Canonical URL: https://density.io/resources/density-vs-robin

# Density vs. Robin: people counts, bookings and check-ins

Choose Density when your workplace decision depends on observed physical use: how many people are in an area, how often a room is occupied, or whether small meeting rooms serve individuals or groups. Density combines purpose-built sensors with Atlas reporting and Instant's question-driven charts.

Robin addresses workspace coordination and reporting through bookings, check-ins and workplace presence. Its [occupancy guidance](https://support.robinpowered.com/hc/en-us/articles/33187153615373-Best-practices-for-tracking-workplace-occupancy) distinguishes who comes into the office from the desks they book and the spaces they use. Those are related questions, but they need different evidence.

## A booked room and an occupied room are different observations

Robin's [Space Insights Usage dashboard](https://support.robinpowered.com/hc/en-us/articles/360024049872-Space-Insights-Usage-dashboard) describes utilization as reserved time within the reporting schedule. That measure helps a team find scheduling pressure. A physical occupancy measure answers how often people are actually in the room.

Consider a hypothetical room available from 09:00 to 17:00. It has six reserved hours and two hours of observed occupancy, with complete measurements throughout the day.

| Measure | Calculation | Result |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reserved-time rate | Six reserved hours ÷ eight available hours | 75% |
| Occupied-time rate | Two occupied hours ÷ eight valid observed available hours | 25% |

These percentages describe different facts. The room can have a busy calendar and much less physical use. To explain the gap, compare the reservation and observation timelines before calling a booking a no-show. A daily total cannot reveal which reservations overlapped actual use or why the room was empty.

With Density, choose the sensor output for the question. Waffle reports zero, one, two or three-plus people for small spaces. Open Area measures people within larger areas, while Entry measures directional doorway crossings. Density's [workplace sensor guidance](https://support.density.io/hc/en-us/articles/37761559048987-Waffle-in-the-Workplace) explains those choices. Keep a capped three-plus category separate from a requirement for exact larger counts.

## Check which Robin report you are comparing

Robin's reports use different inputs. Its [Office Density dashboard documentation](https://support.robinpowered.com/hc/en-us/articles/22233686508301-Desk-Insights-Office-Density-Dashboard) describes a daily booking-based measure for hot and hotel desks, excluding assigned desks. That named dashboard should not be treated as a definition of everything Robin reports.

Robin also supports local check-ins through Wi-Fi, badge integrations and desk QR codes. Its occupancy guidance describes confirmed on-site presence separately from reservations. Include the enabled check-in methods and reporting scope in the proposal rather than assuming every result comes from a calendar.

For Density, keep the measured space, sensor output and reporting period beside the result. A physical count does not identify a reservation holder. An anonymous people count and a person-level check-in can both be useful, without being interchangeable.

## Take the same workplace question into both demonstrations

Suppose your team needs to decide whether a floor needs more small rooms. Ask each supplier to show the evidence that connects to that decision:

- **Scheduling pressure:** when the available rooms are reserved and which periods are difficult to book.
- **Physical use:** when people occupy those rooms and whether use is mainly individual or group-based.
- **Reporting scope:** included rooms, operating hours, capacity assumptions and unavailable observations.

Density's [Atlas export guide](https://support.density.io/hc/en-us/articles/21437437327259-Atlas-Bulk-CSV-Export) documents space identifiers, counting mode and local timestamps. Use those fields to check the measurement behind a report. If you also need booking records, establish how the selected systems will map rooms and align time windows before planning a combined analysis.

Keep the action tied to the evidence. A calendar bottleneck may call for booking-policy or scheduling work. Recurring individual use of larger rooms may justify investigating phone booths or quiet spaces. Neither pattern alone proves the office needs more square footage.

## Begin with the physical question Density can answer

Bring Density the rooms, the required count or presence output, and the space decision you want to make. Ask to follow one measurement into the report and check the result before expanding the rollout.

[Book a Density demo](https://demo.density.io), or email [sales@density.io](mailto:sales@density.io).

Use the [Waffle room guide](https://density.io/resources/waffle-meeting-room-occupancy) for individual-versus-group analysis and the [utilization definitions](https://density.io/resources/4-space-utilization-metrics-to-measure-and-optimize) to distinguish capacity, occupied time and reporting thresholds.