Access badges and room reservation tools track intentions. They log who swiped in and which conference room was booked. What they miss is what actually happened once people walked through the door. Was the reserved room used? How many people showed up? Did they stay for five minutes or two hours?
Occupancy sensors close that gap by measuring real activity inside physical spaces. But the technology behind each system shapes the quality of the data you get, the environments where sensors can be placed, and the effort required to roll them out. A system that works well for a single-floor office might struggle across a multi-building campus.
Before investing in any platform, workplace and facilities teams should weigh four things: how the sensor collects data and what that means for employee privacy, how involved the installation process is, whether the data can flow into other systems your team already relies on, and what the total spend looks like once you factor in hardware, setup labor, and ongoing management.
Below, we review five occupancy sensor platforms designed for commercial and enterprise environments. Each section covers core specs, a brief overview of the platform, its strengths and drawbacks, and the type of organization it fits best.
Butlr
- Sensor Technology: Thermal imaging (detects body heat, not devices or images)
- Installation Difficulty: Low. Wireless sensors with no electrician or ceiling wiring needed, and most deployments go live in weeks.
- Connectivity Options: Wi-Fi, cellular, or ethernet through a dedicated gateway
- Pricing: Custom pricing available on request
Butlr is a thermal occupancy intelligence platform that measures how buildings are used without collecting any personally identifiable information. Its Heatic sensors read heat signatures to produce direct headcounts, coordinate-level positioning, dwell times, and movement data, delivering 95% accuracy across both open areas and enclosed rooms.
Because the sensors detect thermal energy rather than images or wireless signals, they can be placed in privacy-sensitive locations like restrooms, healthcare facilities, and labs where cameras or device-scanning tools would raise compliance concerns.
The platform is built on an API-first architecture, meaning occupancy data flows directly into BMS, IWMS, cleaning systems, energy platforms, and BI tools through REST APIs and webhooks rather than staying locked inside a proprietary dashboard. Butlr currently operates across 22 countries with more than 30,000 deployed sensors covering over 100 million square feet.
Pros
- Privacy is enforced at the hardware level. The sensor physically cannot capture images, device signals, or biometric data, which simplifies legal and InfoSec reviews.
- Each sensor supports two modes (presence and traffic) from a single piece of hardware, reducing procurement complexity
- Wireless, battery-powered design with flexible backhaul options makes multi-building and multi-campus rollouts straightforward
- Open integration model lets teams build occupancy data into existing workflows instead of adopting another standalone dashboard
Cons
- Custom pricing means teams need to engage sales for cost details rather than self-serve budgeting
- Thermal sensing accuracy can be affected in environments with extreme ambient heat conditions
Best For: Enterprise and campus portfolios that need wall-to-wall coverage, airtight privacy compliance, and occupancy data that plugs directly into existing operational systems.
Density
- Sensor Technology: Depth sensing and 60GHz radar
- Installation Difficulty: Mixed. Open-area and entry sensors require professional installation with power and network infrastructure. A self-installable radar option is available for smaller rooms
- Connectivity Options: Wired for depth sensors; powered Wi-Fi for the radar sensor
- Pricing: Sensors start at $149/unit; software from $2.50–$8/unit per month depending on space type (billed annually)
Density is a people analytics platform that combines depth sensors for open areas and doorways with a 60GHz radar sensor for smaller spaces like meeting rooms and phone booths. Data feeds into Density’s analytics layer for capacity planning, utilization trends, and occupancy reporting. The platform also offers advisory services including professional site planning and workplace strategy consulting.
Pros
- The self-installable radar sensor lowers setup effort for enclosed spaces like huddle rooms and phone booths
- Depth sensors cover large open areas with fewer units, reducing total hardware requirements in wide-footprint environments
- Published pricing and advisory services give teams visibility into costs and access to strategic planning support
Cons
- Depth sensors for open areas and entryways are wired and need professional installation, adding time and coordination with electricians and IT for cabling and ceiling access
- Radar-based detection can face scrutiny in jurisdictions concerned about RF-based tracking, particularly under EU regulations and in healthcare settings
- The analytics platform is the primary data interface; while an API exists, third-party integration is not a core design priority
Best For: Mid-to-large offices that want a mix of self-install and professionally deployed sensors, have transparent budget requirements, and primarily plan to use the vendor’s own analytics dashboard.
XY Sense
- Sensor Technology: Ceiling-mounted sensors capturing XY coordinate data
- Installation Difficulty: Moderate. Ceiling-mounted hardware, commonly deployed in partial or sampled coverage models.
- Connectivity Options: Wired and wireless options available
- Pricing: Custom pricing available on request
XY Sense uses ceiling-mounted sensors to track the XY coordinates of individuals relative to each sensor without capturing images or personal information. Data feeds into the platform’s analytics for reporting on utilization trends, hybrid work planning, and portfolio optimization. The system also includes built-in air quality monitoring integrations that layer environmental data alongside occupancy insights.
Pros
- Captures coordinate-level spatial data without images, making privacy conversations simpler than with camera-based alternatives
- Multiple sensor types (area, entry, presence) let teams match hardware to the specific requirements of different spaces
- Environmental monitoring integrations add temperature, humidity, and air quality data alongside occupancy metrics
Cons
- Typically deployed in sampled or partial coverage rather than wall-to-wall, which can leave visibility gaps across a full building
- Different sensor types for different space categories add complexity to planning, procurement, and inventory management
- The platform is primarily built around its own analytics and dashboards, which may limit how easily data moves into external tools
Best For: Workplace teams focused on spatial analytics and hybrid planning who want coordinate-level detail and are comfortable with partial-coverage deployment models.
PointGrab
- Sensor Technology: Combined optical and PIR (passive infrared) sensing
- Installation Difficulty: Higher. Sensors require calibration after mounting, making large-scale rollouts more involved.
- Connectivity Options: Wired and wireless
- Pricing: Custom pricing available on request
PointGrab is a workplace intelligence platform that pairs optical and PIR sensors to generate occupancy data. A single sensor handles multiple detection modes including headcount, motion tracking, object detection, and virtual traffic lines. The cloud management platform lets administrators configure sensors, define detection zones, and export data for analysis.
Pros
- Multi-function sensing from a single device covers occupancy counting, people-in-motion detection, object detection, and traffic counting
- Visualization and reporting tools give facility teams a clear picture of how specific areas are being used
- API access is available for data export and connecting to third-party systems
Cons
- Optical (camera-based) sensing means organizations may need to complete privacy reviews before deployment, particularly in regulated industries or regions with strict data protection laws
- Calibration requirements after installation add complexity and time to large-scale rollouts
- Data access and integrations run primarily through PointGrab’s own platform, which can limit flexibility for teams that want occupancy data flowing into external systems
Best For: Facility management teams that want multi-purpose detection capabilities from a single sensor and are prepared to manage the privacy review process that comes with optical sensing.
Occuspace
- Sensor Technology: Passive BLE/Wi-Fi scanning (Macro sensors) and mmWave radar (Micro sensors)
- Installation Difficulty: Low. Macro sensors plug into a standard wall outlet or connect via PoE, with no ceiling mounting or electrician needed.
- Connectivity Options: Transmits through the building’s existing network
- Pricing: Lower per-unit hardware cost; reported TCO 3–5x below wired ceiling-mounted alternatives
Occuspace is an occupancy intelligence platform with roots in higher education, originally built to help students find open seats in campus libraries at UC San Diego. Its Macro sensors passively detect Bluetooth and Wi-Fi signals from nearby devices to estimate how many people occupy a given area, while its Micro sensors use mmWave radar for headcounts in smaller enclosed rooms. The platform has since expanded into corporate and government environments, and its federal solution includes a GSA blanket purchase agreement.
Pros
- Plug-in installation model is among the fastest in the category. A team can cover a floor in hours where wall outlets are plentiful.
- Strong track record in higher education with deployments at major universities
- Lower per-sensor hardware cost can be a meaningful factor for budget-constrained evaluations
Cons
- Macro sensors infer occupancy from device signals rather than counting people directly, so accuracy fluctuates based on how many devices each person carries and whether those devices are actively broadcasting
- Sensors require a wall outlet or PoE connection, which can create coverage gaps in older buildings or spaces where power placement does not align with sensing needs
- The platform experience centers on Occuspace’s own data portal and digital signage tools rather than open integration into external operational systems
Best For: Higher education campuses and standard office environments with abundant wall power and predictable device density, especially when per-unit hardware cost is a primary evaluation factor.