Mobile working offers flexibility and improves productivity and work life balance. Teams can work effectively from home, in a café or even abroad with the right setup.
Mobile working: Definition, differences to home office and legal issues
58% of all German companies now allow mobile working, whether from the office, in the home office, on the road or even abroad. In this article, you will find out how mobile working works today in legal, technical and practical terms.
{{hint-box}}
What is mobile working?
Mobile working is the ability to perform work from any location, usually with the help of a laptop, smartphone and internet connection. Mobile working can completely or partially replace presence in the company.
In contrast to traditional office work, there is not necessarily a fixed workplace in the company. In hybrid models, several employees often share a desk in the office at different times, as they otherwise work remotely.
As a rule, no specific work location is prescribed for mobile working. The only requirements are that there is a connection to the company, availability is ensured and the assigned tasks are completed.
What is the difference between home office and mobile working?
Mobile working is distinguished from the term home office in that home office generally refers to working from home. In fact, home office is a special case of teleworking.
In Germany, teleworking is formally defined (Section 2 (7) of the Workplace Ordinance) as a workstation permanently set up by the employer in the employee's private area. For this purpose, a fixed work location (usually the employee's own home) is contractually agreed and equipped with office furniture and technology by the employer.
Teleworking/home office is subject to the strict requirements of the Workplace Ordinance and occupational health and safety regulations; for example, ergonomic furniture must be provided and a risk assessment of the home workplace must be carried out.
Mobile working, on the other hand, is not regulated by the Workplace Ordinance. It mainly takes place outside fixed workspaces, in changing locations, and there is no legal definition for it.
In short: home office (teleworking) means working at a clearly defined location (the home office) with appropriate equipment provided by the employer, whereas mobile working offers a free choice of location.
Important: Even if no fixed office regulations apply to the workplace for mobile working, the general labour laws remain fully applicable. These include, for example, the Working Hours Act (ArbZG) with maximum working hours, rest breaks and the ban on working on Sundays. The Occupational Health and Safety Act also applies, i.e. the employer has a duty of care and must also protect the health of its employees during mobile working.
What legal regulations apply to mobile working?
There is currently no legal entitlement to mobile working (or home office) in Germany. This means that employees can express the wish to work from home or from other locations, but the employer decides voluntarily whether to allow this.
The employer may also informally reject a request for mobile working without giving reasons. In practice, however, many companies allow home office arrangements and mobile working in order to be more attractive to skilled workers and increase employee satisfaction.
Mobile working in the coalition agreement
In the coalition agreement of the last German government (20th legislative period, 2021-2025), it was agreed to introduce a "discussion entitlement" for mobile working. According to this, employees in suitable jobs should be entitled to negotiate home office/mobile working.
The employer would then only be allowed to refuse a request if there are operational reasons to the contrary and arbitrary refusals would be inadmissible. However, as of July 2025, there is still no specific law on this.
The following therefore still applies: Anything that is not regulated by a collective agreement, works agreement or employment contract remains a matter for negotiation between employer and employee. Employers are not obliged to allow their employees to work from home, nor can employees unilaterally insist on this. Conversely, the following also applies: employers cannot simply force their employees to work from home without a corresponding agreement. Both sides must agree.
What working hours apply to mobile working?
The statutory working hours must be observed for mobile working. The following applies:
A maximum of 8 hours per working day (up to 10 hours in exceptional cases)
At least 11 hours of rest between two working days
Overtime and work on Sundays and public holidays are only permitted within narrow limits
The employer may not demand constant availability outside of working hours
In practice, time recording in particular poses a challenge: Employers are obliged to provide a reliable system for recording working hours that also works for mobile working. As a rule, time recording software or trust-based working time with independent recording is used here. It is important that overtime and breaks are documented in a traceable manner, also for health and safety reasons.
Accident and insurance cover for mobile working
Since the Company Reform Act 2021, extended accident insurance cover has been in place for mobile working and working from home. Accidents at work in the home office or while travelling as part of mobile working are now insured in the same way as at work.
This means that if someone is injured while working at home or on the direct route to nursery school to drop off their child before starting work, statutory accident insurance covers them in the same way as if they were in the office.
However, purely private activities during working hours (e.g. an accident while cleaning during a break) are not covered. Overall, the new regulation has significantly improved cover for working from home.
Occupational health and safety for mobile working
The health and safety regulations also apply at home and at other workplaces. Although the Workplace Ordinance does not apply to mobile working, employers must assess hazards and instruct their employees on ergonomic and healthy working practices, even when working from home.
In fact, this is often done by means of questionnaires and voluntary commitments by employees, as employers are not allowed to inspect private homes without further ado and this would not be practical.
Who is responsible for data protection when working remotely?
Employers remain responsible for data protection and IT security in the case of mobile working. Companies must therefore ensure that no unauthorised third parties can access company data when working remotely.
This is achieved by using secure passwords, encrypted connections (VPN) and devices with fingerprint sensors or facial recognition. Employees must be trained accordingly, as the daily responsibility for compliance with data protection lies with the employees.
What applies to mobile working in the public sector?
There are special regulations in favour of mobile working in the public sector. According to § 16 para. 1 sentence 2 of the Federal Equal Opportunities Act (BGleiG), departments must enable employees with family or caring responsibilities to work from home, insofar as this is possible for official reasons.
This means that civil servants and employees in the public sector who are caring for children or relatives, for example, have a preferential right to home office/mobile working, provided there are no compelling official reasons not to do so.
In general, many public authorities are catching up on this topic: Numerous service agreements in federal and state authorities now regulate home office options. For example, some authorities allow mobile working for up to 4 days a week as long as the work processes allow it (there are differences depending on the authority).
What equipment do you need for mobile working?
The basic requirement for mobile working is a functioning mobile office, which usually consists of a laptop/computer, internet access and telephone (or smartphone). Headsets and possibly a portable WLAN router are also used, depending on where you are working from.
Who provides the equipment for mobile working?
Employers are generally responsible for providing the necessary work equipment. In traditional home office agreements, many companies therefore equip their employees with a laptop, screen, keyboard/mouse and sometimes an office chair. In the case of mobile working, the employer should at least provide the IT equipment or make financial contributions.
Some companies rely on the "Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)" principle, where employees use their private devices. However, appropriate compensation is required here (e.g. reimbursement of costs) and special security precautions must be taken (e.g. separate business profiles on the private device) so that data protection and company data remain protected.
Internet connection and software access
A fast and stable internet connection is one of the most important prerequisites for mobile working in order to be able to reliably handle video calls and cloud access to data and software.
Many employers support their employees here, for example by covering part of the internet costs or providing company data cards. There are no standardised legal regulations on this, so it is advisable to set out such issues in a company or remote working agreement.
On the software side, mobile employees should have access to all important applications. Cloud services and software for communication and collaboration (e.g. Teams, Slack, VPN access to the company network) are typical tools for working together from anywhere.
Tip: To ensure that those returning to the office from mobile working can reliably find a free desk, they should book this in advance using software.
Does the home office flat rate also apply to mobile working?
The home office allowance only applies to days on which you have worked predominantly in your home, i.e. for real home office days.
Since the 2023 tax year, you can claim €6 per day, up to a maximum of 210 days per year (max. €1,260), for tax purposes - if you mainly work from home.
The lump sum only applies to days on which the business activity is predominantly carried out in the home office, not if you are mainly travelling.
This is not deductible: Days on which you work on the road (e.g. in a café, customer visits, mobile work without a home office) do not count towards the home office allowance and are therefore not tax deductible.
Mobile working abroad and workation
A special case of mobile working is working from abroad, either for a longer period of time or as part of a so-called workation. Workation is made up of work and vacation. This means that employees work temporarily from a holiday location or from abroad without taking holiday days.
Example of mobile working abroad: An employee spends two weeks on holiday in Mallorca and then stays on site for another week to continue working normally from there before returning.
What is the maximum number of days German employees are allowed to work abroad on a mobile basis?
For tax purposes, there is a clearly defined limit for mobile working abroad: anyone who spends more than 183 days within a given year in another country and works there may be liable to pay tax there under the relevant double taxation agreement. This limit is internationally recognised and represents a legally binding threshold.
Caution is also required with regard to social security: The so-called A1 certificate applies within the EU. It ensures that employees remain in the German social security system during a temporary posting (maximum 24 months). Employers must apply for this certificate and ensure compliance.
National regulations also apply outside the EU: Among other things, work visas or residence permits may be required here if employees want to work locally for a longer period of time. Many companies therefore limit workation periods to a maximum of 30 to 90 days per year in order to avoid tax, labour law and insurance problems as far as possible.
In which industries and professions does mobile working occur?
Mobile working is particularly common in professions in which work can be organised in a knowledge-based, digital or location-independent manner. Typical sectors for mobile working:
IT and software development
Media, graphics and design
Marketing and communication
Advice and consulting
Finance and banking sector
Administrative office work
Research and education (e.g. e-learning, universities)
Customer service (e.g. via chat, email, telephone)
Sales and field service
These areas often only require a computer with an internet connection, which is why the place of work is of secondary importance.
Conclusion: Using mobile working correctly
Mobile working has developed from an exception to an integral part of modern work. It offers enormous advantages for employees: they can choose and organise their own working hours and location, achieve a better work-life balance and save time and commuting costs.
The advantages are higher productivity and satisfaction when employees can work at times and places of their own choosing. At the same time, however, mobile working also requires a great deal of self-discipline and demarcation in order to avoid slipping into permanent work or being distracted at home.
There are also opportunities for employers: motivated, well-balanced employees, less absenteeism due to commuting stress and savings on office space. Companies can also access a larger talent pool if they offer location-independent working, and skilled workers from more distant regions in particular can be considered as employees.
Companies can now use software to make the coordination of mobile working easier. This makes it possible to see which colleague is working from where. As mobile working and working from home reduce the workload in the office, the figures for office utilisation are also coming under scrutiny: if people are increasingly working from home, will significantly fewer desks be needed in the office?
With PULT, you gain insights into your office utilisation and team behaviour. The software records exactly how much the office is used and how many workstations you need to keep available at peak times. Your employees don't even have to log in: All they need to do is connect one of their devices to the company WLAN. You can find out more about this in PULT Presence.
{{cta}}
The most important facts in brief:
Mobile working includes home office, working on the go or abroad and is firmly established in many industries. There is no legal entitlement, but company regulations and a right to discuss the option often exist. Working hours, data protection and insurance requirements also apply when working remotely, with additional rules for work abroad. Employers must provide or subsidise the necessary technology, and employees can in some cases deduct costs for tax purposes. Successful mobile working relies on clear agreements, trust and good communication.
What is the difference between home office and mobile working?
Home office means working from a fixed workplace at home. Mobile working is more broadly defined, it can take place anywhere: at home, in a café, at a customer's premises or abroad.
How many days are you allowed to work from home?
There are no legal upper limits and, in principle, employers and employees can agree to work completely remotely.
Does mobile working have to be regulated in the employment contract?
It is not mandatory, but highly recommended. A clear regulation protects both sides when it comes to questions about working hours, availability, technology or insurance.
Can my boss prohibit mobile working?
Yes, unless there is an agreement to the contrary (e.g. in the employment contract or collective labour agreement). There is currently no general right to mobile working in Germany.
What working hours apply to mobile working?
The same legal requirements apply as in the office, e.g. a maximum of 10 hours per day and 11 hours of rest. Break regulations and documentation requirements also remain in place.
At PULT we're designing the future of the hybrid workplace for companies and their employees. Focused on SME and mid market customers in Eruope, I'm working on everything from Customer Discovery to Onboarding. I'm very passionate about new work and moved to Hamburg in 2024 even though I'm originally from France.
Resources
Learn how to run better workplace operations
Visitor Management
Visitor Management System: What It Is and How It Works
A visitor management system replaces the paper sign-in sheet with a digital process that screens, logs, and tracks every guest who enters your office. It captures who's on-site, notifies the host, and creates a searchable record for security and compliance reviews. For growing offices, this single change closes a security gap most reception desks still carry today.
A visitor management system digitizes guest check-in, replacing paper logs with pre-registration, badge printing, host notifications, and a searchable visitor record.
✓
Visitor management software reduces front-desk workload while creating the audit trail organizations need for security screening and regulatory compliance.
✓
A standalone visitor tracking system solves check-in but leaves desk booking, room booking, and office data in separate tools, creating gaps in a company's overall presence picture.
✓
PULT combines visitor management with real-time presence, desk and room booking, and emergency response in one platform, so security teams see who's on-site, employees and visitors alike, from a single source of data.
What Is a Visitor Management System?
A visitor management system is software that replaces the manual guest sign-in process with a digital, trackable one. It records a visitor's details, their arrival and departure, and notifies the employee they're there to see, all without a paper logbook at the front desk.
Companies adopt one for three reasons: security, compliance with regulations like GDPR, and a faster, more professional check-in experience for guests.
Standalone check-in tools handle the front desk in isolation. Platform-based visitor management, like PULT's, feeds that same data into a company's broader presence and office management system, so security teams see visitors and employees in one place.
What Does a Visitor Management System Do?
A visitor management system replaces manual sign-in with a digital workflow that handles the entire guest experience, from pre-registration to check-out. It records a visitor's details, notifies the right host, can issue a badge, and stores visits in a searchable log. Visitor management software runs this process on a tablet, kiosk, or mobile phone instead of a clipboard.
Core Features of a Modern Visitor Management System
✓
Pre-registration and invites: hosts send a visitor a link before arrival, with the visit details and parking or building information included.
✓
Self-service check-in: guests confirm their name, host, and purpose at a kiosk or tablet in under a minute.
✓
Optional ID and watchlist screening: depending on the platform, the system can check visitor IDs or flag names against a security or denied-entry list before a badge is issued.
✓
Badge printing and QR codes: guests can receive a visible, time-stamped credential that identifies them for that day's visit.
✓
Host notifications: the employee being visited gets an instant alert by email, Slack, or Teams, with the guest's details and, if enabled, a photo.
✓
NDA and agreement signing: legal documents are signed digitally during check-in, with a copy stored automatically for compliance records.
✓
Visitor logs and reporting: every visit is timestamped, searchable, and exportable, so front-desk trends are easy to review monthly.
✓
Emergency roll-call export: the current visitor list can be pulled during an evacuation, showing who is recorded as still in the building.
Visitor Management Software vs. a Paper Logbook
Criterion
Paper Logbook
Visitor Management Software
Data accuracy
Illegible entries, missing fields
Structured, mandatory fields
Security screening
None
Watchlist and ID checks
Emergency roll call
Manual count from paper
Instant, exportable list
Compliance records
Hard to search or retire
Searchable, with retention rules
How Does the Visitor Journey Work, From Invite to Check-Out?
A typical visit runs through six steps. The host sends an invite, the visitor pre-registers, the visitor confirms their details on arrival, a badge can be issued, the host gets notified, and the system records check-out when the visitor leaves or at a configured time.
1
Pre-registration: the host schedules the visit and sends a link with arrival details, parking instructions, and building access notes.
2
Arrival and check-in: the visitor confirms their details at a kiosk or on a tablet or their own phone, usually in under a minute.
3
Optional identity and watchlist verification: depending on the platform and configuration, additional ID or security-list checks can be performed before building access is granted.
4
Badge issuance: a printed or digital badge identifies the visitor for the building and can be limited to that day's visit.
5
Host notification: the employee being visited receives an instant alert to come to reception, with the visitor's name and, if enabled, photo.
6
Check-out and logging: the visitor checks out on departure, or the system can close the visit automatically at a configured time, keeping the record administratively up to date.
What Are the Benefits of a Visitor Management System for the Office?
The clearest benefit is a complete, searchable record of who was on-site and when, something a paper log or verbal check-in can't provide.
Security and Compliance Benefits
A visitor management system can screen guests against a watchlist before they reach the office floor, depending on the platform and configuration. It can keep a timestamped log of visits for security and compliance reviews. Under GDPR, visitor data counts as personal data, so it needs a lawful basis for collection, an appropriate retention period or criteria for determining it, and safeguards against unauthorized access. A digital system can support these controls directly in the check-in process, reducing reliance on manual steps.
Visitor accountability also matters during an emergency. OSHA guidance notes that visitors need to be accounted for after an evacuation, and many employers use the sign-in list to run that headcount. A missing name on that list can delay an all-clear by several minutes, minutes that matter during a real evacuation.
Because PULT Presence tracks employees and visitors in one live view, a facilities team can pull an accurate roll call the moment an alarm sounds, not after searching through a paper binder.
Front-Desk Efficiency and Visitor Experience Benefits
Automated check-in cuts the time your team spends on manual sign-in, badge writing, and phone calls to announce a guest. A receptionist freed from clipboard duty can focus on greeting visitors and other front-desk work. Visitors move through reception faster, often in under a minute, and the first impression of your office improves the moment someone walks in the door. For client meetings or investor visits, that faster, more polished check-in becomes part of how your company presents itself.
How Do You Choose the Right Visitor Management Solution?
The right visitor management solution depends less on feature count and more on how well it fits your existing security setup, office size, and tool stack. A system built for a five-person startup office looks very different from one built for a 500-person campus with multiple buildings and a dedicated security team.
Calendar, HR, and communication tools your team already uses
Security and compliance
Data retention controls, audit logs, GDPR-aligned handling
Scalability
Pricing and setup across multiple locations
Price
Per-location vs. per-user pricing models
Ease of use
Kiosk setup time and how quickly staff can learn the system
Is a Standalone Visitor Management Platform Enough for a Modern Office?
A standalone visitor management platform solves the front-desk problem, but most offices also run desk booking, room booking, and parking through separate tools. Connecting these systems into one platform gives security and facilities teams a single, live view of who is on-site, employees and visitors together.
That connection matters most during a security incident or an office move, when facilities teams need one current view of occupancy rather than four separate logins to check. PULT pairs visitor management with desk booking software, room booking, and presence data, so a single dashboard shows recorded on-site employees and visitors. Office managers evaluating a broader workplace management software setup typically start here, since visitor data becomes far more useful once it's connected to the rest of the office.
{{onpage-cta}}
Turn Visitor Check-In Into a Security Advantage
A visitor management system turns a vulnerable front desk into a controlled entry point, giving you a searchable record of who checked in and when. The real payoff comes when it connects to the rest of your office, from desk booking to real-time presence data, giving you one live picture of recorded on-site users. For growing offices, that visibility is worth seeing in action.
✓
Visitor check-in, desk booking, room booking, and presence data live in one platform, so you manage all of it from a single login.
✓
A real-time view shows who is on-site, employees and visitors together, for faster emergency roll calls.
✓
Every visit is recorded in a searchable log, with records available for security and compliance reviews.
✓
Microsoft Teams and Slack support visitor notifications, while Personio and HiBob connect employee data through built-in integrations.
Envoy alternatives worth a closer look share one trait: they cover more of daily office management than a single visitor kiosk. If Envoy's per-location pricing or iPad-based visitor kiosk has you looking elsewhere, this comparison walks through seven platforms, including PULT, across visitor management, desk and room booking, parking, and office insights.
Envoy is a workplace platform originally built around visitor management and reception. Over time, the company expanded into desk booking, room booking, and parking under the Envoy Workplace product line, alongside its original visitor and delivery management tools.
Envoy's Core Features
Envoy's visitor check-in runs on iPad kiosks paired with a supported Brother printer for badges. The platform handles ID scanning, digital NDAs, health screenings, and delivery tracking, and it integrates with Slack, Microsoft Teams, Okta, and several badge-entry systems.
Envoy Pricing
Envoy recently moved away from per-active-user billing for new contracts and now prices in tiers by location and by workplace module, with Visitors, Response, Reservations, Screens, and Deliveries licensed and billed separately. For the Visitors product:
✓
Basic: free, with limited features (100 entries per month).
✓
Premium: $362 per location per month, billed annually.
✓
Enterprise: custom pricing for organizations with more complex security and compliance needs.
What Makes a Good Envoy Alternative?
Core Selection Criteria
A genuine Envoy alternative covers more than one office function. Look for desk booking, room booking, and visitor management under a single login, transparent pricing that doesn't require a sales call for a ballpark number, and integrations with the calendar and chat tools your team already uses. Multi-location support matters once you operate more than one office, since per-location fees add up fast.
Quick Checklist: What to Look For
✓
Visitor management available, with pricing clearly disclosed.
✓
Published pricing (per user, per space, or per resource).
✓
Native Microsoft Teams, Slack, or Google Workspace integration.
✓
Office insights and occupancy analytics on standard plans.
✓
Support for parking and multi-location rollouts.
7 Envoy Alternatives for Desk Booking, Visitor Management & More in 2026
Note: The features, prices, and capabilities shown in the following comparison are based on publicly available information from each provider (as of August 2026) and are intended solely for neutral orientation. Providers may change these details at any time, and no guarantee is given for their accuracy or completeness. All brand names belong to their respective owners and are used for comparison purposes only. PULT has no business relationship with the other brands listed. The order below does not represent a ranking.
#1 PULT
Origin & Concept: PULT is an all-in-one office management platform built for hybrid teams, combining desk, room, visitor, and parking management in a single system.
Technology: PULT runs as a cloud-based platform with native integrations into calendar, chat, and HR tools, and includes WiFi-based desk booking that detects desk usage automatically over the existing office network.
Target Audience: The platform is aimed at SMEs and enterprise companies with roughly 50 to 2,000 employees running a hybrid work model, often across more than one office location.
Strengths
✓
Platform breadth: Desk, room, visitor, and parking management run in one system instead of separate tools for each function.
✓
WiFi Desk Booking: Desk usage is detected automatically over the existing office WiFi without requiring employees to check in manually.
✓
Integration depth: Native connections to Microsoft Teams, Slack, Personio, and HiBob.
Plans & Pricing
(as of August 2026, source: PULT):
PULT Workplace (desk booking, meeting rooms, parking, and analytics):
✓
Starter: free, for up to 20 users and 1 location.
✓
Growth: from $3.40 per user/month.
✓
Business: from $4.60 per user/month.
✓
Enterprise: custom pricing, with white labeling and API access.
Visitor Management is priced as a separate product:
✓
Business: from $114 per location/month.
✓
Enterprise: custom pricing.
Additional costs may apply, for example:
✓
Presence AI: WiFi-based automatic attendance and desk-occupancy tracking is a separate product, starting at $119/month on the Business plan.
Origin & Concept: Deskbird is a workplace app built around hybrid work scheduling, letting employees plan office days and book desks, rooms, and parking from one interface.
Technology: SaaS platform with web, mobile, Slack, and Microsoft Teams apps. Business, Professional, and Enterprise include unlimited desks, users, admins, locations, and parking spots; pricing is based on active users.
Target Audience: According to the provider, deskbird is used by hybrid companies of various sizes, from small teams to global enterprises.
Strengths
✓
Published entry pricing: The Business tier price is listed publicly, unlike several competitors on this list that require a sales quote.
✓
Unlimited scope on every tier: Users, admins, locations, desks, and parking spots are unlimited even on the entry plan.
✓
Chat-tool integration: Desks, rooms, and parking can be booked directly from Microsoft Teams or Slack.
Plans & Pricing (as of August 2026, source: deskbird):
✓
Business: €2.75 per active user/month; covers desk, room, and parking booking, native mobile apps, and MS Teams integration.
✓
Professional: custom pricing; adds advanced booking rules, AI-powered floor plan design, automated check-in, workplace ticketing, and public API access.
✓
Enterprise: custom pricing; adds workplace surveys, custom analytics and reporting, advanced SLAs, and a dedicated Senior CSM.
Additional costs may apply, for example:
✓
Add-ons: Visitors Plus (reception kiosk and pre-visit registration), Rooms Plus (meeting-room signage and catering requests), and User & Data Management Plus (SAML, SCIM, HRIS sync) are priced separately from the core plan.
#3 Robin (Robin Powered)
Origin & Concept: Robin is a workplace management platform covering desk, room, parking, and locker booking, space management, meeting management, and visitor management, positioned as a single unified platform for larger organizations.
Technology: The platform syncs natively with Microsoft Outlook, Google Calendar, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Microsoft Entra, and Okta. According to the provider, point solutions such as standalone room-display software are a better fit for smaller, single-purpose needs.
Target Audience: According to the provider, Robin fits organizations with more than 150 hybrid employees using an office, and works best for companies managing multiple floors, offices, or buildings.
Strengths
✓
Platform breadth: Resource booking, space management, meeting management, workplace analytics, visitor management, and employee experience tools sit under one platform.
✓
Calendar depth: Native sync with Microsoft Outlook, Google Calendar, Teams, and Slack.
✓
Multi-site design: Built for organizations coordinating several offices or buildings at once.
Plans & Pricing (as of August 2026, source: Robin): Robin does not publish per-user or per-resource pricing. According to the provider, pricing is tailored per organization and requires a call with the sales team, with all subscriptions billed annually. Room displays and other hardware may come at an extra cost.
#4 Skedda
Origin & Concept: Skedda is a space-booking platform for desks, rooms, and other bookable areas, built around a configurable rules engine and an Organization Hub for managing multiple offices from one dashboard.
Technology: The platform is priced per space rather than per user, includes native Microsoft Teams and Slack apps, mobile apps for iOS and Android, and supports SSO via SAML 2.0.
Target Audience: According to the provider, Skedda serves organizations of all sizes, including universities, coworking spaces, and corporations with strict compliance needs.
Strengths
✓
Unlimited users and bookings: Every plan includes unlimited users and bookings because pricing scales with spaces, not headcount.
✓
Visitor management available: Visitor management is available alongside the existing space-booking tools as a separate add-on.
✓
Multi-office dashboard: The Organization Hub lets admins manage several offices from one place.
Plans & Pricing (as of August 2026, source: Skedda):
✓
Starter: from $99/month, priced per space, includes 15 spaces, a basic rules and roles engine, and a limited insights dashboard.
✓
Plus: from $149/month, priced per space, includes 20 spaces, a limited rules and roles engine, and a full insights dashboard.
✓
Premier: from $199/month, priced per space, includes 25 spaces, a full rules and roles engine, and a full insights dashboard.
✓
AllBooked (for sports, studios, coworking, and community booking): custom pricing.
An Administrators add-on is available on every plan for $99/month.
#5 Archie
Origin & Concept: Archie is a modular workspace platform covering desk booking, room scheduling, visitor management, and coworking software as separately priced products.
Technology: The platform requires no proprietary hardware and works with existing tablets and screens, with native integrations into Microsoft 365, Slack, and access-control systems such as Kisi and Brivo.
Target Audience: According to the provider, Archie is used by more than 1,000 organizations, spanning small and mid-sized businesses on the Starter plan to large, multi-location companies on Pro and Enterprise.
Strengths
✓
No proprietary hardware: Existing tablets and screens can be used instead of a fixed device.
✓
Transparent, published pricing: Rates per desk, room, and visitor product are listed publicly rather than hidden behind a sales call.
✓
Free trial after demo: According to the provider, a 14-day test environment is available following a product demo.
Plans & Pricing (as of August 2026, source: Archie):
✓
Desk Booking Starter: $2.80 per desk/month, minimum $159/month, covers 1 location with floor plans, QR check-ins, and occupancy analytics.
✓
Desk Booking Pro: $3.50 per desk/month, minimum $249/month, adds multiple locations, booking from Teams and Outlook, Slack integration, SSO, and SCIM.
✓
Desk Booking Enterprise: custom pricing, adds security and compliance support, custom data residency, and white-glove onboarding.
✓
Room Booking: from approximately $8 to $12 per room/month.
✓
Visitor Management: from approximately $109 per location/month, priced as a separate module.
Room displays and other add-on hardware may come at an extra cost.
#6 YAROOMS
Origin & Concept: YAROOMS is a workplace management platform combining hybrid work scheduling, desk and room booking, and visitor management under one system, with a dedicated Enterprise tier for large organizations.
Technology: The platform includes interactive office maps, an AI assistant called Yarvis, Microsoft Teams integration, and Single Sign-On on the Business tier, with API access and custom cloud deployment (Azure, AWS, or on-prem) available on Enterprise.
Target Audience: According to the provider, YAROOMS fits small offices on the Starter plan, growing businesses on the Business plan, and large, multi-location teams of up to 1,000+ users on Enterprise.
Strengths
✓
Published tiered pricing: Plans and per-year rates are listed publicly rather than hidden behind a sales call.
✓
AI assistant included: Yarvis is included from the Business plan rather than sold as a separate add-on.
✓
Multi-location scaling: Higher tiers add more locations and unlimited workplace analytics.
Plans & Pricing (as of August 2026, source: YAROOMS):
✓
Starter: from $99/month for 10 users, covers 1 location, 2 floors with an interactive office map, hybrid work scheduling, and desk and room booking.
✓
Business: from $399/month for 50 users, covers 2 locations, 90 days of workplace analytics, the Microsoft Teams app, Yarvis AI, and Single Sign-On.
✓
Enterprise: from $899/month for 300 users, covers 5 locations plus add-ons, unlimited analytics, API access, and custom integrations.
#7 Joan
Origin & Concept: Joan is an all-inclusive workplace platform covering meeting room booking, visitor management, desk and parking booking, digital signage, and analytics, with pricing based on active usage rather than which features are turned on.
Technology: The platform combines a base subscription with per-user and per-device add-on pricing, covering both the Joan app and registered screens or tablets.
Target Audience: According to the provider, Joan is used by organizations across tech, education, and hospitality, from small offices to global enterprises.
Strengths
✓
Pay-for-what-you-use model: Solutions you don't activate don't add to the cost.
✓
Free tier to start: A free plan is available before moving to a paid subscription.
✓
Full feature access on every plan: According to the provider, all solutions are available from the start rather than gated behind higher tiers.
Plans & Pricing (as of August 2026, source: Joan): Plans start at €49 per month as a base subscription with included users and devices.
✓
Additional users: €0.99 per user/month.
✓
Additional device licenses: €9.99 per device/month.
Custom quotes are available for larger setups.
How to Choose Your Envoy Alternative
Once you've narrowed the list by features and price, three factors can help assess how well a platform holds up as your office grows.
Scalability & Multi-Location Support
If you operate more than one office, check whether pricing adds a flat fee per location or scales with total users or spaces across all sites. That difference determines whether a second or third office meaningfully changes your bill.
Flexibility & Integrations
Your team already works inside Microsoft Teams, Slack, or Google Workspace. A platform that books directly inside those tools sees far higher adoption than one that requires a separate app nobody opens.
Security & Data Privacy
Visitor and badge data may qualify as personal data when it relates to an identified or identifiable person. Confirm how long visitor logs are retained, whether data stays in your required region, and whether the vendor supports SSO for admin access.
{{onpage-cta}}
Office Insights
Muster Point: Definition & Setup
A muster point is the designated spot where employees, visitors, and contractors gather after evacuating a building, so someone can confirm everyone made it out safely. Under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.38, covered emergency action plans need a procedure to account for employees after an evacuation, and a designated assembly area is one common way to do that in practice.
A muster point is a designated, safe location outside a building where employees, visitors, and contractors gather and get counted after an emergency evacuation.
✓
Under OSHA regulation 29 CFR 1910.38, employers subject to the standard must include procedures for accounting for all employees after an evacuation.
✓
A safe muster point stays clear of the building's hazard zone and emergency vehicle access routes, and remains visible to evacuees in smoke, rain, or darkness.
✓
PULT is an office management platform whose Presence feature detects who is on-site through a company's existing WiFi network, giving office and security teams a live, automatic headcount during an emergency.
What Is a Muster Point?
A muster point is a fixed, pre-identified location outside a building where everyone gathers after an evacuation alarm. Its purpose goes beyond simply getting people outside: it gives a warden or safety officer a single place to run a headcount, confirm who made it out, and flag anyone still unaccounted for.
Muster Point vs. Assembly Point vs. Muster Station
Muster point and assembly point generally describe the same function, while muster station is a related term commonly used in maritime and offshore settings. Onshore offices and warehouses in the US typically say muster point or assembly point.
Maritime operations commonly use muster station, including in contexts covered by SOLAS muster and drill requirements. For offices and other onshore workplaces, the location and headcount process generally work the same way regardless of whether you use muster point or assembly point.
Where Should You Place a Muster Point?
A good muster point sits far enough from the building to stay clear of smoke, debris, and structural risk, but close enough that people reach it within minutes. Beyond distance, a handful of practical criteria decide whether a location actually works during a real emergency.
✓
Distance from hazards: Keep the point away from the building itself, parking structures, and anything storing flammable material.
✓
Clear of emergency access: Don't block the routes fire trucks and ambulances need to reach the building.
✓
Reachable from every exit: Every evacuation route on the floor plan should lead to a muster point without crossing back through the building.
✓
Visible in poor conditions: Choose a spot that stays identifiable in smoke, rain, or after dark, and mark it with high-visibility signage.
If your evacuation plan needs a broader refresh beyond the muster point itself, our guide to office fire safety covers alarm systems and drill schedules in more detail.
How Do You Set Up and Mark an Emergency Muster Point at the Office?
Setting up an emergency muster point takes three things: clear signage, a person responsible for the headcount, and enough capacity for everyone who might be on site. Multi-floor or multi-tenant offices may need more than one muster point where building size, occupancy, or evacuation routes would otherwise create a bottleneck.
✓
Mark it clearly: Use clear, high-visibility signage so the location remains easy to identify by day and in poor visibility.
✓
Assign responsibility: Designate trained personnel to manage the headcount and report the result to the incident commander.
✓
Plan for scale: Add a second or third muster point for large floors, multiple buildings, or shared office space, and split the roster accordingly.
✓
Put it on the map: Add every muster point to your floor plan and walk new hires through it as part of onboarding.
How Do You Take a Headcount at the Muster Point?
Once people reach the muster point, the warden runs a headcount, sometimes called a fire roll call, and checks names against a roster before reporting the result to the incident commander. The harder part is making sure that roster actually reflects who was in the building, including people who don't show up on a payroll list.
Accounting for Visitors and Contractors
Employees usually appear on a standard roster, but visitors and contractors often don't. A guest who checked in an hour earlier or a contractor working on the third floor still needs a headcount at the muster point. A visitor log that isn't tied into the emergency plan leaves wardens guessing how many people are actually missing.
Manual Fire Roll Call vs. Real-Time Presence Data
A paper roll call at a mid-size office can take valuable time, and it only counts people already written down. PULT Presence uses office network data to show which employees are on site, while visitor and contractor records can supplement the on-site roster during an emergency.
{{onpage-cta}}
Give Every Muster Point a Fast, Accurate Headcount
A muster point only works if people know where it is and someone can confirm who made it there. Distance, signage, and a designated warden solve the location half of the problem. The headcount half comes down to whether your roster actually reflects everyone on site that day, employees, visitors, and contractors included. That's the gap most manual processes leave open.
✓
You see live on-site presence data to support the muster point headcount instead of relying only on a manual roster.
✓
Digitally checked-in visitors and contractors can be included without relying on a separate paper log.
✓
Presence tracking runs through your existing WiFi network and takes under 30 minutes to set up.
✓
Emergency Response activity can provide timestamped records of key actions for your safety files.
.jpeg)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)