Top Envoy Alternatives: Why Gable Is the Best Choice for Hybrid Workspaces

Choosing the right workspace management tool is crucial in a hybrid work environment. Selecting the wrong tool can lead to inefficiencies that drag down productivity and inflate costs.

Your teams could be struggling to find available meeting spaces or double-booking rooms because of outdated or complicated software. These issues disrupt your daily operations, hinder long-term process improvements, and lead to budget overruns. 

By making an informed choice, you can avoid these costly setbacks and create a seamless employee experience.

When choosing your next office management tool, look for features like ease of use, customization options, and high customer satisfaction. You will also want to ensure flexibility, pricing, and features for managing visitor check-ins and desk bookings. 

We'll discuss several alternatives to Envoy that deliver these capabilities, including Gable. Gable surpasses Envoy in user-friendliness, flexibility, and customer satisfaction, making it a strong contender for businesses looking to optimize their hybrid workspaces.

This article will explore the best Envoy alternatives, compare functionality, and explain why Gable is the best choice for modern, agile workplaces.

Whether you want to improve office processes or cut costs, this article will help. Keep reading to discover the best solution for you. 

What is Gable?

Gable is a workspace management platform that aims to simplify the oversight of hybrid setups with its four core products: 

• Gable On-Demand, which gives your employees access to over 10,000 premium workspaces worldwide, including coworking spaces, conference rooms, and private offices
• Gable HQ, which lets companies manage their leased offices and ensure desk booking and room scheduling run smoothly, and space utilization is optimized
• Gable Visitor Management, which ensures your office visitors have a delightful, welcoming, and safe experience 
• Gable Event Orchestration, which enables you to organize and manage company events smoothly and efficiently and focus on fostering connections in your teams

Our full suite of tools aims to provide employees with a top-notch workplace experience. It’s an excellent alternative to Envoy and other workspace management solutions. Gable helps businesses boost productivity by optimizing workflows through a flexible and customizable user interface.

What is Envoy?

Envoy is a workplace management platform. It seamlessly connects people, spaces, and data and has many features that improve efficiency, safety, and user experience. 

Key Features of Envoy:

• Desk and Room Booking: Employees can use the room booking system to reserve desks, conference rooms, and other workspaces in advance or on the spot.
• Visitor Management: Streamlines the visitor check-in process with a secure interface. The system lets employees pre-register and sign in digitally.
• Occupancy and Space Utilization Analytics: The platform provides real-time insights into space usage. It tracks employee attendance and visitor traffic.
• Emergency Notifications and Safety Features: Envoy can send emergency alerts. This lets organizations quickly communicate with employees and visitors during crises.
• Integrations and Automation: Envoy connects with various workplace tools, including Slack, Microsoft Teams, and access control systems.

While Envoy works well for some, it's not a one-size-fits-all solution. Gable is a great choice for companies with hybrid teams. Many businesses find that alternative platforms better meet their specific needs, whether due to more advanced customization options, greater ease of use, or stronger customer support. Exploring these alternatives ensures companies find the perfect fit for their unique hybrid work environment.

Key competitors to Envoy: A quick overview

Envoy is a popular choice for managing workspaces, but it’s far from the only one. 

When considering alternatives to Envoy, four tools for managing workspaces stand out: Gable, Robin, SpaceIQ, and OfficeSpace. These platforms each offer reliable solutions for companies looking to optimize their hybrid work environments.

Below is a brief overview of these tools and a comparison of their key features and pricing.

Gable

Gable is a workspace management platform for hybrid and remote teams. Gable’s HQ solution lets companies manage their leased offices, enable easy desk and room booking, and get insights into space utilization, employee engagement, and more. 

Gable is an excellent choice for companies that need adaptable tools that offer flexibility, real-time data, and smooth integrations with everyday tools.

Key features

• Desk and Room Booking: Empowers employees to easily book desks, reserve rooms, and meet their coworkers in your offices.
• Visitor Management Solution: Streamlines the check-in process for visitor registration to ensure a secure and welcoming experience.
• Data and Insights: Offers detailed analytics on office space usage, employee engagement, and real estate costs.
• Integration Capabilities: Integrates seamlessly with everyday tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Google Calendar for smoother workflow management.
• Event Orchestration: Simplifies the planning and management of onsite and offsite events from a single platform.
• Workspace Budget Management: Enables companies to track and manage workspace expenses, optimizing costs across locations.

Pricing

Pricing starts at $3 per seat per month for HQ desk booking and room reservation, all inclusive. For visitor management, it is $150 per month per location. Custom pricing and discounts are available for enterprise clients.

Why choose Gable over Envoy?

Gable provides more extensive real-time data on workspace usage and integrates with tools like HRIS, SSO, Slack, and Microsoft Teams. It also offers advanced budget management, helping companies control costs while providing flexible options for employees. Envoy, on the other hand, is better suited for businesses focused solely on managing in-office resources.

Robin

Robin is a workspace management platform that simplifies desk and room bookings, provides real-time office maps and workplace analytics, and integrates with popular calendar tools like Outlook and Google Calendar.

Robin offers flexible booking to avoid overbooked rooms. Users appreciate Robin for its easy-to-use interface and quick support.

Key features

• Desk Booking: Simplifies the process of reserving desks and managing space availability.
• Meeting Room Booking: Ensures that rooms are available when needed, preventing scheduling conflicts.
• Interactive Maps: Provides real-time visual representations of the office layout and available spaces.
• Visitor Management Solution: Ensures a smooth and secure check-in experience for visitors.
• Integration Capabilities: Syncs bookings and space usage with tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Google Calendar for improved collaboration.
• Real-Time Usage Analytics: Offers insights into space utilization and occupancy trends to optimize workspace efficiency.

Pricing

Pricing details are available upon request. They are mid-range for similar tools.

Why choose Robin over Envoy?

Robin offers more robust desk and room booking features, making it an excellent choice for companies needing a solution that prioritizes space management over visitor control. Robin’s interactive maps provide a visual overview of workspace availability, something Envoy lacks. Additionally, Robin is often praised for its user-friendly interface and fast customer support, making it a better option for teams seeking a more seamless user experience.

Why choose Gable over Robin?

With real-time booking, management tools, and integrations with HRIS, SSO, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Calendar, and access control apps like Brivo and Verkada, Gable helps you manage offices easily and smoothly. 

It also offers valuable data insights on space usage and employee engagement. In contrast, Robin focuses on desk and room bookings, with features like interactive maps and calendar integrations, but it’s less suited for remote or hybrid teams. 

SpaceIQ

SpaceIQ, a part of Eptura, offers many space management tools, including occupancy planning, move management, and real estate forecasting. It aims to help facilities managers by providing tools to optimize space, arrange seating, and plan scenarios.

SpaceIQ also has strong integrations with various IT and access management systems, ensuring smooth and secure workplace operations.

Key features

• Occupancy Management: Tracks and optimizes how space is used across different areas of the workplace.
• Move Management: Simplifies the process of relocating teams or departments within the office space.
• Scenario Planning: Helps plan for future office needs, including layout changes and space utilization improvements.
• Space Utilization Analytics: Provides detailed insights into how workspace is being used to maximize efficiency.
• User-Friendly Drag-and-Drop Space Planning: Enables quick and easy adjustments to office layouts with a simple drag-and-drop interface.
• Comprehensive Reporting: Delivers detailed reports on space utilization, occupancy, and forecasting to support data-driven decisions.

Pricing

Pricing is available upon request, with options tailored for both small and large enterprises.

Why choose SpaceIQ over Envoy?

For companies looking to optimize real estate usage and handle complex occupancy and scenario planning, SpaceIQ offers tools that Envoy does not. SpaceIQ’s integrations with IT and access management systems provide an added layer of workplace security and operational efficiency, whereas Envoy focuses on managing visitors and office check-ins. Facilities managers benefit from SpaceIQ’s advanced planning features, which make it easier to manage large-scale office spaces and move personnel when needed.

Why choose Gable over SpaceIQ?

Gable offers flexible workspace options for both remote and in-office teams, making it ideal for businesses that need to scale across multiple locations. In contrast, SpaceIQ focuses on in-office management with tools for space planning, occupancy management, and move management, making it a better fit for larger organizations optimizing their fixed office spaces.

Gable also provides a scalable solution with clear pricing and budget management tools, helping companies control costs as they grow. SpaceIQ has strong space utilization features, but its complex cost structure and focus on traditional offices may not suit companies needing more flexibility.

OfficeSpace

OfficeSpace is an integrated workplace management system (IWMS). An IWMS takes workspace management further by providing a holistic solution that incorporates desk and room booking and real estate management, facility maintenance, and energy efficiency. Unlike a traditional Workspace Management System (WMS), which primarily focuses on managing physical spaces like desks, rooms, and meeting areas, an IWMS integrates multiple workplace functions into a single platform.

OfficeSpace uses AI assistants and real-time data to optimize the workplace offering tools for desk booking, floor plan management, and scenario planning to support dynamic work environments. 

Key Features

• Desk Booking: Allows employees to easily book and manage desks, optimizing workspace allocation for hybrid teams.
• Floor Plan Management: Provides a visual representation of office layouts, enabling better space utilization and planning.
• Scenario Planning: Helps businesses anticipate future office space needs and plan for changes in real time.
• Space Utilization Analytics: Offers detailed data on how office spaces are being used, helping companies maximize efficiency.
• Move Management: Simplifies the process of moving employees within the office, making it easy to rearrange layouts as needed.
• Integration Capabilities: Seamlessly integrates with popular tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams for better workflow management.

Pricing

Like its competitors, pricing is available upon request. There are flexible options for organizations of different sizes.

Why choose OfficeSpace over Envoy?

OfficeSpace excels in floor plan management and scenario planning, which are not key features of Envoy. It also offers more robust desk booking and space planning capabilities, allowing companies to visualize and adapt their office layouts easily. While Envoy may be more suited for visitor management and security, OfficeSpace provides a more complete solution for companies focused on optimizing their workspace for hybrid and dynamic work models.

Why choose Gable over OfficeSpace?

Gable offers a simple, user-friendly interface that makes booking desks and rooms easy, with minimal training required. This speeds up adoption and is ideal for organizations with global teams. OfficeSpace, while feature-rich, has a steeper learning curve, especially for advanced tools like AI assistants and move management, which may take more time to master.

OfficeSpace offers customizable floor plans and integrations, but it doesn’t match Gable’s level of flexibility, especially for businesses with unique branding needs or hybrid workspaces.

Overall, Gable’s ease of use and customization make it a top choice for businesses looking for a flexible, user-friendly solution, while OfficeSpace’s powerful tools may require more time to become proficient.

Gable vs. Envoy: A detailed comparison

While both Gable and Envoy provide strong workspace management tools, Gable stands out as the best alternative for hybrid office management. It is more adaptable, budget-friendly, and all-encompassing.

Let's explore how Gable excels over Envoy in key areas.

What users are saying

Users praise Gable for its user-friendly interface, adaptability, and ease of use. Gable's integration with tools like Slack, Outlook, and Teams is a big plus. 

Reviewers also emphasize the platform's attentive customer support and affordability. Gable's clear pricing and customer-centric approach significantly benefit companies that want scalable, customizable workspace management options.

Envoy has received mostly positive feedback. Its visitor management, ease of use, and adaptability to corporate settings are praised. Users on Capterra and G2 appreciate Envoy's visitor check-in and badge features. They help streamline reception and improve security. The platform's features, like pre-registration and e-signatures, have been vital during COVID-19. They reduce contact and support health protocols.

On the other hand, there are some mixed opinions about customer service and pricing. Some users find the onboarding and setup easy. Some issues include app navigation, limited weekend support, and mobile compatibility. Additionally, users noted that Envoy's annual premium subscription is too high for small organizations.

Ease of use: User interface and experience

Gable and Envoy have user-friendly interfaces, but Gable has been reported to be simpler and easier to navigate.

Gable has a simple, intuitive interface. It makes booking desks, rooms, and workspaces easy and ensures a smooth experience for all users, regardless of their tech skills. User reviews note Gable's low learning curve, which cuts training time and speeds up team adoption.

While also praised for its usability, Envoy has a steeper learning curve for certain features. For example, users appreciate Envoy’s customizable maps and interactive tools, but users have reported Envoy lacking a user-friendly interface.

One user in Biotechnology reported, “Changing desks is not the most straightforward, user-friendly task to accomplish within the app.”

Verdict:

Gable's simple interface is better for groups that want a quick, easy setup.

Flexibility: Adapting to business needs

Gable stands out for its exceptional flexibility in hybrid and remote work settings, while Envoy is more tailored to managing in-office operations.

In addition to the HQ product which lets companies handle desk and room bookings, Gable's On-Demand product with access to 10,000 flex workspaces worldwide makes the product adaptable. It's perfect for organizations with both in-office teams and hybrid employees using flex spaces. Its tools support remote and in-office work, helping businesses scale and adapt to changing needs.

Envoy helps manage in-office work with its hybrid scheduling and desk reservation features, making it a solid choice for companies with a central office structure. However, when compared to Gable, Envoy’s reach is more limited. Gable offers access to over 10,000 workspaces across 50+ cities worldwide, whereas Envoy focuses primarily on in-office management without providing the same global flexibility.

Verdict:

Gable is the better choice for companies with flexible locations and hybrid work.

Integration capabilities: Seamless connections with everyday tools

Both platforms offer integrations, but Gable's approach is broader.

Gable connects with over 30 workplace tools, including Slack, Microsoft Teams, HRIS, and access control systems like Brivo and Verkada. This versatility allows businesses to streamline workflows and boost productivity, particularly in remote and hybrid work environments. By offering such a wide range of integrations, Gable helps teams work seamlessly across multiple platforms and locations. 

Envoy integrates with more than 15 essential tools, such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, and various access control systems. However, it primarily focuses on in-office management tools, making it a better fit for companies with centralized office setups and less flexibility for remote-first organizations.

Verdict:

Gable's many integration options make it a better choice for organizations that need tools for both in-office and hybrid work.

Pricing: Transparent comparison with cost-savings

Gable offers a clearer and more affordable pricing structure.

Gable starts at $3 per seat per month for HQ desk booking and room reservation, offering comprehensive features, including integrations with HRIS, Slack, Teams, and access control systems. You also get full access to a detailed data and analytics dashboard that provides insights into space utilization, meeting room occupancy, and booking patterns, allowing you to make informed real estate decisions. This all-inclusive package helps optimize office usage, foster collaboration, and streamline operations in hybrid workplaces.

For Gable visitor management, it is $150 per month per location. Custom pricing and discounts are available for enterprise clients. It's a smart choice for businesses that need flexibility and branding options.

Envoy’s Workplace pricing for desk and room booking starts at $5 per seat per month, which includes key features like desk hoteling, permanent desk assignments, and room booking through their mobile app. The system integrates with popular workplace tools like Slack, Teams, and access control systems. In addition, businesses get access to detailed space usage analytics that help optimize layouts and reduce real estate costs.

Envoy Visitor Management offers packages starting at $329 per location per month for comparable features to Gable’s Visitor Management package, which can be costly for businesses with many locations and those needing advanced visitor management features.

Verdict:

Gable's simple pricing model makes it the cheaper option for the same (and even more) features. This is true for companies with multiple locations or that need extensive customization.

Customer support: Review-based comparison

Both platforms are known for their customer support. But Gable's personalized approach adds extra value.

Gable is recognized for its responsive 24/7 support team, which assists with email, live chat, and phone. Customers often praise the fast response times and tailored support. This is especially true during onboarding and for urgent issues.

Envoy offers 24/7 customer support through various phone, chat, and email channels. However, some users have noted occasional delays in support response times, particularly for more complex issues or outside of regular business hours. One user reported having to wait until Monday for assistance when support wasn't available over the weekend, which can be inconvenient for urgent tasks.

One user shared this experience on Capterra: “Ok. Let's try their support, right? Not available, as it is Saturday. Everybody in the company must be taking weekends off, there is no support. I must wait for Monday. But Monday is exactly what I am trying to reserve at the office, as the company policy is to use Envoy to be able to work at the office.” - Fara M., Head of Data

Verdict:

Gable's quick, personal support ensures users have a great experience and get help when needed.

Features: Side-by-side comparison of key features

• Desk Booking: Both Gable and Envoy offer desk booking functionality, but the flexibility differs. Gable allows users to book desks with real-time availability and easy cancellations, which is especially useful for hybrid or fully remote teams. Envoy provides advanced desk booking with interactive maps, making it easier to visualize available spaces, though it's more suited for companies with centralized office needs.
• Room Booking: Gable offers room booking, allowing users to manage availability and track usage across multiple locations. This is ideal for companies with distributed teams. Envoy focuses more on simplifying in-office room booking and managing free or unused rooms, making it more appropriate for businesses with a single or centralized office.
• Visitor Management: Both platforms feature visitor management capabilities, but their focuses differ. Gable provides streamlined check-in and visitor tracking, while Envoy excels in pre-registration, badge access, and notification features, giving it an edge in office security and visitor logistics.
• Space Utilization: Gable offers real-time analytics on workspace usage, employee engagement, and cost optimization, helping businesses get a complete picture of how their spaces are used. Envoy provides a unified view of space usage data but focuses more on centralized space utilization rather than optimizing for remote or global operations.
• Event Orchestration: One of the biggest differences is that Gable allows companies to plan and manage both on-site and off-site events from a single platform. Envoy lacks this feature entirely, making Gable a more comprehensive solution for companies needing robust event management tools.
• Integration Capabilities: Both platforms integrate with popular tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams, but Gable goes further by also integrating with Google Calendar and offering more advanced budget management tools. Envoy, on the other hand, focuses more on access control system integrations, which may be better for businesses prioritizing office security.
• Analytics and Insights: Gable offers comprehensive data on bookings, space utilization, and budget management, providing businesses with the tools to optimize both space and cost. Envoy offers occupancy and space utilization analytics but without the deeper financial tracking that Gable provides.

Verdict:

Gable offers more features, including unique tools like event orchestration. It is a better, all-in-one solution for diverse business needs.

How Ironclad successfully transitioned from Envoy to Gable

Ironclad, a top digital contracting platform, switched from Envoy to Gable when aiming to improve their hybrid work and boost data-driven decisions. Here’s how Gable changed Ironclad's workplace strategy and helped them optimize their office and coworking space use.

The challenge

Ironclad used Envoy for workplace and visitor management. But, its many features were too much for their needs. They didn't fully use most of the tools. As Josh Bukstein, Director of Workplace at Ironclad, said, "Envoy’s all-in-one product is now costly and has unused features, like pandemic-era questionnaires."

Ironclad wanted a more user-friendly platform to improve visibility into workspace bookings and meet their hybrid needs.

The switch to Gable

When Ironclad chose to switch to Gable, Josh Bukstein noted that Gable was designed to meet all their employee needs, from office desk and room booking to coworking space access around the world. 

Gable's layout lets Ironclad employees easily track their colleagues' bookings, improving collaboration and team interaction. Gable’s pricing better suited Ironclad's needs, helping them avoid wasted costs on unnecessary features.

The Results

Since moving to Gable, Ironclad has improved work flexibility and employee independence. The platform allows team members to book spaces independently, promoting a feeling of ownership and trust among the staff. “The employee experience has improved dramatically with Gable. It’s far superior to our previous systems," Bukstein said, praising Gable's interface.

Since adopting Gable, one of the most significant changes has been the ability to utilize data effectively. Ironclad now relies on Gable to obtain real-time insights into the usage of both coworking and office spaces. "With Gable, we can track usage in our offices and coworking areas. We now understand how many people plan to come in, how many show up, and we base our decisions on that," Bukstein explained.

Ironclad's work with Gable has transformed its hybrid work strategy. It has greatly improved employee experience, data access, and cost efficiency. "We have all three of these essential components with Gable. Everyone understands how to reserve spaces, we obtained all the data we required, and the employee experience is fantastic," Bukstein remarked.

Transform your workspace management with Gable

Hybrid work is changing fast. You need a workspace management tool that is flexible, scalable, and easy to use. Many organizations like Envoy, but Gable is a strong alternative, meeting the needs of modern, dynamic workplaces.

Gable's design is user-friendly, it provides real-time data insights, and has 40+ seamless integrations. This versatile solution boosts employee autonomy and optimizes both in-office and remote work. For companies like Ironclad, switching from Envoy to Gable improves decision-making, optimizes employee experience, and cuts costs.

Try Gable, a tool built for today’s hybrid and remote work, to help your business succeed. Don’t settle for a one-size-fits-all solution.

Ready to transform your workspace management? Book a Gable demo today to see how it can benefit your organization.