- Space management software in one table
- Eleven space management tools to know
- Starting points by need
- The law still asks for enough room
- Sensors, booking data or surveys?
- Questions for your space review
- Signs it's time to measure your space
- My plain advice on space management software
- Frequently asked questions
The best space management software shows how your buildings are used, helps you plan layouts and moves, and backs decisions about how much space you need. Some tools measure occupancy with sensors, others plan and manage the space, and the biggest platforms run the whole estate. Eleven options follow in no particular order.
Hybrid work changed the question from 'how many desks?' to 'how is our space used?' Plenty of offices are packed on Tuesdays and empty on Fridays, and a floor plan can't tell you that.
Space management software can. The eleven tools below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, and every description comes from the vendor's own website, read this week. My piece on making the office somewhere staff want to be covers the people side.
Space management software in one table
I checked the free plan column on each tool's own website, as of Oct 2026. Yes means the site names a free plan, a free version, a free account 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, so check the vendor's page before you sign up.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archibus | IWMS platform | Large estates and campuses | Not stated |
| Butlr | AI occupancy sensing | Anonymous occupancy data | Not stated |
| Density | Occupancy sensors | Measuring real room use | Not stated |
| Lambent Spaces | Space planning software | Planning office layouts | Not stated |
| Mapiq | Workplace management | Hybrid office planning | Not stated |
| OfficeSpace | Workplace management platform | All-in-one workplace management | Not stated |
| Planon | IWMS | Space plus maintenance and leases | Not stated |
| Spaceti | Building intelligence platform | Smart buildings and sensors | Not stated |
| Spacewell | Smart building software | Running smart buildings | Not stated |
| Tango | Real estate and workplace suite | Linking space to leases | Not stated |
| VergeSense | Workplace AI platform | Occupancy insight for strategy | Not stated |
Eleven space management tools to know
Archibus
Best for: Corporate real estate and facilities teams who want space utilization, planning and wider workplace management on one IWMS from Eptura.
Butlr
Best for: Workplace teams who want AI-powered occupancy data built around anonymity, scalability and flexibility to see how spaces are used.
Density
Best for: Facilities teams who want occupancy sensors for meeting rooms, open spaces, phone booths and desks, installed without ladders.
Lambent Spaces
Best for: Space planners who want dedicated space planning software with AI help for working out how their offices should be laid out.
Mapiq
Best for: Office managers who want to analyse, plan and operate their space, with resource booking and office wayfinding in the same tool.
OfficeSpace
Best for: Facilities managers who want space planning, visitor management, facility requests and workplace analytics on one workplace management platform.
Planon
Best for: Organisations who want space and workplace services managed in an IoT-enabled IWMS alongside maintenance and real estate management.
Spaceti
Best for: Companies who want workplace apps and building systems connected in one AI-powered workplace experience and building intelligence platform.
Spacewell
Best for: Building operators who want space and building data brought together on one smart building operations platform.
Tango
Best for: Corporate real estate and retail teams who want occupancy, space and reservation tools sitting next to AI lease intelligence.
VergeSense
Best for: Strategy teams who want AI insight into how offices are occupied and used, backed by its own workplace occupancy index.
Starting points by need
- Measuring real occupancy: Density, Butlr or VergeSense.
- Planning layouts and moves: Lambent Spaces or Mapiq.
- All-in-one workplace management: OfficeSpace.
- Large estates on an IWMS: Archibus or Planon.
- Smart building platforms: Spaceti or Spacewell.
- Linking space to leases: Tango.
The law still asks for enough room
In Great Britain, legislation.gov.uk publishes the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992. Regulation 10 says every room where persons work shall have sufficient floor area, height and unoccupied space for purposes of health, safety and welfare.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
So the goal isn't to squeeze in as many desks as possible. Good space data helps you shrink waste without making the rooms people do use feel cramped or unsafe.
Sensors, booking data or surveys?
Booking data shows what people planned. It misses the meetings that never happened and the desks used without a booking.
Occupancy sensors show what happened. They're more accurate, but you'll want to know how each system protects privacy before you fit them.
Most organisations end up combining both, then using the space plan to act on what the data shows. Don't forget the people side: tell staff what you're measuring and why, and share what you find, because a change they understand is a change they'll accept.
Questions for your space review
- Do we need to measure use, plan space, or both?
- Is booking data enough, or do we need sensors?
- How does the system protect people's privacy?
- Can it model scenarios before a move?
- Does it connect to our booking and facilities tools?
- Who will act on the data each month?
Signs it's time to measure your space
- Some days the office is full, others empty. Measure occupancy.
- Meeting rooms are booked but unused. Check real use.
- A lease renewal is coming up. Gather data first.
- Teams argue over space. Let data settle it.
Do you make space planning or workplace management tools? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on space management software
Measure before you plan. A few weeks of real occupancy data will tell you more than any survey, and it stops the loudest voice deciding the layout.
Then plan changes in small steps and measure again. If you're moving offices, my tips on keeping downtime low during an office move are worth a look.
Frequently asked questions
What is space management software?
It's software that helps organisations measure, plan and manage how their buildings and offices are used.
What's the difference between space management and desk booking?
Desk booking lets people reserve a place. Space management looks at how the whole building is used and plans layouts and moves.
Are there legal rules about office space in the UK?
Yes. The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 require sufficient floor area, height and unoccupied space in rooms where people work.
Do occupancy sensors identify people?
It depends on the system. Some sensor vendors build their products around anonymity, so ask each one exactly what data they collect.
What is an IWMS?
An integrated workplace management system combines space, maintenance, real estate and facilities services in one platform.
Can space data help cut office space?
Yes. Real occupancy data shows which areas sit empty, so you can consolidate with evidence rather than guesswork.
