Best Desk Booking Software: 9 Tools for Hybrid Offices

Hybrid work changed the office overnight. Some days it's empty, other days there aren't enough desks, and people come in to see colleagues who turn out to be at home.

Desk booking software brings some order to that. The nine tools below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, from simple desk apps to complete workplace platforms, and every description comes from the vendor's own site, read this week. If you're rethinking the office itself, my piece on making the office more connected has ideas.

Desk booking tools side by side

In the free plan column, Yes means the tool's own site names a free plan, a free version or an open source edition. Trial only means a time-limited trial. Not stated means the pages I read named neither, even where there's a button inviting you to try it or book a demo.

Tool	Type	Good for	Free plan
Archie	Space management software	Flexible and hybrid workspaces	Not stated
deskbird	AI workplace platform	Desks across several office locations	Not stated
Joan	Smart hybrid workplace solutions	Room displays plus desk booking	Not stated
Kadence	AI workplace management	Booking desks near teammates	Not stated
Matrix Booking	Workplace management software	Estates teams wanting data behind decisions	Trial only
OfficeRnD Hybrid	Flexible workplace software	Desks, rooms and parking together	Not stated
Robin	Workplace management platform	Booking desks, lockers and parking	Not stated
Skedda	Workplace management software	Simple desk and room booking	Not stated
YAROOMS	Workplace management platform	Microsoft 365 and Google Calendar offices	Not stated

Nine desk booking tools to consider

Archie

Best for: Companies running flexible and hybrid workspaces that want desk booking inside complete space management software.

deskbird

Best for: Hybrid companies that want desks and shared spaces managed across all their office locations from one app.

Joan

Best for: Offices that want desk booking and meeting room scheduling, with Joan's own room displays as an option.

Kadence

Best for: Hybrid teams that want to book desks and neighbourhoods near the colleagues they're coming in to see.

Matrix Booking

Best for: Estates teams that want desks, rooms and visitors managed in one platform, with data behind every estate decision.

OfficeRnD Hybrid

Best for: Workplace teams that want easy desk booking, room scheduling and parking management for hybrid staff.

Robin

Best for: Larger offices that want desks, rooms, lockers and parking booked with AI help and space plans updated together.

Skedda

Best for: Offices, coworking spaces and other shared venues that want desks and meeting rooms booked without the manual juggling.

YAROOMS

Best for: Companies on Microsoft Teams, Outlook or Google Calendar that want a desk booking system that works inside them.

What desk booking software does

People open an app, a calendar add-in or a chat tool, see a floor plan, and book a desk for the day. Most tools also show where teammates are sitting, let you set up team neighbourhoods and release desks nobody checked into.

Behind the scenes, the bookings become occupancy data. That's often the bigger prize, because it shows whether you need more space, less space or a different mix of desks and meeting rooms.

Hot-desking and screen safety

The HSE says the Display Screen Equipment Regulations apply to workers who use DSE daily, for continuous periods of an hour or more, and that in law employers must do a DSE workstation assessment for them.

Hot-desking doesn't remove that duty. Make sure shared desks are set up so people can adjust them, and use your booking tool to flag desks with specialist equipment so the colleagues who need them can book them first.

Rolling desk booking out without a revolt

Start with one floor or one team, and agree a few simple rules: how far ahead people can book, when an unused desk is released and whether anyone keeps a fixed desk. Explain why you're doing it, because people worry that booking means losing their usual spot. After a month, look at the data together and adjust the rules before you roll out to everyone else. That way the tool feels like it's helping, not policing.

Questions to ask a desk booking vendor

1. Can staff book from Microsoft Teams, Outlook, Google Calendar or Slack?
2. Do you support floor plans, neighbourhoods and team days?
3. How do check-ins and automatic desk release work?
4. Can we reserve specific desks for people who need adjustments?
5. Which occupancy reports do we get?
6. Can the same tool handle meeting rooms, parking and visitors?

Signs your office needs desk booking

• Some days there aren't enough desks. Others it's a ghost town.
• People come in to an empty team. Nobody knew who'd be there.
• Specialist desks get taken. By people who don't need them.
• Nobody knows how much space you use. Lease decisions are guesses.

Do you make desk booking software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.

My plain advice on choosing desk booking software

Put the booking where people already work. If your team lives in Microsoft Teams or Google Calendar, a tool that books desks from there will get far more use than a separate app nobody remembers to open.

Then use the data. After a few months you'll know which days are busy, which areas are empty and whether you need the space you have, which is worth more than the booking itself. For quick wins in the office, see my list of office productivity hacks.

Frequently asked questions

What is desk booking software?

It's software that lets employees reserve a desk for a day or part of a day, often with a floor plan, check-in and occupancy reports.

What is hot-desking?

Hot-desking means desks aren't assigned to individuals. People book or take any free desk when they come in.

Do I still need DSE assessments with hot-desking?

Yes. The HSE says employers must assess workstations for workers who use screens daily for an hour or more at a time.

Can I book a desk from Microsoft Teams?

Many desk booking tools offer Teams or Outlook add-ins, and some work with Google Calendar or Slack.

Is desk booking software worth it for a small office?

For a small team, a simple app can stop clashes and show which days are busy, which helps when planning team days.

What is a desk neighbourhood?

It's a group of desks set aside for a team, so colleagues can book near each other on the days they're in.