers, with a 4.7 rating on Capterra and a 4.6 rating on G2.

Kadence pros and cons

Pros:

• Kadence provides a comprehensive suite of hybrid work solutions, offering desk booking, room booking, team coordination, and visitor management
• Kadence’s platform is quick and easy to use on any device

• The UI is simple yet intuitive
• The Kadence team continuously adds new features based on user feedback
• You can easily see which desks are available, which are booked, and who’s in the office at a glance, thanks to the interactive office maps

Cons:

• There’s no option for recurring bookings
• Some users have reported that integrations can be clunky with some office programs

Kadence pricing

Pricing for Kadence starts from $4/active user/month when billed annually. While there isn’t a free version, there’s a free trial available for 14 days.

3. Eden

Best for a holistic approach to office space management

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One of Eden’s standout features is its modular pricing structure, which means you only pay for the products you need.

You have the liberty to pick the components your organization requires, whether it’s desk booking, meeting room booking, visitor management, deliveries, internal ticketing, or team safety. This flexibility guards your business from being bogged down by unnecessary expenses, making it suitable for startups and established enterprises alike.

Eden’s desk booking system lets employees reserve their spots through an interactive office map, allowing users to visualize and book desks directly from the layout. Each desk’s amenities are clearly displayed, making it easy for employees to choose the perfect workspace for their day.

Eden features & integrations

In addition to desk booking, Eden’s desk usage metrics show you how many employees are coming in, and which parts of the office they’re using. 

Users can check desk availability, make reservations, and review confirmation emails on the go, thanks to the mobile-friendly platform. Admins can also book a desk on behalf of other employees.

Available integrations include:

• ADP
• Azure Active Directory
• BambooHR
• Box
• Brivo
• ClassLink
• Cloudflare
• Duo
• G-Suite Directory
• Gusto
• JumpCloud
• Microsoft Teams
• OneLogin
• OpenID
• Oracle
• People HR
• Ping Identity
• Rippling
• Salesforce
• Slack
• Workday

Eden reviews & ratings

Eden has earned impressive user feedback and ratings in the software review community, with a 4.8 on Capterra and a 4.7 on G2.

Eden pros and cons

Pros:

• Modular pricing
• It’s a full suite of hybrid workplace management tools
• Wide variety of extensions and integrations to choose from
• The platform is functional and user-friendly
• Eden actively listens to user feedback

Cons:

• Some users have found the admin side of the portal challenging at times
• Limited reporting features

Eden pricing

Eden’s pricing for its desk management module starts at $2.25/desk/month when billed annually (sold in sets of 25 desks). Other modules are available for an additional cost, so the final cost will depend on your organization’s needs.

4. WorkInSync

Best for resource optimization

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WorkInSync is a versatile office management software that specializes in hot desking and desk hoteling. Employees can easily locate colleagues on interactive floor plans and reserve nearby desks together, promoting collaboration. Users can easily check each workstation’s amenities within the interactive floorplan as well.

One notable feature is the ability to cancel ghost reservations. It can ensure unclaimed workstations are put to better use.

Data-driven decisions are the backbone of successful businesses, and WorkInSync doesn’t disappoint in this department. The platform offers robust analytics and reporting tools that empower you to track space usage, providing valuable insights into how your space is used.

For managers and administrators, WorkInSync offers a host of features to make life easier. They can effortlessly book desks on behalf of employees, making resource allocation a breeze.

WorkInSync features & integrations

WorkInSync’s features are designed to cater to the diverse needs of modern offices, such as meeting room booking, social distancing, health surveys, and employee rosters. 

With the Professional and Enterprise plans, you get parking space booking, cafeteria/meal booking, vaccination status, and contact tracing tools, too.

Integrations include:

• Google Workspace
• Microsoft 365
• Microsoft Active Directory Sync
• Microsoft Teams
• Okta
• SAML
• SCIM
• Slack
• Workday

WorkInSync reviews & ratings

WorkInSync enjoys stellar ratings, with a 4.8 on Capterra and a 4.7 on G2.

WorkInSync pros and cons

Pros:

• WorkInSync enables you to manage many resources under one software, such as desks, meeting rooms, parking spaces, and meals
• User friendly
• Users can save and update their preferences
• Vaccination status and social distancing tpols
• Custom reporting

Cons:

• Interactive floor plan can take a long time to to load
• Too many notifications after booking a desk

WorkInSync pricing

Pricing for WorkInSync starts at just $2.50/month when billed annually.

5. Officely

Best for Slack users

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Unlike the other best desk booking software on this list, Officely is uniquely designed to function within Slack. Instead of a standalone app or web portal, it lives where your company already works.

Officely takes a novel approach to fostering a sense of community in the hybrid workplace. It broadcasts daily office attendees to a dedicated Slack channel in a bid to encourage others to join in. This not only promotes in-person interactions but also guarantees your office is always well-prepared with the necessary supplies.

Officely goes beyond desk and room bookings by serving as a hub for office chat, announcements, and a range of other extras, like organizing team lunches, bring-your-dog-to-work day, or after-work social events. 

Officely provides management with valuable insights and a bird’s-eye view of popular office days and attendance trends over time. 

Officely features & integrations

While Officely lives solely inside Slack, it offers a range of nifty features. These include desk and meeting room bookings, team lunches, parking space bookings, health surveys, vaccination and test status, data export, and contact tracing.

Integrations include:

• Slack
• Google Calendar

Officely reviews & ratings

Officely boasts excellent ratings, with a 4.9 on Capterra and a 4.6 on G2.

Officely pros and cons

Pros:

• Officely’s interface is straightforward and easy to use
• It’s easy to set up, with no software to download and no training required
• Officely provides real-time visibility into who’s in the office on any given day
• The platform offers a rich set of features, from desk and room bookings to health surveys and data export capabilities
• And as expected, it integrates seamlessly with Slack

Cons:

• Limited integrations available
• Slow loading times

Officely pricing

Pricing for Officely starts at $2.50/active employee/month. A free option is available for up to 10 users and one office, or you can start a free trial of the complete software for two weeks.

What to look for in desk booking software

When it comes to selecting the best desk booking software, businesses of all sizes have a lot to think about. Here are the key factors and functions you should prioritize — the same criteria we used to identify the best and most effective desk booking software solutions:

Ease of use

It’s pretty obvious, but desk booking software should be easy to use. After all, who has the time for complicated setups?

But setting the obvious aside, user-friendliness is key because it boosts adoption rates, reduces training time, and keeps support requests to a minimum. When the software is intuitive and well-designed, it enhances the overall employee experience and encourages consistent usage, which makes your workspace easier to manage.

System customization

Your organization is unique, so your desk booking software should be too. Look for customization options like:

• Configurable interactive floor plan management
• Delegated, recurring, and private desk bookings
• Desk booking policies
• Easy-to-use or automated check-in systems
• Configurable and white-label web, mobile, and integrations experiences
• Collaboration and smart scheduling capabilities
• Advanced analytics

Desk scheduling

Effective desk scheduling is the core function of desk booking software. Employees should be able to make their own bookings without relying on managers or administrators. It should also offer flexible booking arrangements, including hourly, all-day, multiple-day, and recurring bookings.

Accessibility matters, too. Team members should be able to make reservations from any platform, be it through their web browser or on a mobile device. This not only maintains efficient (and flexible) desk scheduling but also keeps your office organized, prevents overcrowding, and makes sure everyone gets the workspace they need.

Interactive floor plans and office maps

Interactive floor plans present a visual representation of the office layout, making it easy for employees to find and pick their desks. It enhances the user experience, reduces booking errors, and optimizes space utilization by allowing your team to make smart choices based on the office layout.

Utilization data analytics 

Utilization data analytics provides valuable insights into how office space is used. It helps you discover unused spots, figure out when your office is buzzing the most, and even spot trends in employee behavior. 

By analyzing utilization data, you can make savvy choices about your office layout, where to put your resources, and how to design your workspace. That means you can cut costs and boost efficiency.

Integration with existing tools

Desk booking software should play nice with your existing software. Since that’s what your employees are already using, that makes it easier to incorporate into their workflow. Having a rich set of integrations also supports a more agile and responsive workplace, which is especially important in the age of hybrid and flexible working.

At the very least, it should integrate with the most commonly used tools like Microsoft Teams, Slack, Outlook, and Google Workspace.

Desk booking software FAQs

What is desk booking software?

Desk booking software is a digital tool that allows employees to reserve office desks or workspaces. It’s typically used in hybrid work environments where desks aren’t assigned to specific individuals.

What is hot desk booking software?

Hot desk booking software is a digital tool that enables employees to reserve temporary desk spaces in a hybrid office environment. Desks are booked on a first-come, first-served basis, promoting workspace flexibility and efficient resource utilization.

Which software Is best for booking online?

The best all-around software for booking online is OfficeRnD Hybrid, though some others may be best for specific use cases.

How do I choose a desk booking system?

To choose a desk booking system, start by defining your objectives and budget, then look for systems that can grow with your organization. You’ll want something that’s customizable and easy to use, with advanced analytics and reporting tools. 

Price is also an important factor to consider, too. If possible, trial the software before committing.

3 desk booking software use cases (and which software would be right for each)

Whether you’re managing a single office or a network of locations, there’s a desk (and room) booking solution tailored to your needs. To illustrate, we’ll explore three common use cases and recommend the right desk booking software for each scenario.

Use case 1: you want other resources to be bookable

Sometimes, it’s not just about desks. You may need a platform that allows you to manage other resources as well, like conference rooms, phone booths, or parking spaces. 

For a comprehensive solution that covers all your desk-booking needs in one platform, Eden is probably your best bet.

Use case 2: you’re just starting out

If you’re a startup or small business with a limited amount of employees, you need desk booking software that offers flexibility and cost-effectiveness. Assuming you’re using Slack, we recommend Officely because it comes with a free option for up to 10 users, as well as tiered plans that allow you to scale your usage. 

If you aren’t using Slack, or if Officely is a little too small, OfficeRnD Hybrid also has a free option for up to 20 users. 

Use case 3: you’re managing multiple locations

For businesses with multiple locations, managing the desk booking process can be a complex task. Each location may have unique booking rules and requirements. In such cases, desk booking system software that allows you to tailor booking rules to each location is essential. 

OfficeRnD Hybrid is the ideal choice because you can customize booking rules for each of your office locations.

Cost of desk booking software

Since most desk booking software is priced per user/seat, the cost will depend on the size of your organization.  

Assuming the average monthly cost per user/seat is $2.25, smaller organizations of 20–30 people can expect to pay anywhere from $45 to $70 each month. In contrast, the same software could cost larger companies several hundred dollars a month.

Because of this, it’s essential to think about not just your current team members but also those who might use it in the future. Make sure you look at how the cost will increase as you scale — not only will your costs increase with each team member, but you may also need to bump up your plan to a more expensive tier as your business needs increase.

What’s next?

When your business is transitioning to hybrid work, the last thing you want is a workforce that can’t easily access the tools they need. And you certainly don’t want a desk booking tool or system that contributes to the problem. 

The best desk booking software is one that’s easy to use, customizable, and integrates with other tools you’re using.

If you’re looking for a reliable platform, try out OfficeRnD Hybrid. It’s free for up to 20 users and 20 resources — no credit card required, no hidden fees, and no time limits — you don’t even have to install anything.