The internet is full of rankings that you don't really know what they are based on, so here I am trying something different. I looked at the best desk booking solutions and reviewed them based on the 3 criteria below:
- User reviews: I combined ratings from G2 and Capterra using a log-weighted Bayesian scoring model that balances rating quality and volume.
- Usability: I rated each platform based on interface design, ease of navigation, device supported, and other similar factors.
- Features & capabilities: I focused on what makes each platform stand out-unique features, integrations, automation, and hardware compatibility.
Keep in mind one thing: this is my personal evaluation, and while I tried to base it as much as possible on quantitative elements, some just aren't. A user interface that I find ugly or complicated might look modern and simpler to someone else - so look at this more as my analysis rather than purchase advice.
Also, this post is pretty long, so I encourage you to jump to the section that matters most to you, it could be the full list of solutions and what I like/dislike about it, or maybe the 3 sections where I analyze customer ratings, usability, and product capabilities.
At the end you will also find more details about me and the sources and methodology used.
Picture of me using a desk booking app
Here are the top 10 desk booking solutions I reviewed:
Archie
Highest-rated and best overall
Deskbird
Packed with features and a nice UI
Zoom
Clearly made for large enterprises
Envoy Workplace
Solid solution if combined with other product
Skedda
Flexible and reliable
Joan
Nice addition to their e-ink room tablets
Kadence
Admins can enjoy nice AI features
Desk.ly
Simple and effective solution
Officely
Lives entirely in Slack and Teams
Dibsido
Nice schduling features beyond desks
I also recorded this video to show you what the experience of booking a desk looks like for the end user (both on desktop and on mobile), some of the main admin setup options, and a closer look at 5 of the best solutions covered in this review.
Factor #1: User ratings
When I check out a restaurant on Google Maps, if the place has positive ratings but that's based on just 20 reviews, I don't trust those ratings that much. If the place has like 60 or 80 reviews I start to consider it significant, and if it has a few hundreds I absolutely trust that it will be good. But after a certain point that stops to matter: if there are 300 or 600 reviews it makes no difference, they are a large enough sample that I trust them equally.
So I applied a similar principle when ranking the desk booking solutions listed here, using a log-weighted Bayesian score.
The logic is simple:
- The final score is based 75% on the rating itself, and 25% on the amount of reviews.
- The log-space normalization is shaped to determine the highest change in weight between 20 and 200 reviews, it slows down between 200 to 400, and it almost doesn't have any impact beyond that point.
That’s pretty much the same logic as my restaurant example above.
The final score in the chart below weights Capterra and G2 ratings based on those two factors, which in my mind makes a lot of sense.
Highest-rated desk booking systems
Based on G2 and Capterra ratings, normalized using a log-based Bayesian score.
| Rank | Platform |
 G2
|
 Capterra
|
Final Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Archie
|
4.9 (194) | 4.9 (67) | 4.90 |
| 2 |
Skedda
|
4.8 (267) | 4.8 (225) | 4.85 |
| 3 |
Joan
|
4.5 (253) | 4.8 (64) | 4.72 |
| 4 |
Officely
|
4.6 (156) | 4.8 (12) | 4.71 |
| 5 |
Envoy Workplace
|
4.4 (158) | 4.8 (427) | 4.70 |
| 6 |
Deskbird
|
4.5 (201) | 4.7 (92) | 4.68 |
| 7 |
Zoom
|
4.5 (833)* | 4.6 (500+)* | 4.63 |
| 8 |
Kadence
|
4.6 (101) | 4.6 (29) | 4.61 |
| 9 |
Dibsido
|
4.8 (15) | 4.7 (29) | 4.58 |
| 10 |
Desk.ly
|
4.8 (22) | 4.5 (31) | 4.54 |
* Over 90% of Zoom's ratings refer to their video conferencing solution, which has nothing to do with desk booking. G2 allows for filtering by product used, while Capterra doesn't, so for Zoom the score is only based on G2 reviews for desk booking.
I see this factor as particularly important since it's the closest thing we have to the lived experience of real teams. A positive user experience (whether it's about the end users or administrators), matters for a lot of reasons.
Adoption and daily use
Ratings show if people actually enjoy using the tool, or if it's simply something they "have to use". If adoption's low, or if it's enforced but users are not happy with the tool, it doesn't matter that the software checks all of your boxes, the project will not be a success.
Admin time and hidden costs
A powerful tool can still waste hours on setup or fixes if it's not built with simplicity in mind. User ratings can reveal how much admin time it really takes to manage the system.
Feature relevance
It can be hard to assess how well a certain functionality works, so if 10 different companies offer the same feature, looking at customer sentiment can help understand how it works in the broader context.
Customer support quality
Another thing that's hard to measure or analyze is the quality of the support that will be provided, both as a customer and during the onboarding phase.
A final note: because many of these platforms cover more than desk booking, not every review will be about the exact feature you care about. That's why I would argue that this analysis is the closest it gets to seeing things through the lenses of the customers, but it still has some limits!
Factor #2: Usability
For usability, I evaluated each platform based on:
- Interface design: how modern and intuitive the UI feels
- Ease of navigation: can users book a desk quickly without confusion?
- Device availability: web, mobile app (iOS/Android), tablet apps, kiosk screens, integrations with Slack/Teams or calendar apps
I scored each tool from 0 to 5, with 5 being exceptional and 0 being unusable. Obviously none of them are unusable and I would argue none of them have a bad UI either, but there are some clear differences.
Here is an example.
This is Dibsido's dashboard
And this is Zoom's dashboard
Obviously this is my evaluation, something I don't like might look good to someone else, but I find Zoom's interface dated, unnecessarily complex and honestly kinda ugly and not designed to be intuitive. The booking function is buried in a menu with 20 different things. The UI looks 10 years old. It will get the job done, but it's not an interface I would particularly love to use.
In comparison, Dibsido is clean, simple and very straightforward. I wouldn't say it's gorgeous and it's a bit on the minimalistic side, but it does exactly what a desk booking tool needs to do, offer a simple, nice looking, and intuitive experience. For example different filters are not directly displayed and you have to go through a drop down, this potentially could make usability a little less optimal, but all in all it looks great and it's a solution I would rate positively if we look at the web interface.
Examples of mobile apps from Kadence, Archie, Envoy.
When comparing the user experience, it’s not just about which UI looks the nicest. The design matters, but what really counts is how the interface is organized and how quickly you can get to the information you need. For example, when you open the app, can you immediately see what’s relevant to you, or do you have to go through a few steps to get there?
For example:
- How easy is it to see your upcoming reservations right from the home screen?
- Can you see which colleagues are on site that day without extra steps?
- How quickly can you reschedule a booking or cancel one if plans change?
- How fast can you switch between a list view and a floor plan view?
All three apps above look nice in my opinion. I prefer interfaces that feel modern and impactful in terms of aesthetics, but that’s only part of the story. Usability is harder to judge just from screenshots, but just like how I did, you can find demos of most mobile apps on the official YouTube channels of each vendor and see the actual user flows before forming an opinion.
Now that you have an idea of how I evaluated things, let’s move on to the third factor.
Factor #3: Features and capabilities
After customer ratings and usability, I looked at the actual product offering when it comes to features, functionalities, devices supported, or hardware and software integrations.
This is a complex task for a variety of reasons, the first one being that no two projects are the same.
- A company might need to implement only desk booking and evaluate just that.
- Another company will also use the system for private offices, phone booths and meeting rooms.
- One company uses the booking system only for internal use, while another has it open to the public.
- Another company might register visitors, but then allow them to book and also reserve a desk via a kiosk.
You get the idea! There are a lot of use cases, a lot of configurations, and most of the basic features it's stuff that everyone offers (although to be fair there are some surprises there too!).
So for this factor, I tried to look closely at "core features", without considering other products that are too far off from the desk booking use case. But also I tried to check what the platforms offer in terms of customization options, devices supported and so on. Unlike the customer sentiment one, this is a more subjective analysis, so let me show below some examples of my logic behind certain certain scores.
| Rank | Platform | Features | Integrations | Final Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Deskbird
|
5.0 | 4.75 | 4.87 |
| 2 |
Zoom
|
4.75 | 4.75 | 4.75 |
| 3 |
Archie
|
4.75 | 4.50 | 4.67 |
| 4 |
Envoy Workplace
|
4.25 | 4.75 | 4.50 |
| 5 |
Skedda
|
4.50 | 4.25 | 4.37 |
| 6 |
Joan
|
4.0 | 4.0 | 4.00 |
| 6 |
Kadence
|
4.0 | 4.0 | 4.00 |
| 8 |
Desk.ly
|
4.0 | 3.75 | 4.87 |
| 9 |
Officely
|
3.00 | 4.50 | 3.75 |
| 9 |
Dibsido
|
4.50 | 3.00 | 3.75 |
Some examples of what drove my evaluation:
- I was not able to find any door access integration for Officely and Kadence, that’s a minus if you want to combine your desk system with your security system, track check-in and check-outs that way, and so on.
- Deskbird offers a geofence-based automatic check-in using GPS (100m radius) requiring no hardware, this is awesome as it gives you an additional to track employee attendance.
- If you expand to room or office booking, Joan offers their own E-ink hardware displays. There are pros and cons to battery powered e-ink compared to using normal tablets, but it’s certainly a clear differentiator.
And one more thing
While in this article I’m focusing on desk booking, I think it’s also worth looking at the bigger picture. When you’re actually choosing a tool, it often depends on what other products you need alongside it. Take visitor management, for example, some platforms only offer it as a simple add-on with limited capabilities, sometimes not even available on its own but only bundled with the room and desk booking module. Then you have solutions like Envoy and Archie that provide a full-scale visitor management system with proper depth and flexibility. So even though my main focus here is desk booking, it’s something to keep in mind if you’re trying to cover more than one workplace need with the same platform.
Best Desk Booking Apps Reviewed
#1 Archie
🤩 What I like: Extremely easy to use despite tons of features and customization options.
👎 What I dislike: The UI is easy and intuitive, but while it's awesome on mobile, it feels a bit dated on web.
👀 What stands out: At the time of writing Archie is ranked #1 on G2 out of 107 desk booking vendors.
About Archie
Archie positions itself as a comprehensive space management platform, and from what I researched, it delivers on that promise. What I found most impressive is how it combines desk booking, meeting room management, visitor management, and coworking features into one cohesive platform without feeling bloated.
The interface is genuinely modern-something I can't say for all competitors. Users consistently mention the intuitive design, and the mobile apps (both iOS and Android) have strong ratings (4.8 on Apple Store, 4.7 on Google Play). This matters because if your team finds the tool hard to use, adoption will fail.
What Makes Archie Different
While many tools focus solely on desk booking, Archie offers a full workspace management ecosystem. The platform includes visitor management with QR code check-ins, package delivery tracking, and even coworking space management for businesses that rent out office space to external members.
The integration list is extensive. Native integrations with Microsoft Teams, Slack, Outlook, Google Calendar, and various door access systems (Kisi, Salto, Brivo) mean it fits into existing workflows. The Teams and Slack integrations are particularly well-implemented-you can book desks, receive notifications, and check in without leaving these tools.
Device and Platform Support
- Web portal
- iOS mobile app
- Android mobile app
- Outlook plugin
- Slack integration
- Microsoft Teams integration
- iPad tablets (for visitor sign in and meeting room booking)
- Android tablets (for visitor sign in and meeting room booking)
- Web-based Kiosk app (for desk booking on large touchscreen kiosks)
The multi-device approach means users can interact with Archie however they prefer, which drives adoption.
Overview of the Archie apps
User Reviews Score: 4.90/5 (ranking #1)
Users particularly highlight the ease of use, how simple the set up is, and the responsiveness of the customer support team. Lack of features and occasional unwanted log outs are among the negative remarks.
Usability:
I gave Archie top marks for usability based on consistent user feedback about ease of setup (rated 9.7 on G2), intuitive interface, and the fact that it's frequently described as requiring minimal training. The multi-platform availability and native integrations also contribute to this score. Below you can see more about why I think the UI and usability are great.
Features & Capabilities:
Archie's feature set is comprehensive without being overwhelming. Interactive floor plans, group-based visibility controls, custom booking rules, no-show protection, recurring bookings, real-time analytics, visitor management, and extensive integrations put it at the top tier. Areas where it falls short compared to selected competitors are integrations (for example with HRIS) and certain features beyond desk booking (like tenant experience management).
#2 Deskbird
🤩 What I like: Strong mobile app with 2-click booking, extensive integrations
👎 What I dislike: Costs can be higher than expected for full feature access
👀 What stands out: Data stored in the E.U.
What Makes Deskbird Different
Deskbird emphasizes the social feed and people-first features.
Social Office Feed: A feed showing who's in the office today, upcoming office events, and colleague schedules. The goal is to make the office feel less random and more coordinated.
2-Click Booking: Deskbird heavily markets their 2-click booking process. The interface is designed to minimize steps—select date, select desk, done.
People-Focused Features:
- See which colleagues are in the office
- Follow teammates to coordinate office days
- Filter desks by proximity to specific people
- Anonymous booking option (if privacy is needed)
Mobile App: Available on iOS and Android, the mobile app supports QR code scanning for check-in, booking management, and viewing colleague schedules.
Integrations
Deskbird integrates with
- Microsoft Teams
- Slack
- Google Calendar
- Outlook
- Multiple HRIS systems (BambooHR, Workday, ADP)
- Single Sign-On providers
Privacy and Security: Being made in Switzerland and hosted in Germany, Deskbird emphasizes GDPR compliance and ISO 27001 certification. For European companies or those with strict data privacy requirements, this matters.
Device Support
- Web portal
- iOS and Android mobile apps
- Microsoft Teams integration
- Slack integration
- Kiosk mode for meeting rooms
User Reviews Score: 4.68/5 (ranking #6)
The rating is solid, with a large review base providing confidence. Users praise the ease of use and visual floor plans. Some mention that costs increase with added features.
Usability
The 2-click booking and intuitive interface earn high marks. The mobile app is well-reviewed. The social feed makes it easy to see who's in the office.
Features & Capabilities
Deskbird has a solid feature set with desk booking, meeting rooms, parking, visitor management, analytics, and extensive integrations. The social feed and people-focused features are nice differentiators. However, it doesn't have the AI capabilities of Kadence or the hardware integration of Zoom. The features are comprehensive but not groundbreaking.
#3 Zoom
🤩 What I like: Deep hardware integrations, great for enterprises
👎 What I dislike: Old looking UI, not as flexibly or easy to deploy
👀 What stands out: Works seamlessly with Logitech hardware ecosystem for a unified office experience
Overview
Zoom Workspace Reservation is part of the larger Zoom Workplace suite, which means it's designed for organizations already invested in the Zoom ecosystem. What makes it interesting isn't just the software—it's the hardware integration story.
What Makes Zoom Different: Hardware Integrations
This is where Zoom shines. The platform works with Logitech hardware like Logi Dock Flex, which is a screen device installed at each workstation. Users can book desks and check in from these devices, creating a consistent experience. It also works with touch screen devices from Lenovo and other brands for kiosk functionality.
The Logi Dock Flex is particularly clever—it serves as both a scheduling panel and a docking station, allowing employees to connect displays and peripherals with a single USB-C cable. When you book a desk, your reservation details appear on the Logi Dock Flex screen at that desk. Upon arrival, you can check in with a QR code scan.
Zoom Workspace Reservation supports:
- Zoom Rooms for Touch devices
- Virtual Receptionist Kiosk displays
- Logi Dock Flex workstation screens
- Touch panels from various manufacturers
- Standard web and mobile booking
The Trade-Off: Cost
The costs involved are higher than most software-only solutions. You're paying for:
- Zoom Workspace Reservation licenses (per resource)
- Logitech or other hardware devices for each desk/kiosk
- Potential Zoom Rooms licenses if using meeting room features
For a company already using Zoom for video conferencing and collaboration, this makes sense. For others, it's a significant investment.
User Reviews Score: 4.63/5 (ranking #7)
Who Should Consider Zoom
I'd recommend Zoom Workspace Reservation for corporate spaces that:
- Already rely heavily on the Zoom ecosystem
- Want a hardware-integrated solution with physical devices at desks
- Have the budget for enterprise-grade hardware
- Value a unified experience across video conferencing and workspace booking
Usability
The Zoom interface is familiar to millions of users, which helps with adoption, despite it not looking particularly nice (quite the opposite I would say).The integration with physical devices at desks is intuitive once deployed.
Features & Capabilities
The hardware integration is genuinely differentiating and earns Zoom high marks. The interactive maps, QR code check-in, desk recommendations based on teammate locations, and integration with the broader Zoom suite are all strong.
#4 Envoy
🤩 What I like: Polished visitor management experience, good for enterprises
👎 What I dislike: Actual desk booking is only available on higher-tier plans
👀 What stands out: Not their flagship product, Envoy Visitors is the star
Overview
Envoy started as a visitor management platform and expanded into workplace management. This history is important because it explains the product's strengths and pricing structure. The visitor management features are exceptional; desk booking feels more like an add-on.
What Makes Envoy Different: Visitor Management Focus
If you're evaluating Envoy, you should know that desk booking is only available on the higher tiers of their Workplace product. Here's how it breaks down:
Envoy Workplace Pricing:
- Standard: $3/user/month - No desk or room booking
- Premium: $5/user/month - Includes desk and room booking
- Advanced: $7/user/month - Adds emergency notifications and admin features
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Some features that competitors include by default are gated behind higher tiers or add-ons:
- Guest WiFi integration
- Door access control integration
- Emergency notifications
- Automated reports
Limited Desk Booking Features
Some capabilities that dedicated desk booking platforms offer aren't available in Envoy. For example, you cannot book desks via QR codes—a feature that Joan, Archie, Dibsido, and others support. Recurring bookings are limited (you can book multiple dates, but there's no "every Tuesday forever" rule).
When Envoy Makes Sense
Despite these limitations, Envoy is a strong choice if:
- You already use Envoy for visitor management
- You're an enterprise with complex security and compliance needs
- You need deep integrations with access control, HR, and IT systems
- You have budget for per-user pricing
The benefit is not needing to add another tool. If you're managing visitors, deliveries, emergency notifications, and desk booking, having everything in one system has value.
User Reviews Score: 4.70/5 (ranking #5)
Usability
The interface is clean and easy to use. The mobile app is solid. However, I deducted a point because the iPad-only requirement for lobby kiosks limits hardware flexibility, and the desk booking feature set is less comprehensive than pure desk booking tools.
Features & Capabilities
Envoy scores well on visitor management, emergency notifications, delivery tracking, and compliance features. For desk booking specifically, it's more limited.
#5 Skedda
🤩 What I like: Flexible, lots of tools and options.
👎 What I dislike: Pricing seems a little complex.
👀 What stands out: Versatile platform for any type of space, not just offices
Overview
Skedda is a powerful space reservation platform designed for booking a variety of spaces, not just office desks. It's used for offices, meeting rooms, university facilities, sports facilities, labs, and more. This flexibility is a strength and a consideration.
What Makes Skedda Different: Advanced Rule System
Skedda's most powerful feature is its rules engine. Admins can define granular booking permissions, priorities, and policies:
- Who can book which spaces
- When different user groups can book
- How far in advance bookings can be made
- Maximum booking durations
- Buffer times between bookings
- Quotas and limits
For large organizations with complex space management needs, this level of control is valuable. For example, a university can set different rules for students, faculty, and external groups.
Custom Interactive Floor Plans
Skedda creates custom interactive floor plans for organizations at no additional cost—even during the trial period. Users can visualize layouts and click on desks/rooms to book directly from the map.
Desk Booking Features
- Real-time availability on interactive maps
- Mobile booking via app and web
- Microsoft Teams integration
- Check-in requirements with reminders
- No-show protection (automatic cancellation if users don't check in)
- Neighborhoods (group desks for teams to book together)
Pricing Structure
Skedda has three tiers:
- Starter: $99/month per space
- Plus: $149/month per space
- Premier: $199/month per space
The catch: "per space" means every bookable item (desks, rooms, parking spots) counts. For a small office, this works. As you scale, costs increase faster than per-user pricing models.
Integration Limitations
While Skedda integrates with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace for calendar syncing, integrations with Slack and Microsoft Teams are less seamless than dedicated desk booking platforms. Some users report needing separate logins.
User Reviews Score: 4.85/5 (ranking #2)
Usability
The interface is functional and clean, but some users mention it feels slightly dated in places. The booking process is straightforward once set up, but admins note the backend can feel complex when configuring advanced rules. Mobile and web booking work well. Customer support excellence helps offset any learning curve.
Features & Capabilities
The advanced rules engine is genuinely powerful and differentiating. The flexibility to handle any type of space booking is a strength for certain organizations. Desk booking, meeting rooms, parking, check-in, analytics, and custom floor plans are all solid.
#6 Joan
🤩 What I like: Easy to add desks if you already use their tablets for meeting rooms
👎 What I dislike: Seems like their e-ink room tablets are the flagship products, desk booking not their main offering
👀 What stands out: Award-winning hardware design (Red Dot, iF Design, German Design Award)
Overview
Joan started with e-paper meeting room displays and expanded into full workplace management. The hardware is genuinely impressive—e-paper screens that only need charging every week or two, eliminating the need for power cables at every door.
What Makes Joan Different: Hardware-Software Ecosystem
Joan's differentiator is their e-paper display technology. E-paper (the same tech used in Kindle readers) uses no power to maintain an image, only to change it. This means:
- Displays mounted outside meeting rooms show current and upcoming bookings
- Battery lasts weeks between charges
- No need to run power cables to every meeting room door
- Crisp, easy-to-read displays even in bright light
The Joan 6 Pro and Joan 6 RE are their flagship devices, with the RE model offering enhanced energy efficiency and faster operations.
Desk Booking Capabilities
Beyond meeting rooms, Joan offers desk booking through:
Joan Workplace App:
- Mobile app (iOS and Android)
- Web booking portal
- QR code check-in at desks
- Interactive floor plans
- Department-based access controls
- Recurring reservations
QR Code Check-In: Users scan QR codes at desks to:
- Book available desks instantly
- Check in to reserved desks
- Get recommendations for nearby alternatives if the scanned desk is occupied
Analytics: Joan provides desk usage data, occupancy trends, and booking behavior reports to help optimize office space.
Multi-Building Support
Joan handles unlimited floors and buildings from one central dashboard, making it viable for larger organizations.
User Reviews Score: 4.72/5 (ranking #3)
Usability
The mobile app is well-designed and intuitive. QR code check-in is fast. The e-paper displays are easy to read. Setup is straightforward according to reviews.
Features & Capabilities
The e-paper hardware is unique and beautifully designed. Meeting room booking is clearly the core strength. Desk booking features are solid with QR codes, floor plans, recurring bookings, and analytics. However, compared to platforms built desk-booking-first, it lacks some depth in desk-specific features. Integration options are more limited than competitors.
#7 Kadence
🤩 What I like: AI-powered SpaceOps module for office planning and optimization.
👎 What I dislike: Pricing is $4/user/month, which adds up for larger teams.
👀 What stands out: Recently launched AI features for scenario planning and space optimization.
Overview
Kadence positions itself as creating "smarter, people-centered workplaces," and their recent AI developments back this up. What caught my attention was their SpaceOps announcement—an AI-powered module that goes beyond simple desk booking into strategic office planning.
What Makes Kadence Different: AI Features for Admins
In October 2025, Kadence launched Kadence SpaceOps, an AI platform designed to help enterprises model, test, and execute workspace decisions. This isn't about employees booking desks—it's about admins and real estate leaders optimizing office space.
SpaceOps capabilities:
- AI-Driven Scenario Planning: Forecast occupancy, model policy changes (like switching from 3 days to 2 days in-office), evaluate office consolidation strategies, and see financial impact including cost-per-employee
- Intelligent Move Management: Automate employee relocations with approvals, communication, and coordination when reorganizing floors or moving offices
- Dynamic Stack Planning: Use drag-and-drop to test different floor plans across buildings and campuses in real-time
This is a game-changer for CFOs, COOs, and real estate teams dealing with underutilized office space and rising real estate costs. Instead of months of manual work with spreadsheets, SpaceOps provides data-driven insights in days.
The AI also helps employees with smart suggestions. When your teammates book desks, Kadence notifies you and suggests sitting nearby. You can ask Kadence AI to "book desks for my team on Friday" and it handles multiple bookings at once.
Standard Desk Booking Features
Beyond the AI capabilities:
- Interactive floor plans showing who's sitting where
- Office neighborhoods (assign teams to specific areas by day of week)
- Permanent desk assignments
- Meeting room booking integrated with Outlook and Google Calendar
- Mobile app (iOS and Android)
- Real-time check-in requirements
User Reviews Score: 4.61/5 (ranking #8)
Usability
The interface is intuitive, with strong praise for the interactive floor plans and mobile app. Users report that employees need minimal training to start booking. The AI suggestions enhance usability. I deducted half a point because some users mention the BI/analytics could be better, suggesting the reporting interface isn't as polished as the booking experience.
Features & Capabilities
The SpaceOps AI platform is genuinely innovative and addresses real enterprise needs around space optimization. Combined with solid desk booking, meeting room management, integrations with Microsoft and Google, and visitor management, Kadence offers a comprehensive feature set. The AI-driven scenario planning and move management features are capabilities competitors don't have.
#8 Desk.ly
🤩 What I like: German-built with strong GDPR focus.
👎 What I dislike: Less presence in English-language markets, fewer reviews available
👀 What stands out: AI-supported booking recommendations based on behavior.
Overview
Desk.ly is a desk sharing and hybrid work platform developed in Germany. It emphasizes simplicity, data privacy, and integration with European business tools. The platform is newer to the international market, which explains the lower review volume.
What Makes Desk.ly Different
AI-Supported Recommendations: Desk.ly analyzes your booking behavior and recommends workspaces accordingly. The goal is to make booking as fast as possible—ideally two clicks. The system learns which desks you prefer, what equipment you need, and suggests accordingly.
German Engineering: Built with German privacy standards in mind, Desk.ly focuses on GDPR compliance. For European organizations, this reduces compliance concerns.
Express Booking: A quick-access feature that lets users make reservations from the homepage without navigating through multiple menus.
Features
- Desk, meeting room, and parking space booking
- Interactive floor plans
- Equipment filtering (standing desk, dual monitors, quiet zones, etc.)
- Colleague presence status (who's in the office vs. working remotely)
- Calendar sync with Outlook and Google Calendar
- Microsoft Teams integration
- Mobile apps (iOS and Android)
- Weekly overview of bookings
- Analytics for admins
Integrations
Desk.ly integrates with:
- Microsoft Teams
- Slack
- Personio (HR system popular in Europe)
- HRworks, rexx systems (German HR platforms)
- Workday
- BambooHR
- Azure AD and Google Workspace (SCIM sync)
The integration focus on European HR systems makes sense for their target market.
Device Support
- Web portal
- iOS and Android apps
- Microsoft Teams integration
- Kiosk mode planned/in development
User Reviews Score: 4.54/5 (ranking #10)
Usability
Users consistently mention the interface is intuitive and self-explanatory. The AI recommendations and express booking features streamline the experience. The mobile app is well-designed.
Features & Capabilities
Desk.ly covers core desk booking, meeting rooms, parking, status tracking, and analytics. The AI recommendations are a nice touch. However, compared to competitors, the feature set is more focused on essentials. Visitor management, advanced access control integrations, and some enterprise features are missing or less developed. For small to mid-sized companies, this is fine. For large enterprises, it might feel limited.
#9 Officely
🤩 What I like: Lives entirely inside Slack and Microsoft Teams
👎 What I dislike: What I like is also what's the biggest limit, the use cases are a lot more narrow.
👀 What stands out: 100% native to collaboration tools.
Overview
Officely takes a radically different approach: instead of building another standalone app, it lives entirely inside Slack and Microsoft Teams. This is both its biggest strength and its limitation.
What Makes Officely Different: Slack and Teams Exclusive
Most desk booking tools offer Slack and Teams integrations. Officely IS a Slack and Teams app. There's no separate web portal, no mobile app to download. Everything happens in the tools your team already uses every day.
This matters for adoption. The average knowledge worker switches between apps 1,200 times per day. Adding another app to that chaos reduces engagement. Officely eliminates this friction entirely.
How it works:
- In Slack: Use commands to book desks, see who's in the office, reserve meeting rooms
- In Teams: Access Officely tabs directly within Teams to view floor plans and make bookings
- Notifications and reminders appear in Slack/Teams where you already see messages
- Status updates about office attendance sync with your Slack/Teams presence
What you can book:
- Desks
- Meeting rooms
- Parking spaces
- Office lunches
- Even office dogs (yes, really—some companies book pet-friendly desk areas)
Platform Limitations
The exclusive focus on Slack and Teams means:
- If you're not on these platforms, Officely isn't an option
- Mobile booking happens through Slack or Teams mobile apps (which is fine, but not as specialized as dedicated apps)
- There's no kiosk mode for lobby check-ins
- Visitor management isn't included
Officely works best for tech-forward companies where everyone already lives in Slack or Teams.
Analytics and Reporting
Despite being embedded in collaboration tools, Officely provides workplace analytics showing:
- Who's coming to the office and when
- Space utilization patterns
- Peak office days
- Cost optimization opportunities
User Reviews Score: 4.71/5 (ranking #4)
Usability
For Slack and Teams users, Officely is nearly frictionless. The learning curve is minimal because it uses familiar interfaces. Booking a desk is as simple as sending a message or clicking a button in a tool you already have open. This is usability perfection for its target audience.
Features & Capabilities
The Slack and Teams integration is exceptional and genuinely differentiating. The desk, room, and parking booking features work well. However, the lack of visitor management, limited kiosk options, no standalone mobile app, and missing features like access control integrations mean it scores lower on overall capabilities. It does what it does extremely well, but the scope is narrower.
#10 Dibsido
🤩 What I like: Seems simple and easy to use.
👎 What I dislike: Does not seem to offer as advanced admin customization features as others.
👀 What stands out: Includes carpooling solution alongside parking management.
Overview
Dibsido (formerly Ofisly) markets itself as the one-click desk booking solution, and user feedback confirms the interface is exceptionally straightforward. The whole setup process takes about 5 minutes, which I found impressive. This is a tool built for speed and simplicity.
What Makes Dibsido Different: Parking and Carpooling
While many desk booking tools added parking spot reservation as an afterthought, Dibsido built it in as a core feature. But they went further—they include a carpooling solution.
If parking and managing shared commutes is important for your company (maybe you have limited parking, or you're promoting sustainability initiatives), Dibsido handles both the logistical side (who gets which spot) and the carpooling coordination (who's riding together).
Features include:
- Desk booking with interactive maps
- Parking spot management with monthly limits
- Carpooling coordination between employees
- Meeting room booking
- Available in 11 languages
- Mobile apps for iOS and Android
The freemium plan supports up to 20 users, making it accessible for smaller teams.
Onboarding and Ease of Use
Multiple reviews specifically mention how easy Dibsido is to set up and use. The DIY onboarding means you don't need to wait for a sales demo or implementation team—you can get started immediately. This matters if you need a solution deployed quickly.
User Reviews Score: 4.58/5 (ranking #9)
Usability
Dibsido earns top marks for usability. The 5-minute setup, one-click booking, and intuitive interface are mentioned repeatedly. The mobile app works well, and the interactive maps make finding and booking spaces straightforward. Users appreciate that it doesn't require manuals or tutorials.
Features & Capabilities
The carpooling feature is genuinely unique and adds value. The parking management goes beyond basic spot booking with fairness controls and monthly limits. Desk and meeting room booking are solid.
Consider Your Priorities
Ask yourself:
- Is desk booking your primary need, or do you need visitor management too? If it's both, consider Archie or Envoy. If it's primarily desks, Dibsido, Deskbird, or Kadence.
- Do you want a standalone platform or something embedded in existing tools? If embedded, Officely is your answer.
- Are you already using Zoom for everything? Then Zoom Workspace Reservation makes sense despite higher costs.
- Do you need advanced space planning and optimization? Kadence SpaceOps is genuinely innovative here.
- Is parking and carpooling important? Dibsido stands out.
- Do you need beautiful hardware? Joan's e-paper displays are best-in-class.
Final Recommendation
For most companies implementing hybrid work and looking for a desk booking solution, I'd start by evaluating Archie, Kadence, and Dibsido. These three offer the strongest combination of usability, features, and user satisfaction specifically for desk booking.
If you need visitor management, add Envoy to your shortlist despite its desk booking limitations.
If you're a Slack or Teams-first company, Officely will have the best adoption.
If you're already using Zoom extensively and want hardware integration, Zoom Workspace Reservation deserves consideration.
I hope this extensive research saves you time and helps you make a more informed decision. Choosing desk booking software might seem simple, but getting it right makes a big difference in how well your hybrid workplace actually functions. I recommend booking demos with your top 2-3 choices to see which fits your specific needs best.
Methodology
Over 70 different sources were used to put together this piece of content. Certain resources I reviewed directly (for example companies websites, video documentation, review sites) while for others I used AI to summarize key findings (and usually double checking their accuracy).
Like any other pieces of research, it is prone to error, but I tried my best to ensure maximum accuracy for anything stated here at the time of writing.
Since the publishing of this article, different vendors might have changed their offering.
All data was collected between November 1st and November 9th 2025. For future updates on this post, additional time stamps will be included in the methodology.
If you have any feedback regarding this pieces of content, feel free to reach out via my contact page.
About me, the author
Beyond researching the topic, my expertise in this area comes from different professional experiences.
One of these is Kisi, an access control company that integrates with solutions like Skedda, Archie, and Envoy, among many others. During that period I also ran the publication Coworking Resources, which focused on education in the flexible workspace industry. Currently I am leading the marketing efforts at Archie, and it's important for me to transparently disclose this affiliation.
I'd like to think the insights provided here can be helpful to most readers looking for a desk booking solution, and that readers will appreciate this type of transparency.